Donnelly, Nicholas
Donnelly, Nicholas (1837–1920), catholic bishop, church musician, and local historian, was born 23 November 1837, in St Paul's parish, Dublin, eldest son of John Donnelly, a merchant. He was educated at Castleknock College and the Irish College, Rome, where he was ordained priest…...
Doonican, Val
Doonican, Val (1927–2015), singer and musician, was born Michael Valentine Doonican on 3 February 1927 at 10 Passage Road in Waterford, the youngest of eight children (four boys and four girls) of John Doonican, a metal worker, and his wife Agnes (née Kavanagh). To distinguish him from…...
Dowling, Richard
Dowling, Richard (1846–98), writer, was born 3 June 1846 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, only son of David Jeremiah Dowling (d. c.1855), schoolmaster, and Margaret Dowling. His father died when he was 9 years old. He was educated in Clonmel, Waterford, and St Munchin's Jesuit…...
Doyle, Jack
Doyle, Jack (1913–78), boxer, actor, singer and playboy, was born Joseph Alphonsus Doyle, 31 August 1913 at 12 Queen Street, Queenstown, Co. Cork, eldest son among four sons and two daughters of Michael Doyle, sailor, of Queenstown, and Anastasia Doyle. His schooling, at St Joseph's…...
Drew, Ronnie (Joseph Ronald Augustine)
Drew, Ronnie (Joseph Ronald Augustine) (1934–2008), folk singer, was born 16 September 1934 in 'Beaufort', Glasthule (Sandycove), Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, eldest of three sons and two daughters of Patrick ('Paddy') Drew, carpenter, and Margaret ('Peg') Drew (née Maher), a seamstress…...
Duffy, Bernard Joseph
Duffy, Bernard Joseph (1882–1952), barrister, playwright, and novelist, was born 19 June 1882 at Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, son of James Joseph Duffy, general merchant, and Mary Anne (Maryann) née McEntagart. Educated at Viscount Weymouth Grammar School, Carrickmacross, and…...
Dunne, Seán Christopher
Dunne, Seán Christopher (1956–95), poet, editor, and journalist, was born 30 May 1956 at Belleville nursing home, Waterford, son of Richie Dunne, factory worker, and Maureen Dunne (née Walshe). His father and a housekeeper, Tessie Ryan, looked after the family after his mother…...
Dunphy, Sean
Dunphy, Sean (1937–2011), showband and cabaret singer, was born John Michael Dunphy on 30 November 1937 in the family home at 17 London Bridge Road, Irishtown, Dublin, son of Patrick Dunphy, a plasterer, and Mary Dunphy (née Farrell). Following his father into a building trade, he…...
Fahy, Francis Arthur
Fahy, Francis Arthur (1854–1935), songwriter and Irish-language activist, was born 27 September 1854 at Kinvara, Co. Galway, one of eight children of Thomas Fahy, shopkeeper, of Co. Clare, and Celia Fahy (née Marlborough) of Gort, Co. Galway. Educated at Kinvara national school, he…...
Farrell, Michael James
Farrell, Michael James (1899–1962), writer, was born in Carlow, one of at least seven children (four boys and three girls) of James Farrell, an ironmonger, and his wife Mary Agnes (née Brophy). He was educated at Knockbeg College, becoming an enthusiastic student of the classics, and…...
Feehan, John (Seán)
Feehan, John (Seán) (1916–91), publisher and writer, was born 8 September 1916 in Ballinree, Dualla, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, the elder of two sons of Thomas Feehan, teacher, Ballytarsna, and his wife, Catherine O'Connor, teacher, of Dualla. His brother Gerard died aged two, and his…...
Feeney, John (‘Jack’)
Feeney, John (‘Jack’) (1903–67), singer, was born 9 August 1903 in Swinford, Co. Mayo, fourth of seven surviving children (five sons and two daughters) of Patrick Feeney (1865–1914/15), grocer, originally from Co. Leitrim, and Mary Feeney (née Kelly) (1875–1925), a daughter of the…...
