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…...
O'Faolain, Sean
O'Faolain, Sean (1900–91), writer and editor, was born 23 February 1900 at 16 Halfmoon St., Cork, youngest of three sons (Patrick, Augustine, and John) of Denis Whelan (d. 1928), member of the RIC, and Bridget Whelan (née Murphy; d.…...
O'Farrell, Patrick James
O'Farrell, Patrick James (1933–2003), historian, was born on 17 September 1933 in Greymouth, a small port in the Westland province of the South Island of New Zealand, youngest child of Patrick Vincent ('Paddy') O'Farrell (originally Farrell), tailor and labour activist, and his wife…...
O'Ferrall, Richard
O'Ferrall, Richard (d. 1663), Capuchin friar and author of Commentarius Rinuccinianus, was born Barnabas O'Ferrall in Annaly, Co. Longford. In 1630 he went to Flanders in the company of Father Francis Nugent (qv) of Co.…...
Ó Fiaich, Tomás
Ó Fiaich, Tomás (1923–90), cardinal archbishop of Armagh, was born 3 November 1923 at Anamar, Cullyhanna, Co. Armagh, as Thomas James Fee, second son of Patrick Fee (1882–1964) and Annie Fee (née Carragher; d. 1932). Both parents taught at Cregganduff public elementary school: his…...
O'Flaherty, Roderick (Ó Flaithbheartaigh, Ruaidhrí)
O'Flaherty, Roderick (Ó Flaithbheartaigh, Ruaidhrí) (1629–1718), historiographer, was born in late 1629 at Moycullen, Co. Galway, to Hugh O'Flaherty, proprietor of the castle and manor of Moycullen, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Alderman Martin Darcy of Galway city and a…...
O'Flanagan, James Roderick
O'Flanagan, James Roderick (1814–1900), lawyer and writer, was born at Fermoy, Co.Cork, on 1 September 1814, son of Captain John Fitch O'Flanagan of the Dunshaughlin yeomanry, a catholic gentleman farmer, protégé of Lord Fingall, and barracks master of Fermoy (1808–48), and his…...
O'Gorman, Thomas (‘The Chevalier’)
O'Gorman, Thomas (‘The Chevalier’) (1732–1809), officer in French service, scholar, and entrepreneur, was by his own account born 16 September 1732 at Castletown, Co. Clare, son of Matthew O'Gorman (or MacGorman) and his wife Margaret, daughter of Donough O'Loughlin of Castletown…...
O'Halloran, Sylvester
O'Halloran, Sylvester (1728–1807), surgeon and historian, was born 31 December 1728 at Caherdavin, Co. Clare, third son of Michael O'Halloran, a prosperous catholic farmer, and Mary O'Halloran (née McDonnell). His brothers were Joseph Ignatius, later a member of the Society of Jesus,…...
O'Hanlon, John (‘Lageniensis’)
O'Hanlon, John (‘Lageniensis’) (1821–1905), priest, hagiologist, historian, folklorist, and poet, was born 30 April 1821 in Stradbally, Queen's County (Laois), son of Edward Hanlon (d. early 1840s), who probably owned a tanyard in the town, and Honora Hanlon (1793/4–1887). He was…...
O'Hart, John
O'Hart, John (1824–1902), teacher and genealogist, was born in December 1824 into an Irish-speaking family in Crossmolina, Co. Mayo, fifth and longest surviving among six sons of Shane (John) O'Hart and Nora O'Hart (née Geraghty) from the nearby parish of Glenhest. Of his four sisters,…...
O'Hegarty, Patrick Sarsfield (‘P. S.’)
O'Hegarty, Patrick Sarsfield (‘P. S.’) (1879–1955), revolutionary, writer, and civil servant, was born 29 December 1879 at Carrignavar, Co. Cork, son of John Hegarty, plaster and stucco worker, and Katherine Hegarty (née Hallanan), who came of west Cork farming stock, as did…...
O'Heyne, John
O'Heyne, John (c.1648–1713), Dominican priest and historian, was born near Athenry; his writings, curiously, do not mention his own parentage. He was the great-nephew on his father's side of Dominic Burke (qv)…...
O'Kelly, Michael Joseph (‘Brian’)
O'Kelly, Michael Joseph (‘Brian’) (1915–82), archaeologist, was born 5 November 1915 in Springmount, Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick, son of Joseph O'Kelly, a national school teacher, and Elizabeth O'Kelly (née McAuliffe). After receiving secondary education at Rockwell college, Co.…...
O'Leary, Daniel Florence
O'Leary, Daniel Florence (1801–54), soldier, historian, and diplomat, was born in February 1801 in 89/90 Barrack St., Cork, eighth of ten children of Jeremiah O'Leary, butter merchant, and his wife, Catherine O'Leary (not related), both natives of Cork. In Europe in 1816…...
Ó Lúing, Seán
Ó Lúing, Seán (1917–2000), translator and author, was born 16 May 1917 in Ballyferriter, Co. Kerry, youngest among three sons of Séamas Ó Lúing, farmer, and his wife, whose maiden name was Ní Mhainnín. Seán was brought up bilingually and received his earliest education in the local…...
O'Mahoney, Katharine Aloysia O'Keeffe
O'Mahoney, Katharine Aloysia O'Keeffe (1851–1908), editor, educator, and writer, was born in Co. Kilkenny, daughter of Patrick O'Keeffe (b. 1803) and his wife Rose (b. 1824; maiden name unknown). The O'Keeffes emigrated to Methuen, Massachusetts, USA, c.1851 when she was ten…...