Clifford, Mary (‘Mai’)
Clifford, Mary (‘Mai’) (née Hollingsworth ) (1913–86), trade union official and laundress, was born 25 September 1913 at Phoenix Park, Glasgow, Scotland, the elder of one daughter and one son of Joseph Hollingsworth, a blacksmith from Co. Kerry, and his wife Elizabeth, a Glasgow…...
Cluskey, Frank (Francis)
Cluskey, Frank (Francis) (1930–89), trade unionist and politician, was born 8 April 1930 at 83 St Ignatius Road, off Lower Dorset Street, Dublin, youngest of two sons and three daughters of Francis (‘Frank’) Cluskey (c.1890–1955), a butcher and active trade unionist, and…...
Cobbe, Frances Power
Cobbe, Frances Power (1822–1904), feminist, journalist, anti-vivisectionist, and philanthropist, was born 4 December 1822 in Dublin, the fifth child and only daughter of Charles Cobbe (1781–1857), a landlord and magistrate of Newbridge House, Co. Dublin, and Frances Cobbe (née…...
Code, Henry Brereton
Code, Henry Brereton (c.1770–1838), journalist, dramatist, and government agent (whose real name appears to have been Cody), was educated in a seminary. He began his career as a retailer of hose at Skinner Row, Dublin (1793). After the failure of this business and other…...
Cole, John Morrison
Cole, John Morrison (1927–2013), journalist and broadcaster, was born into a working-class presbyterian family on 23 November 1927 in Whitewell Road, Belfast, the son of George Cole, a small electrical contractor of Whitewell Road, and his wife Alice (née Morrison). Growing up in…...
Colgan, Nathaniel
Colgan, Nathaniel (1851–1919), botanist, marine biologist, and traveller, was born 28 May 1851 in Dublin. The identity of his parents is not known with certainty, though they may have been Nathaniel Watson Colgan and Letitia Phair, who married in Dublin in 1846. Colgan was educated…...
Colleary, (James) Gordon
Colleary, (James) Gordon (1941–2014), travel entrepreneur and newspaper publisher, was born on 7 March 1941 in Tuam, Co. Galway, the eldest of five children of Gerald Francis Calleary, headmaster of Tuam Vocational School, and his wife Josephine Margaret Calleary (née Gordon). (The…...
Collier, Peter Fenelon
Collier, Peter Fenelon (1849–1909), publisher and newspaper proprietor, was born 12 December 1849 in Myshall, Co. Carlow, son of Robert C. Collier and Catherine Collier (née Fenelon). After an education in local schools he emigrated to America at 17 and entered St Mary's seminary…...
Collins, Thomas Joseph
Collins, Thomas Joseph (1894–1972), satirist, was born 26 February 1894 in Dublin, one of six children of Anthony Joseph Collins, merchant tailor, and Alice Collins (née Beatty) of Coolock. The family subsequently lived at 13 Talbot St. and (from 1908) 15 Upper St Brigid's Rd,…...
Comerford, Maire (Mary Eva)
Comerford, Maire (Mary Eva) (1893–1982), republican and journalist, was born 29 June 1893, in Ardavon, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow, the eldest daughter of James Charles Comerford, a mill owner, and Eva May Comerford, the daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Esmonde of Co.Wexford. She…...
Condell, Frances Pauline
Condell, Frances Pauline (1916–86), politician and journalist, was born 29 June 1916 at 8 Sexton St., Limerick, sixth child of James Eades , signal inspector, and Fanny Eades (née Sheppard). She had five older brothers. The family was protestant, and Frances attended St Michael's…...
Conefrey, Peter
Conefrey, Peter (1880–1939), catholic priest and social critic, was born 9 June 1880 in Mohill, Co. Leitrim, son of James Conefrey, publican, and his wife Mary McGivney. There were many priests on both sides of the family. His uncle, Fr Thomas Conefrey, parish priest of Drumlish,…...
