Clifford, Jeremiah Thomas (‘Tom’)
Clifford, Jeremiah Thomas (‘Tom’) (1922–90), rugby footballer, was born 15 November 1922 in Pegsboro, Tipperary, Co. Tipperary, son of Jeremiah Clifford, labourer, and Mary Clifford (née Hyland). He played for the Limerick-based Young Munster club throughout his career, winning…...
Clifford, Mary (‘Mai’)
Clifford, Mary (‘Mai’) (née Hollingsworth ) (1913–86), trade union official and laundress, was born 25 September 1913 at Phoenix Park, Glasgow, Scotland, the elder of one daughter and one son of Joseph Hollingsworth, a blacksmith from Co. Kerry, and his wife Elizabeth, a Glasgow…...
Clinch, James Daniel (‘Jammie’)
Clinch, James Daniel (‘Jammie’) (1901–81), rugby player, was born 28 September 1901 in Clondalkin, Co. Dublin, the son of Andrew (‘Coo’) Clinch (1867–1937), medical practitioner and rugby player, and his wife, Lilian, née Hynes. Andrew was a wing-forward and won ten caps for Ireland…...
Close, Leo St John
Close, Leo St John (1934–77), paraplegic athlete, was born 20 October 1934, the son of Leo Joseph Close, inspector of schools, and his wife, Kathleen Mary, née O'Connor, who lived at 16 Berea Terrace, Dublin. He was educated at Belvedere College, Dublin, Mount St Joseph Abbey, Roscrea,…...
Cluskey, Frank (Francis)
Cluskey, Frank (Francis) (1930–89), trade unionist and politician, was born 8 April 1930 at 83 St Ignatius Road, off Lower Dorset Street, Dublin, youngest of two sons and three daughters of Francis (‘Frank’) Cluskey (c.1890–1955), a butcher and active trade unionist, and…...
Coad, Patrick (‘Paddy’)
Coad, Patrick (‘Paddy’) (1920–92), soccer player, was born 14 April 1920 at 100 Lower Yellow Road, Waterford city, son of Michael Coad, sailor, and Johanna (‘Joanie’) Coad (née Morrissey). As a schoolboy at De La Salle College he excelled at hurling and table tennis, winning a…...
Cochrane, Sir Stanley Herbert
Cochrane, Sir Stanley Herbert (1877–1949), baronet, businessman, and patron of music and sport, was born 19 September 1877, the fourth son of Sir Henry Cochrane (qv), 1st baronet, of Woodbrook, Bray, Co. Wicklow, and his wife…...
Coffey, Peter
Coffey, Peter (1876–1943), priest and professor ofphilosophy, was born 27 April 1876 in Rathrone, Enfield, Co. Meath, son of Andrew Coffey, farmer, and Bridget Coffey (née Cosgrove). Educated at the model school, Trim, the diocesan seminary, Navan, and St Patrick's College,…...
Colleran, Enda
Colleran, Enda (1942–2004), Gaelic footballer, was born 2 May 1942 in Moylough, Co. Galway, the fifth of six children of James Colleran, farmer, of Moylough, and his wife Ellen (née Wilson), a national school teacher. Born into a strong Gaelic football family, with three older…...
Colleran, Patrick (Paddy)
Colleran, Patrick (Paddy) (1901–75), Gaelic footballer, was born 10 February 1901 in Curracunane, Curry, Co. Sligo, fourth son among seven sons and two daughters of James P. Colleran (d. 1914), farmer, and Margaret Colleran (née McHugh). He was one of the most famous and travelled…...
Collis, (William) Robert Fitzgerald (‘Bob’)
Collis, (William) Robert Fitzgerald (‘Bob’) (1900–75), paediatrician, author, and rugby player, was born 16 February 1900 at Kilmore, Killiney, Co. Dublin, one of twin sons (his twin was John Stewart Collis (qv)) of William Stewart…...
Colohan, John Fallon Sydney
Colohan, John Fallon Sydney (1862–1932), physician and pioneering motorist, was born in Dublin, son of James Colohan, bank manager; nothing is known of his mother. He studied at the Edinburgh Medical School, and was admitted…...
