McClean, (John) Raymond
McClean, (John) Raymond (1933–2011), medical doctor, civil-rights activist and humanitarian, was born on 18 January 1933 in Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, third in a family of three sons and one daughter of Charles McClean and his wife Kathleen (née King). Charles McClean, a trophy-winning…...
McCluskey, Constantine Mary (‘Conn’)
McCluskey, Constantine Mary (‘Conn’) (1915–2013), medical doctor and civil rights campaigner, was born on 19 February 1915 in Warrenpoint, Co. Down, the elder of two sons of John Montague McCluskey, a farmer, and his wife Anne (née Hughes), also from a farming family. Conn attended…...
McDyer, James Daniel
McDyer, James Daniel (1911–87), parish priest and founder of the Glencolumbkille Co-operative Society, was born 14 September 1911 near Glenties, Co. Donegal, youngest son among five sons and two daughters of John McDyer, farmer, and Brigid McDyer (née Harkin). He was educated at…...
McGrady, Eddie (Edward Kevin)
McGrady, Eddie (Edward Kevin) (1935–2013), activist and politician, was born on 3 June 1935 in Downpatrick, Co. Down, one of eleven children (nine sons and two daughters) of Michael McGrady, a merchant tailor, and his wife Lilian (née McGrath), originally from Fermoy, Co. Cork. The…...
McGregor, John James
McGregor, John James (c.1773–1834), historian and topographer, was born 24 February c.1773 in Limerick city, the seventh son and youngest of seventeen children (many of whom did not survive to adulthood) of John McGregor (d. 1796), native of Scotland, probably by…...
Moore, Kieron
Moore, Kieron (1924–2007), actor and catholic activist, was born Ciarán Ó hAnnracháin in Skibbereen, Co. Cork, on 5 October 1924, one of four sons and two daughters of the Gaelic Leaguer and political activist Peadar Ó hAnnracháin (1873–1965) and his wife Máire Ní Dheasúna (Desmond) (…...
Mulcahy, John Augustine (‘Jack’)
Mulcahy, John Augustine (‘Jack’) (1906–94), industrialist, businessman, and philanthropist, was born 26 August 1906 at Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, fifth among twelve children of Patrick Mulcahy, town clerk of Waterford , and Mary Mulcahy (née O'Shea). He was educated locally in the…...
Mulchinock, John
Mulchinock, John (1781?–1863), merchant and benefactor, was the son of Nicholas and Christiana Mulchinock, and was baptised into the Church of Ireland in Tralee, Co. Kerry, on 2 March 1781. Nothing is known for certain of his early life but, as a young man, he may have been at sea…...
Murphy, Edmund
Murphy, Edmund (d. p.1682), priest and informer, was a native of Co. Armagh. Nothing is known of his early life. In 1670, when Oliver Plunkett (qv) took up his duties as archbishop of Armagh, Murphy was parish priest of…...
Murphy, Patrick
Murphy, Patrick (1834–62), ‘world's tallest man’ and fairground performer, was born 15 June 1834 in Killowen, Co. Down, son of James Murphy (d. c.1850), smallholder, and Peggy Murphy (née Cunningham). There was nothing exceptional about his physique as a child. An…...
Nedley, Thomas
Nedley, Thomas (1819–99), surgeon and wit, was born in Dublin; nothing is known of his family background. Educated at Castleknock College, he then went to Scotland to study medicine and was made a licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh (1851). In August 1856 he…...
Nolan, Christopher
Nolan, Christopher (1965–2009), writer and advocate for the disabled, was born 6 September 1965 in the county hospital in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, second and youngest child (he had an elder sister) of Joseph Nolan, psychiatric nurse and small farmer, and his wife Bernadette (née Martin…...
Norcott, William
Norcott, William (1773?–1820), barrister, satirist, and bon vivant, was eldest son of William Norcott of Charleville, Co. Cork, and Mary Norcott (née Knight). He entered TCD in July 1790, graduating BA…...
