O'Brien, Sir Edward
O'Brien, Sir Edward (1705–65), 2nd baronet, MP, and racehorse owner, was born 7 April 1705, elder son among three children of Lucius O'Brien and his wife Catherine Keightley, daughter of Lady Frances Hyde, a sister-in-law of King James…...
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'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, Nannie Power
Power O’Donoghue (née Lambert), Nannie (1843–1940), journalist, equestrian and writer was born 2 June 1843 and baptised as Ann Stewart Lyster Lambert in St Thomas Church of Ireland, Marlborough Street, Dublin. She was the youngest child of four daughters and one son of Charles Lambert,…...
Ó hUigínn, Pól (Paul Higgins)
Ó hUigínn, Pól (Paul Higgins) (1628?–1724), Irish scholar, preacher and convert to protestantism, was probably born in Co. Sligo, the son of Pól Ó hUigínn and Cecilia Jordan. His grandfather, Tadhg Óg Ó hUigínn, was a bardic poet and a son of the famous bardic poet…...
Oulton, Walley Chamberlain
Oulton, Walley Chamberlain (c.1765–c.1820), dramatist and theatre historian, was born in Dublin, son of Walley Oulton, a merchant, and his wife Catherine (née Walker). Very little is known of his life outside his work. Educated locally by Dr Thomas Ball (1718?–…...
Peacock, Bertie (John Robert)
Peacock, Bertie (John Robert) (1928–2004), football player and manager, was born in Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, on 29 September 1928. His family lived in Killowen in the town; his father was a water bailiff, and he had a brother and five sisters. He was apprenticed to a local plumber…...
Peter, Richard Milliken
Peter, Richard Milliken (1849–1909), rugby and swimming pioneer and administrator, was born in Dublin, a member of the Peter family after whom Peter Place, off Adelaide Road in Dublin, was named; no other family details are known. He was educated at Blackheath school near London,…...
Quin, Coslett William Charles
Quin, Coslett William Charles (1907–95), clergyman and Irish scholar, was born 27 February 1907 at Derriaghy rectory, Co. Antrim, the only son of the Rev. Charles Edward Quin (d. 1936), rector of Derriaghy, and his wife Edith, daughter of Coslett Waddell of Magheralin, Co. Down.…...
Quin, Windham Thomas Wyndham-
Quin, Windham Thomas Wyndham- (1841–1926), 4th earl of Dunraven, politician and sportsman, was born 12 February 1841 at Adare, Co. Limerick, son of Edwin Richard Windham Wyndham-Quin (qv) (1812–71), 3rd earl of Dunraven,…...
Rambaut, Daniel Frederick
Rambaut, Daniel Frederick (1865–1937), doctor and Irish international rugby player, was born on 6 August 1865 at 3 Newtown Buildings, Waterford city, to Reverend Edmund Francis Rambaut, a Church of Ireland clergyman at Trinity, Waterford (who later moved to Carysfort church, Blackrock,…...
Raymond, Anthony
Raymond, Anthony (1675–1726), clergyman and Irish-language scholar, was born in Ballyloughran, near Listowel, Co. Kerry, second son of Anthony Raymond, sheriff of Kerry, and his wife Ann (née Taylor). His family moved to Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, at some stage during his youth. Little is…...
Reid, Christina
Reid, Christina (1942–2015), playwright, was born on 12 March 1942 in Ardoyne in North Belfast, the eldest of three children and only daughter of James Orchin, a Belfast dock worker, and Christina Orchin, who worked as a linen mill worker and later a waitress. Although the family…...
Robinson, David Lubbock
Robinson, David Lubbock (1882–1943), British soldier, republican, senator, and hockey player, was born 11 August 1882 in Dublin, the second of the three sons and one daughter of John Joseph Robinson, Church of Ireland clergyman, and his wife, Henrietta Harriet, youngest daughter…...
Robinson, Lennox
Robinson, Lennox (1886–1958), playwright and director, was born Esmé Stuart Lennox Robinson on 4 October 1886 near Douglas, Co. Cork, youngest of seven children (of whom twins died in infancy) of Andrew Craig Robinson, stockbroker, and Emily Anna Robinson (née Jones). When Lennox was…...
Rodway, Norman John Frank
Rodway, Norman John Frank (1929–2001), actor and theatre producer, was born 7 February 1929 in Dublin, son of Frank Rodway, manager of a shipping agency, and Lilian Rodway (née Moyles). The couple had recently moved to Dublin from London. They settled in Malahide, north of Dublin, where…...
Roe, Robin
Roe, Robin (1928–2010), army chaplain and rugby player, was born on 11 November 1928 at Skeirke (Skirk), Ballybrophy, Borris-in-Ossory, Co. Laois, the youngest of two sons and three daughters of William Henry Roe, a farmer, and his wife Anne (née Marshall). Educated at King's…...
Rooke, Charles Vaughan (‘C. V.’)
Rooke, Charles Vaughan (‘C. V.’) (1869–1946), rugby player, was born 24 September 1869 at Summerhill, Dublin, son of Thomas Slator Rooke, gentleman and member of the Plymouth Brethren, from Dublin; and Adelaide Rooke (née Reid) originally of Rossbrook, Co. Armagh. Educated…...
Rugheimer, Gunnar
Rugheimer, Gunnar , (1923–2003), RTÉ controller of programmes, was born 26 February 1923 in Stockholm, Sweden, to Carl Rügheimer (b. 1893), hat manufacturer, and his wife Sonja Traugott (b. 1901); both were Jewish and had been born in Sweden of Danish descent. After attending…...
Scott, Elisha (‘Leesh’, ‘Lee’)
Scott, Elisha (‘Leesh’, ‘Lee’) (1893–1959), soccer player, was born 24 August 1893 off the Donegall Road in the Shankill area of Belfast, one of the younger sons in a Church of Ireland family of ten (five girls and five boys) of William E. Scott, a yarn bundler, and his wife, Jane (née…...
Shaw, Sir Alexander William
Shaw, Sir Alexander William (1847–1923), bacon manufacturer and founder of Limerick and Lahinch golf clubs, was born 27 October 1847 in Limerick, second son of William John Shaw of Willowbank, Limerick, bacon merchant. He was educated at St Mary's College, Limerick, and on…...
Sheridan, Thomas
Sheridan, Thomas (1719–88), actor, theatre manager, and orator, was third son of Thomas Sheridan (qv), schoolmaster and essayist, of Dublin; nothing is known of his mother. He was educated at home by his father until the age of 13.…...
Simpson, Alan Patrick
Simpson, Alan Patrick (1920–80), theatre director, was born in Baggot Street, Dublin, son of Walter Simpson, Church of Ireland minister. Sent to Belfast to broaden his outlook, he was educated at Campbell College and spent a brief period in Germany before returning to Dublin in the late…...
Southerne, Thomas
Southerne, Thomas (1660–1746), dramatist and soldier, was born 12 February 1660 at Oxmantown, Dublin, youngest child among four sons and two daughters of Francis Southerne, founder-member of the brewers' corporation of Dublin, and his wife Margaret. Educated at the free school in…...
Stephenson, George Vaughan
Stephenson, George Vaughan (1901–70), rugby footballer and medical doctor, was born 22 December 1901 in Dromore, Co. Down, son of a Church of Ireland clergyman. Educated at Clanrye preparatory school in Belfast and at the RBAI…...