Fenton, Tony
Fenton, Tony (Anthony Fagan, ‘the Dude’) (1961–2015), music broadcaster and disc jockey (DJ), was born Anthony James Fagan in Donnycarney, Co. Dublin, on 25 March 1961, the second of four sons and one daughter to Brendan Fagan, a carpenter with his own business, and his…...
Finn, Edmund
Finn, Edmund (d. 1777), printer, publisher, and bookseller, is known to have been at work in Cork in 1766, but from 1767 he worked at Kilkenny, at St Mary's Churchyard (1767) and then at High Street (1767–77), where he founded, edited, printed, and published an influential twice…...
Fitzgerald, John
Fitzgerald, John (1825–1910), poet, painter, antiquary, and wood-carver, was born 18 June 1825 at Hanover Street, Cork, son of John Fitzgerald and Martha Mary Deacy. He was educated at Fr Mathew's (qv) school, Blackamoor Lane, and…...
Fitzpatrick, Hugh
Fitzpatrick, Hugh (d. 1818), printer and bookseller, was said by an obituarist to be ‘descended from a noble Irish family’ and seems to have been a nephew of Sir Jeremiah Fitzpatrick (qv), of whose will he and his son…...
Flannery, Austin
Flannery, Austin (1925–2008), priest, scholar, editor, journalist and social justice campaigner, was born William ('Liam') Flannery on 10 January 1925 at Rear Cross, Co. Tipperary, the eldest of seven children of William K. Flannery and his wife Margaret Flannery (née Butler),…...
Fleischmann, Aloys Georg
Fleischmann, Aloys Georg (1880–1964), composer, conductor, choir master and organist, was born on 24 April 1880 in Dachau, Bavaria, Germany. His father (also Aloys), a highly respected guild craftsman (a master shoemaker), was born in the nearby hamlet of Eisolzried in 1844 and…...
Flood, William Henry Grattan
Flood, William Henry Grattan (1859–1928), musician and historian, was born 1 November 1859 at Lismore, Co. Waterford, eldest son of William Flood and his wife Catherine (née Fitzsimon). His mother gave him his first musical training, and he continued his musical studies during his…...
Folens, Albert Joseph Marcel
Folens, Albert Joseph Marcel (1916–2003) Flemish nationalist and educational publisher, was born 15 October 1916 in Bissegem, west Flanders (latterly part of the municipality of Kortrijk, formerly Courtrai) to a devoutly catholic Flemish‐speaking family. (Folens recalled saying many…...
Forristal, Desmond Timothy ('Des')
Forristal, Desmond Timothy ('Des') (1930–2012), priest, broadcaster and writer, was born on 25 September 1930 at 70 Botanic Road, Glasnevin, Dublin, to Anthony James Forristal, civil servant, and his wife Máirín Genevieve (née McInerney), who were then living at 8 Weston Villas,…...
Fraser (Frazer), John
Fraser (Frazer), John (1803/4–1852), poet and cabinet-maker, was born in Birr, King's Co. (Offaly), into a presbyterian family, originally bearing the name de Jean (possibly of huguenot extraction). There are conflicting accounts of his date of birth. It is asserted in one…...
Fuller, Bill (William)
Fuller, Bill (William) (1917–2008), ballroom impresario and businessman, was born on 6 May 1917 in Glanoe, Kilfeighny, Co. Kerry, son of Stephen Fuller, a farmer of Glanoe, and his wife Mary (née Trant). He attended Tralee CBS and…...
Gaffney, Henry Michael
Gaffney, Henry Michael (1895–1974), Dominican priest and writer, was born 31 May 1895 in Cuffe's Grange, Co. Kilkenny, the son of Michael Gaffney, publican, and Bridget Gaffney (née Kenna). He entered the Dominican order in Tallaght, Co. Dublin, on 14 September 1915 and was…...
Gallagher, Frank
Gallagher, Frank (1893–1962), journalist, author, and republican, was born 22 February 1893 in Cork, one of a family of four brothers and five sisters of James Gallagher, an accountant, and his wife Kathleen Gallagher (née Whitely). Educated at Presentation College, Cork, he…...