Ainsworth, Thomas Joseph ('Joe')
Ainsworth, Thomas Joseph (Joe; ‘Two Gun Joe’) (1927–2015), garda, was born 17 May 1927 at his parents’ home at Davitt’s Terrace, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, the elder of two sons of Harry (Henry) Ainsworth, a victualler, and his wife Margaret (née Feeney). Ainsworth was…...
Barry, John
Barry, John (1745–1803), United States Navy captain, was born at Ballysampson, Tacumshane parish, Co. Wexford, son of John Barry, clerk and small farmer, and Catherine Barry (née Kelly). After his family were evicted, they moved to Rosslare and the young Barry went to sea as a cabin boy…...
Brenan, John
Brenan, John (1768–1830), physician and satirist, was born March 1768, eldest of six children of a minor landed catholic family from Ballaghide, Co. Carlow. The details of his early life are unknown. In 1793 he wrote epigrams and short verse for Dublin magazines. Claiming to have…...
Brennan, Garrett (Gerald Brennan/O'Brennan; Gearóid Ó Braonáin/ Ó Breanáin)
Brennan, Garrett (Gerald Brennan/O'Brennan; Gearóid Ó Braonáin/ Ó Breanáin) (1894–1974), revolutionary and garda, was born 7 October 1894 in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny, second of ten children of Cornelius Barrett, shopkeeper, and Margaret Brennan (née Boran). One of his brothers was…...
Carroll, Patrick Joseph
Carroll, Patrick Joseph (1903–75), Garda commissioner, was born 15 September 1903 in Ballyrider, Stradbally, Co. Laois, third among six children of Michael Carroll (d. c.1920) and Julia Carroll (née Buggy) (d. c.1939), farmers. Educated at the…...
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,…...
Costigan, Daniel
Costigan, Daniel (1911–79), civil servant and Garda commissioner, was born 18 February 1911 in Derryfada, Kealkil, Bantry, Co. Cork (where the Costigan family had lived for many generations), elder surviving son and third among six children of James Costigan (d. 1956) and Anne…...
Coulter, William Alexander
Coulter, William Alexander (1849–1936), painter, was born on 7 March 1849 in Glenariff, Co. Antrim, the son of James Coulter, a coastguard, originally from Co. Down, and his wife Sarah, an Irish-speaker from the glens of Antrim. He grew up in a catholic family along the east Antrim…...
Crean, Thomas (‘Tom’)
Crean, Thomas (‘Tom’) (1877–1938), sailor and Antarctic explorer, was born either on or shortly before 16 February 1877 at Gurtuchrane, near Anascaul, Co. Kerry, one of eight sons and three daughters of Patrick Crean, farmer, and Catherine Crean (née Courtney). (His birth certificate…...
Flanagan, James Bernard (‘Jamie’)
Flanagan, James Bernard (‘Jamie’) (1914–99), policeman, was born 15 January 1914 at 68 Bridge St., Derry city, son of James Flanagan, RIC sergeant, and Susan Flanagan (née McFeely). Educated locally, he joined the…...
Gorman, Sir John Reginald
Gorman, (Sir) John Reginald (1923–2014), soldier, policeman, businessman, civil servant and politician, was born on 1 February 1923 at Mullaghmore House, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, the eldest of four children of Major John Kearney (Jack) Gorman (1891–1980), an RUC officer, and his…...
Hayes, (Francis) Mahon (Joseph)
Hayes, (Francis) Mahon (Joseph) (1930–2011), lawyer and diplomat, was born on 2 March 1930 at Verdun, Wellington Road, Cork, the second of three sons of Francis Mahon Hayes (d. 1968), official with the Munster and Leinster Bank, and his wife Aileen (née Walsh). The family moved with…...
Hodnett, George Desmond ('Hoddy')
Hodnett, George Desmond ('Hoddy') (1918–90), musician, journalist and bohemian, was born 25 February 1918 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, son of George Pope Hodnett (1890–1982), soldier, and Lauré Hodnett (née Faschnacht), a native of Switzerland; he had at least one sibling, a brother…...
