Mahon, Sir Bryan Thomas
Mahon, Sir Bryan Thomas (1862–1930), general, was born 2 April 1862 in Belleville, Co. Galway, son of Henry Blake Mahon, landowner, and his wife Matilda, daughter of Col. Thomas Seymour, of Ballymore Castle, Co. Galway. Educated locally, he joined the 4th (Militia) Battalion of…...
Makem, Thomas ('Tommy')
Makem, Thomas ('Tommy') (1932–2007), folk singer, was born 4 November 1932 in Keady, Co. Armagh, youngest of five children of Peter Makem and his wife Sarah (née Boyle). Though Peter Makem was a fiddler and flautist, Tommy derived his musical interests and talent primarily through…...
Malley, James Young (‘Jim’)
Malley, James Young (‘Jim’) (1918–2000), civil servant and airman, was born 24 July 1918 near Aughnacloy, Co. Tyrone, one of four sons and one daughter of Francis William Malley, a local farmer and merchant, and his wife Ruby Elizabeth (née Young). The family was methodist. He…...
Mallin, Michael Thomas
Mallin, Michael Thomas (1874–1916), trade unionist and revolutionary, was born on 1 December 1874 at Ward's Hill in the Liberties in Dublin, the eldest of six surviving children (four boys and two girls) of John Mallin, a boatwright and carpenter, and his wife Sarah (née Dowling), a…...
McAuley, Anthony Gerard (Tony)
McAuley, Anthony Gerard (Tony) (1939–2003), broadcaster, television producer and expert on folksongs, was born 24 October 1939 in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, one of two sons and five daughters of William John McAuley, who owned a chemist’s shop on James Street. His mother Ita (née…...
McCall, Patrick Joseph
McCall, Patrick Joseph (1861–1919), songwriter and poet, was born 6 March 1861 in Dublin, the only surviving son among three children of John McCall and his wife Eliza Mary (née Newport) of Rathangan, Co. Wexford. His father John McCall (1822–1902), publican and writer…...
McCann, Joseph (Joe)
McCann, Joseph (Joe) (1947–72) republican socialist, was born 2 November 1947 at 13 Baker Street, Belfast, to Joseph McCann, bricklayer, and Jane (née McGuire). Both parents were from the area known colloquially as the 'Pound Loney', the oldest part of the Falls Road. Joseph was the…...
McCarthy, Michael Donald (‘Dónal Mac’)
McCarthy, Michael Donald (‘Dónal Mac’) (1908–80), statistician and university administrator, was born 4 June 1908 in Midleton, Co. Cork, son of Michael McCarthy, labourer, and Margaret McCarthy (née Murphy). His early education was at the CBS…...
McCormack, John Francis
McCormack, John Francis (1884–1945), singer, was born 14 June 1884 in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, fourth of five children to survive out of a family of eleven of Andrew McCormack and his wife Hannah (née Watson), Scottish mill workers who had moved to Ireland. The tenor's paternal…...
McDonnell, Joseph Patrick
McDonnell, Joseph Patrick (1846–1906), revolutionary and labour activist, was born 27 March 1846 in Smithfield, Dublin, son of Peter McDonnell, baker's foreman. Educated at Marlborough Street national school (1853–8) and St Paul's Academy, Arran Quay (1858–60), he grew into a man of…...
McGough, Joseph Christopher (Joe)
McGough, Joseph Christopher (Joe) (1919–2003), army officer, barrister and businessman, was born 23 December 1919 at Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny, the fourth child and first son of John McGough, originally of Co. Clare, and his wife Ann (née Brennan). His father, having served as a…...
McHugh, Edward
McHugh, Edward (1853–1915), political activist and trade unionist, was born on 21 August 1853 in Co. Tyrone (probably in the parish of Termonamongan in the far west of the county), the son of Matthew McHugh, smallholder and labourer, and his wife Margaret (née McCrory); he had one…...
