Mulrooney (Carbonneau), Belinda
Mulrooney (Carbonneau), Belinda (1872–1967), frontier entrepreneur, was born on 16 May 1872 (though her official birth certificate stated 10 June) in her maternal grandparents' 21-acre farm near Carns, Co. Sligo, the first child of one son and four daughters of John Mulrooney from Carra…...
Murphy, Denis
Murphy, Denis (1833–96), priest and historian, was born 12 January 1833 at Scarteen, near Newmarket, Co. Cork, the eldest son of Timothy Murphy and his wife Joanna (née O'Connell). He was educated at Mr Curran's school in Kanturk before attending Clongowes Wood College, Co.…...
Murray, Laurence Patrick, ('Larry'), (Ó Muireadhaigh, Lorcán)
Murray, Laurence Patrick, ('Larry'), (Ó Muireadhaigh, Lorcán) (1883–1941), priest, historian and Irish-language activist, was born 8 June 1883 in Newry Street, Carlingford, Co. Louth, the eldest of seven surviving children (four sons and three daughters) of James Murray, a member of the…...
O'Brien, George Augustine Thomas
O'Brien, George Augustine Thomas (1892–1973), economic historian and economist, was born 26 January 1892 in Dublin, only child of Richard O'Brien (d. 1906), hotelier, by his second marriage, to Mary (née Dowse) (d. 1946), a native of Co. Wicklow. His father, a self-made…...
O'Brien, Richard Barry
O'Brien, Richard Barry (1847–1918), Irish nationalist biographer, historian, and publicist, was born 7 March 1847 in Kilrush, Co. Clare, third son of Patrick Barry O'Brien and Sarah O'Brien (née Hannan). In 1863 he went to Dublin, passing from the St Laurence O'Toole preparatory…...
Ó Broin, León
Ó Broin, León (1902–90), senior civil servant, historian, and author, was born Leo Byrne on 10 November 1902 at 21 Aungier Street, Dublin, the second of four sons of James P. Byrne, a potato factor's bookkeeper, and Mary Byrne (née Killeen), daughter of a seaman who abandoned his family…...
O'Byrne, Cathal
O'Byrne, Cathal (1876–1957), antiquarian, writer, and entertainer, may have been the Charles Burns born on 1 June 1876 in Kilkeel, Co. Down, the son of James Burns, a farmer, and his wife Isabella (née Arnett). O'Byrne's biographer states that his parents came from Co. Wicklow, which…...
O'Callaghan, John Cornelius
O'Callaghan, John Cornelius (1805–83), historian and journalist, was born in Talbot St, Dublin, one of at least six children of John O'Callaghan, a prosperous catholic attorney, originally from Ulster. O'Callaghan always attributed his literary tastes and interest in history to…...
Ó Cianáin, Tadhg
Ó Cianáin, Tadhg (d. 1610), chronicler of the flight of the earls, was from a learned Fermanagh family who were ollamhs in history to the Maguires of Fermanagh. Traditionally, the Ó Cianáins had their own chieftain and were based at Lisgoole on the shores of Lough Erne. One of the most…...
Ó Cléirigh, Cú Choigcríche (O'Clery, Peregrine)
Ó Cléirigh, Cú Choigcríche (O'Clery, Peregrine) (fl. 1630–62), one of the ‘four masters’, was from Baile Uí Chléirigh, Co. Donegal. His father, Diarmaid, might possibly be the Diarmaid son of An Cosnamhach found in an Ó Cléirigh genealogy, and/or the ‘Dermot O Clery’ pardoned…...
Ó Cléirigh, Mícheál (O'Clery, Michael)
Ó Cléirigh, Mícheál (O'Clery, Michael) (c.1590–1643), OFM, historian and scribe, chief of the ‘four masters’, was born into the learned family of Ó Cléirigh in Co. Donegal, fourth son of Donnchadh (son of Uilliam son of Tuathail) Ó Cléirigh and his wife Honora Ultach (Onora Ó…...
Ó Cléirigh (O'Clery), Lughaidh
Ó Cléirigh (O'Clery), Lughaidh (c.1580–a.1630?), historian and poet, was born in Co. Donegal, the eldest of the five sons of Maccon Ó Cléirigh (d. 1595), who was ‘Ollav to O'Donnell in history, an erudite and ingenious man, professed in history and poetry’ (AFM, vi,…...
