O'Doherty, Rosa
O'Doherty, Rosa (c.1588–1660), refugee and political activist, was born on the Inishowen Peninsula in northern Co. Donegal, daughter of Sir John O'Doherty (d. 1601) and his first wife, a daughter of Shane O'Neill (qv). Rosa…...
O'Driscoll, Margaret Collins-
O'Driscoll, Margaret Collins- (c.1878–1945), teacher and politician, was born in Woodfield, Clonakilty, Co. Cork, eldest of three daughters and five sons of Michael Collins , farmer, and Mary Anne Collins (née O'Brien). Her youngest brother was the revolutionary leader…...
O'Farrell, Elizabeth
O'Farrell, Elizabeth (1884–1957), republican, was born at 42 City Quay, Dublin, the youngest of two daughters of Christopher Farrell, a dock labourer, and his wife Margaret, a housekeeper. She was educated locally by the Sisters of Mercy. The 1911 census recorded her as living at 17…...
O'Leary, Ellen
O'Leary, Ellen (1831–89), nationalist and poet, was born 22 October 1831 in Tipperary town, the second child of John O'Leary, a prosperous shopkeeper, and his second wife Margaret Ryan. After the death of her mother in the mid 1830s while she was still a very young child, Ellen…...
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…...
O'Malley, Gráinne (Grace) (‘Granuaile’)
O'Malley, Gráinne (Grace) (‘Granuaile’) (c.1530–1603?), noblewoman and sea captain, was the daughter of Eoghan O'Malley (usually known as Dubhdarra O'Malley), lord of Umhall (now the barony of Murrisk, Co. Mayo), and Margaret, daughter of Conchobhar O'Malley. Gráinne (or…...
O'Malley, Mary (Margaret)
O'Malley, Mary (Margaret) (1918–2006), theatrical director and activist, co-founder of the Lyric Players Theatre in Belfast, was born Mary Margaret Hickey in Mallow, Co. Cork, on 28 July 1918, the posthumous daughter of Daniel Hickey and his wife Annie (née Lysaght). Her father died of…...
O'Malley, Una O'Higgins
O'Malley, Una O'Higgins (1927–2005), peace and reconciliation activist, was born in a Dublin nursing home on 25 January 1927, younger daughter of Kevin O'Higgins (qv), politician, and his wife Brigid (née Cole). Her brother…...
O'Riordan, Catherine (‘Kay’)
O'Riordan, Catherine (‘Kay’) (née Keohane) (1910–91), communist, was born 22 September 1910 on Convent Rd, Clonakilty, Co. Cork, fourth child among four daughters and three sons of Laurence Keohane , stonemason, originally from Ballintemple, Darrara, near Clonakilty, and Julianna…...
O'Toole, Rose
O'Toole, Rose (d. c. 1629), politically significant member of O'Toole family, was the eldest child of Fiach O'Toole (qv) (d. 1578), lord of Fartry and Ferter, and Rose Basnett, daughter of Edward Basnett (d. 1545), dean of St…...
Pearse (Brady), Margaret
Pearse (Brady), Margaret (1857–1932), nationalist and dáil deputy, was born in Dublin, the daughter of Patrick Brady, coal merchant, and his wife, Brigid Brady (née Savage) of Oldtown, Co. Dublin. Educated by the Sisters of St Vincent de Paul, she worked in a stationer's shop…...
Pearse, Margaret
This is a co-subject for the entry on Pearse (Brady), Margaret. View the original entry....
Pearse, Mary Brigid
This is a co-subject for the entry on Pearse (Brady), Margaret. View the original entry....
Pilkington, Ellice
Pilkington, Ellice (1869–1936), women's activist and artist, was born 1 September 1869 as Louisa Ellice Esmonde , second daughter of Sir John Esmonde, MP and lieutenant-colonel of Waterford artillery militia, of Ballynastragh, Gorey, Co. Wexford, and Louisa Esmonde (née Grattan),…...
Redmond, Bridget Mary
Redmond, Bridget Mary (1904–52), Cumann na nGaedheal and Fine Gael TD, was born 30 October 1904 at the Curragh, Co. Kildare, second of four children of John Mallick, landowner, hotelier, and racehorse owner, and Bridget Mallick (née Sex), both of the Curragh. She was a pupil at…...
Reid, Mary
Reid, Mary (1953–2003), republican and feminist, was born in Monaghan town (home of her maternal grandparents) on 25 April 1953. She was the eldest of six children (four girls and two boys) of Plunkett Reid, grocer, and his wife Patricia. Her childhood was spent in Pettigo, Co.…...
Reynolds, Mary Bridget
This is a co-subject for the entry on Reynolds, Patrick. View the original entry....
Ryan, Mary Josephine (Min)
This is a co-subject for the entry on Ryan, Mary Kate ('Kit', 'Cáit'). View the original entry....
Ryan, Mary Kate ('Kit', 'Cáit')
Ryan, Mary Kate ('Kit', 'Cáit') (1878–1934), academic and political activist, was born at Tomcoole, Taghmon, Co. Wexford, second of twelve children (four sons and eight daughters) of John Ryan, strong farmer, and his wife Elizabeth (née Sutton). The family was notable for its…...
Skeffington, (Johanna) Hanna Sheehy-
Skeffington, (Johanna) Hanna Sheehy- (1877–1946), political activist, was born 24 May 1877 in Kanturk, Co. Cork, eldest among two sons and four daughters of David Sheehy (qv), millowner and later nationalist MP, and Elizabeth (‘Bessie’) Sheehy…...
Smithson, Annie M(ary) P(atricia)
Smithson, Annie M(ary) P(atricia) (1873–1948), author, nurse, republican, and trade unionist, was born Margaret Anne Jane Smithson 26 September 1873 at 22 Claremont Rd, Sandymount, Dublin, daughter of Samuel Raynor Smithson, a protestant, unionist barrister, and Margaret Louisa…...
Snow, Carmel
Snow, Carmel (1887–1961), magazine editor, was born on 27 August 1887 in Dalkey, Co. Dublin, one of six children to Peter White (1850–93), businessman, and his wife Anne (née Mayne), daughter of Thomas Mayne, an MP for the Irish Home Rule Party from 1883–90. Snow’s father was managing…...
Somers, Elizabeth
Somers, Elizabeth (1881–1934), republican and industrial revivalist, was born 14 October 1881 at Waterford city, daughter of William Somers, post office engineer, and his wife Elizabeth (née Walsh); she had at least three brothers. Her mother's family, who came from Kilmacow, Co.…...
Tighe, Joan
Tighe, Joan (1922–2014), journalist, editor and historian, was born on 28 June 1922 in Dublin, the second eldest of six children of Robert Tighe and his wife Catherine Angela (née Moloney). Robert Tighe served as a British army lieutenant during the first world war and was later…...
Tynan, Margaret
Tynan, Margaret (1930–2007), first woman mayor of Kilkenny, was born 15 November 1930 in Kilkenny city, only daughter of Pierce Tynan and his wife Mary ('Minnie') (née McGrath); there were also three sons. Pierce Tynan set up a prosperous motor company and garage in Kilkenny, and was…...