McKenna, Daniel
McKenna, Daniel (1892–1975), army officer and chief of staff, was born 1 December 1892 at Bracareilly, Draperstown, Co. Londonderry, son of Peter McKenna, farmer, and Mary Anne McKenna (née McKenna). He was educated at Lisnamuck national school at Maghera, Co. Londonderry, before…...
McKenna, Lambert (Mac Cionnaith, Láimhbheartach)
McKenna, Lambert (Mac Cionnaith, Láimhbheartach) (1870–1956), Irish-language scholar and catholic social thinker, was born 16 July 1870 in Clontarf, Co. Dublin, son of Andrew McKenna, accountant, and Mary McKenna (née Lambert). Having attended Belvedere College, Dublin, he entered the…...
McKeown, Sean
McKeown, Sean (1910–98), army chief of staff, was born 3 June 1910 at Castletown, Cooley, Co. Louth, son of Thomas McKeown and his wife Catherine (née McGinn). He attended Mullaghbuoy national school in Co. Louth and CBS Dundalk…...
McKinney, Thomas Joseph
McKinney, Thomas Joseph (1887–1973), army surgeon and Irish scholar, was born 30 October 1887 at Greencastle, Co. Antrim, son of Thomas McKinney, sergeant in the RIC, and Mary McKinney (née McKillop). His family later moved to…...
McMillen, William ('Billy', 'Liam')
McMillen, William ('Billy', 'Liam') (1928–75) republican, was born 13 April 1928 in Belfast, the sixth of nine children (five girls and four boys) of Robert McMillen and his wife Sarah (née O'Neill) of 40 Ton Street. William's grandfather (also Robert) was a Scottish presbyterian.…...
Meagher, Thomas Francis
Meagher, Thomas Francis (1823–67), Young Ireland nationalist and soldier, was born 3 August 1823 in Waterford city, the eldest child of Thomas Meagher and his wife Alicia Quan. Both parents came from well-to-do catholic merchant families. His father was a shipowner, specialising in the…...
Meenan, James Francis
Meenan, James Francis (1910–87), barrister-at-law, political economist, and writer, was born 18 October 1910 in Dublin, eldest of three sons and one daughter of Dr James Nahor Meenan (qv), professor of medicine at…...
Mellows, Herbert Charles ('Barney')
Mellows, Herbert Charles ('Barney') (1896–1942), republican, was born on 24 March 1896 at 10 Annadale Avenue, Fairview, Dublin, the last of five children (four sons, one of whom, John, died in infancy, and one daughter) of William Joseph Mellows, a soldier, born in Gondah, India, with…...
Minch, Sydney Basil
Minch, Sydney Basil (1893–1970), soldier, politician and businessman, was born 14 June 1893 in Rockfield, Athy, Co. Kildare, one of five sons of Matthew Joseph Minch (1854–1921), nationalist and anti-Parnellite MP for Kildare South (1892–1903), and Agnes Minch (née Hayden). He had…...
Molloy, James Lynam
Molloy, James Lynam (1837–1909), songwriter, was born 19 August 1837 at Cornalare, King's Co. (Offaly), eldest son of Dr Kedo J. Molloy and his wife, Maria Theresa, daughter of James Tracy Lynam. His brother Bernard Charles Molloy (1842–1916) was nationalist MP for Offaly (1880–85)…...
Moore, Garret
Moore, Garret (d. 1706?), soldier and politician, is said to have been born in 1600, but a later date is probable. He was the eldest son of Garret Moore, of Cloghan, King's Co., while his mother's name is unknown. His grandfather John Moore (d. 1631) was a landowner in Galway…...
Moore, Maurice George
Moore, Maurice George (1854–1939), soldier and politician, was born 10 August 1854 at Moore Hall, Ballyglass, Co. Mayo, second child among four sons and one daughter of George Henry Moore (qv), MP for Mayo and leader of the tenant…...
Moore, Thomas
Moore, Thomas (1779–1852), writer and musician, was born 28 May 1779 at 12 Aungier Street, Dublin, the first child of John Moore and his wife, Anastasia (née Codd). The couple were married in 1778 and had nine children in all, six of whom died in infancy. Moore was baptised a Roman…...