Gorham, Maurice Anthony Coneys
Gorham, Maurice Anthony Coneys (1902–75), author, journalist, and broadcasting administrator, was born in London on 19 August 1902, the younger child of James John Gorham, doctor, formerly of Clifden, Co. Galway, and his wife Mary Smith of Lancaster. His sister Mary Honora was…...
Goulding, Valerie
Goulding, Valerie (1918–2003), philanthropist and senator, was born Valerie Hamilton Monckton on 12 September 1918 in Kent, younger of two children (she had an elder brother) of Walter Monckton, barrister (later a confidant of King Edward VIII and afterwards a conservative cabinet…...
Graves, Clotilde Inez Mary (‘Richard Dehan’)
Graves, Clotilde Inez Mary (‘Richard Dehan’) (1863–1932), novelist, dramatist, and journalist, was born 3 June 1863 at Buttevant barracks, Co. Cork, the third daughter of Major W. H. Graves and Antoinette Graves (née Deane). Her father was a cousin of the journalist and critic…...
Gray, Edmund John Chisholm Dwyer
Gray, Edmund John Chisholm Dwyer (1870–1945), journalist and politician, was born 2 April 1870 in Dublin, son of Edmund Dwyer Gray (qv), MP, and Caroline Agnes Gray (née Chisholm). Gray's grandfather, Sir…...
Gray, Sir John
Gray, Sir John (1816–75), newspaper proprietor and politician, was born 13 July 1816, the third son in the family of six sons and four daughters of John Gray (d. 1856), a farmer and excise officer of Claremorris, Co. Mayo, and his wife, Elizabeth or Eliza, only child of George…...
Greene, Philip Desmond
Greene, Philip Desmond (1920–2011), sports broadcaster, was born on 2 October 1920 in Broadstone, Dublin, the eldest of four children of Patrick Henry Greene, a clerk with the Midland Great Western Railway, and his wife Agatha (née Malone). He was educated at St Canice's…...
Gregory, Tony
Gregory, Tony (1947–2009), republican socialist, community activist and TD, was born 5 December 1947 in Dublin, the second of two sons of Anthony Gregory and his wife Ellen (née Judge). A native of Dublin's North Strand, Anthony Gregory had owned a shoemaker's business in Ballybough in…...
Griffith, Arthur Joseph
Griffith, Arthur Joseph (1871–1922), journalist and politician, was born 31 March 1871 in Dublin into a working-class family, son of Arthur Charles Griffith, printer, and Mary Griffith (née Whelan). He attended the CBS schools in St Mary's…...
Grogan, Vincent Benedict
Grogan, Vincent Benedict (1915–97), parliamentary draftsman and philanthropist, was born 10 April 1915 in Dublin, the only son of Capt. Vincent Grogan of Lytham-St Anne's, Lancashire, and Eleanor Grogan (née Kirwan). He began his education at the O'Connell schools in Dublin and…...
Gywnn, Denis Rolleston
Gywnn, Denis Rolleston (1893–1971), journalist and historian, was born 6 March 1893, third son among four sons and two daughters of Stephen Lucius Gwynn (qv), writer and MP, and his wife and first cousin Mary Louise, daughter of…...
Hackett, Francis
Hackett, Francis (1883–1962), novelist, historian, and journalist, was born 21 January 1883 at 34 Patrick St., Kilkenny city, one of six sons and three daughters of John Byrne Hackett, a Kilkenny-born doctor, and Bridget Hackett (née Doheny), daughter of a prosperous farmer of…...
Hall, Francis James (‘Frank’)
Hall, Francis James (‘Frank’) (1921–95), journalist, broadcaster, and film censor, was born 24 February 1921 at 40 Cecil Street, Newry, Co. Down, son of John Hall, a seaman, and Mary Hall (née Golding). He was reared in an eccentric extended family household, which probably inspired…...
