Boland, Henry James (‘Harry’)
Boland, Henry James (‘Harry’) (1887–1922), revolutionary, was born 27 April 1887 at 6 Dalymount Terrace, Phibsborough Rd, north Dublin, third of five children of James Boland (qv), paving foreman and eventually overseer for Dublin…...
Boland, John James
Boland, John James (1944–2000), politician and government minister, was born 30 November 1944 at 28 Rathfarnham Road, Terenure, Dublin, eldest among two sons and one daughter of Charles Boland and Kathleen Boland (née Whitty), both of whom were civil servants, resident at 15 St Agnes…...
Boland, John Mary Pius
Boland, John Mary Pius (1870–1958), politician, lawyer, and tennis player, was born on 16 September 1870 at 135 Capel Street, Dublin, the second son of Patrick Boland (1840–1877), a prosperous milling merchant, and his wife Mary Donnelly. After beginning his education at the Catholic…...
Boran, Nicholas (Nixie)
Boran, Nicholas (Nixie) (1903–72), trade unionist, was born in 1903 at Massford in the colliery district north of Castlecomer in Co. Kilkenny, the second in a family of four born to George Boran, a small farmer and coal carter, and his wife, Mary (née Maher). Nicholas attended…...
Bourke (Burke), Miles (Meiler)
Bourke (Burke), Miles (Meiler) (c.1585–1649), 2nd Viscount Bourke of Mayo , nobleman, was the eldest son, of the four sons and three daughters, of Theobald, 1st Viscount Bourke of Mayo (…...
Bourke, Francis Stephen (‘Freddie’)
Bourke, Francis Stephen (‘Freddie’) (1895–1959), medical doctor and bibliographer, was born 14/15 July 1895 in High St., Kilkenny, son of James Bourke, merchant tailor, and Kate Bourke (née Walshe). Educated at St Kieran's College, Kilkenny, he studied at the Royal College of Surgeons…...
Bourke, Theobald
Bourke, Theobald (c.1615?–1653), 3rd Viscount Mayo , soldier and politician, was son and heir of Miles Bourke (qv), 2nd Viscount Mayo, and Honora, daughter of Sir John Bourke of Derrymaclaghtny, Co. Galway.…...
Bourke, Thomas Francis
Bourke, Thomas Francis (1840–89), Fenian, was born 10 December 1840 in Fethard, Co. Tipperary, second eldest of six children of Edmond Burke (d. 1859), house painter, and Mary Burke (née Dwyer). His father's business, which had been reasonably prosperous, was hit badly by the…...
Bourke, William
Bourke, William (1623–67), 5th Baron Castleconnell , soldier, was son and heir of Edmund Bourke and his first wife, Thomasine, daughter of Sir Thomas Browne of Hospital, Co. Limerick. Edmund held over 3,000 acres in Co. Limerick, primarily in the barony of Clanwilliam, alongside the…...
Bowe, Catherine Mary (Sister Celeste)
Bowe, Catherine Mary (Sister Celeste) (1931–76), Daughter of Charity and nurse, was born 23 February 1931 in Newberry, Mallow, Co. Cork, daughter of James Bowe, labourer, and Julia Bowe (née Ducey). She was educated at the local national and secondary schools. In 1949 she trained as an…...
Bracken, Brendan
Bracken, Brendan (1901–58), politician, was born 15 February 1901 in Church St., Templemore, Co. Tipperary, third child and second of three sons of Joseph Kevin (J. K.) Bracken (qv) and Hannah (née Ryan) Bracken. The family moved to…...
Brady, Joe
Brady, Joe (c. 1857–1883), Fenian and assassin, was born in Dublin, second of twenty sons and five daughters of Thomas Brady, a paviour of forty years standing with Dublin corporation. After serving an apprenticeship with Dublin corporation, Joe was employed by the corporation…...
Brady, Rory
Brady, Rory (1957–2010), barrister and attorney general, was born on 20 August 1957 in Gray Street in the Liberties area of Dublin, son of John Brady and his wife Teresa (née Kennedy). John Brady worked in Guinness's brewery, and was an unsuccessful Clann na Poblachta candidate for…...