Conneff, Thomas Patrick
Conneff, Thomas Patrick (1866–1912), athlete and soldier, was born in Kilmurry, Clane, Co. Kildare, the son of James Conneff and his wife Marcella (née Rourke). The Conneff family were blacksmiths plying their trade in the neighbourhood of Clane, in the shadow of the Jesuit college at…...
Connolly, James
Connolly, James (1868–1916), socialist and revolutionary leader, was born in Cowgate, Edinburgh, on 5 June 1868, the youngest in a family of three boys. His father, John Connolly, and his mother, Mary McGinn, were both born in Ireland in 1833, possibly in Co. Monaghan, and emigrated to…...
Connolly, Joe
Connolly, Joe (1922–2008), community activist and politician, was born 11 March 1922 at 5 Tolka Avenue, North Dock ward, Dublin, son of John Connolly, an engine driver, and his wife Esther (née McNally). Growing up in Lusk, Co. Dublin, and later in the East Wall area of the north-…...
Connolly, John
Connolly, John (1858–96), champion flat-racing jockey, was born in Naas, Co. Kildare, nephew of the famous jockey Pat Connolly. His uncle was champion in Ireland, and in England, where he won all the English classics in 1834, and the Epsom Derby twice. John was of slight build, and…...
Connolly, Roderic James (‘Roddy’)
Connolly, Roderic James (‘Roddy’) (1901–80), socialist, trade unionist, and politician, was born 11 February 1901 at 54 Pimlico, Dublin, only son and sixth among seven children of James Connolly (qv), native of Edinburgh, Scotland, the…...
Connolly, Sean
Connolly, Sean (1882–1916), actor, trade unionist, and republican, was born 12 April 1882 at 10 Seafort Ave., Sandymount, Dublin, third child and eldest son among eight daughters and eight sons of Michael Connolly, seaman, and Mary Connolly (née Ellis). When his father ceased seafaring…...
Conroy, John
Conroy, John (1904–69), trade unionist, was born 17 April 1904 in Wicklow town, son of Thomas Conroy, a railway signalman, and Catherine Conroy (née McNamara). He attended national school locally before beginning work at a very early age in a fertiliser factory. Subsequently he…...
Conroy, Sheila (née Williams)
Conroy, Sheila (née Williams) (1918–2012), trade unionist, social activist and administrator, was born on 22 April 1918 (or 4 April 1917) in Bantry, Co. Cork, only child of Harry and Jane Williams. A Welsh petty officer in the Royal Navy, Harry Williams was stationed at Bantry (1914–…...
Coote, Nina Edith
Coote, Nina Edith (1883–1945), croquet champion, was born 23 September 1883 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, only child of Orlando Robert Coote (1855–1927), land agent, and his wife Edith Mary (née Hume) (1858/9–1920). Her father was the third son of Rev. Sir Algernon Coote (1817–99…...
Copley, Clara (‘Ma’)
Copley, Clara (‘Ma’) (1865–1949), boxing promoter, was born 14 May 1865 at Masbrough, Rotherham, England, to Jonas Roddis, fishmonger, and his wife Mary Roddis. Clara was the sixth of their nine children. She married Joseph Copley of Leeds on 22 November 1886 at Darfield, Yorkshire.…...
Corcoran, Peter
Corcoran, Peter (c.1749–c.1781), bare-knuckle boxer and heavyweight champion of England, was born in Athy, Co. Kildare. A strong man, 5 ft 11 in. (1.8 m) tall, he had a violent temper that often caused trouble. He quickly won a reputation as a strong and powerful…...
Corish, Richard
Corish, Richard (1886–1945), trade unionist and politician, was born 17 September 1886 at 35 William St., Wexford town, eldest among three children of Peter Corish, carpenter, and Mary Corish (née Murphy). Educated at the CBS Wexford…...
Corkery, Daniel
Corkery, Daniel (1883–1961), revolutionist and politician, was born 20 September 1883 into small farming stock in Clondrohid parish, near Macroom, Co. Cork, youngest of two sons and one daughter of James Corkery and Johanna Corkery (née Buckley). Educated at Macroom national school…...