Campbell, James
Campbell, James (1758–1818), weaver poet, was born in Cairncastle, near Larne, Co. Antrim; nothing is known of his parents. He received some schooling locally, and became a linen weaver. He worked as a journeyman weaver round Ballynure, Co. Antrim, till he married; his wife was…...
Campbell, Joseph
Campbell, Joseph (1879–1944), poet and republican, was born 15 July 1879 at Loreto Cottage, Castlereagh Road, Belfast, seventh among ten children of William Henry Campbell (1842–1900), road-building contractor, and Catherine Campbell (née Canmer; d. 1918) of Belfast. From his…...
Campbell, Michael Mussen
Campbell, Michael Mussen (1924–84), 4th Baron Glenavy , author and journalist, was born 25 October 1924 in Dublin, second son of Charles Henry Gordon Campbell (qv) (1885–1963) and his wife…...
Canning, Albert Stratford George
Canning, Albert Stratford George (1832–1916), author and landowner, was born 24 August 1832, second son of George Canning (qv), 1st Baron Garvagh, and Rosabelle Canning (née Bonham); his father had estates at Garvagh, Co. Londonderry.…...
Canning, George
Canning, George (1730?–71), writer, was eldest of three sons of Stratford Canning, who had an estate at Garvagh, Co. Londonderry, and his wife Letitia Newburgh. It is said that his father was ferociously strict; he disapproved of a youthful love affair in which George was involved…...
Canny, Patrick ('Paddy')
Canny, Patrick ('Paddy') (1919–2008), traditional musician, was born 9 September 1919 in Glendree, Tulla, Co. Clare, youngest of three sons of Patrick ('Pat') Canny, a small farmer, and Catherine ('Kate') Canny (née McNamara), from nearby Feakle. He was reared in a household steeped…...
Carey, Mathew
Carey, Mathew (1760–1839), author, bookseller and publisher, was born 28 January 1760 in Dublin, one of five sons to Christopher Carey, a baker who prospered provisioning the British navy, and Mary Carey (née Sheridan). Small and lame from infancy (having been dropped by his nurse),…...
Carleton, William
Carleton, William (1794–1869), novelist and short-story writer, was born, probably on 4 March 1794, in Prillisk, near Clogher, Co. Tyrone, the youngest of fourteen children (eight of whom survived) of James Carleton, a catholic tenant farmer, and his wife Mary Kelly. James Carleton…...
Carnduff, Thomas
Carnduff, Thomas (1886–1956), writer, was born 30 January 1886 in Sandy Row, Belfast, youngest among six children of James Graham Carnduff (1842?–1900), an invalided army schoolteacher, and his second wife Jane (née Bollard; d. 1891). The family were poor, and living on their father…...
Carolan, Turlough (Ó Cearbhalláin), Toirdhealbhach
Carolan, Turlough (Ó Cearbhalláin, Toirdhealbhach ) (1670–1738), Irish harper and composer, was born near Nobber, Co. Meath, the son of John Carolan, a small farmer or blacksmith. In 1684 the family moved to Ballyfarnon, Co. Roscommon, where John Carolan was employed by the MacDermott…...
Carroll, Doc
Carroll, Doc (1939–2005), singer and musician, was born Martin O'Carroll on 19 November 1939 in Tourmakeady, Co. Mayo, the third youngest of eight children of Frank O'Carroll, doctor, and his American wife, Catherine (née Collins). Aged three when his family moved from Tourmakeady to…...
Carroll, Paul Vincent
Carroll, Paul Vincent (1899–1968), playwright, was born in Blackrock, Dundalk, Co. Louth, on 10 July 1899 (though the year was long thought to be 1900), the second son of Michael Carroll and his wife, Kitty (née Sandys) who had eleven children. He was educated in Dundalk and qualified…...
Cartan, Joseph
Cartan, Joseph (1811–91), newspaper proprietor, journalist, and writer, was born in January 1811 of a farming family in Tullyallen, Co. Louth. He showed an interest in politics from an early age, being inspired by the catholic emancipation movement and in particular the election in…...
