Dudley, Thomas (‘Bang Bang’)
Dudley, Thomas (‘Bang Bang’) (1906–81), eccentric, was born on 13 February 1906 in the Rotunda hospital, Dublin. Raised in an orphanage in Cabra, he lived for much of his adult life on Mill Lane near The Coombe in the Liberties. Although he worked briefly as a kitchen porter in Rialto…...
Duffy, Sir Charles Gavan
Duffy, Sir Charles Gavan (1816–1903), politician and journalist, was born in Monaghan town on 12 April 1816, the sixth and youngest child of John Duffy (d. 1827), a shopkeeper and former United Irishman, and his wife, Anne (née Gavan). Formative years After the premature deaths of his…...
Duncan, Ellen
Duncan, Ellen (1850–1937), arts administrator and journalist, was born in Dublin, eldest daughter of Thomas Douglas of Sydney Parade, Ballsbridge. She was educated at Alexandra College, Dublin and at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Married to James Duncan, a civil servant in Dublin…...
Dunne, Michael (‘Mick’)
Dunne, Michael (‘Mick’) (1929–2002), GAA broadcaster and journalist, was born 27 May 1929 in Clonaslee, Co. Laois, one of two sons of Francis Dunne, insurance agent, and Agnes Dunne (née Foley), schoolteacher. Educated at Clonaslee national school and Knockbeg College, Co. Carlow,…...
Dunne, Seán Christopher
Dunne, Seán Christopher (1956–95), poet, editor, and journalist, was born 30 May 1956 at Belleville nursing home, Waterford, son of Richie Dunne, factory worker, and Maureen Dunne (née Walshe). His father and a housekeeper, Tessie Ryan, looked after the family after his mother…...
Dunseith, David Lumsden
Dunseith, David Lumsden (1934–2011), policeman and broadcaster, was born on 2 October 1934 in Derry city, the eldest child of Robert Dunseith, a flour miller, and his wife Mary Dunseith (née Lumsden), formerly a factory worker. David grew up in the protestant Waterside area of Derry…...
Dwyer, Bernie
Dwyer, Bernie (1943–2013), journalist, filmmaker and political activist, was born in Dublin on 14 December 1943 to Mary (née Fagan) and Arthur Hannon , a clerk at Dublin Corporation. She spent her early childhood in Drimnagh, before the family moved to Sutton, Co. Dublin. She left…...
Eccles, Charlotte O'Conor
Eccles, Charlotte O'Conor (1864/5–1911), journalist and novelist, was born in Ballingard House, Co. Roscommon, fourth and oldest surviving daughter of Alexander O'Conor Eccles, justice of the peace and founder of the Roscommon Messenger (1848–1935), a home rule newspaper.…...
Egan, Pierce
Egan, Pierce (c.1774–1849), popular novelist and sporting journalist, was the eldest son of James Egan, labourer; his uncle was John Egan (qv), the politician. Although there is no record of his birth or early life, there is reason…...
Ennis, Séamus
Ennis, Séamus (1919–82), musician, folklorist, singer, and broadcaster, was born 5 May 1919 in Jamestown Lodge, Finglas, Dublin, son of James Ennis, civil servant and warpiper from Dublin, and Mary Josephine Ennis (née McCabe) from Co. Monaghan. He had three sisters and two brothers.…...
Etchingham, Sean R.
Etchingham, Sean R. (1870–1923), politician and journalist, was born 6 February 1870 at Ballintray (near Gorey), Co. Wexford, son of Jack Etchingham, gardener, and his wife, Margaret (née Redmond), who also had at least three daughters. The family had a Fenian tradition, which…...
Fallon, Padraic
Fallon, Padraic (1946–2012), journalist and businessman, was born on 21 September 1946 in the County Hospital, Wexford, the youngest of six sons of Padraic Fallon (qv), a poet, playwright and customs official of Rowe Street, Wexford, and his…...
