MacCarthy, Mary (Mother Mary Stanislaus)
MacCarthy, Mary (Mother Mary Stanislaus) (1849–97), Dominican nun, educator, and poet, was born in Dublin 26 December 1849, eldest of nine children of Denis Florence MacCarthy (qv), poet, and Elizabeth MacCarthy (née Donnelly…...
MacDonagh, Thomas
MacDonagh, Thomas (1878–1916), teacher, writer, and republican revolutionary, was born 1 February 1878 in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, third child and eldest son among six surviving children (four sons and two daughters; three elder children had died in infancy) of Joseph MacDonagh (…...
MacHale, Joseph Patrick
MacHale, Joseph Patrick (1922–2005), university administrator and sportsman, was born 8 January 1922 in Dublin, sixth child and younger son of J. P. MacHale, a senior official with the Hibernian Insurance Company, and his wife Grace. Educated at CBS Dún Laoghaire (1930–32) and…...
MacMahon, Bryan Michael
MacMahon, Bryan Michael (1909–98), writer and teacher, was born 29 September 1909 in Listowel, Co. Kerry, one of four children of Patrick MacMahon, clerk in a law office and later a butter-buyer and exporter, and Joanna MacMahon (née Caughlin), schoolteacher. From an early age…...
MacNamee, Pádraig
MacNamee, Pádraig (1896–1975), teacher, Irish-language enthusiast, and GAA official, was born 8 August 1896 in Carrigastickan, near Forkhill, Co. Armagh, one of four children (two sons and two daughters) of James MacNamee, farmer, and Brigid MacNamee (née McCann). Growing up in a partly…...
MacRory, Joseph
MacRory, Joseph (1861–1945), academic and catholic bishop, was born 18 March 1861 in Ballygawley, Co. Tyrone, one of ten children of Francis MacRory, farmer, and Rose MacRory (née Montague). He began his education at the local parish school and from an early age demonstrated an…...
MacSwiney, Patrick John
MacSwiney, Patrick John (1885–1940), catholic priest, Gaelic scholar, antiquarian, historian and teacher, was born on 16 March 1885 in 40 Nile Street (latterly Sheares Street), Cork city, the son of Terence McSweeney (b. 1847), a bootmaker, and his wife Hannah (née McCarthy; b. 1848…...
Magee, John ('Jack')
Magee, John ('Jack') (1914–93), historian and teacher, was born 11 December 1914 in Belfast, son of Francis Magee, a fireman and later an engine driver on the Great Northern Railway, and his wife Mary; he had at least one brother and a sister. His father was transferred to Clones, Co.…...
Magennis, William
Magennis, William (1867–1946), academic, politician, and proponent of censorship, was born 18 May 1867 in Kilmore, Co. Down, the second son of Hugh Magennis, painter, and his wife Catherine Magill. Educated at CBS Belfast and…...
Maher, Fr Tommy
Maher, Fr Tommy (1922–2015), hurling coach, was born 25 April 1922, the youngest of eleven children of John Maher a smallholding farmer from Whitepark, near Gowran, Co. Kilkenny, and his wife Annie (née Fowler), also from Whitepark. Four of his siblings had died before he was born, two…...
Mahon, Catherine
Mahon, Catherine (1869–1948), president of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, was born 15 May 1869 in Laccah, north Co. Tipperary, eldest among seven children of James Mahon, labourer, and Winifred Mahon (née O'Meara). She was educated locally and at the Convent of Mercy in…...
McAuley (McGauley), Catherine Elizabeth
McAuley (McGauley), Catherine Elizabeth (1778–1841), educator, social worker, and religious foundress, was born 29 September 1778 at Stormanstown House, Drumcondra, Dublin, one of three children (two girls and a boy) of James McGauley and his wife Elinor (née Conway). McGauley, by…...
McCann, Michael Joseph
McCann, Michael Joseph (1820/24–1883), teacher, journalist, poet, and Young Irelander, was born in Galway. He received a private education before attending St Jarlath's diocesan college in Tuam, Co. Galway, where, on the recommendation of Archbishop…...
McCarthy, Michael Donald (‘Dónal Mac’)
McCarthy, Michael Donald (‘Dónal Mac’) (1908–80), statistician and university administrator, was born 4 June 1908 in Midleton, Co. Cork, son of Michael McCarthy, labourer, and Margaret McCarthy (née Murphy). His early education was at the CBS…...
McElroy, John
McElroy, John (1782–1877), priest and educator in the USA, was born 14 May 1782 at Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, son of Roman catholic farmers, whose names are not known. Educated locally, he became involved in the United Irishmen and decided to leave the country in 1803 after the…...
McGahern, John
McGahern, John (1934–2006), writer, was born in Dublin on 12 November 1934, eldest of seven children (two sons and five daughters) of Francis McGahern, garda sergeant and veteran of the Irish war of independence, from Gowna, Co. Cavan, and his wife Susan (née McManus), schoolteacher, a…...
McGilligan, Patrick
McGilligan, Patrick (1889–1979), politician, academic, and lawyer, was born 12 April 1889. His family home was at Hanover Place, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, and he was the second child and second son among the eight sons and four daughters of Patrick McGilligan, businessman and MP (…...
McGinley, Thomas Colin
McGinley, Thomas Colin (1830?–1887), schoolmaster and antiquary, was born probably at Meenacross (a family stronghold), Glencolumbkille, Co. Donegal, possibly the only child of a father who died when the infant Thomas was six months old, leaving his wife Catherine McGinley (née…...
McGrath, Sir Joseph
McGrath, Sir Joseph (1858–1923), first registrar of the NUI, was born 25 August 1858 at Main Street, Bagnelstown, Co. Carlow, the eldest of the four sons of Pierce McGrath and Alicia (née Hughes); he may also have had sisters. Aged fourteen he entered the Jesuit school at Tullabeg…...
McGregor, John James
McGregor, John James (c.1773–1834), historian and topographer, was born 24 February c.1773 in Limerick city, the seventh son and youngest of seventeen children (many of whom did not survive to adulthood) of John McGregor (d. 1796), native of Scotland, probably by…...
McGroarty, Julia (Susan)
McGroarty, Julia (Susan) (1827–1901), nun and educator, was born 13 February 1827 in Inver, Co. Donegal, second daughter and third among ten children of Neil McGroarty, farmer, and his wife, Catherine (née Bonner). In spring 1831 her family emigrated to the USA and settled in…...
McHugh, Roger Joseph
McHugh, Roger Joseph (1908–87), writer, academic, and republican, was born 24 July 1908 at Sunnyside, Sutton, Co. Dublin, son of Cornelius McHugh, tea taster, and Eveleen McHugh (née Burke). After early education in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, and Synge St.…...
McKenna, Ellen (Sister Mary Augustine)
McKenna, Ellen (Sister Mary Augustine) (1819–83), Sister of Mercy, American civil war nurse and teacher, was born 24 December 1819 in Traugh, Willville, Co. Monaghan, eldest among three daughters and two sons of James and Mary Anne McKenna. Ellen was educated at home, then at Miss…...
McKiernan, Eoin
McKiernan, Eoin (1915–2004), cultural entrepreneur and promoter of Irish studies, was born in Manhattan, New York city, on 10 May 1915, eldest of four children of Henry McKiernan (born in America of Cavan–Leitrim parents), foreman engineer, and his wife Delia (née Nagle), who had…...
McLaverty, Michael
McLaverty, Michael (1904–92), writer and teacher, was born 5 July 1904 at Magheross, near Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, son of Michael and Catherine McLaverty. His father worked in a hotel in the town until he moved to Rathlin Island, and later Belfast, when the young Michael was 5…...