Kavanagh, Peter Paul
Kavanagh, Peter Paul (1916–2006), writer and critic, was born 19 March 1916 in Mucker, Iniskeen, Co. Monaghan, youngest of ten children of James Kavanagh, shoemaker and small farmer, and his wife Bridget (née Quinn). His godfather was his elder brother, the poet…...
Keane, John Joseph
Keane, John Joseph (1839–1918), university rector and archbishop of Dubuque, Iowa, was born 12 September 1839 in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, the eldest of three sons and two daughters of Hugh Keane, tailor, and Fannie Keane (née Connolly). He attended school locally from the age of…...
Kearney, Mother Kevin
Kearney, Mother Kevin (1875–1957), pioneer Ugandan missionary sister and foundress of Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa, was born 28 April 1875 in Knockenrahan, Arklow, Co. Wicklow, the third and youngest daughter of Michael Kearney, a farmer, and Teresa Kearney (née…...
Keenan, Alice (Sister Mary Liguori)
Keenan, Alice (Sister Mary Liguori) (1836–1914), Sister of Mercy and educator, was born in the parish of St Paul's, Dublin, daughter of John and Mary Keenan and sister of Sir Patrick J. Keenan (qv), education commissioner of…...
Keenan, Sir Patrick Joseph
Keenan, Sir Patrick Joseph (1826–94), educationist and administrator, was born probably in Dublin, son of John Keenan, justice of the peace (JP), from Phibsborough, and his wife Mary, a teacher and daughter of Patrick Sherlock of Dublin. He had at least one sister, Alice. He was both a…...
Kelly, Thomas Christopher (‘T. C.’)
Kelly, Thomas Christopher (‘T. C.’) (1917–85), composer and music teacher, was born in December 1917 in Wexford town, the fifth of six children of James Kelly, baker, and Margaret Kelly (née Redmond). His schooling took place at the local …...
Kenney, Peter
Kenney, Peter (1779–1841), Jesuit priest and educationist, was born in Dublin, probably at 28 Drogheda Street, on 7 July 1779, the son of Peter Kenney, a businessman, and his wife, Ellen (née Molloy). He had one sister (who became a nun) and a much older brother (possibly a half-brother…...
Keon, Miles
Keon, Miles (1738?–p.1805), catholic gentleman, was born in or before 1738, a son of Gerald or Garret or George Keon (the records differ) and his wife Ellinor (née Dermott or MacDermott). The Keons were numerous in Co. Leitrim. A member of a protestant line, Robert Keon,…...
Kirby, Tobias
Kirby, Tobias (1803/4–1895), rector of the Irish college in Rome, was born at Tallow, Co. Waterford, on 1 January 1803 (or 1804). Nothing is known of his family or his early career save that he spoke, it was said, on political platforms with…...
Knight (Hope-Connolly), Olivia Mary
Knight (Hope-Connolly), Olivia Mary (1828?–1908), poet, translator and teacher, was born at Rathbawn, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, probably on 29 September 1828, the only daughter of Simon Knight, a civil engineer, and his wife, possibly Sarah D'Alton of Ballaghadereen, Co. Roscommon. Olivia…...
Kyan, Esmond
Kyan, Esmond (c.1750–1798), United Irish commander and landowner, was born probably in Co. Wexford, fourth son of Howard Kyan (d. 1804) of Mount Howard, near Ferns, Co. Wexford, and of Ballymurtagh and Mount Pleasant, Co. Wicklow. His father, a catholic landowner, was…...
Lawless, Sir Nicholas
Lawless, Sir Nicholas (1733–99), woollen draper, banker, MP, and 1st Baron Cloncurry , was born 30 October 1733, eldest son of Robert Lawless (d. 1775), woollen draper, of 2 High St., the Liberties, Dublin, and his wife Mary, daughter of Dominick Hadsor and widow of Robert…...