Carter, Charles Thomas
Carter, Charles Thomas (1735?–1804), musician and composer, was born in Dublin, elder son of Timothy Carter, chorister and music teacher; nothing is known of his mother. A member of the choir of Christ Church cathedral in his youth, Charles wrote two anthems for the cathedral's…...
Carter, Cornelius
Carter, Cornelius (d. 1734), printer, was admitted to the Dublin printers’ guild in 1696 but was never sworn and, though listed until 1716, paid no quarterage. His press was housed at different addresses in Fishamble Street (1696–1727). He began his career as a pamphleteer and…...
Carty, Francis
Carty, Francis (1899–1972), revolutionary, journalist, and author, was born 29 March 1899 in Wexford town, eldest child of Francis Carty, shopkeeper, and Margaret Carty (née Storey). Educated at CBS, Wexford, he contributed stories…...
Cary, (Arthur) Joyce (Lunel)
Cary, (Arthur) Joyce (Lunel) (1888–1957), author, was born 7 December 1888 at the home of his maternal grandparents in Derry, elder of two sons of Arthur Pitt Chambers Cary (d. 1937), engineer, of 41 Kitto Rd, London, and Charlotte Louisa Cary (d. 1898), daughter of James Joyce,…...
Casey, John Keegan
Casey, John Keegan (1846–70), poet and Fenian, was born 22 August 1846 at Mount Dalton near Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, son of Luke Casey, the local schoolmaster; nothing is known of his mother. He was educated at Mount Dalton and at Ballymahon, Co. Longford, where his family moved. A…...
Casey, William Francis
Casey, William Francis (1884–1957), dramatist and journalist, was born 2 May 1884 in Cape Town, South Africa, son of Patrick Joseph Casey, theatre proprietor, native of Glenageary, Co. Dublin. After the family returned to Dublin in the 1890s, he was educated at Castleknock College (…...
Caulfield, Malachy Francis (‘Max’)
Caulfield, Malachy Francis (‘Max’) (1915–97), journalist, broadcaster, and author, was born 10 May 1915 in Agincourt Ave., Belfast, eldest of two sons and two daughters of Malachy Caulfield, civil servant, of Co. Roscommon, and Julia Caulfield (née Campion) of Dublin. Educated at…...
Cavanagh, Michael
Cavanagh, Michael (1822–1900), Fenian, poet, and biographer, was probably born 22 January 1822 in Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, the son of Andrew Cavanagh, a cooper of Cook St., Cappoquin, and his wife Mary (née Cullanane). He had six sisters, one of whom, Julia (b. 1833), was the wife…...
Ceannt, Éamonn
Ceannt, Éamonn (1881–1916), revolutionary and Irish-Irelander, was born Edward Thomas Kent on 21 September 1881 in Ballymoe, Glenamaddy, Co. Galway, sixth among seven children (six boys and a girl) of James Kent (1841–1912), Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) constable originally of Co.…...
Cellán (Cellanus)
Cellán (Cellanus) (d. 706) was fourth abbot of Péronne in Picardy, a foundation mainly associated with St Fursa (qv), whose body was translated there. He was a correspondent of the Anglo-Saxon author Aldhelm of Malmesbury, having…...
Chaigneau, William
Chaigneau, William (1709–81), army agent and novelist, was born 23 December 1709 at Back Key, Dublin, and baptised at St John's, Dublin, on Christmas eve, second son among thirteen children of John Chaigneau, vintner, and Margaret Chaigneau (née Martyr), both of Dublin and of huguenot…...
Chambers, John
Chambers, John (1754–1837), printer and United Irishman, was born in Dublin in January 1754, the son of a wine merchant and his wife, Elinor, daughter of Charles Carter of Chapelizod, Co. Dublin. Apprenticed to a printer by his widowed mother (1 July 1767), he was printing on his…...