Fenning, Seumas
Fenning, Seumas (1904–81), snooker and billiards player, was born 12 February 1904 in Wood Quay, Dublin, one of thirteen children (of whom eleven survived) of Thomas J. Fenning, proofreader and bookseller, and Mary Fenning (née O'Donoghue). He attended a number of schools in the…...
Ferris, Samuel
Ferris, Samuel (1900–1980), long-distance athlete, was born 29 August 1900 in Magherabeg, near Dromore, Co. Down, the son of Samuel Ferris, labourer, and his wife, Mary, née Clarke. His family emigrated to Glasgow where, at the age of sixteen, Samuel joined the Shettleston Harriers…...
Ffennell, William Joshua
Ffennell, William Joshua (1799–1867), fishery reformer, was born 16 August 1799 at Ballybrado, near Cahir, Co. Tipperary, eldest son (among six sons and ten daughters) of Joshua William Ffennell, country gentleman, and his wife Elizabeth. Educated locally, though not well, he was…...
Fisher, William Robert (‘Bertie’)
Fisher, William Robert (‘Bertie’) (1950–2001), rally driver and businessman, was born 25 March 1950 in Ballinamallard, Co. Fermanagh, one of four sons of Tommy Fisher, owner of a structural engineering firm, and Elsie Fisher, both originally from Co. Leitrim. He was educated at the…...
Fitzgerald, Edward (Eamonn)
Fitzgerald, Edward (Eamonn) (1903–58), Gaelic footballer and Olympic athlete, was born 27 October 1903 in Behihane, Castlecove, Co. Kerry, one of seven children of John Fitzgerald, farmer, and Mary Fitzgerald (née McCarthy). He was initially educated locally at Bunaneer national…...
Fitzgerald, Eugene (Gene)
Fitzgerald, Eugene (Gene) (1932–2007), politician, was born in Crookstown, Co. Cork, on 21 August 1932; he had at least one brother and one sister. Educated at Crookstown national school and Presentation Brothers' College, Cork, he lived most of his adult life in Bishopstown in the…...
Fitzgerald, Dick (‘Dickeen’)
Fitzgerald, Dick (‘Dickeen’), Gaelic footballer and revolutionary, was born 2 October 1882 in College Street, Killarney, Co. Kerry, one of at least three sons and three daughters of Michael Fitzgerald, a merchant of College Street, and his wife Bridget (née Healy). His primary education…...
Fitzgerald, Robert David
Fitzgerald, Robert David (1830–92), surveyor, botanical artist, and naturalist, was born 30 November 1830 at Tralee, Co. Kerry, the son of Robert David Fitzgerald, a banker, and his wife, Mary Ann, née Bell. After studying civil engineering at QCC…...
FitzGibbon, Abraham Coates
FitzGibbon, Abraham Coates (1823–87), railway engineer and antiquary, was born 23 January 1823 at Mount Eagle, Kilworth, Co. Cork, second son of Lt Philip FitzGibbon, RN, and Elizabeth FitzGibbon (née Coates) of Killinure, Co. Wicklow. Educated at the…...
Fitzgibbon, Edward
Fitzgibbon, Edward (1803–57), journalist known as ‘Ephemera’, was born in August 1803 in Limerick, son of a land agent; nothing else is known of his family. On the death of his father (1817) he went to London, aged 14, and two years later was articled to a surgeon. Within two…...
Fitzmaurice, James Christopher
Fitzmaurice, James Christopher (1898–1965), aviator, was born 6 January 1898 at 35 Mountjoy Prison Cottages, North Circular Road, Dublin, second of three sons and one daughter of Michael Fitzmaurice, prison warder, and Mary Agnes Fitzmaurice (née Riordan), both of whose families…...
Fitzpatrick, Sir Bernard Edward Barnaby
Fitzpatrick, Sir Bernard Edward Barnaby (1848–1937), 2nd Baron Castletown, landlord, soldier, sportsman, and adventurer, was born 29 July 1848 in London, only son and eldest of six children of John Wilson Fitzpatrick, 1st Baron Castletown, soldier and landlord, of Abbeyleix, Queen's Co…...
Flanagan, John J.
