O'Donovan, John
O'Donovan, John (1908–82) civil servant, politician, and academic, was born 23 January 1908 in Rockboro House, Macroom, Co. Cork, son of Cornelius O'Donovan originally from Clonmel, agricultural instructor, and his wife Hanna (née Twomey). Educated at Catholic University School,…...
O'Driscoll, Margaret Collins-
O'Driscoll, Margaret Collins- (c.1878–1945), teacher and politician, was born in Woodfield, Clonakilty, Co. Cork, eldest of three daughters and five sons of Michael Collins , farmer, and Mary Anne Collins (née O'Brien). Her youngest brother was the revolutionary leader…...
O'Farrell Mary, Sr Genevieve
O'Farrell Mary, Sr Genevieve (1923–2001), headmistress, was born Mary O'Farrell on 22 March 1923 in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, fifth child and only daughter of William O'Farrell, farm manager, and his wife, Catherine. She was educated locally by the Sisters of Mercy and was a bright…...
O'Farrell, Patrick James
O'Farrell, Patrick James (1933–2003), historian, was born on 17 September 1933 in Greymouth, a small port in the Westland province of the South Island of New Zealand, youngest child of Patrick Vincent ('Paddy') O'Farrell (originally Farrell), tailor and labour activist, and his wife…...
Ó Foghludha, Risteard (Richard Foley)
Ó Foghludha, Risteard (Richard Foley) (1871–1957), teacher, journalist and editor, was born 5 March 1871 in Knockmonlea between Youghal and Killeagh, Co. Cork, son of farmer Richard Ó Foghludha and his wife, Peg Long. He was the eldest of seven girls and five boys and attended the…...
Ó Gealacáin, Peadar
Ó Gealacáin, Peadar (c.1792–1860), scribe and schoolmaster, was born in the parish of Moynalty, Co. Meath, son of Pádraig Ó Gealacáin and his wife, Margaret Williams. The year of his birth is uncertain and may have been 1792 or 1793 and his parents' occupations are unknown.…...
Ó Glaisne, Risteárd
Ó Glaisne, Risteárd (1927–2003), teacher, ecumenist and journalist, was born 2 September 1927 in Bandon, Co. Cork, the third of four children of George William Giles and his wife Sara Jane (née Vickery). He attended Bandon Grammar School and Trinity College Dublin (TCD), graduating…...
Ó Gormáin (Mac Gormáin, O'Gorman, Gorman), Muiris (Maurice)
Ó Gormáin (Mac Gormáin, O'Gorman, Gorman), Muiris (Maurice) (c.1700/20–c.1794), scribe, poet, and schoolteacher, was born probably in Co. Monaghan, though a case has been made for a birthplace in Co. Louth. The oldest manuscript known in his hand has been dated to 1734…...
Ó hAnluain, Eoghan
Ó hAnluain, Eoghan (1926–2012), writer, lecturer, editor, broadcaster and Irish language specialist, was born in Dublin on 18 January 1926, the third of four sons, to William Hanlon, an asphalt spreader and carpenter, and his wife Mary (née Kelly). The family lived on Parnell Square…...
O'Hart, John
O'Hart, John (1824–1902), teacher and genealogist, was born in December 1824 into an Irish-speaking family in Crossmolina, Co. Mayo, fifth and longest surviving among six sons of Shane (John) O'Hart and Nora O'Hart (née Geraghty) from the nearby parish of Glenhest. Of his four sisters,…...
O'Hearn, Francis
O'Hearn, Francis (1752–1801), university professor and Roman catholic priest, was born 4 October 1752 in Derry, in the parish of Modelligo, Co. Waterford, son of Timothy Hearn and Catherine Hearn (née Brown). He was brother of Rev. Thomas Hearn (d. 1810); Rev. Timothy Hearn (d.…...
Ó hUallacháin, Colmán
Ó hUallacháin, Colmán (1922–79), educator, linguist, Irish-language activist and priest, was born Liam Holohan on 8 December 1922 in Dublin, eldest among four sons and two daughters of Garry Holohan (Gearóid Ó hUallacháin) (1894–1967), imprisoned republican soldier, and latterly an…...
