Arigho, John Edward (‘Jack’)
Arigho, John Edward (‘Jack’) (1907–99), rugby player, was born 10 July 1907 in 21 Victoria St., Dublin, second son of George Arigho and Mary Arigho (née Greene). Arigho's grandfather had emigrated to Ireland from Switzerland in the mid nineteenth century and had founded a printing…...
Arkless, Brede (née Boyle)
Arkless, Brede (née Boyle) (1939–2006), rock climber and mountain guide, was born 10 August 1939 in Moston, Manchester, England, the daughter of James Boyle, a fitter, and his wife Mary (née Harrison). Born prematurely while her Dublin-resident parents were visiting family in Manchester…...
Balfe, John Donnellan
Balfe, John Donnellan (1816–80), politician, journalist, and British government spy, was born in Co. Meath, son of James Balfe, gentleman, and Sara Balfe (née Sutherland). He was educated at Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare, and had a brief career in the British army, joining…...
Barr, Andrew (Andy)
Barr, Andrew (Andy) (1913–2003), trade unionist and communist, was born 23 September 1913 at 29 Cluan Place, off Mountpottinger Road, Ballymacarrett, Belfast, second child among two sons and five daughters (two other children died in infancy) of Andrew Barr (d. 1986, aged 98), a…...
Barrett, Joseph
Barrett, Joseph (1902–52), GAA footballer, was born 17 July 1902 at 67 Rock St., Tralee, Co. Kerry, seventh of ten children of John Barrett, Tralee livestock dealer, and Nora Barrett (née O'Mahony) of Ballyduff, Co. Kerry. Educated locally, at the age of 14 he took up the family…...
Barrett, Rosa (Mary)
Barrett, Rosa (Mary) (1854–1936) philanthropist, child-care worker, and suffragist, was born 15 January 1854 in Royston, Hertfordshire, England, daughter of the Rev. W. G. Barrett and Martha Barrett (née Fletcher). From the 1860s she was resident with her family in Dublin. Her…...
Bates, Daisy May
Bates, Daisy May (1859–1951), welfare worker for Aborigines, anthropologist, and eccentric, was born 21 October 1859 in Roscrea, Co. Tipperay, third among six children of James Dwyer , catholic tradesman and blacksmith, and Bridget Dwyer (née Hunt). Her twin brother, Francis, died…...
Behan, Brian Finbar Oliver Plunkett
Behan, Brian Finbar Oliver Plunkett (1926–2002), writer, radical, and bohemian, was born Brian Desmond Behan (the name appearing on the birth certificate) on 10 November 1926 in the Rotunda hospital, Dublin, while the family were residing at 14 Russell St., the third of five children of…...
Bergin, Stanley Francis
Bergin, Stanley Francis (1925–69), cricketer and journalist, was born 19 November 1925 at 8 St John's Road, Sandymount, Dublin, as Stanislaus Mary Bergin, youngest of seven sons of Bernard Christopher Bergin, assistant director GPO, and…...
Boland, John Mary Pius
Boland, John Mary Pius (1870–1958), politician, lawyer, and tennis player, was born on 16 September 1870 at 135 Capel Street, Dublin, the second son of Patrick Boland (1840–1877), a prosperous milling merchant, and his wife Mary Donnelly. After beginning his education at the Catholic…...
Boran, Nicholas (Nixie)
Boran, Nicholas (Nixie) (1903–72), trade unionist, was born in 1903 at Massford in the colliery district north of Castlecomer in Co. Kilkenny, the second in a family of four born to George Boran, a small farmer and coal carter, and his wife, Mary (née Maher). Nicholas attended…...
Bresnihan, Barry (Finbar Patrick Kevin)
Bresnihan, Barry (Finbar Patrick Kevin) (1944–2010), rheumatologist and rugby player, was born on 13 March 1944 at 15 Lower Hatch Street, Dublin, the only son (as well as three daughters) of Dr Con Bresnihan (d. 1974), GP, chief medical officer to the civil service, and medical…...