Flanagan, John J. (1873–1938), athlete, was born 9 January 1873 at Kilbreedy, Co. Limerick, son of Michael Flanagan of Kilbreedy. Having played inter-provincial hurling for Munster and won Irish and British titles throwing the hammer, a discipline of which his father had been a…...
Flanagan, Seán
Flanagan, Seán (1922–93), GAA footballer and politician, was born 26 January 1922 in Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, second eldest child among four sons and two daughters of Stanislaus Flanagan, national school teacher, and Ann Flanagan (née Spelman). He was educated at St Jarlath's…...
Flood, Finbarr
Flood, Finbarr (1938–2016), soccer player, managing director of Guinness brewery and chairman of the Labour Court, was born on 1 December 1938 in Kilmainham, Dublin, one of three children (and only son) to Jack Flood, a worker in Guinness, and his wife Eva Flood (née…...
Flood, John Joe (‘Slasher’)
Flood, John Joe (‘Slasher’) (1898–1982), soccer player, was born 2 August 1898 at 5 Irishtown Road, Ringsend, Dublin, eldest among three sons and four daughters of John Flood, bottleblower (and later insurance agent), and Mary Ann Flood (née Kelly), both of Dublin. The family…...
Flynn, Patrick J. (‘Pat’)
Flynn, Patrick J. (‘Pat’) (1894–1969), athlete, was born 29 December 1894 at Ballinadee, Bandon, Co. Cork, son of Patrick Flynn, a labourer, and Ellen Flynn (née Murphy). Slightly built – he stood 5 ft. 7 in., and weighed 8 st. 3 lbs – in the early 1910s he enjoyed considerable…...
Foley, Desmond (‘Des’)
Foley, Desmond (‘Des’) (1940–95), sportsman and politician, was born 12 September 1940 in a nursing home at 12 Seville Place, North Strand, Dublin, youngest among five sons and five daughters of Patrick Foley, a carrier, resident at 21 Blackheath Park, Clontarf, and Elizabeth…...
Foley, Lar (Liam)
Foley, Lar (Liam) (1938–2003), Gaelic footballer and hurler, was born William Foley on 28 November 1938 in a nursing home at Seville Place, North Strand, Dublin, second youngest among five sons and five daughters of Patrick Foley, a carrier, resident at 37 Rutland Street, Summerhill,…...
Foster, Alexander Roulston ('Alec')
Foster, Alexander Roulston ('Alec') (1890–1972), rugby international, schoolmaster and political activist, was born on 22 June 1890 in Derry city, the younger son among two sons and four daughters of John Foster and his wife Christina ('Chrissie') (née Roulston(e)). John Foster was…...
Fowler, Bryan John (‘the Brig’)
Fowler, Bryan John (‘the Brig’) (1898–1987), Olympic silver medallist in polo, amateur jockey, and racehorse owner, breeder, and trainer, was born 18 August 1898 at Rahinston, Co. Meath, second son among two sons and a daughter of George Hurst Fowler of Eureka Wells, Co. Meath, and…...
Fox, Richard Kyle
Fox, Richard Kyle (1846–1922), publisher and patron of sports, was born on Albertbridge Road, Belfast, on 12 August 1846. Fox's father James was a carpenter and mason, and his mother Mary (née Kyle) was the daughter of Henry Kyle, a Belfast presbyterian minister. As a teenager Fox…...
Freaney, Oliver
Freaney, Oliver (1928–91), Gaelic footballer, was born 16 November 1928 in Dublin, son of John Freaney, drapery buyer, and Maura Freaney (née Hearne). He was educated in O'Connell's Schools CBS, in the north of Dublin's inner city,…...
Frith, James Wiltshire (‘J. W.’)
Frith, James Wiltshire (‘J. W.’) (1869–1948), journalist and racing official, was born 11 September 1869 at 8 Seapoint Terrace, Irishtown, Co. Dublin, son of James Frith, printer, and Maria Louisa Frith (née Wiltshire); assertions in his obituary notices that he was the son of a…...
Fullam, Robert (‘Bob’)
Fullam, Robert (‘Bob’) (1895–1974), soccer player, was born 17 September 1895 in 32 Bridge St., Ringsend, Dublin, son of John Fullam, fisherman, and Mary Fullam (née Reilly). He began his football career in 1914 with St Brendan's in Dublin, and moved (1917) to another Dublin club,…...