Walker, George
Walker, George (1643×8–1690), clergyman and military governor of Derry during the siege of 1689, was born between 1643 and 1648, probably at Wighill, near Kirk Deighton, Yorkshire. His grandfather, the Rev. Gervase Walker (d. 1642), probably came to Ireland from Ruddington in…...
Walker, John
Walker, John (1768–1833), religious leader and classical scholar, was born in January 1768 in Co. Roscommon, son of the Rev. Matthew Walker, Church of Ireland clergyman. In January 1786 he entered TCD, being made a scholar in 1788,…...
Walkington, Edward
Walkington, Edward (c.1652–1699), clergyman, was born in Limerick, son of William Walkington of Loghgur; nothing is known of his mother. He entered TCD in June 1669, graduated BA (1673),…...
Waller, Bolton Charles
Waller, Bolton Charles (1890–1936), journalist, soldier, public servant, peace activist and clergyman, was born on 3 May 1890, the only son of the Reverend Bolton Waller, rector of St Munchin, Limerick, and Jane Dorothea Waller (née Garfit). He had one younger sister,…...
Walsh, Nicholas (Nicolás Bhailis)
Walsh, Nicholas (Nicolás Bhailis) (1538?–1585), Church of Ireland bishop of Ossory, was born in Waterford city in or before 1538; he was the son of Patrick Walsh (qv), bishop of Waterford and Lismore (d. 1578). The identity of his mother is…...
Walsh, Patrick
Walsh, Patrick (d. 1578), Church of Ireland and Roman catholic bishop of Waterford and Lismore, was a member of a family deeply involved in the merchant life and civic government of Waterford. Educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, he received his …...
Walsh, Robert
Walsh, Robert (1772–1852), clergyman and writer, was born in Waterford, son of John Walsh (1720–85), merchant, of Ballymountain House, Waterford. He was a younger brother of the physician Edward Walsh (qv). He entered…...
Walsh, William Pakenham
Walsh, William Pakenham (1820–1902), Church of Ireland bishop of Ossory and writer, was born 4 May 1820 at Moorpark, Co. Roscommon, eldest son of Thomas Walsh, gentleman, of St Helena Lodge, Co. Roscommon, and his wife Mary, daughter of Robert Pakenham of Athlone, Co. Westmeath.…...
Ware, Robert
Ware, Robert (1639–96), protestant polemicist and forger of historical documents, was born in Dublin, the second son of Sir James Ware (qv). Robert Ware's learning was of a sufficiently high order to deceive scholars for more than two…...
Webb, George
Webb, George (1581–1642), Church of Ireland bishop of Limerick, was the son of Hugh Webb, rector of Bromham in Wiltshire. He matriculated at University College, Oxford, on 7 April 1598, and graduated from Corpus Christi College as BA on 13…...
Weeks, James Eyre
Weeks, James Eyre (1718/19–1775), cleric, poet, and miscellaneous writer, was born in Cork city, son of James Eyre Weeks, described as a gentleman. He was educated at Dr Mulloy's school in Cork, entered TCD as a sizar (June 1735), and…...
Wetenhall, Edward
Wetenhall, Edward (1636–1713), Church of Ireland bishop of Cork and Ross, and later of Kilmore, was born 7 October 1636 in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England; no details of his parents are available. He was initially educated at Westminster School, being admitted as a King's…...
Whately, Richard
Whately, Richard (1787–1863), Church of Ireland archbishop of Dublin, was born 1 February 1787 in Cavendish Square, London, youngest of nine children of Joseph Whately, then vicar of Widford, Hertfordshire, and later prebendary of Bristol, and Jane Whately (née Plumer), whose…...
Wheeler, George Bomford
Wheeler, George Bomford (1805/8–1877), anglican clergyman, classical scholar, and editor of the Irish Times, was son of James Wheeler; his mother's name is unknown. Very little is known of his early life and the records of TCD…...
Whitelaw, James
Whitelaw, James (1749–1813), clergyman, statistician, and philanthropist, was born in Co. Leitrim; nothing is known of his family. He was educated in Cavan by Rev. Lewis Kerr before entering TCD (8 July 1766), becoming a scholar (1769…...
Wilde, Jane Francesca Agnes (‘Speranza’)
Wilde, Jane Francesca Agnes (‘Speranza’) (1821?–1896), poet, nationalist, and feminist, was probably born 27 December 1821 in Dublin, to Charles Elgee (1783–1824), son of Archdeacon John Elgee of Wexford, and his wife Sarah (d. 1851), daughter of Thomas Kingsbury, commissioner of…...
Wilde, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie
Wilde, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie (to which he, like his father and brother, later added ‘Wills ’) (1854–1900), playwright, poet, and prose writer, was born 16 October 1854 in his parents’ house, 21 Westland Row, Dublin, second son of Dr…...
Williams, Griffith
Williams, Griffith (c.1589–1672), Church of Ireland bishop of Ossory, was born about 1589 at Treflan in Caernarvonshire, Wales. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, on 15 June 1604, but his studies were curtailed when his uncle refused to support him. Through the aid…...
Wills, James
Wills, James (1790–1868), clergyman and author, was born 1 January 1790, younger son of Thomas Wills of Willsgrove, Co. Roscommon, and his second wife, a daughter of Capt. James Browne of Moyne, Co. Roscommon. He was educated at Dr Miller's school in Blackrock, Co. Dublin, and at…...
Wills, William Gorman
Wills, William Gorman (1828–91), playwright and painter, was born 28 January 1828 in Kilmurry, Co. Kilkenny, third child of the writer James Wills (qv) and his wife Katherine, daughter of the Rev. W. Gorman and niece of the chief justice…...
Wilson, Charles Henry
Wilson, Charles Henry (c.1755–1808), writer and linguist, was born in Bailieborough, Co. Cavan, son of an anglican clergyman; no other details are known of his family. He received a classical school education and attended TCD before…...
Wingfield, Theodosia
Wingfield, Theodosia (1800–36), Viscountess Powerscourt , evangelical religious writer, was a daughter of the Hon. Hugh Howard , gentleman landowner, and Catherine Howard (née Bligh), of Co. Wicklow. The Howards were one of a small group of closely…...
Winstanley, John
Winstanley, John (1677–1747), poet, was born in July 1677 on the north side of Dublin, probably in the vicinity of Inns Quay, eldest child of Richard Winstanley, lawyer, and his wife Dorothy Amas. He had two sisters who lived to maturity and several other siblings who died in…...
Wogan, William
Wogan, William (1678–1758), London agent of the Irish government, philanthropist, and religious writer, was born in Gumfreston in Pembrokeshire, a younger son of Ethelred Wogan (d. c.1685), rector of Gumfreston and vicar of Penally. His mother's first name is unknown, but…...
Wolfe, Charles
Wolfe, Charles (1791–1823), clergyman and poet, was born 14 December 1791 in Dublin, one of eleven children and the youngest of eight sons of Theobald Wolfe, landowner, of Blackhall, Co. Kildare, and his wife Frances, daughter of the Rev. Peter Lombard. He was related to …...