Courtenay, Ellen
Courtenay, Ellen (1802–c.1837), accuser of Daniel O'Connell (qv), was born in Co. Cork, daughter of a native of the county. In 1817, at the age of 15, she moved to Dublin, and the catholic bishop of Cork,…...
Cowley, John Ultan
Cowley, John Ultan (1923–98) actor and animal welfare activist, was born 8 September 1923 in Ardbraccan, Navan, Co. Meath, the third child of Patrick Cowley, a small farmer, and his wife Margaret. Educated at the local national school, he left at the age of thirteen to work on the…...
Cox, Walter
Cox, Walter (c.1770–1837), journalist and informer, was the son of a Co. Meath or Westmeath blacksmith and his wife, a Dease of Summerhill. He was apprenticed in turn to – or at least worked as an ‘inlayer’ for – two Dublin gunsmiths, Daniel Muley and Benjamin Powell, and…...
Craig, Mary (‘May’)
Craig, Mary (‘May’) (c.1889–1972), actress, was born in Dublin, younger of two surviving daughters of David Craig, an engineer, and his wife Emma. As a child she enjoyed regular trips with her mother to see operas and plays in the Dublin theatres. Later famous for her…...
Crawford, John Wallace
Crawford, John Wallace (1847–1917), frontier scout, writer and entertainer, was born 4 March 1847 in Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, the son of John Austin Crawford, a Glasgow tailor, and Susie Wallace. His father moved to Minersville, Pennsylvania, to work in the coalmines in 1854; his mother…...
Crist, Gainor Steven
Crist, Gainor Steven (1922–64), bohemian and Dublin ‘character’, was born on Shafer Boulevard in Dayton, Ohio, USA, on 1 August 1922, the only child of Dr Damian Crist (d. 1952) and his wife, Helen (d. 1928), ballerina, the daughter of Alfred Mannassau of Canada and Chicago, a well…...
Crosbie, Sir Edward William
Crosbie, Sir Edward William (1755?–98), 5th baronet and victim of a miscarriage of justice, was the elder son of Sir Paul Crosbie, 4th baronet, and his wife Mary, daughter of Edward Daniel of Freadsom, Cheshire, and was born in Co. Wicklow, probably at his father's seat, Crosbie…...
Crowe, Eileen (Alice Izabella)
Crowe, Eileen (Alice Izabella) (1899–1978), actress, was born 2 March 1899 at 1 Carlingford Terrace, Drumcondra, Dublin, daughter of Moses Crowe, grocer, and Theresa Crowe (née Eglinton). From an early age she showed an interest in the theatre, and regularly attended productions…...
Cruise, Jack (John Joseph)
Cruise, Jack (John Joseph) (1913–79), entertainer, was born 9 August 1913 in the family home at 14 Arranmore Avenue, Phibsborough, Dublin, third child and eldest son among four children of Michael Cruise, a hall porter, native of Essex, England, and Brigid Cruise (née O'Kelly), from…...
Cullen, Noel Christopher
Cullen, Noel Christopher (1947–2002), chef, academic, and author, was born 30 December 1947 in Moore St., Dublin, third among five children of Thomas Cullen, labourer, and Elizabeth Cullen (née Keeley). His career combined in equal parts culinary arts, administration, research,…...
Cunningham, John
Cunningham, John (1729–73), poet, playwright, and actor, was born in Dublin. His father was of Scottish extraction, a wine cooper who invested a lottery win in a wine merchant business, but soon went bankrupt; his mother's name was Fleming. Cunningham was educated at a grammar…...
Curran, Sarah
Curran, Sarah (1782–1808), fiancée of Robert Emmet, was born at her father's residence in Newmarket, Co. Cork, the youngest daughter and seventh child of John Philpot Curran (qv), orator, barrister, and politician, and Sarah (Creagh…...