Conlon, Malachy (Malachi)
Conlon, Malachy (Malachi) (1913–50), journalist and politician, was born 16 January 1913 at Lurgancullenboy, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh, one of two sons and two daughters of Patrick Conlon, a farmer of Lurgancullenboy, and Mary (née Nally) Conlon. He was educated at the local national…...
Connellan, Joseph
Connellan, Joseph (1889–1967), journalist and politician, was born in Newry, the son of working-class parents, and was educated locally at the Newry CBS. His mother, who had a great knowledge of Irish history, instilled in him a love…...
Connolly, James
Connolly, James (1868–1916), socialist and revolutionary leader, was born in Cowgate, Edinburgh, on 5 June 1868, the youngest in a family of three boys. His father, John Connolly, and his mother, Mary McGinn, were both born in Ireland in 1833, possibly in Co. Monaghan, and emigrated to…...
Connolly, Patrick J.
Connolly, Patrick J. (1875–1951), Jesuit priest and journal editor, was born 23 November 1875 at Killomoran, near Gort, Co. Galway, a son of Patrick Connolly, an illiterate farmer, and his wife, Mary (née Connors). He was educated at Mungret College, Limerick. After entering the…...
Connolly, Roderic James (‘Roddy’)
Connolly, Roderic James (‘Roddy’) (1901–80), socialist, trade unionist, and politician, was born 11 February 1901 at 54 Pimlico, Dublin, only son and sixth among seven children of James Connolly (qv), native of Edinburgh, Scotland, the…...
Connolly, Sean
Connolly, Sean (1882–1916), actor, trade unionist, and republican, was born 12 April 1882 at 10 Seafort Ave., Sandymount, Dublin, third child and eldest son among eight daughters and eight sons of Michael Connolly, seaman, and Mary Connolly (née Ellis). When his father ceased seafaring…...
Conroy, John
Conroy, John (1904–69), trade unionist, was born 17 April 1904 in Wicklow town, son of Thomas Conroy, a railway signalman, and Catherine Conroy (née McNamara). He attended national school locally before beginning work at a very early age in a fertiliser factory. Subsequently he…...
Conroy, Sheila (née Williams)
Conroy, Sheila (née Williams) (1918–2012), trade unionist, social activist and administrator, was born on 22 April 1918 (or 4 April 1917) in Bantry, Co. Cork, only child of Harry and Jane Williams. A Welsh petty officer in the Royal Navy, Harry Williams was stationed at Bantry (1914–…...
Conway, Frederick William
Conway, Frederick William (1781/2–1853), journalist and book collector, was the son of Luke Conway, printer of the Connaught Gazette, a pro-government newspaper published at Loughrea, Co. Galway, for some months in 1797. From 1806 to 1812 he was a major contributor to the…...
Conyngham, David Power
Conyngham, David Power (c.1825–1883), historian, journalist, and soldier, was born in Crohane, Co. Tipperary, the eldest son of John Cunningham and Catherine Cunningham (née Power), who were well-to-do tenant farmers. On his mother's side he was related to…...
Cooke, Adolphus
Cooke, Adolphus (1792–1876), eccentric, was born in Cookesborough near Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, illegitimate son of Robert Cooke, landowner, and an unnamed servant. Adolphus's mother was sent away, and he was raised by a nurse, Mary Kelly, in a two-room thatched cottage, forbidden…...
Cook, Robert
Cook, Robert (1646?–c.1726), eccentric, was the son of Robert Cook of Cappoquin, Co. Waterford. During the reign of James II (qv) he fled to England and lived at Ipswich. In its act of attainder the 1689 Jacobite parliament…...
Cooney, Peter
Cooney, Peter (c.1755–c.1798), journalist and newspaper proprietor, came from unknown origins to prominence in 1788 when he established the Morning Post, an opposition newspaper, in Dublin. He was soon involved in the legal action between…...