O'Keeffe, Robert
O'Keeffe, Robert (1814–81), catholic priest and educationist, was born in Green St., Callan, Co. Kilkenny, youngest and posthumous child of Robert Keeffe or O'Keeffe and his widow Elinor (née Fennelly) (d. 1861), grocers and iron-mongers. Both parents were from ‘strong farmer’…...
O'Leary, Cornelius
O'Leary, Cornelius (1927–2006), political scientist and Roman catholic activist, was born 15 August 1927 in Churchtown, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, elder of two sons of Michael O'Leary, a Department of Agriculture instructor/inspector, and his wife Mary (née Donworth). His family…...
O'Mahoney, Katharine Aloysia O'Keeffe
O'Mahoney, Katharine Aloysia O'Keeffe (1851–1908), editor, educator, and writer, was born in Co. Kilkenny, daughter of Patrick O'Keeffe (b. 1803) and his wife Rose (b. 1824; maiden name unknown). The O'Keeffes emigrated to Methuen, Massachusetts, USA, c.1851 when she was ten…...
O'Mahony, Conor
O'Mahony, Conor (1594–1656), Jesuit academic and author, was a native of Muskerry, west Co. Cork. Little of his early life is known until his entrance into the Irish College at Seville, probably in 1614, where he studied philosophy and theology for three and four years…...
O'Meara, John
O'Meara, John (1915–2003), academic, was born 18 February 1915 at Eyrecourt, Co. Galway, the elder of two sons of Patrick O'Meara, a small businessman from Ilaunmore on Lough Derg, and Mary O'Meara (née Donelan). The very early death of his father, at the end of 1915, and the troubled…...
Ó Neachtain, Seán
Ó Neachtain, Seán (c.1640–1729), poet and teacher, was born in the east of Co. Roscommon, son of Tadhg Ó Neachtain, farmer, of Co. Roscommon; nothing is known of his mother. In his early years Seán lived and owned a farm in the parish of Drum in the barony of Athlone, Co.…...
Ó Neachtain, Tadhg
Ó Neachtain, Tadhg (1671–c.1752), writer, scribe, lexicographer, and teacher, was born in Dublin, the first child among two sons and one daughter of Seán Ó Neachtain (qv), teacher and creative writer, and his wife, Úna Ní Bhroin,…...
O'Rahilly, Alfred
O'Rahilly, Alfred (1884–1969), scholar, university president, controversialist, and priest, was born 19 September 1884 in Listowel, Co. Kerry, eighth child of Thomas Francis Rahilly and Julia Mary Rahilly (née Curry); he changed his name to ‘O'Rahilly’ by deed poll in 1920. His fourteen…...
O'Rahilly, Thomas Francis (‘T. F.’)
O'Rahilly, Thomas Francis (‘T. F.’) (1882–1953), scholar, was born 11 November 1882 in Listowel, Co. Kerry, seventh among fifteen surviving children of Thomas Francis Rahilly of Ballylongford, businessman and later court clerk, and Julia Mary Rahilly (née Curry) of Glin, Co.…...
O'Riordan, Michael
O'Riordan, Michael (1857–1919), rector of the Irish College, Rome, was born in Kilmurray, Co. Limerick, son of John O'Riordan, a wealthy local farmer. Educated at the local national school and at the diocesan seminary in Limerick, he proved intellectually gifted and subsequently…...
O'Rorke, Terence
O'Rorke, Terence (1819–1907), priest, professor of theology in the Irish College in Paris, and local historian, was born 20 May 1819 in Collooney, Co. Sligo, one of at least three sons and two daughters of John O'Rorke (1791–1874), and his wife Winifred (née McSharry) (1797–1876…...
Ó Súilleabháin, Amhlaoibh (O'Sullivan, Humphrey)
Ó Súilleabháin, Amhlaoibh (O'Sullivan, Humphrey) (1783–1838), diarist, seanchaí (storyteller), schoolteacher, and draper, was born 1 May 1783 in Glenfesk, near Killarney, Co. Kerry, probably the eldest of several children born to Donncha Ó Súilleabháin (1738–1808),…...
Pearse, Patrick Henry
Pearse, Patrick Henry (1879–1916), writer, educationalist, and revolutionary, was born 10 November 1879 at the family home, 27 Great Brunswick Street (latterly Pearse Street) Dublin, the elder son and second of the four children of James Pearse, stone carver and monumental sculptor,…...