Cogan, William Henry Forde
Cogan, William Henry Forde (1821–94), landowner and politician, was the only son of Bryan Cogan (1767–1830) of Dublin and Athgarret, Co. Kildare. His mother, Bryan's wife, Eliza or Elizabeth, was a daughter of a Dublin silk manufacturer, Edward Madden (1739?–1830), a granddaughter…...
Coghlan (Coughlan), Terence
Coghlan (Coughlan), Terence (d. 1653), politician and founder of the Coghlan family of Kilcolgan, Co. Offaly, was the third son of James Oge MacCoghlan, who received crown pardons in 1583 and 1602, and a crown grant of the castle, town, and lands of Kincorr in 1623. Terence…...
Coigly (Coigley, Quigley, O'Coigley), James
Coigly (Coigley, Quigley, O'Coigley), James (1761–98), United Irishman and catholic priest, was born in August 1761 in Kilmore, Co. Armagh, second son of James Coigly, farmer, and Louisa Coigly (née Donnelly). In the absence of seminary education in penal Ireland, Coigly served an…...
Coile, Bernard
Coile, Bernard (1771?–1829), linen manufacturer and catholic activist, was born near Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry, on, by his own account, 14 May 1771 (though a gravestone inscription suggests 1766). His father's family were from Co. Donegal and related to the catholic bishop of…...
Colbert, Cornelius (‘Con’)
Colbert, Cornelius (‘Con’) (1888–1916), revolutionary, was born 19 October 1888 in Moanlena, Castlemahon, Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick, son of Michael Colbert, small farmer, native of Athea, Co. Limerick, and Honora Colbert (née MacDermott), originally of Cooraclare, Co. Clare. His…...
Colclough, John Henry
Colclough, John Henry (1769–1798), insurgent leader, was born 15 June 1769, the son of Thomas Francis Colclough and his wife Catherine McMahon, of Ballyteigue, Bargy, Co. Wexford. He worked as a physician, leased a substantial landed estate, and was one of the county's most…...
Colivet, Michael Patrick
Colivet, Michael Patrick (1884–1955), revolutionary and civil servant, was born 29 May 1884 at 11 Windmill St., Limerick, son of John Colivet, able seaman of Jersey, Channel Islands, and Ann Colivet (née Kenrick) of Askeaton, Co. Limerick. Educated at St Joseph's seminary, Galway…...
Colley, George (Joseph Pearse)
Colley, George (Joseph Pearse) (1925–83), government minister, was born in Dublin on 18 October 1925, the fifth child (of eight) and eldest son of Harry Colley (qv), 1916 veteran, adjutant Dublin Brigade…...
Colley, Henry Edward (‘Harry’)
Colley, Henry Edward (‘Harry’) (1891–1972), politician, was born in Dublin 21 February 1891, eighth of ten children of George Colley (d. 1905), gas-fitter, and Jane Colley (née Carroll; d. 1937). The family lived at 17 St Kevin's Rd, Portobello, Dublin, and later at Mount Pleasant…...
Collins, Eamon
Collins, Eamon (1954–99), republican, was born in Camlough, Co. Armagh, son of Brian Collins (farmer, livestock trader, and cattle smuggler) and Kathleen Collins (née Cumiskey). Collins's extended family had no history of political involvement, though his upbringing was fervently…...
Collins, Jerome James
Collins, Jerome James (1841–81) meteorologist, Arctic explorer, and founder of Clan na Gael, was born 17 October 1841 in Cork city, the son of Mark Collins, a lime and saltworks owner of South Main Street, Cork, and his wife Ellen (née Ryan). He attended St Vincent's Seminary,…...
Collins, John Henry
Collins, John Henry (1880–1952), lawyer and politician, was born 3 March 1880 in Newry, Co. Down, elder son of Henry Patrick Collins, auctioneer of Derrybeg, Newry, Co. Down, and Kate Collins, daughter of Frank McDonald, farmer, of Carrickredmond, Dundalk, Co. Louth. The family…...
