Johnson, Lionel Pigot
Johnson, Lionel Pigot (1867–1902), poet and critic, was born 15 March 1867 at Broadstairs, Kent, third son of William Johnson (1822–91), captain in the 90th Regiment of light infantry, and Catherine Johnson (née Walters). His paternal great-grandfather was …...
Johnstone (Johnston), Charles
Johnstone (Johnston), Charles (c.1719–c.1800), writer, was born at Carrigogunnell, Co. Limerick, son of Thomas Johnstone (or Johnston) and his wife, née Sharpe. Educated at the local diocesan school, he entered TCD but…...
Jordan, John Edward
Jordan, John Edward (1930–88), writer, actor, academic, and broadcaster, was born 8 April 1930 in Dublin, eldest of two sons and a daughter of John Anthony Jordan, cooper at Guinness's brewery, and Mary Agnes Jordan (née Byrne), born of Irish parents in Jarrow, England; both of Parkview…...
Joyce, (John) Stanislaus
Joyce, (John) Stanislaus (1884–1955), brother and supporter of James Joyce (qv), was born 17 December 1884 in Dublin, son of John Stanislaus Joyce (qv), civil servant…...
Kavanagh, Julia
Kavanagh, Julia (1824–77), novelist, short-story writer, and biographer, was born 7 January 1824 in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, the only child of Bridget Fitzpatrick (d. 1887) and Morgan Peter Kavanagh (d. 1874), writer and philologist. She spent much of her childhood in Normandy and…...
Kavanagh, Patrick Joseph
Kavanagh, Patrick Joseph (1904–67), poet, novelist, and journalist, was born 21 or 23 October 1904 at the family home in the townland of Mucker, Inniskeen parish, Co. Monaghan, the elder son and fourth of ten children of James Kavanagh, cobbler, and his wife, Bridget (née Quinn) of…...
Kavanagh, Peter Paul
Kavanagh, Peter Paul (1916–2006), writer and critic, was born 19 March 1916 in Mucker, Iniskeen, Co. Monaghan, youngest of ten children of James Kavanagh, shoemaker and small farmer, and his wife Bridget (née Quinn). His godfather was his elder brother, the poet…...
Kavanagh, Rose
Kavanagh, Rose (1859–91), poet, was born 24 June 1859 in Killadroy, Co. Tyrone. Nothing is recorded of her parents except that her mother was a cousin of Archbishop John Hughes (qv) of New York. When Rose was 11 years old the family…...
Keane, John B.
Keane, John B. (1928–2002), writer, humorist, and publican, was born 21 July 1928 at Church St., Listowel, Co. Kerry, fourth child among five sons and four daughters of William Keane and Hannah Keane (née Purtill). The initial ‘B.’ stood for Brendan, a name taken on confirmation after…...
Keightley, Thomas
Keightley, Thomas (1789–1872), writer, was born in Dublin on 17 October 1789, son of Thomas Keightley, merchant of Newtown, Co. Kildare; nothing is known of his mother. He entered TCD (July 1803) and graduated…...
Kelly, John Maurice
Kelly, John Maurice (1931–91), scholar, politician, and writer, was born 31 August 1931 in Dublin, eldest of three sons of Joseph Kelly, chief executive officer of the Agricultural Credit Corporation, from Co. Kerry, and May Kelly (née Boyle), civil servant, from Co. Mayo. John Kelly…...
Kenealy, William
Kenealy, William (1828–76), journalist, poet, and nationalist, was born 1 July 1828 in Cloyne, Co. Cork, the son of a blacksmith and farmer. He worked as a teacher and was appointed headmaster of Churchtown national school, but was dismissed when authorship of an inflammatory…...
Kickham, Charles Joseph
Kickham, Charles Joseph (1828–82), journalist, Fenian, and novelist, was born 8 May 1828 near Cashel, Co. Tipperary, the eldest of the four sons and four daughters of John Kickham, draper and urban property rentier, and his wife, Anne (née Mahony), of Mullinahone in the same…...
