Tunney, Paddy
Tunney, Paddy (1921–2002), traditional singer, was born 28 January 1921 in Glasgow, Scotland, the third of the eight children, three boys and five girls, of Patrick Tunney, labourer, of Mulleek, Belleek, Co. Fermanagh, and Brigid Tunney (1887–1975), folk singer. Brigid was born 14 June…...
Tuohy, James Mark
Tuohy, James Mark (1857–1923), journalist, was born in Cork city, younger son of Patrick Tuohy, manager of the Cork Examiner, and Mary Anne Tuohy (née Donoghue). Educated privately, he joined the Freeman's Journal – by the 1880s, the semi-official organ of the…...
van Gelderen, Gerrit
van Gelderen, Gerrit (1926–94), naturalist, wildlife film-maker, broadcaster, and author, was born 26 August 1926 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, eldest child of Johannes Gerardus van Gelderen, a local-authority employee who lived within the municipal park where he worked. Familiar from…...
Victory (Thomas Joseph) Gerard
Victory (Thomas Joseph) Gerard (1921–95), composer and music producer, was born 24 December 1921 in Dublin, son of Thomas Victory, a small shopkeeper who had settled in Dublin and had business premises in Thomas Street, and his wife, Delia Victory (née Irwin), who came from Galway. The…...
Viner, William
Viner, William (c.1650–1716), composer and master of the state music, was born in England, but nothing is known about his parents or early life. A violinist of some repute, he was also a skilful composer and was appointed master of the state music in Ireland in 1703, a post…...
Voynich, Ethel Lilian
Voynich, Ethel Lilian (1864–1960), novelist, translator, and composer, was born 11 May 1864 at Lichfield Cottage, Ballintemple, Co. Cork, youngest of five daughters of Professor George Boole (qv) of QCC…...
Wade, Joseph Augustine
Wade, Joseph Augustine (c.1801–1845), composer, was born in Dublin but his early life is shrouded in confusion; there are no details of his parents, except for one report that his father was a dairyman. Wade always claimed to have attended…...
Wadham, John Barker
Wadham, John Barker (1936–2003), musician, was born in Croydon, Surrey, England, only son of Cyril Wadham, an insurance broker, and his wife Muriel, a talented amateur pianist. The family moved to Ireland in 1953 when Cyril Wadham, a Royal Air Force veteran, was transferred to Dublin,…...
Walker, Alexander Alfred
Walker, Alexander Alfred (1930–2003), film critic and cinema historian, was born 22 March 1930 in Portadown, Co. Armagh, only child of Alfred Walker, commercial traveller, and his wife Ethel Linda Harris (née Andrews). The family were presbyterian, though not especially observant…...
Walker, Dorothy
Walker, Dorothy (1929–2002), writer and critic, was born 16 January 1929 at 3 Mountjoy Square, Dublin, the daughter of Walter Cole, a stallholder at the city of Dublin fruit and vegetable market, and his wife, Moira. Following her education at the Dominican convent in Wicklow (1937–46)…...
Wallace, (William) Vincent
Wallace, (William) Vincent (1812–65), composer of operas, piano music, and songs, was born 11 March 1812 in Waterford city, son of Spencer (‘William’) Wallace, fifer in the North Mayo Militia, born in Ballina, Co. Mayo, in 1789, who had a long career in the British army (1804–26),…...
Wall, Mervyn Eugene Welply
Wall, Mervyn Eugene Welply (1908–97), novelist, playwright, broadcaster, and civil servant, was born 23 August 1908 at 27 Palmerston Rd, Dublin, the third eldest of three sons and one daughter of Thomas Patrick Wall, barrister, and Beatrice Agnes Wall (née Morrissey), both of Co.…...
Walsh, Dick (Richard Colman)
Walsh, Dick (Richard Colman) (1937–2003), journalist, was born in Cratloe, Co. Clare, on 29 October 1937, youngest of two sons and two daughters of Seán Walsh, principal of Cratloe National School (in succession to his own father), and his wife Pauline (née McNamara), also a teacher…...
Walsh, Joseph James
Walsh, Joseph James (1905–92), journalist and newspaper editor, was born 21 December 1905 (although he claimed to have been born exactly ten years later) in Waterford city, youngest among five children of Edward Walsh, commercial cork-maker, editor/proprietor of the Munster…...
Walsh, Michael (‘Mike’)
Walsh, Michael (‘Mike’) (1810–59), politician and newspaperman, was born 4 May 1810 in Youghal, Co. Cork, son of Michael Welsh, a protestant cabinetmaker, reputed in some sources to have been a United Irishman involved in the 1798 rising, and Eileen Welsh (née Keefe). He was brought…...
Walsh, Thomas Joseph
Walsh, Thomas Joseph (1911–88), physician, founder and artistic director of the Wexford Opera Festival, and writer, was born on 20 November 1911 at 6 Upper George St., Wexford, eldest son of John Joseph Walsh, commercial traveller, and Margaret Walsh (née Hayden) of…...
Walton, Martin
Walton, Martin (1901–81), musician, musical entrepreneur, and republican, was born 27 February 1901 in Kilkenny city, only child of Patrick Walton, linotype operator, and his wife Mary (née Bolger), a native of Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny. His grandfather, John Walton, had been an…...
Ward, John
This is a co-subject for the entry on Ward, Marcus. View the original entry....
Ward, Marcus
Ward, Marcus (1807–47), printer, stationer, and founder of Marcus Ward & Co., was born in Belfast, second son among five sons and two daughters of John Ward (1770–1836) of Jackson Hall, Co. Down, Ulster paper manufacturer and printer, and his wife Margaret (née Davis) (1782–1832…...
Ware, William
Ware, William (1757–1826), organist, teacher, and concert promoter, was born 17 January 1757 at Armagh city; nothing is known of his parents. It was to Ware that Edward Bunting (qv) was apprenticed in 1784. Trained in Armagh cathedral…...
Watson, John
Watson, John (d. 1769), bookseller and bookbinder. Nothing is known of his early life. He married (21 April 1722) in St Audoen's church, Dublin, Elizabeth (d. 1753), daughter of Peter Lawrence (d. 1709), bookseller and freeman since 1697. Three months later he petitioned for freedom…...
Watson, Samuel
This is a co-subject for the entry on Watson, John. View the original entry....
Watts (Lynch), Elizabeth
Watts (Lynch), Elizabeth (d. 1794), printer, stationer, and ‘bookseller to the courts of law’, whose origins are unknown, succeeded her first husband Richard Watts (d. November 1762) printer and bookseller, with whom she had four sons and a daughter. She married secondly (14…...
Webb, Richard Davis
Webb, Richard Davis (1805–72), printer and philanthropist, was born in the Cornmarket, Dublin, where his parents had a linen business; he was eldest among seven sons of James Webb and Deborah Webb (née Forrest). The Webbs and Forrests were members of the Society of Friends;…...
Wesley, Garrett
Wesley, Garrett (1735–81), amateur musician, politician, and 1st earl of Mornington , was born 19 July 1735, probably at Dangan Castle, Co. Meath, the only surviving son of Richard Wesley (originally Colley), later 1st Baron Mornington, and Elizabeth Wesley (née Sale). Educated by…...