Anderson, John
Anderson, John (1815–1905), woollen merchant, geologist, bibliographer, and local politician, was born 8 July 1815 near Coleraine, Co. Londonderry. After moving to Belfast he entered (1840) the woollen business in Donegall St. founded by James Young in 1795. Anderson's eminence…...
Brown, Stephen James Meredith
Brown, Stephen James Meredith (1881–1962), Jesuit priest, bibliographer, and librarian, was born 24 September 1881 in Holywood, Co. Down, eldest of four children of Stephen James Brown (1853–1931), solicitor and JP, and Catharine Brown (…...
Carty, James
Carty, James (1900–59), historian, librarian, and bibliographer, was born in Wexford on 7 August 1900, one of the four sons of Francis Carty, a barber, and his wife, Margaret (née Storey). In 1920, while he was still a student at UCD…...
Conway, Frederick William
Conway, Frederick William (1781/2–1853), journalist and book collector, was the son of Luke Conway, printer of the Connaught Gazette, a pro-government newspaper published at Loughrea, Co. Galway, for some months in 1797. From 1806 to 1812 he was a major contributor to the…...
Doran, Charles Guilfoyle
Doran, Charles Guilfoyle (1835–1909), civil engineer, Fenian, and bibliophile, was born on 1 February 1835 at Knockanna, Co. Carlow (not as previously stated at Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow), the first of seven surviving children of John Doran and his wife Mary (née Guilfoyle). He was…...
Doyle, Henry Edward
Doyle, Henry Edward (1827–92), artist and gallery director, was born in Dublin, third of seven children and third of five sons of John Doyle (qv), political cartoonist, of Dublin, and Marianna Doyle (née Conan; d. 1832). He was the only…...
Fergus, John
Fergus, John (c.1700–1761), doctor of medicine and collector of books and manuscripts, was born in Co. Mayo, where a branch of the Ó Fearghusa family was to be found. His father's name was Mac Raith, and hence Dr Fergus was sometimes referred to in Irish as Seán mac Mac Raíth Ó…...
Gailey, Robert Alan
Gailey, Robert Alan (1935–2013), folklife scholar and museum director, was born on 4 October 1935 in Galway. Known by his middle name, Alan was the second child of Andrew J. Gailey (d. 1963), a presbyterian minister in Galway, and Mary Gailey (née Porter). He had two sisters. From…...
Gay, Thomas Earnan
Gay, Thomas Earnan (1884–1953), librarian and republican, was born in Dublin on 22 January 1884, the eldest of six children (two girls and four boys) of Thomas Patrick Gay, a porter and later a warehouseman, and his wife Catherine (née Coleman). He was educated at the…...
Gilbert, Sir John Thomas
Gilbert, Sir John Thomas (1829–98), merchant, historian, archivist, and librarian, was born 23 January 1829 at 23 Jervis St., Dublin, second son and fifth child of John Gilbert (1791–1833), wine and cider importer and Portuguese consul, and Mary Anne Gilbert (née Costello), both…...
Hardiman, James
Hardiman, James (1782–1855), historian and librarian, was born in February 1782 at Westport, Co. Mayo, only son of Tomás (or Richard) Ó hArgadáin or Hartigan, a small estate owner, originally from Co. Meath, and his wife Marcella or Margery (née Hall). Hardiman, according to his friend…...
Hayes, Richard James
Hayes, Richard James (1902–76), librarian, was born 26 June 1902 in Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick, son of Richard James Hayes, bank manager, and Katherine Hayes (née Whelan). His early childhood and youth were spent in Claremorris, Co. Mayo. He was a student at Clongowes Wood College,…...
Hickey, Ted (Edward Vincent)
Hickey, Ted (Edward Vincent) (1940–2005), arts administrator and traditional music enthusiast, was born 4 March 1940 in Wicklow town. He was educated at the Institute for Science and Technology in Kevin Street, Dublin; the London School of Film Technique; and…...
Hoey, James
This is a co-subject for the entry on Hoey, James. View the original entry....
Hoey, James
Hoey, James (d. 1775), printer, publisher, bookseller and circulating library keeper, had premises in Dublin at Pembroke Court, Castle St. (1725–6), Christ Church Yard (1726–8) and Skinner Row (1729–75). As a catholic he became a quarter-brother of the stationers’ guild (1729). He…...
Hoey, Peter
This is a co-subject for the entry on Hoey, James. View the original entry....
Lyster, Thomas William
Lyster, Thomas William (1855–1922), librarian and author, was born 17 December 1855 in Co. Kilkenny, son of Thomas Lyster of Rathdowney, Co. Laois, and Jane Lyster (née Smith) of Roscrea, Co. Tipperary. Of a quaker family, he was educated at Wesley College, Dublin, before…...
Millett, Benignus
Millett, Benignus (1922–2006), Franciscan priest and historian, was born 1 April 1922 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, eldest of eight children (five sons and three daughters) of Matthew Millett, a tax consultant and auditor, and his wife Mary (née Keating); he was christened Austin Matthew…...
Murphy, John
Murphy, John (1772–1847), catholic bishop of Cork and bibliophile, was born 23 May 1772 in Cork city, son of John Murphy, a wealthy merchant in the leather and tanning business, and Joan Murphy (née Brouilly). The Murphys were among the most prominent Cork mercantile families; another…...
Niland, Nora
Niland, Nora (1912–88), Sligo county librarian and founder of the Sligo municipal art collection, was born 21 March 1912 in Galway, eighth child among six sons and three daughters of John Niland, of Ballinastack, Tuam, Co. Galway, railway worker and small farmer, and his wife Elizabeth…...
O'Conor, Charles
O'Conor, Charles (1764–1828), priest, librarian, and antiquary, was born 15 March 1764 at Belanagare, Co. Roscommon, second of six sons of Denis O'Conor (d. 1804) and Catharine O'Conor (neé Browne), who also had six daughters. The O'Conors were catholic, descendants of a princely…...
O'Donoghue, David James
O'Donoghue, David James (1866–1917), biographer, editor, and librarian, was born 22 July 1866 in Chelsea, Middlesex, England, of Cork-born parents. He studied at local Roman Catholic primary schools, and was self-educated at the British Museum library, where he read widely on…...
Renehan, Laurence F.
Renehan, Laurence F. (1797/8–1857), priest, bibliophile, and president of Maynooth College 1845–57, was born at Longford Pass, in the parish of Gurtnahoe, Co. Tipperary, second son of Laurence Renehan, farmer, and Catherine Renehan (née Borden). Destined for the church from an…...
Stephenson, Patrick Joseph
Stephenson, Patrick Joseph (1895–1960), librarian and Irish Volunteer, was born on 10 April 1895 at 25 Upper Tyrone Street, in Dublin's north inner city, the second of nine children (four girls and five boys) of Patrick Stephenson, a coachman, and his wife Alice (née Tynan). The family…...
Walsh (Breathnach), Róisín
Walsh (Breathnach), Róisín (1889–1949), librarian and republican, was born on 24 March 1889 into a staunchly nationalist catholic family in the townland of Lisnamaghery, Clogher, Co. Tyone, the eldest of eight children (five sisters and two brothers) of James Walsh (d. 1925), a national…...