Brosnahan, Seán
Brosnahan, Seán (1911–87), teacher and trade unionist, was born 26 August 1911 in Killaloe, Co. Clare, one of nine children of John Brosnahan, RIC sergeant, and Norah Brosnahan (née Ryan) (d. 1946). One of his brothers was Thomas J.…...
Brosnan, Patrick (‘Paddy Bawn’)
Brosnan, Patrick (‘Paddy Bawn’) (1917–95), Gaelic footballer, was born 16 November 1917 at Strand St., Dingle, Co. Kerry, son of Timothy Brosnan, fisherman, and Ellie Brosnan (née Johnson). He was educated at Dingle national school and the local…...
Bruen, James O'Grady (‘Jimmy’)
Bruen, James O'Grady (‘Jimmy’) (1920–72), amateur golfer, was born 8 May 1920 in Belfast, only child of James Bruen (d. 1950), bank official and company secretary, and Margaret Bruen (née Shepperson Cooke). The family moved to Blackrock, Cork, when he was very young. Throughout his…...
Buckley, Din (Den) Joe
Buckley, Din (Den) Joe (1919–2009), hurler, was born Denis Joseph Buckley at the family home in Roman Street, Cork city, on 19 March 1919, the sixth of eleven children of Timothy Buckley, shop assistant, and his wife Elizabeth (née Falvey). The working-class Blackpool district in…...
Bulger, Daniel Delany
This is a co-subject for the entry on Bulger, Lawrence Quinlivan ('Larry'). View the original entry....
Bulger, Lawrence Quinlivan ('Larry')
Bulger, Lawrence Quinlivan ('Larry') (1870–1928), rugby player and medical doctor, was born 5 February 1870 at his parents' home on Moore Street, Kilrush, Co. Clare, the youngest of five sons and two daughters of Daniel Scanlan Bulger (d. 1904), then a pawnbroker and draper, later a…...
Bulger, Michael Joseph
This is a co-subject for the entry on Bulger, Lawrence Quinlivan ('Larry'). View the original entry....
Burke, Honora
Burke, Honora (1674–1698), was the youngest daughter of William Burke (qv), 7th earl of Clanricarde, and his second wife, Helen, daughter of Donough MacCarthy (qv), 1st earl of Clancarty…...
Byrne, James Loughlin (‘Locky’)
Byrne, James Loughlin (‘Locky’) (1913–41), hurler, was born 28 April 1913 at 41 Morgan St., Waterford city, the only child of James Byrne, engine driver, and Johanna Byrne (née McGrath). He was educated locally at Mount Sion CBS. A…...
Cahill, Mabel Esmonde
Cahill, Mabel (1863–1905), tennis player, was born 2 April 1863 in Ballyragget, Co. Kilkenny, twelfth of thirteen children of Michael Cahill, gentleman landowner and barrister-at-law, of Ballyconra House, Ballyragget, and his first wife, Margaret (née Magan), Ballymore, Co. Westmeath (…...
Cahill, Pearse
Cahill, Pearse (1917–2011), aviator, businessman and race driver, was born Matthew Pearse Cahill (in honour of the executed leader of the 1916 rising) in Dublin on 26 January 1917, son of Hugh Cahill (1883–1966), of Glasnevin, Dublin, and his wife Caroline (née O'Connor). The owner-…...
Caldwell, John ('Johnny')
Caldwell, John ('Johnny') (1938–2009), boxer, was born on 7 May 1938 at 63 Cyprus Street, Belfast, the son of John Caldwell, a joiner, and Bridget Caldwell (née Maguire). During his education at St Comghall's School, Divis Street, his diminutive stature attracted bullying, and at…...
Campbell, John Patrick (‘Seán’)
Campbell, John Patrick (‘Seán’) (1889–1950), trade unionist, was born 4 March 1889 in Dublin, the son of John Campbell, a labourer, and Isabella Campbell (née Darragh). The family lived at 27 New Bride Street. He was educated at CBS…...