Hanley, (Luke) Vincent
Hanley, (Luke) Vincent (1954–87), music broadcaster, was born 2 April 1954 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, elder son of Michael Hanley and Joan Hanley (née Cleary). His father was a soldier, who served overseas with the Irish army on UN duties. Vincent attended the Sisters of Charity…...
Hannan, Edward Joseph
Hannan, Edward Joseph (1836–1891), catholic priest, was born 21 June 1836 on the family farm in Ballygrennan, near Ballingarry, Co. Limerick, the second son of eleven children of John Hannan, tenant farmer, and his wife Johanna (née Sheehy). A dairy farmer with ninety acres, John Hannan…...
Hannelly, Dympna
Hannelly, Dympna (1922–2014), missionary nun, was born Eitne Hannelly on 4 December 1922 to Patrick Hannelly and Annie Hannelly (née Egan) of Tarmon, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon. Known as ‘Enna’ to her family, she had a twin brother Padraig, two other brothers and two sisters. Padraig…...
Hardiman, Áine
Hardiman, Áine (1926–2013) Dominican nun, community activist and anti-apartheid campaigner, was born Anne Hardiman on 23 April 1926 at 71 Connaught Street, Phibsborough, Dublin, the home of her parents Patrick Hardiman, a railway engine driver, and his wife Christina (née Monahan). The…...
Harkin, Hugh
Harkin, Hugh (1791–1854), journalist, teacher, poet, and nationalist, was born 6 July 1791 in Magilligan, Co. Derry. Little is known about his early life and education before he established a career as a teacher and journalist attached to various newspapers in both Britain and…...
Harrington, Niall Charles
Harrington, Niall Charles (1901–81), soldier, writer, and broadcaster, was born 23 January 1901 at 6 Cavendish Row, Dublin, one of the eight children of Timothy Charles Harrington (qv), MP, barrister at law, and his wife…...
Haughery, Margaret
Haughery, Margaret (1813–82), philanthropist, was born on 25 December 1813 in Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim, fifth of six children to William Gaffney, tenant farmer, and his wife Margaret (née O’Rourke). In 1818 the Gaffneys moved with their three younger children to America, leaving the…...
Haverty, Martin
Haverty, Martin (1809–87), journalist and historian, was born 1 December 1809 in Mayo, younger half-brother of the artist Joseph Haverty (qv). Nothing is known of their early life. Aspiring to the priesthood, Martin was educated at the…...
Healy, James
Healy, James (1824–94), priest and raconteur, was born 15 December 1824 in Francis St., Dublin, son of John Healy, provision merchant, and his first wife, Mary (née Meyler), who was from Co. Wexford. There were twenty-three children in the family. James was to inherit his father's…...
Heeney, Cornelius
Heeney, Cornelius (1754–1848), businessman and philanthropist, was born in King's Co. (Offaly) to catholic parents. Virtually nothing is known of his early life except that a relative gave him a start in business in Dublin, so that when he followed his father to America in 1784 he…...
Herlihy, John Newman
Herlihy, John Newman (1863?–1941), journalist, was born in Killeedy, near Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick, probably in 1863 (his obituaries give his age at death as 77). His younger brother, William, became chief reporter on the Cork Examiner. At an early age John joined the…...
Herlihy, Nora
Herlihy, Nora (1910–88), founder of the Irish credit union movement, was born 27 February 1910 at Ballydesmond, Co. Cork, the third of twelve children of Denis Herlihy, a teacher, and Nora Herlihy (née Mulcahy). Having taught firstly in Belmullet, Co. Mayo, Nora's father was appointed…...
Hickey, John D.
Hickey, John D. (1911–77), Gaelic games sports journalist, was born 16 April 1911 in Templemore, Co. Tipperary, youngest among at least three sons and two daughters of Patrick Hickey, victualler, and Helena Hickey (née Donoghue), of Main St., Templemore. The ‘D.’ in his name is…...