O'Brien, Denis Thomas
O'Brien, Denis Thomas (1736?–1814), merchant, catholic politician, and benefactor, was the younger son of Thomas O'Brien (d. 1756) of Fairfield, near Ahascragh, Co. Galway, and his wife Mary (1710?–83), a daughter of Christopher French of Tyrone, Co. Galway. Thomas was in business as a…...
O'Brien, Francis Cruise
O'Brien, Francis Cruise (1885–1927), journalist, author, and cooperationist, was born 18 November 1885, at 6 Grantham St., Dublin, one of two children of John Cruise O’Brien, a law clerk, and Mary Cruise O’Brien (née Lally); his sister, Cathleen, married the novelist…...
Ó Caiside, Tomás Bán
Ó Caiside, Tomás Bán (c.1700–d. p. 1749), renegade Augustinian, rake, and folklore persona, was the son of Eoghan son of Éamann Odhar, and brought up in Leacht an Driseacháin, Co. Roscommon, about halfway between Castlerea and Tulsk. Ó Muraíle suggests…...
O'Flaherty, Stephen
O'Flaherty, Stephen (1902–82), motor factor, was born 23 January 1902 in Passage East, Co. Waterford, second son of Patrick O'Flaherty, farmer, of Passage East, Co. Waterford, and Kate O'Flaherty (neé O'Dywer), from Limerick. He was educated at the local national school and the…...
O'Halloran, Michael Joseph
O'Halloran, Michael Joseph (1933–99), railwayman and politician, was born 20 August 1933 in Doonbeg, Co. Clare, son of Martin O'Halloran, railwayman. He was educated at Clohanes national school up to the age of 14, when he left to work on the railways in London. He became an active…...
O'Hanlon, Paddy (Patrick Michael)
O'Hanlon, Paddy (Patrick Michael) (1944–2009), political activist, community worker, barrister and author, was born in Drogheda, Co. Louth, on 8 May 1944, second of seven children of Paddy O'Hanlon, butcher and Old IRA veteran, and his wife Margaret (née Grant). Both parents came from…...
Ó hUadhaigh, Seán
Ó hUadhaigh, Seán (1886–1959), solicitor, republican, Irish-language enthusiast and aviation pioneer, was born John Kirwan Woods 20 May 1886 in 2 Brookline, Terenure Road, Dublin, son of Robert Hewitt Woods (d. 1891), barrister, originally from Co. Down, and Mary Katherine Woods (née…...
O'Leary, Con
O'Leary, Con (1915–98), pioneer of the co-operative movement, was born 18 May 1915 in Glendine, Inchigeela, west Co. Cork, son of Daniel O'Leary, farmer, and Kate O'Leary (née Barrett). He was educated at the local national school, before being forced to leave school to work on…...
O'Mahony, Donal
O'Mahony, Donal (1936–2010), Capuchin priest and activist for social justice, was born on 2 August 1936 in Blackrock, Cork, son of Jeremiah O'Mahony and his wife Ellen (née Walsh). He was educated at Rochestown College, and then trained as a sports journalist with the Irish…...
O'Shea, William Henry
O'Shea, William Henry (1840–1905), politician and adventurer, was born in Dublin, son of Henry O'Shea (pronounced ‘O'Shee’), a catholic solicitor from an indebted Limerick gentry family, and his wife Catherine, a papal countess and daughter of Edward Craneach Quinlan of Rosana, Co…...
Phillips, Michael
Phillips, Michael (d. 1796), Franciscan friar and government spy, was probably brought up in north-east Connacht, and in 1795 was described as ‘from French Park’ or from ‘Killfree, near Boyle’, Co. Roscommon. His parents cannot be identified, although it is possible that he was a…...
Power, James Talbot
This is a co-subject for the entry on Dunning, Gertrude Frances. View…...