Cusack, Cyril James
Cusack, Cyril James (1910–93), actor, director, and writer, was born 26 November 1910 in Durban, South Africa, son of James Walter Cusack, an Irish officer with the Natal mounted police, and Alice Violet Cusack (née Cole), a Cockney chorus girl, who was related to the music-hall…...
Daborne, Robert
Daborne, Robert (c.1580–1628), playwright and cleric, was the son of Robert Daborne (1551–1612), a tradesman of Guildford, Surrey, and his wife, Susan (née Travis; d. 1626). He states in the preface to A Christian turn'd Turke (1612) that his descent was ‘not…...
Daiken, Leslie Herbert
Daiken, Leslie Herbert (1912–64), author, film-maker, and expert on children's toys, was born in Dublin. He graduated M.Litt. from TCD in 1933. As a student he was already publishing poetry and short…...
Dalton, (James) Emmet
Dalton, (James) Emmet (1898–1978), soldier, revolutionary, and film producer, was born 4 March 1898 in Fall River, Massachusetts, USA, eldest among seven children of James Francis Dalton, manufacturer's agent, of Oniville, Rhode Island, and Katherine Lee Dalton (née Riley; d. 1957) of…...
D'Alton, Louis
D'Alton, Louis (1900–51), writer and actor, was born Louis Dalton at Fairview, Dublin, on 24 May 1900, eldest of five children (of whom two sons and a daughter survived to adulthood) of Frank Dalton, actor and theatre producer, and his wife Catherine (née Lynch). Louis later adopted…...
Daly, Richard
Daly, Richard (1758–1813), theatrical manager, was born in Co. Galway, second son of Joseph Daly, a prosperous farmer. He entered TCD in 1773, but there is no record of his taking a degree. A reckless and violent character, he was said…...
Davies, Christian (alias ‘Mother’ Ross, Kit ‘Kitty’ Cavenaugh)
Davies, Christian (alias ‘Mother’ Ross, Kit ‘Kitty’ Cavenaugh) (c.1667–1739), female soldier and adventurer, was apparently born in Dublin, daughter of a brewer and maltster named Cavenaugh . It is difficult to establish the truth about her colourful career; most accounts…...
De Buitléar, Éamon
De Buitléar, Éamon (1930–2013), filmmaker, environmentalist, author and musician, was born on 22 January 1930 in Renmore Barracks, Co. Galway, one of seven children of Colonel Éamon de Buitléar (1902–81), an army officer of Clanbrassil Street, Dublin, and his wife Nóra (née O'Brien…...
de Búrca, Séamus
de Búrca, Séamus (1912–2002), writer and costumier, was born James Bourke on 16 March 1912 in Dublin, one of the ten children of the writer-actor-manager P. J. Bourke (qv) and Margaret Bourke (née Kearney), a Dublin seamstress.…...
De Chenu, (Roger) Noël
De Chenu, (Roger) Noël (1924–2002), architect, artist and actor, was born on 25 December 1924 in Drumcondra, Dublin, the son of Roger Louis de Chenu (1891–1964) and his wife Aileen (née McShane; b. 1893). Roger, a dress designer, originally came from Poitiers in France, and is said…...
Delane, Dennis
Delane, Dennis (c.1707–1750), actor, was probably the eldest son of George Delane (d. 1720), a Dublin glazier with an interest in lands in Co. Roscommon, whose widow Joan and three daughters were living in 1737. He was admitted to TCD…...
Delany, Cathleen
Delany, Cathleen (1907–97), actress, was born Kathleen Mary Delany on 21 July 1907 at 98 Marlborough Road, Donnybrook, Dublin, daughter of Alfred Patrick (A. P.) Delany, journalist, and his wife Kathleen Mary (née Kilgannon); she had at least two siblings, a brother and a sister. By…...
Delany, Maureen
Delany, Maureen (c.1888–1961), actress, was born in Kilkenny, daughter of Dr Barry Delany, medical officer to the Kilkenny mental home, and his Kerry-born wife (née Nagle). Her father died when she was three months old. She was educated at the Dominican College in Galway…...