O'Clery, (Patrick) Keyes
O'Clery, (Patrick) Keyes (1845?–1913), soldier, barrister, politician, and author, was born, probably in May 1845, at Darragh house, Kilfinnane, Co. Limerick, the only son of John Walsh O'Clery (The O'Clery ) and Elisa O'Clery (née O'Donoghue Keyes); some sources record his birth…...
Ó Conbhuidhe (Conway), Séamus (Colmcille)
Ó Conbhuidhe (Conway), Séamus (Colmcille) (1909–92), Irish-language scholar, poet and historian, was born James Conway on 26 September 1909 at 53 Gladstone Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, the eldest son of Patrick Joseph Conway, a paper merchant, and his wife Kate (née Dwyer). Patrick…...
O'Connell, Maurice Rickard
O'Connell, Maurice Rickard (1922–2005), historian, was born at Kilheffernan House, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary on 13 December 1922, third son (he had one sister) of Captain Maurice C. O'Connell, a first world war British army veteran who subsequently made his career in the Irish army,…...
O'Conor, Charles
O'Conor, Charles (1764–1828), priest, librarian, and antiquary, was born 15 March 1764 at Belanagare, Co. Roscommon, second of six sons of Denis O'Conor (d. 1804) and Catharine O'Conor (neé Browne), who also had six daughters. The O'Conors were catholic, descendants of a princely…...
O'Conor, Charles
O'Conor, Charles (1710–91), Irish language scholar, antiquarian, and catholic activist, of Belanagare (Bellanagare), Co. Roscommon, was born at Kilmactranny, Co. Sligo, in early January 1709/10, eldest of six sons and three daughters. Family His father was Denis (Donnchadh Liath) O'…...
O'Conor, Matthew
O'Conor, Matthew (1773–1844), barrister and historian, was born 18 September 1773, sixth son of Denis O'Conor (1732–1804) of Belanagare, Co. Roscommon, DL of Roscommon, and his wife Catherine (d. 1817), daughter of Martin Browne of Cloonfad,…...
O'Curry (Curry, Ó Comhraí), Eugene (Eoghan)
O'Curry (Curry, Ó Comhraí), Eugene (Eoghan) (1794–1862), Irish scholar, was born 20 November 1794 at Dunaha, about three miles south of Kilkee, Co. Clare, third among four children of Eoghan ‘Mór’ O'Curry (c.1740–1825) and Catherine O'Curry (née Madigan) of Dunaha. His father,…...
O'Daly, Daniel (Dominic; Domingos do Rosario)
O'Daly, Daniel (Dominic; Domingos do Rosario) (1595–1662), Dominican priest, diplomat, and historian, was born in Kilsarkan near Castleisland, Co. Kerry. He came from a family of poets, the Ó Dálaigh; his grandfather, Maoilseachlainn na Scoile, his uncle Cuchonnacht, and his…...
O'Daly, John
O'Daly, John (1800–78), writer and publisher, was born 5 February 1800 in Fernane, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, eldest among three sons and three daughters of Eamonn O'Daly and Brigid O'Daly (née Kyley). He was educated at a local hedge school before going to work, in 1826, for the…...
O'Donoghue, David James
O'Donoghue, David James (1866–1917), biographer, editor, and librarian, was born 22 July 1866 in Chelsea, Middlesex, England, of Cork-born parents. He studied at local Roman Catholic primary schools, and was self-educated at the British Museum library, where he read widely on…...
O'Donoghue, Florence (‘Florrie’)
O'Donoghue, Florence (‘Florrie’) (1897–1967), revolutionary, soldier, and historian, was born 6 May 1897 in Rathmore, Co. Kerry, the only son of six children of Timothy O'Donoghue, a farmer of Gortdromakerry, and Julia O'Donoghue (née Murphy). His father had served time in prison…...
O'Donovan (Ó Donnabháin), John (Seán)
O'Donovan (Ó Donnabháin), John (Seán) (1806–61), Irish scholar, was born about 25 July 1806 at Atateemore, in the parish of Slieverue, Co. Kilkenny, a few miles from Waterford city, the seventh of nine children (of whom two died young) of Edmund (Óg) O'Donovan, farmer, and Ellenor…...
Ó Duibhgeannáin, Cú Choigcríche
Ó Duibhgeannáin, Cú Choigcríche (O'Duigenan, Peregrine) (fl. 1630–41), chronicler and scribe, one of the compilers of the Annals of the Four Masters, was son of Tuathal Buidhe Ó Duibhgeannáin, of Castlefore, Co. Leitrim; nothing is known of his mother. In the late medieval…...