Ó Cadhain, Máirtín
Ó Cadhain, Máirtín (1906–70), republican, creative writer, and academic, was born 4 January 1906 at An Cnocán Glas, Spiddal, Co. Galway, second born and first surviving child among seven sons and six daughters of Seán Ó Cadhain, farmer, and Bríd Ní Chonfhaola, farmer's daughter, both of…...
Ó Cadhlaigh, Cormac
Ó Cadhlaigh, Cormac (1884–1960), Celticist, was born 26 April 1884, in Kinsale, Co. Cork, one of seven children of shoemaker Jeremiah Ó Cadhlaigh and his wife, Marianne McCarthy. His mother had trained as a teacher but never entered the profession and instead managed Clarke's tobacco…...
O'Callaghan, Michael
O'Callaghan, Michael (1887–1962), trade unionist, revolutionary nationalist, and civil servant, was born 25 January 1887 in Henry Street, Tipperary town, son of Denis Callahan, draper, of farming stock from Ballyhone, Emly, Co. Tipperary, and Bridget Callahan (née Hayes), of…...
Ó Callanáin, Peatsaí (Patrick Callanan)
Ó Callanáin, Peatsaí (Patrick Callanan) (1791–1865), poet, was born in Carheendiveane, Craughwell, Co. Galway, in 1791, younger brother of Marcas Ó Callanáin (qv). Of his parents little has come down but that Peatsaí came by his…...
Ó Caoimh, Eoghan
Ó Caoimh, Eoghan (c.1656–1726), poet and scribe, was born at Glenville, about 16 km north of Cork city, one of three sons of Caomh Ó Caoimh, a prosperous farmer. He received a good education and was literate in English and Latin, as well as Irish. He married (February 1681)…...
Ó Ceallaigh, Brian
Ó Ceallaigh, Brian (1889–1936), Irish language enthusiast, was born 13 January 1889 in Killarney, Co. Kerry, son of John Kelly, shopkeeper and hotelier, and Brigid Kelly (née Cronin). He was educated at Clongowes Wood College (1900–03) and Blackrock College (1906–7). On 2 November 1907…...
Ó Ceallaigh, Cormac
Ó Ceallaigh, Cormac (1912–96), nuclear physicist, was born 29 July 1912 in Dublin, the only son among two children of Séamus Ó (Ua) Ceallaigh (James O'Kelly), consultant obstetrician and assistant master at the Coombe Hospital, and his wife Maire Cecilia (‘Birdie’) (née Ferran),…...
Ó Cléirigh, Conn R.
Ó Cléirigh, Conn R. (1927–95), Celtic scholar, was born 7 February 1927 in Dublin, the elder of two children of James Clery, publican, of Amiens Street, and his wife, Johanna (née Connolly); Conn had a sister, Alice. He was educated at the Loreto convent, North Great George's Street,…...
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,…...
Ó Colmáin, Domhnall
Ó Colmáin, Domhnall (c.1645–c.1704), writer, was born probably in the Knockraha area of Co. Cork. Little is known of his background. He was most likely a priest and in the preface to Fr Cornelius Mac Curtain's Agallamh na bhFíoraon, he is referred to as a doctor of law. A…...
Ó Conaire, Pádraic
Ó Conaire, Pádraic (1882–1928), novelist and short-story writer, was born 28 February 1882 in the ‘Lobster Pot Bar’ in Galway city, one of five children of Tomás Ó Conaire, publican, and his wife Cáit (née Ní Dhonncha). Much folklore surrounds Pádraic's life and his biographers have…...
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, Frederick William
O'Connell, Frederick William (1876–1929), clergyman and Irish-language scholar, was born 22 October 1876 in Clifden, Co. Galway, son of Reverend W. Morgan O'Connell, rector of Clifden. Educated at the High School, Dublin, he entered Trinity College Dublin (TCD) with entrance prizes in…...
O'Connell, Peter (Ó Conaill, Peadar)
O'Connell, Peter (Ó Conaill, Peadar) (1755–1826), schoolmaster and lexicographer, was born at Carne, Killimer, Co. Clare (a townland latterly designated as Carrowdotia, on the Shannon estuary 8 km east of Kilrush), one of four sons and two daughters of Tadhg Ó Conaill and Áine Ó Conaill…...
O'Connell, Thomas Joseph (‘T. J.’)
O'Connell, Thomas Joseph (‘T. J.’) (1882–1969), teacher, trade unionist, and politician, was born 28 November 1882 at Spotfield, Bekan, Co. Mayo, second son of Thomas Connell, farmer, and Maria Connell (née Biesty). Educated at Bekan national school, where from July 1895 he served…...
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'Conway, Matthias James
O'Conway, Matthias James (1766–1842), linguist and lexicographer, was born 3 February 1766 in Galway, son of Matthew O'Conway (who was according to one source a ‘merchant’ of that city) and his wife Elizabeth O'Hogan. We know of only one other sibling, an older brother, John. A native…...
Ó Creag, Séamus (Craig, James Patrick)
Ó Creag, Séamus (Craig, James Patrick) (1863–1934), Irish–language teacher, writer, and scholar, was born into the large Irish-speaking family of Pádraig Ó Creag, small farmer of Droim na Soileach in the Glenties, Co. Donegal, and Ann (or Máire) Gildea, from nearby Mín na Tine townland…...
Ó Cuiv, Shan
Ó Cuiv, Shan (1875–1940), journalist and writer, was born in Macroom, Co. Cork, as John Michael O'Keefe, son of John O'Keefe, tanner, and Margaret O'Keefe (née Duggan), both of Macroom. He attended schools in Macroom and Dunmanway but the major event of his formative years was…...
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,…...
Ó Dálaigh, Aonghus Fionn (‘the fair’) (Aenghus O'Daly)
Ó Dálaigh, Aonghus Fionn (‘the fair’) (Aenghus O'Daly) (fl. 1585–1601), bardic poet, was born into a very prominent Munster bardic family, patronised for centuries by the MacCarthys of Desmond. The Annals of the Four Masters record in 1161 the death of Raghnall Ó Dálaigh, ‘ollamh…...
Ó Dálaigh, Máirín
Ó Dálaigh, Máirín (née Nic Dhiarmada ) (c.1909–94), Celticist and lexicographer, was born in Mussoorie, United Provinces of India and Kashmir. Both her parents were Irish and living in India as her father was a teacher with the Munster fusiliers. At the age of two and a half she was…...
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…...