Hunter, Richard (‘Dicky’) Henry
Hunter, Richard (‘Dicky’) Henry (1882/5–1970), anatomist and circus impresario, was born 15 May 1882/5 in Berbice, British Guiana (Guyana), son of parents (whose names remain unknown) from Portglenone, Co. Antrim, and was educated at Ballymena, Co. Antrim, at the Model School and…...
Hurley, Michael Anthony
Hurley, Michael Anthony (1923–2011), ecumenist and theologian, was born on 10 May 1923 in Ardmore, Co. Waterford, the eldest of four children (two boys and two girls) of Michael Hurley, a small businessman, and his wife Johanna (née Foley), who kept a guest house. He won a…...
Hurst, Brian Desmond
Hurst, Brian Desmond (1895–1986), film director, was born Hans Moore Hawthorn Hurst in east Belfast on 12 February 1895, seventh child (of five sons and three daughters) of Robert Hurst, shipyard metalworker, and his first wife, Esther (née Hawthorn). The family moved between Belfast…...
Hynes, (Oliver) Jerome (Morley)
Hynes, (Oliver) Jerome (Morley) (1959–2005), theatre and festival manager, and arts administrator, was born 30 September 1959 at St John of God nursing home, Ballymote, Co. Sligo, one of two sons and two daughters of Oliver P. Hynes (c.1920–2004), vocational teacher, and his…...
Inglis, Anthony Vivian (‘Tony’)
Inglis, Anthony Vivian (‘Tony’) (1911–97), film art director, was born 14 April 1911 in Dublin, son of John J. Inglis, civil engineer, and Annie Inglis (née O'Reilly). During the 1916 rising the family house in Mount St. was occupied by British soldiers. Tony had a brief vocation…...
Ingram, John
Ingram, John (1887–1973), engineer, educationalist, and civil servant, was born 5 February 1887 in Derry, the son of William John Ingram, of Shipquay Street, Derry, a civil service clerk. He attended the Londonderry model school as a presbyterian, before transferring to St Columb'…...
Jordan, John Edward
Jordan, John Edward (1930–88), writer, actor, academic, and broadcaster, was born 8 April 1930 in Dublin, eldest of two sons and a daughter of John Anthony Jordan, cooper at Guinness's brewery, and Mary Agnes Jordan (née Byrne), born of Irish parents in Jarrow, England; both of Parkview…...
Joyce, Patrick Weston
Joyce, Patrick Weston (1827–1914), educationalist, historian, linguist, translator and collector of folk music, was born in Ballyorgan, Co. Limerick, one of the eight sons of Garrett Joyce, a shoemaker known locally as ‘Garrett the Scholar’ for his knowledge of poetry and religion, and…...
Kavanagh (Caomhánach), Séamus
Kavanagh (Caomhánach), Séamus (1910–64), teacher, actor, and broadcaster, was born 28 October 1910 in Sarsfield Quay, Dublin, son of Jack Kavanagh, shoemaker, and Julia Kavanagh (née Holohan). Educated at the Carmelite school in Whitefriar St., he was a monitor there for four years…...
Kavanagh, James Blake
Kavanagh, James Blake (1822–86), priest, nationalist, and philosophical and scientific writer, was born in Kilballyowen, in the parish of Killaveny, Co. Wicklow, son of Thomas Kavanagh and Mary Kavanagh (née McDonald). He received his early education at St Peter's College, Wexford…...
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…...
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, David
Kelly, David (1929–2012), actor, was born on 11 July 1929 in the Rotunda hospital, Dublin, the son of Edward Kelly, a clerk, and his wife Hannah (née O'Connor). He grew up in Dublin, first in Fairview and then Clonskeagh, and attended Synge Street…...
Kelly, (Patrick) Colm
Kelly, (Patrick) Colm (1925–2002), director of Athlone Drama Festival, was born 19 January 1925 in Dysart, Co. Roscommon, youngest son in a family of seven sons and one daughter of Denis Joseph Kelly and his wife Fanny Lucy (née Power or Le Poer), who was born in Devonshire, England…...
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…...
Kenny, Kevin John
Kenny, Kevin John (1881–1954), advertising pioneer, commercial manager and publisher, was born on 22 June 1881 at 12 Upper Dorset Street, Dublin, one of eight children of Michael C. Kenny, a lithographic printer and Fenian, and Catherine Kenny (née Fleming), a book-folder (cloth…...
Kenny, Sean
Kenny, Sean (1932–73), set designer and architect, was born John Noel Kenny on 23 December 1932 in Portroe, Co. Tipperary, eldest among nine sons of Thomas Joseph Kenny, builder and former IRA man, and Nora Kenny (née Gleeson). He was educated…...
King, Jeremiah
King, Jeremiah (1868–1927), historian, printer, and publisher, was born 11 February 1868 in Groin, in the parish of Aghadoe, Co. Kerry, elder of two sons of Laurence King, carpenter, of Currow, and Ellen King (née Counihan), farmer, of Madam's Height, Groin. Early in King's life…...
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…...
Lambert, Eugene
Lambert, Eugene (1928–2010), puppeteer and entertainer, was born in spring 1928 in Bayview Terrace, Sligo, one of two sons and one daughter in the family of John Malachy ('Jack') Lambert (d. 1943), county librarian of Sligo, and Eileen Lambert (née O'Connor; d. 1985). His mother had…...
La Rue, Danny
La Rue, Danny (1927–2009), female impersonator and entertainer, was born Daniel Patrick Carroll on 26 July 1927 at 10 Horgan's Buildings, Cork, the youngest of five children of Thomas Carroll (1895–1929), a carpenter, and his wife Mary Anne (née Dennehy) (1897–1976), a seamstress. He…...
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…...