Holland, John Philip
Holland, John Philip (1841–1914), inventor of the submarine, was born 24 February 1841 at Castle Street, Liscannor, Co. Clare, son of John Holland, a coast guard officer, and his second wife, Mary (née Scanlon). He was educated at St Macreehy's national school, Liscannor, and by the…...
Joyce, Michael
Joyce, Michael (1851–1941), sailor, Shannon pilot and MP, was born 4 September 1851 at Merchant's Quay, Limerick, the son of Richard Joyce, a Shannon pilot, and his wife Bridget (née Tubbs). His grandfather, John Joyce, had also been a Shannon pilot. Educated at the Christian Brothers'…...
Joyce, William Henry
Joyce, William Henry (1849/50–1928), policeman and magistrate, was born in Urney, Co. Tyrone, youngest of seven children of John Joyce and Eliza Anne Joyce (maiden name unknown), resident at Beechmount, Ballycolman, Strabane, Co. Tyrone. His father was clerk of the crown for Co.…...
Kinlen, Dermot Patrick
Kinlen, Dermot Patrick (1930–2007), barrister, judge and penal reformer, was born 24 April 1930 in Dublin, the eldest of two sons and one daughter of Louis P. Kinlen, of Darwin Hall, 200 Rathfarnham Road, Dublin, a building contractor, and his wife Aileen (née O'Donnell). Educated…...
Kinnane, Michael Joseph (‘M. J.’)
Kinnane, Michael Joseph (‘M. J.’) (1889–1952), civil servant and Garda Síochána commissioner, was born 18 January 1889 in Drumcondra, Dublin, son of Martin Kinnane and Eileen Kinnane (née Carney), national school teachers. Raised in Mountbellew, Co. Galway, and educated at…...
Lagan, Francis ('Frank')
Lagan, Francis ('Frank') (1916–2005), policeman, was born 11 December 1916 in Lisnamuck, Maghera, Co. Londonderry, one of seven children of Francis Lagan and his wife Bridget (née O'Donnell), who were both schoolteachers; Bridget's father was a member of the…...
MacDonnell, Randell
MacDonnell, Randell (c.1633–1711), naval commander and Jacobite, was second son of Sir James MacDonnell, 2nd baronet of Moye, a cousin of Randal MacDonnell (qv), 2nd earl and later marquis of Antrim. His mother was Mary…...
Mallon, John
Mallon, John (1839–1915), policeman, was born 10 May 1839 near Meigh, Co. Armagh, the eldest child of Thomas Mallon, a tenant farmer, and his wife, Judith (Susan) Connolly. Educated at Newry model school and mentored by Canon Michael Murphy, Mallon was then apprenticed to a Newry draper…...
McHugh, Kevin
McHugh, Kevin (1946–2006), fisherman and businessman, was born in Bullsmouth, Achill Island, Co. Mayo, on 26 May 1946, the fourth of eight children of Michael McHugh, ESB maintenance engineer, and his wife Norah (née Lavelle). Educated…...
Murphy, William Richard English
Murphy, William Richard English (1890–1975), teacher, soldier, schools’ inspector, general and police commissioner, was born on 26 January 1890 at Danescastle, Carrig on Bannow, Co. Wexford, son of John Joseph Murphy and Sarah Agnes (née English), both of whom were teachers. He had one…...
O'Donnell, Charles James O'Cahan
O'Donnell, Charles James O'Cahan (1850–1934), civil servant, politician, and controversialist, was probably born 28 May 1850 at Port Louis, Mauritius, youngest son of Capt. Bernard MacDonald of the Northumberland Fusiliers, from Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, and Mary MacDonald (née…...
O'Duffy, Eoin
O'Duffy, Eoin (1890–1944), soldier, policeman, and politician, was born 28 January 1890 on the family farm at Carrickaduff (Cargaghdoo), near Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, youngest among five sons and two daughters of Eugene (‘Owen’) Duffy and Brigid Duffy (née Fealy) of the nearby…...