Comyn, Michael
Comyn, Michael (1871–1952), lawyer and politician, was born 6 June 1871 at Clareville, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, the eldest son and the second of seven children of James Comyn of Kilshanny, Co. Clare, a tenant farmer and secretary of the local branch of the Land League, and his wife…...
Comyn, Sir James Peter
Comyn, Sir James Peter (1921–97), leading barrister and high court judge in England, was born 8 March 1921 in Beaufield House, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, the only son of James Comyn, a barrister and former civil servant from Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, and his wife Mary Moloney,…...
Condon, Colm (Columba)
Condon, Colm (Columba) (1921–2008), barrister and attorney general, was born 16 July 1921 in Ashbourne, Co. Meath, the only son and third of six children of Thomas Condon, of Cloonand House, Ashbourne, an accountant and revolutionary, and his wife Margaret (née Maguire), a national…...
Condon, Richard
Condon, Richard (1937–91), theatre manager, was born 27 July 1937 in Belfast, the eldest son of a local architect. Educated at St Gerald's College, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, he qualified to study medicine at UCG in 1956; however, while…...
Coningsby, Thomas
Coningsby, Thomas (1657–1729), Baron Coningsby of Clanbrassil and earl of Coningsby , lord justice and officeholder, was born 2 November 1657, only son and heir of Humphrey Coningsby of Hampton Court, Herefordshire, and his wife Lettice Loftus (daughter of Sir Arthur Loftus of…...
Conlon, Gerard (‘Gerry’)
Conlon, Gerard (‘Gerry’) (1954–2014), victim of a miscarriage of justice and human rights campaigner, was born in Cyprus Street in the Lower Falls area of Belfast on 1 March 1954, the only surviving son of…...
Conlon, Sarah (née Maguire)
Conlon, Sarah (née Maguire) (1926–2008), campaigner, was born 20 January 1926 in the Falls Road area of Belfast, the daughter of Vincent Maguire and Mary Catherine Maguire; she had three brothers and three sisters. Sarah's life was dominated by work, family and religion. On leaving…...
Connolly, Patrick Joseph
Connolly, Patrick Joseph (1927–2016), barrister and attorney general of Ireland, was born 25 May 1927 at 70 Botanic Road, Glasnevin, Dublin. He was the elder of two sons born to Patrick Joseph Connolly, principal of Ballyboughal national school, and his wife Ellen (‘Nellie’; née O’Hara…...
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…...
Conolly, Thomas James (Tommy)
Conolly, Thomas James (Tommy) (1902–92), lawyer, was born in Dublin on 4 January 1902, the second of six children, five daughters and one son, of Thomas Conolly, master builder, of Fernville, Glasnevin, and his wife, Teresa (née McQuaid), of Stormanstown, Co. Dublin. Educated at…...
Conroy, John Charles (‘Charlie’)
Conroy, John Charles (‘Charlie’) (1906–85), lawyer and judge, was born 14 January 1906 at Garafin, Rosmuc, Co. Galway, the third of the five children of bilingual parents, Patrick D. Conroy, cattle exporter and JP, and Jane A. Conroy (née…...
Coogan, Edward (Eamonn, ‘Ned’)
Coogan, Edward (Eamonn, ‘Ned’) (1896–1948), deputy Garda commissioner, barrister, and politician, was born 30 November 1896 in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny, the only son of Timothy Coogan, shopkeeper of Castlecomer, and Bridget Coogan (née Joyce). Educated at Castlecomer national…...
Cook (Cooke), John
Cook (Cooke), John (c.1609–1660), lawyer and regicide, was son of Isaac Cook(e), of Burbage, Leicestershire, England. He is identified conjecturally with ‘John Cook, esquire’ admitted into the King's Inns, Dublin, on 6 November 1634. This would be consistent with what was…...
Cooke, Thomas Lalor
Cooke, Thomas Lalor (1792–1869), attorney and antiquary, probably born in Borrisoleigh, Co. Tipperary, was fifth among sixteen children of Richard Cooke, Roman catholic distiller and merchant, and Mary Cooke (née Lalor). Cooke was apprenticed to a solicitor in Dublin and entered…...
Copinger (Coppinger), Maurice
Copinger (Coppinger), Maurice (1727–1802), politician and lawyer, was born in Dublin, son of John Copinger, a soldier. Educated at TCD, he graduated BA in spring 1748. His father died in 1750, and…...
Corbet, William
Corbet, William (d. 1838?), printer and newspaper proprietor, was in business in Dublin by 1783; he later had premises in Great Britain Street (1788–1810), Sycamore Alley (1813–22), College Green (1823–4), Palace Street (1825–30), and Upper Ormond Quay (from 1831). In 1783 he was…...
Costello, (David) Declan
Costello, (David) Declan (1926–2011), politician, attorney general and judge, was born on 1 August 1926 in the family home at Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin, the second of five children of John Aloysius Costello (qv) and his wife…...
Costello, John Aloysius
Costello, John Aloysius (1891–1976), barrister, attorney general, dáil deputy, and twice taoiseach, was born 20 June 1891 at 13 Charleville Road, Cabra, Dublin, younger son and second among three children of John Costello, a Clareman who was a staff officer in the registry of deeds, and…...
Costello, Mary Ann
Costello, Mary Ann (1747–1827), actress and mother of the British prime minister George Canning, was born in Ireland, daughter of Jordan Costello, a Connacht squire. Apparently orphaned at an early age, she was brought up in the care of her maternal grandfather, Col. Guydickens, in…...
Costello, Michael (‘The Amazing Blondini’)
Costello, Michael (‘The Amazing Blondini’) (1922–96), fairground performer and escapologist, was born at a fairground in Dublin in August 1922; both his parents were fairground novelty acts from Tralee, his father a strong man and his mother a fortune teller. He had no formal…...
Cotter (alias O'Brien), Patrick
Cotter (alias O'Brien), Patrick (1760/61–1806), giant and showman, was born at Belgooly, near Kinsale, Co. Cork. His parents were farmers; while no details of his father are available, his mother was still alive at the time of his death and is named in his will as Margaret Cotter…...
Cotter, Brigid Mary
Cotter, Brigid Mary (1921–78), chemist and barrister, was born 3 January 1921 in Roscommon, the eldest daughter in the family of twelve children of Nicholas Patrick Cotter, the chief agricultural officer for Roscommon, and his wife, Bridie, née O'Brien. Brigid was educated at the…...
Cotter, Sarah
Cotter, Sarah (fl. 1751–92), printer and bookseller, was possibly the sister of Joseph Cotter (d. c.1751), a bookseller operating from under Dick's Coffee House, Skinner Row, Dublin (1744–c.1751). She continued the trade at the same address (1751–74) and…...
Cowan, Peadar
Cowan, Peadar (1903–62), soldier, solicitor, and politician, was born Peter Cowan on 23 October 1903 in Lacken, Arva, Co. Cavan, eldest son of Thomas Cowan, labourer, and Anne Cowan (née Rudden). Educated locally, he served with the Ballinagh Company, West Cavan Brigade,…...
Cowley, John Ultan
Cowley, John Ultan (1923–98) actor and animal welfare activist, was born 8 September 1923 in Ardbraccan, Navan, Co. Meath, the third child of Patrick Cowley, a small farmer, and his wife Margaret. Educated at the local national school, he left at the age of thirteen to work on the…...