Davitt, Michael
Davitt, Michael (1950–2005), poet, was born Joseph Michael Davitt on 20 April 1950 in Mayfield, Cork city, the third child of four children (three girls and a boy) of Joe Davitt, a bus driver and native of Mallow, Co. Cork, and his wife Hilda (néae Parker), originally from Stoke-on-…...
Dawson, William
This is a co-subject for the entry on Dawson, Charles. View the original entry....
De Brún, Pádraig (Browne, Patrick)
De Brún, Pádraig (Browne, Patrick) (1889–1960), priest, scholar, and academic administrator, was born 13 October 1889 in Grangemockler, Co. Tipperary, third child and second son among four sons and two daughters of Maurice Browne (1844–1911), a national school teacher from Cappoquin, Co…...
Deevy, Teresa
Deevy, Teresa (1894–1963), playwright, was born 21 January 1894 at her parents' residence in Passage Road, Waterford, youngest of thirteen children of Edward Deevy, a successful draper, originally from Ballycloyne, Co. Kilkenny, and Mary Deevy (née Feehan), also of Co. Kilkenny. Her…...
De Lacy, Hugh
De Lacy, Hugh (1916–2010), educationalist, was born Laurence Hugh de Lacey on 2 June 1916 in San Francisco, the elder of two sons of Laurence (Larry) de Lacey (qv) (the spelling Lacy was later adopted by Hugh), a journalist and…...
Delany, William
Delany, William (1835–1924), Jesuit and president of UCD, was born 4 June 1835 at Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow, second of ten children (of whom five survived) born to John Delany and Mary Delany (née Brennan). As with many Irish catholic families of farming stock, there was an…...
De Nógla, Éadbhard
De Nógla, Éadbhard (fl. c.1710–c.1792), Irish-language poet and tailor, was probably born in Cork city, son of the Jacobite lawyer Patrick Nagle. His mother's name is unknown. His father was originally from the area between Mallow and Fermoy and was a close friend 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…...
Derry, Valentine
Derry, Valentine (b. c.1760–d. p.1806), United Irishman, soldier, and teacher. Nothing is known about his early life. His brother was Father Edmund Derry (c.1747–1819), parish priest of Clonduff and later catholic bishop of Dromore (1801–19). Valentine…...
Despard, Charlotte
Despard, Charlotte (1844–1939), suffragist, nationalist, socialist, and writer, was born 15 June 1844 in Ripple Vale, Kent, the third daughter of Captain John Tracey William French RN, a relative of the Frenches of Co. Roscommon, and Margaret French…...
De Valera, Éamon (‘Dev’)
De Valera, Éamon (‘Dev’) (1882–1975), teacher, revolutionary, taoiseach, and president of Ireland, was born 14 October 1882 in the Nursery and Child's Hospital, Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, New York, the only child of Juan Vivion de Valera and Catherine (‘Kate’) Coll (1856–1932); he was…...
De Valera, Sinéad
De Valera, Sinéad (1875–1975), teacher, folklorist, and writer, was born Jane Flanagan , 1 June 1875, in Ballbriggan, Co. Dublin, one of three daughters and four children of Laurence Flanagan, a carpenter, and Margaret Flanagan (née Byrne). When she was seven the family moved to Munster…...
De Vere, Aubrey Thomas
De Vere, Aubrey Thomas (1814–1902), poet and author, was born 10 January 1814 at Curragh Chase, Co. Limerick, the third son in a family of five sons and three daughters of Aubrey Thomas Hunt, afterwards Sir Aubrey de Vere (qv), 2nd…...
De Vere, Sir Stephen Edward
De Vere, Sir Stephen Edward (1812–1904), polemicist, poet, and country gentleman, was born 26 July 1812 at Curragh Chase, parish of Adare, Co. Limerick, second son of Sir Aubrey de Vere (qv) and Mary de Vere (née Spring-Rice…...
Devereux, James Edward
Devereux, James Edward (1766–1845), catholic landowner, politician, and pamphleteer, was born on 22 November 1766 at Carrigmannon, near Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, the eldest of two sons of Robert Devereux (d. 1787) and his wife and cousin Maria Thomasina, daughter of Thomas Ward of…...
Devlin, Denis
Devlin, Denis (1908–59), diplomat and poet, was born 15 April 1908 in Greenock, Scotland, oldest of nine children of…...
Dillon, Brian Francis (Father Matthew)
Dillon, Brian Francis (Father Matthew) (1905–79), Benedictine monk and headmaster, was born in Dublin on 13 March 1905, the fifth and youngest son of John Dillon (qv) and his wife, Elizabeth…...
Dillon, Eilís
Dillon, Eilís (1920–94), writer, was born 7 March 1920 in Galway city, third among five children of Thomas Dillon (qv), professor of chemistry at University College Galway (UCG), and his wife Geraldine (1891–1986), daughter of…...
Dillon, Theobald
Dillon, Theobald (d. 1625?), 1st Viscount Dillon of Costello-Gallen, administrator and landowner, was the third son of Thomas Dillon of Ardnecragh in the barony of Kilkenny West, Co. Westmeath, and his wife Margery, daughter of Sir Christopher Dillon of Kilmore. His family was…...
Dillon, Theobald
Dillon, Theobald (d. 1691), 7th Viscount Dillon , Jacobite officer, was born at Lough Glynn, Co. Roscommon, eldest son of Capt. Robert Dillon and his wife Rose, one of the Dillon family of Streamstown, Co. Galway. In 1682 he succeeded as 7th Viscount Dillon on the death without…...
Dillon, Thomas
Dillon, Thomas (1615–1673/4), 4th Viscount Dillon of Costello-Gallen, army officer, was born in March 1615, second son of Sir Christopher Dillon of Ballylagham, Co. Mayo, lord president of Connacht, and Lady Jane, eldest daughter of James Dillon, 1st earl of Roscommon. He was a…...
Dirrane, Bridget (née Gillan)
Dirrane, Bridget (née Gillan) (1894–2003), nurse, centenarian and memoirist, was born 15 November 1894 in Oatquarter in the townland of Kilmurvey on Inishmore, one of the Aran islands, Co. Galway, the youngest of four boys and four girls born to Joseph Gillan, who wove flannel cloth…...
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,…...
Donnelly, Charles Patrick
Donnelly, Charles Patrick (1914–37), poet and republican, was born 10 July 1914 at Killybrackey House, Killybrackey, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, eldest son among six sons and two daughters of Joseph Donnelly, cattle-breeder, shopkeeper, and landlord, and Rose Donnelly (née McCaughey),…...
Donovan, Robert
Donovan, Robert (1862–1934), journalist and professor, was born 24 May 1862 in Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow, son of Thomas Donovan. (Some obituaries state he was an only son, but the Irish Independent says a brother was parish priest of Kill, Co. Kildare.) Educated at St…...