Darley, Frederick
Darley, Frederick (1764–1841), builder, alderman, and police magistrate, born in Dublin and baptised on 6 July 1764, was one of the many children of Henry Darley (1721?–1798), a wealthy public works contractor, and his first wife, Mary (née Steele; d. 1770). Henry's grandfather,…...
Darlugdach (Der Lugdach)
Darlugdach (Der Lugdach) (6th cent.?), abbess of Kildare, was a saint in the Irish tradition. Her genealogy is not preserved, but she may well be identical with Darlugdach of Lemdruim (Lorum, Co. Carlow) mentioned in the Book of Leinster tract on Irish saints and places. In that…...
Declan (Déclán)
Declan (Déclán) (fl. 5th/early 6th cent.) of Ardmore, saint in the Irish tradition, bishop and patron of the Déisi of East Munster. The martyrologies and genealogies give inconsistent information about him, but according to tradition he was born in Drumroe, near Cappoquin…...
Deicolus
Deicolus (d. 625), saint in the Irish tradition, may have been a brother of St Gallus (qv), and is said to have accompanied Columbanus (qv) to Luxeuil. The main source of…...
Denvir, John
Denvir, John (1834–1916), author, journalist, publisher, and Fenian, was born in Bushmills, Co. Antrim, eldest son of James Denvir, clerk, of Ballywalter, Lecale, Co. Down, and Margaret ‘Peggy’ Denvir (née O'Loughlin) of Ballymagenaghy, Co. Down. Although born in Ireland while his…...
Diarmait
Diarmait (d. 825), grandson of Áed Rón, was founder and first abbot of Dísert Diarmata, a prominent member of the Céli Dé church reform movement, and a saint in the Irish tradition. His father, Fergal, was a relatively undistinguished member of the east Ulster Dál Fiatach…...
Diarmait
Diarmait (late 6th cent.), founder and first abbot of Inis Clothrann (Inchcleraun on Lough Ree, Co. Longford), and saint in the Irish tradition, was – according to the medieval pedigree assigned to him – son of Lugna son of Lugaid, who was attached to the Connacht dynasty of Uí…...
Diuma (Dímma)
Diuma (Dímma) (d. 658), missionary-bishop called the ‘apostle of Mercia’, was sent with three others by Fínán (qv), abbot and bishop of Lindisfarne, to evangelise Mercia after the baptism of King Peada, son of Penda, c.652. His…...
Dobbs, Francis
Dobbs, Francis (1750–1811), Volunteer, author, and MP, was born 27 April 1750, second son among four sons and a daughter of the Rev. Richard Dobbs (c.1694–1775), rector (1743–75) of Lisburn cathedral, Co. Antrim, and his wife Mary (d. 1796), widow of Cornet McMannus, and…...
Donahoe, Patrick
Donahoe, Patrick (1811–1901) editor, publisher, and businessman, was born 17 March 1811 in Munnery, Kilmore, Co. Cavan, the son of Terrence Donahoe and his wife Jane (née Christy). His mother died when he was an infant. In 1821 he emigrated, with his father, to Boston,…...
Donatus
Donatus (d. 876), Irish scholar and ecclesiastic born at the end of the eighth century, was elected bishop of Fiesole, near Florence, in 829. The tenth/ eleventh-century ‘Vita sancti Donati episcopi’ has little biographical detail, and almost nothing is known of Donatus's Irish…...
Donnán
Donnán (d. 615) of Eigg, missionary and martyr in Scotland, was born (according to tradition) in north-eastern Ireland; he trained under Finnian (qv) of Movilla, and came as a missionary to Scotland sometime before 590. He…...
Downey, Edmund
Downey, Edmund (1856–1937) publisher, editor, and author, was born 24 July 1856 in Waterford, the son of William Downey, a ship owner and broker, and his wife Margaret (née Hayes). He was educated in Waterford at the Catholic University School, and St. John's College, where he excelled…...
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, James
Duffy, James (1808/9–1871), publisher, was born in 1808 probably in Co. Cavan, at either Shercock or Kingscourt, and was educated locally at a hedge school. He had at least two brothers and two sisters. He is said first to have made a living as a pedlar in Cavan and Meath, dealing with…...
Dúnchad
Dúnchad (d. 717), 11th abbot of Iona, was of royal descent, being a direct descendant of some of the Uí Néill high-kings – grandson of Maél Cobo (d. 615) and grandnephew of Domnall (qv) (d. 642). Under his rule (from c.707) Iona, and…...
Dunlap, John
Dunlap, John (1746/7–1812), printer, was born in what is now Meetinghouse Street, Strabane, Co. Tyrone, a younger son among probably three sons and four daughters of John Dunlap, saddler, and Sarah Dunlap (née Ector). He may have been apprenticed to learn the printing trade in Gray's of…...
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…...
Ecgberht
Ecgberht (c.638–729), an Englishman of noble birth, moved to Ireland, ‘either for the sake of religious studies or to live a more contemplative life’, according to Bede. His departure for Ireland can be assigned to the period when Bishops…...
Énnae (Enda, Éanna)
Énnae (Enda, Éanna) (d. c.530), one of the earliest monastic founders of the Irish church, is said to have been born in the mid fifth century in the kingdom of Airgialla. His Latin Life, which is a late production, has a number of chronological incongruities. It states…...
Éogan
Éogan (fl. c.570), monk of Kilnamanagh, bishop of Ardstraw, and saint in the Irish tradition, belonged in all probability to Dál nAuluim, a forshloinne (subject people) of the Ulaid. The genealogies represent Éogan as the son of Cainnech, son of Bishop Erc. If…...
Erc
Erc (d. 513/15), bishop of Slane and saint in the Irish tradition, belonged to the obscure Munster population-group of Corco Auloimm. His father is named in the genealogies as Daig son of Branchú, and he shares his Corco Auloimm ancestry with St…...
Ercnait
Ercnait (5th/ 6th cent.?), foundress of Dún dá Én and saint in the Irish tradition, belonged to the Cruithin lineage of Uí Nialláin, located in the vicinity of Armagh in what would later be the overkingdom of Airgialla. She belongs to the first generation of Irish religious…...
Esdall, Anne
This is a co-subject for the entry on Esdall, James. View the original entry....
Esdall, James
Esdall, James (d. 1755), printer, publisher, and bookseller, was born in Dublin. His parents' names are not known but various members of the Esdall (often spelt Esdale, Asdill, or Esdill) family in Dublin were involved in printing and drawing from at least the 1720s. An ‘Esdale…...