Collins, Michael
Collins, Michael (1890–1922), revolutionary leader, chairman of the Irish provisional government, and commander-in-chief of the provisional government army, was born 16 October 1890 at Woodfield, Sam's Cross, west Co. Cork, last born of three sons and five daughters of Michael Collins,…...
Comerford, James ('Jim') Joseph
Comerford, James ('Jim') Joseph (1901–88), nationalist, judge and parade organiser, was born on 7 January 1901 in the family home at Coolraheen, Muckalee, Co. Kilkenny, the only child of John Comerford, farmer, of Coolraheen, and his wife Julia (née Kavanagh), schoolteacher, from…...
Comerford, Maire (Mary Eva)
Comerford, Maire (Mary Eva) (1893–1982), republican and journalist, was born 29 June 1893, in Ardavon, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow, the eldest daughter of James Charles Comerford, a mill owner, and Eva May Comerford, the daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Esmonde of Co.Wexford. She…...
Comyn, George
Comyn, George (d. 1663), lawyer and politician, second son of Edmund Comyn and Gennett Sarsfield, was born into a family that had played a leading role in the civic life of Limerick for over two centuries. George trained as a lawyer, entering Gray's Inn on 11 February 1621, before…...
Concannon, Helena
Concannon, Helena (1878–1952), historian and politician, was born 28 October 1878 in Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry, one of two daughters of Louis Walsh, hotel owner in Maghera, Co. Londonderry, and Elizabeth Walsh (née Donnelly); there were also three sons. Louis Walsh had been a…...
Conlon, Malachy (Malachi)
Conlon, Malachy (Malachi) (1913–50), journalist and politician, was born 16 January 1913 at Lurgancullenboy, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh, one of two sons and two daughters of Patrick Conlon, a farmer of Lurgancullenboy, and Mary (née Nally) Conlon. He was educated at the local national…...
Connellan, Joseph
Connellan, Joseph (1889–1967), journalist and politician, was born in Newry, the son of working-class parents, and was educated locally at the Newry CBS. His mother, who had a great knowledge of Irish history, instilled in him a love…...
Connolly, James
Connolly, James (1868–1916), socialist and revolutionary leader, was born in Cowgate, Edinburgh, on 5 June 1868, the youngest in a family of three boys. His father, John Connolly, and his mother, Mary McGinn, were both born in Ireland in 1833, possibly in Co. Monaghan, and emigrated to…...
Connolly, Joe
Connolly, Joe (1922–2008), community activist and politician, was born 11 March 1922 at 5 Tolka Avenue, North Dock ward, Dublin, son of John Connolly, an engine driver, and his wife Esther (née McNally). Growing up in Lusk, Co. Dublin, and later in the East Wall area of the north-…...
Connolly, Joseph
Connolly, Joseph (1885–1961), politician, businessman and civil servant, was born 19 January 1885 at 41 Alexander St. West, Belfast, one of fourteen children (five of whom died in infancy) of John Connolly, master baker, and Margaret Connolly (née MacNeill) of Cushendall, Co.…...
Connolly, Patrick Joseph
Connolly, Patrick Joseph (1927–2016), barrister and attorney general of Ireland, was born 25 May 1927 at 70 Botanic Road, Glasnevin, Dublin. He was the elder of two sons born to Patrick Joseph Connolly, principal of Ballyboughal national school, and his wife Ellen (‘Nellie’; née O’Hara…...
Connolly, Sean
Connolly, Sean (1882–1916), actor, trade unionist, and republican, was born 12 April 1882 at 10 Seafort Ave., Sandymount, Dublin, third child and eldest son among eight daughters and eight sons of Michael Connolly, seaman, and Mary Connolly (née Ellis). When his father ceased seafaring…...
Conolly, Violet
Conolly, Violet (1899–1988), authority on Soviet Russia and traveller, was born 11 May 1899 at Fernville, Glasnevin, Co. Dublin, the eldest of six children, five daughters and one son, of Thomas Conolly, a master builder, and his wife, Teresa (née McQuaid), of Stormanstown, Co.…...