Daiken, Leslie Herbert
Daiken, Leslie Herbert (1912–64), author, film-maker, and expert on children's toys, was born in Dublin. He graduated M.Litt. from TCD in 1933. As a student he was already publishing poetry and short…...
Dalton, (James) Emmet
Dalton, (James) Emmet (1898–1978), soldier, revolutionary, and film producer, was born 4 March 1898 in Fall River, Massachusetts, USA, eldest among seven children of James Francis Dalton, manufacturer's agent, of Oniville, Rhode Island, and Katherine Lee Dalton (née Riley; d. 1957) of…...
D'Alton, Louis
D'Alton, Louis (1900–51), writer and actor, was born Louis Dalton at Fairview, Dublin, on 24 May 1900, eldest of five children (of whom two sons and a daughter survived to adulthood) of Frank Dalton, actor and theatre producer, and his wife Catherine (née Lynch). Louis later adopted…...
Daly, Richard
Daly, Richard (1758–1813), theatrical manager, was born in Co. Galway, second son of Joseph Daly, a prosperous farmer. He entered TCD in 1773, but there is no record of his taking a degree. A reckless and violent character, he was said…...
Dargan, William
Dargan, William (1799–1867), engineer, was born 28 February 1799 in Co. Carlow. His parents were Patrick and Elizabeth Dargan, his father being a well-to-do farmer who was a tenant of Lord Portarlington. Much of William's early life is obscure. Likewise the exact place of birth is…...
Davidson, Sir Samuel Cleland
Davidson, Sir Samuel Cleland (1846–1921), inventor and businessman, was born 18 November 1846 in Ballymachan, Co. Down, the youngest child of five sons and three daughters of James Davidson, a farmer with flour-milling interests in nearby Belfast, and Mary Davidson (née Taylor). He…...
De Buitléar, Éamon
De Buitléar, Éamon (1930–2013), filmmaker, environmentalist, author and musician, was born on 22 January 1930 in Renmore Barracks, Co. Galway, one of seven children of Colonel Éamon de Buitléar (1902–81), an army officer of Clanbrassil Street, Dublin, and his wife Nóra (née O'Brien…...
de Búrca, Séamus
de Búrca, Séamus (1912–2002), writer and costumier, was born James Bourke on 16 March 1912 in Dublin, one of the ten children of the writer-actor-manager P. J. Bourke (qv) and Margaret Bourke (née Kearney), a Dublin seamstress.…...
De Chenu, (Roger) Noël
De Chenu, (Roger) Noël (1924–2002), architect, artist and actor, was born on 25 December 1924 in Drumcondra, Dublin, the son of Roger Louis de Chenu (1891–1964) and his wife Aileen (née McShane; b. 1893). Roger, a dress designer, originally came from Poitiers in France, and is said…...
Delane, Dennis
Delane, Dennis (c.1707–1750), actor, was probably the eldest son of George Delane (d. 1720), a Dublin glazier with an interest in lands in Co. Roscommon, whose widow Joan and three daughters were living in 1737. He was admitted to TCD…...
Delany, Cathleen
Delany, Cathleen (1907–97), actress, was born Kathleen Mary Delany on 21 July 1907 at 98 Marlborough Road, Donnybrook, Dublin, daughter of Alfred Patrick (A. P.) Delany, journalist, and his wife Kathleen Mary (née Kilgannon); she had at least two siblings, a brother and a sister. By…...
Delany, Maureen
Delany, Maureen (c.1888–1961), actress, was born in Kilkenny, daughter of Dr Barry Delany, medical officer to the Kilkenny mental home, and his Kerry-born wife (née Nagle). Her father died when she was three months old. She was educated at the Dominican College in Galway…...
Delany, Patrick Bernard
Delany, Patrick Bernard (1845–1924), electrical engineer and inventor, was born 28 January 1845 in Killavilla, King's County (Offaly), son of James Delany and Margaret Delany (née White). In 1854 his family moved to Hartford, Connecticut, USA, where he attended parochial schools for…...
Delap, Hugh Alexander
Delap, Hugh Alexander (1906–97), engineer, was born 21 October 1906 at Newbay, Rosslare, Co. Wexford, third son of Alfred Dover Delap, civil engineer, and Jeannie Ethel Delap (née Jefferies), of Newbay. His father, subsequently a partner in the Dublin civil engineering firm 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…...
De Siúnta, Earnán (Ernest Edwin Joynt)
De Siúnta, Earnán (Ernest Edwin Joynt) (1874–1949), engineer and Irish-language enthusiast, was born Ernest Edwin Joynt, 11 November 1874, at the family residence in Knox St., Ballina, Co. Mayo, only son among four children of Richard Watson Joynt, editor of the Ballina Herald…...
De Valois, Dame Ninette
De Valois, Dame Ninette (1898–2001), ballerina, choreographer, and founder of the Royal Ballet, was born Edris Stannus 6 June 1898, at Baltiboys, near Blessington, Co. Wicklow. She was the second daughter of Lieutenant-colonel T. R. A. Stannus and Lilith Stannus (née Graydon-Smith;…...
Digges, (John) Dudley
Digges, (John) Dudley (1880–1947), actor, stage manager, and director, was born 9 June 1880, son of James Dudley Digges, clerk, of 16 Beechwood Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin, and Catherine Digges (née Forsythe). He was educated by the Christian Brothers (1886–90), and at St Mary's college,…...
Digges, Mary (née Quinn)
Digges, Mary (née Quinn) (1872–47), actress and nationalist, was born Mary Roden Quinn on 9 June 1872 in Co. Fermanagh. A founding member of Inghinidhe na hÉireann (Daughters of Ireland), the nationalist society formed in Dublin on 15 April 1900, she was appointed its executive…...
Dillon, Charles T. G.
Dillon, Charles T. G. (1926–98), engineer and businessman, was born 28 January 1926 in Dublin. He was educated at St Mary's College, Rathmines, Dublin, and at UCD, graduating BE (1947). He…...
Dodington, Sir Edward
Dodington, Sir Edward (d. 1618/19), army engineer, is first recorded in Munster in 1602 as captain of the company in the lord president’s regiment of foot that was chosen, by throw of dice, to lead the assault on O'Sullivan's castle of Dunboy when the walls had been breached. He was…...
Doggett, Thomas
Doggett, Thomas (c.1670–1721), actor and manager, was born at Castle St., Dublin, but little is known about his early life. An unsuccessful actor in Ireland (1684–8), he moved to England as a strolling player. At Drury Lane he played Solon in the first performances of ‘The…...
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, Donal
Donnelly, Donal (1931–2010), actor, was born on 6 July 1931 in Bradford, Yorkshire, the third son among seven children of James Donnelly (d. 1964), a general practitioner, and his wife Nora (née O'Connor). Dr Donnelly was originally from Tyrone and Nora from Kerry, and the family moved…...
Dooge, James Clement Ignatius ('Jim')
Dooge, James Clement Ignatius ('Jim') (1922–2010), academic and politician, was born on 30 July 1922 in Grange Road West, Birkenhead, near Liverpool, the only son of Denis Dooge, marine engineer, and his wife Veronica (née Carroll). The Dooges were a family of engineers, most notably…...