Lee, John
Lee, John (fl. 1578–1620), priest and founder of the Irish college in Paris, was a member of a Waterford merchant family with business connections in France. In 1578 he led a group of six Irish students to Paris, where they were admitted to the Collège de Montaigu in the…...
Leen, Edward
Leen, Edward (1885–1944), priest and academic, was born 17 August 1885 at Abbeyfeale, West Limerick, the son of Daniel Leen, a shopkeeper, and his wife Margaret (née Barrett). Born into a large catholic family of 14 children, of whom seven died in their youth, Leen received his…...
Leman, Jules
Leman, Jules (1826–80), priest and educationist, was born 30 June 1826 at his parents’ parish school in Deulemont, north-east of Armentières, northern France. His father, François Leman, was a Belgian migrant and his mother, Lucille (née Lecomte), a local woman; both were teachers…...
Leonard, John Patrick
Leonard, John Patrick (1814–89), English teacher, writer, and Irish nationalist resident in Paris, was born 12 October 1814 on Spike Island in Cork Harbour. His father (forename unknown), an engineer on a building site at Haulbowline, died in Paris en route for the Mediterranean…...
Leslie, John Randolph (‘Shane’)
Leslie, John Randolph (‘Shane’) (1885–1971), writer and lecturer, was born in London on 24 September 1885 and christened John Randolph a few weeks later at Castle Leslie, Co. Monaghan. His father, Sir John Leslie, second baronet, was an extensive landowner in Monaghan and Donegal…...
Lombard, Peter
Lombard, Peter (c.1554–1625), professor at the university of Louvain, theologian, and catholic archbishop of Armagh, was born in Waterford, probably in 1554 (although in 1623 he estimated his own age to be about 65). He came from an important mercantile family, deeply…...
Lydon, James Francis Michael
Lydon, James Francis Michael (1928–2013), historian, was born on 12 May 1928 in Galway city, the second youngest of eleven children, to Daniel Lydon, a baker and owner of Lydon's bakery on Mary Street, Galway, and Catherine (née Hogan), who came from an Irish-speaking family just…...
Lynch, Alexander
Lynch, Alexander (c.1585–p. 1620), schoolmaster, was son of Thomas and Letitia Lynch. As a boy he was educated in Galway, reading humanities for four years under English and Irish teachers. In 1602 he left Galway for the Irish Jesuit college in Salamanca, where…...
Lynch, Richard
Lynch, Richard (1611–47), Jesuit priest and rector of the Irish college, Seville, was born in Galway. His family background and early years are undocumented. He left Ireland in 1630 for Spain, where he was admitted to the Irish college in Seville. The college was to prove central…...
Mac Aonghusa, Criostóir
Mac Aonghusa, Criostóir (1905–91), teacher, author, critic, and campaigner for the Irish language, was born 13 December 1905 in Gort an Ghabhainn, Banagher, King's Co. (Offaly), son of Francis McGuiness (surname thus on his birth certificate), farmer, and his wife, Rosanna (née Egan).…...
Mac Caba (McCabe), Alasdair (‘Alec’)
Mac Caba (McCabe), Alasdair (‘Alec’) (1886–1972), teacher, revolutionary, politician, and founder of the Educational Building Society, was born 5 June 1886 in Keash, Co. Sligo. Educated at Keash national school and Summerhill College, Sligo, he won a scholarship to St Patrick's…...
MacCaffrey, James
MacCaffrey, James (1875–1935), priest, historian, and president of St Patrick's College, Maynooth, was born 25 October 1875 in Alderwood, Clogher, Co. Tyrone, son of Francis MacCaffrey, farmer, and Ann MacCaffrey (née McElroy). After early education at St Macartan's seminary,…...
Mac Cana, Proinsias
Mac Cana, Proinsias (1926–2004), Celtic scholar, was born 6 July 1926 in Belfast, son of George McCann and his wife Mary Catherine (née Mallon). He grew up in a catholic district in east Belfast, where inter-community tensions were keenly felt. He attended St Malachy's College during…...