Falloon, Cecil Samuel Gordon ('Paddy')
Falloon, Cecil Samuel Gordon ('Paddy') (1911–2003), businessman, hotelier, and restorer of historic buildings, was born 10 July 1911 in Camly Macullagh, a townland near Newtownhamilton in south Co. Armagh, younger son and youngest of four children of Samuel Falloon, farmer, and his…...
Falls, Cyril Bentham
Falls, Cyril Bentham (1888–1971), military historian and journalist, was born 2 March 1888 in Dublin, elder of two sons of Charles Fausset Falls (1860–1936) and his wife Clare (née Bentham), who also had a daughter. His father was a prominent Enniskillen solicitor and a leading…...
Fanning, Aengus
Fanning, Aengus (1944–2012), newspaper editor, was born on 22 April 1944 in the family home at Cloonbeg Terrace, Tralee, Co. Kerry, the fourth child among five sons and one daughter of Arnold ('Paddy') Fanning, a teacher, and his wife Clara (née Connell). Originally from Rostrevor,…...
Farrell, Brian
Farrell, Brian (1929–2014) broadcaster and academic, was born Bernard Brendan Farrell on 9 January 1929 at 16 Lowe Street, Miles Platting, Manchester, England. He was the fourth of five children of Francis (Frank) Farrell, a railway porter from Glasgow (whose family were from Wicklow),…...
Farrell, James Patrick (‘J. P.’)
Farrell, James Patrick (‘J. P.’) (1865–1921), politician and journalist, was born 13 May 1865 in Longford, eldest of five children of Patrick Farrell of Longford and Ann Farrell (née Lynam) of Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. Educated at St Mel's College in Longford, he became involved…...
Feehan, Matthew (‘Matt’)
Feehan, Matthew (‘Matt’) (1913–90), soldier and newspaper editor, was born 11 November 1913 at 4 Great Denmark St., north-east of Rutland (later Parnell) Square, Dublin, youngest son of Matthew Feehan, grocer, and Aileen Feehan (née Boland), of Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. He was educated at…...
Fenton, Tony
Fenton, Tony (Anthony Fagan, ‘the Dude’) (1961–2015), music broadcaster and disc jockey (DJ), was born Anthony James Fagan in Donnycarney, Co. Dublin, on 25 March 1961, the second of four sons and one daughter to Brendan Fagan, a carpenter with his own business, and his…...
Figgis, Darrell
Figgis, Darrell (1882–1925), journalist, author, and nationalist propagandist, was born 17 September 1882 at Glen-na-Smoil, Palmerston Park, Rathmines, Dublin, son of Arthur William Figgis, tea merchant, and Mary Anne Figgis (née Deane). The family moved to London and then Ceylon…...
Finerty, John Frederick
Finerty, John Frederick (1846–1908), journalist and nationalist, was born 10 September 1846 in Galway city, son of M. J. Finerty, nationalist and editor of the Galway Vindicator, and Margaret Finerty (née Flynn). After his father's death (1848) he was reared by an uncle. He…...
Finlay, Francis Dalzell
Finlay, Francis Dalzell (1793–1857), journalist and printer, was born 12 July 1793 at Newtownards, Co. Down, son of John Finlay, tenant farmer. He joined the Belfast Monthly Magazine (1812–14) as a printer, and when it closed he set up his own printing press at Joy's Entry…...
Finnerty, Peter
Finnerty, Peter (1766?–1822), printer, journalist and parliamentary and war reporter, was born probably at Loughrea, Co. Galway, where his father was a small tradesman. In the 1790s he served as an apprentice to William Corbet (qv),…...
Firth, Virginia Arabella ('Gay')
Firth, Virginia Arabella ('Gay') (1937–2005), author, journalist and political campaigner, was born in Belfast on 9 January 1937, the eldest of three daughters of Lancelot Turtle, a Belfast businessman and stockbroker, and Helen Ramsey Turtle (1911–46), born in Denver, Colorado,…...
Fisher, Joseph Robert
Fisher, Joseph Robert (1855–1939), journalist and unionist, was born in Raffrey, Co. Down, youngest among three sons and one daughter of the Rev. Ringland Fisher, presbyterian minister and his wife Sarah, née English. He was educated at the…...