Brady, Seán Ernest
Brady, Seán Ernest (1890–1969), revolutionary and politician, was born 28 May 1890 at 4 Lower Pembroke St., Dublin, fourth of eight children of Charles Brady (d. 1906), businessman, and Martha Brady (née Flynn) (d. 1930), shopkeeper. After Pembroke St. (1890–97) the family lived…...
Braughall, Thomas
Braughall, Thomas (1730–1803), merchant and politician, was born in Dublin (no further details of his background are known), and was one of the most forthright radical catholics to emerge from the Dublin merchant community in the eighteenth century. Braughall's ancestors had taken…...
Brayton, Teresa C.
Brayton, Teresa C. (1868–1943), poet and nationalist, was born 29 June 1868 in the townland of Kilbrook, near Enfield, Co. Kildare, fifth child of Hugh Boylan and Elizabeth Boylan (née Downes), tenant farmers. She was educated locally; having trained as a teacher, she worked for a…...
Brazil, Dame Johanna
Brazil, Dame Johanna (Sister Mary Phillipa ) (1896–1988), Sister of Mercy, teacher, and nurse, was born 25 December 1896 in Kilfinane, Co. Limerick, daughter of Thomas Brazil, farmer, and Julia Brazil (née Devane). Educated at the local convent national school, she was one of a group…...
Brenan, John
Brenan, John (1768–1830), physician and satirist, was born March 1768, eldest of six children of a minor landed catholic family from Ballaghide, Co. Carlow. The details of his early life are unknown. In 1793 he wrote epigrams and short verse for Dublin magazines. Claiming to have…...
Brenan, Joseph
Brenan, Joseph (1828–57), Young Ireland revolutionary, poet, and journalist, was born 17 November 1828 in Cork city; nothing is known of his parents. He spent some of his early childhood in Skibbereen and was educated at St Vincent's seminary, Cork. He joined the Cork Historical…...
Brennan, Garrett (Gerald Brennan/O'Brennan; Gearóid Ó Braonáin/ Ó Breanáin)
Brennan, Garrett (Gerald Brennan/O'Brennan; Gearóid Ó Braonáin/ Ó Breanáin) (1894–1974), revolutionary and garda, was born 7 October 1894 in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny, second of ten children of Cornelius Barrett, shopkeeper, and Margaret Brennan (née Boran). One of his brothers was…...
Brennan, Robert
Brennan, Robert (1881–1964), republican, journalist, writer, and diplomat, was born in Co. Wexford on 22 July 1881, second child and eldest son among four children of Robert Brennan (d. 1919), cattle dealer, and Bridget Brennan (née Kearney; d. 1938), dressmaker. He was educated…...
Brennan, Seamus
Brennan, Seamus (1948–2008), politician and government minister, was born in Galway city on 16 February 1948, the second of five children (four sons and a daughter) of James Brennan, a Fianna Fáil activist and builder (fifty employees in 1976), and his wife Tess (née O'Donnell), a…...
Bresnihan, Barry (Finbar Patrick Kevin)
Bresnihan, Barry (Finbar Patrick Kevin) (1944–2010), rheumatologist and rugby player, was born on 13 March 1944 at 15 Lower Hatch Street, Dublin, the only son (as well as three daughters) of Dr Con Bresnihan (d. 1974), GP, chief medical officer to the civil service, and medical…...
Bridgeman, Joanna (Sister Mary Francis)
Bridgeman, Joanna (Sister Mary Francis) (1813–88), Sister of Mercy, educator, and Crimean war nurse, was born in Ballagh, Ruan, Co. Clare, one of four children (two sons and two daughters) of St John Bridgeman and his wife Lucy Reddan. Her mother was a relative of…...
Browne, Geoffrey
Browne, Geoffrey (d. 1668), lawyer and politician, was the eldest son, of the four sons and five daughters, of Sir Dominick Browne, merchant, and mayor of Galway in 1634, and his wife, Anastasia, daughter of James Darcy, mayor of Galway in 1603, and sister of…...