Kiely, Benedict ('Ben')
Kiely, Benedict ('Ben') (1919–2007), writer, critic and journalist, was born Thomas Joseph Benedict Kiely near Dromore, Co. Tyrone, on 15 August 1919, the sixth and youngest child of Thomas Kiely, a British army veteran and measurer for the Ordnance Survey (born in Moville, Co. Donegal…...
King, Mary
This is a co-subject for the entry on O’Flaherty (Flaherty), May. View the original entry....
King, Richard Ashe
King, Richard Ashe (1839–1932), clergyman and writer, was born 9 November 1839 in Ennis, Co. Clare, son of Dr Luke White King, an ordained protestant minister who ran the endowed Erasmus Smith College in Ennis. Richard was educated at his father's school and at…...
Knight (Hope-Connolly), Olivia Mary
Knight (Hope-Connolly), Olivia Mary (1828?–1908), poet, translator and teacher, was born at Rathbawn, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, probably on 29 September 1828, the only daughter of Simon Knight, a civil engineer, and his wife, possibly Sarah D'Alton of Ballaghadereen, Co. Roscommon. Olivia…...
Lardner, Dionysius
Lardner, Dionysius (1793–1859), scientist and writer, was born 3 April 1793 in Dublin, son of William O'Brien Lardner, solicitor, and Mary Ann Lardner (maiden name unknown). He seems to have had at least one younger brother, and may have been christened Dennis, but was calling…...
Laverty (Kelly), (Mary) Maura
Laverty (Kelly), (Mary) Maura (1907–66), author and broadcaster, was born 15 May 1907 in Rathangan, Co. Kildare, the third of nine surviving children of Michael Kelly and Mary Ann Kelly (née Treacy). Her father appears to have given up his career in farming at his wife's…...
Lavin, Mary
Lavin, Mary (1912–96), short-story writer and novelist, was born 11 June 1912 at East Walpole, Massachusetts, USA, only child of Thomas Lavin (d. 1945) and Nora Lavin, née Mahon. Her father came from Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon, her mother from a large middle-class family in Athenry…...
Leamy, Edmund
Leamy, Edmund (1848–1904), writer, politician, and lawyer, was born 25 December 1848 in Waterford city. Educated at University High School, Waterford, St John's College, Waterford, and St Stanislaus College in Tullabeg, he was admitted a solicitor in 1878 and called to the Irish…...
Leathley, Mary Elizabeth Southwell (née Dudley)
Leathley, Mary Elizabeth Southwell (née Dudley) (1818–99), writer, was born 18 June 1818 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, the daughter of George Dudley, a member of the Society of Friends. She published her first book when she was sixteen, and subsequently became a prolific writer of…...
Le Blond, Elizabeth (‘Lizzie’) Alice Frances (née Hawkins-Whitshed; other married names Burnaby, Main)
Le Blond, Elizabeth (‘Lizzie’) Alice Frances (née Hawkins-Whitshed; other married names Burnaby, Main) (1860–1934), mountaineer, author and photographer, was born 26 June 1860 in Dublin, the only child of Sir St Vincent Bentinck Hawkins-Whitshed, 3rd (and last) baronet of Killincarrick…...
Ledwidge, Francis Edward
Ledwidge, Francis Edward (1887–1917), poet and soldier, was born 19 August 1887 at Janeville, Slane, Co. Meath, eighth among nine children of Patrick Ledwidge (1840/41–1892), farm labourer, and his wife, Anne (1853/4–1926), daughter of Nicholas Lynch of Slane. The Ledwidges (the name is…...
Leeson, Margaret (‘Peg’)
Leeson, Margaret (‘Peg’) (1727–97), prostitute, brothel-keeper, and memoirist, was born Margaret Plunket at Killough, Co. Westmeath, one of eight surviving children of Matthew Plunket, a wealthy farmer, and his wife, whose maiden name was O'Reilly. Most of what is known about Margaret…...