Ennis, Séamus
Ennis, Séamus (1919–82), musician, folklorist, singer, and broadcaster, was born 5 May 1919 in Jamestown Lodge, Finglas, Dublin, son of James Ennis, civil servant and warpiper from Dublin, and Mary Josephine Ennis (née McCabe) from Co. Monaghan. He had three sisters and two brothers.…...
Esposito, Michele
Esposito, Michele (1855–1929), musician and professor of piano at the RIAM, was born 29 September 1855 at Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples, in Italy. In 1865 he won a scholarship to the Naples Conservatory where he studied piano…...
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…...
Fay, Martin Joseph
Fay, Martin Joseph (1936–2012), musician, was born on 19 September 1936 at the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, the youngest of four children, three boys and a girl, to parents Joseph Christopher Fay, a motor vehicle driver, and Annie Fay (née Kelly). Shortly before Martin's birth 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…...
Ferguson, Howard
Ferguson, Howard (1908–99), composer, pianist, and musicologist, was born 21 October 1908 at 14 Deramore Park South, Belfast, youngest among five children of Stanley Ferguson, solicitor and a managing director of the Ulster Bank, and Edith Frances Ferguson (née Carr). He was taught…...
Field, John
Field, John (1782–1837), pianist and composer, was born 16 or 26 July 1782 in Golden Lane, Dublin, and baptised at St Werburgh's church on 5 September. He was the eldest son of a Dublin couple, Robert Field, a theatre violinist (himself the son of John Field, a professional organist…...
Fitzgerald, Geraldine Mary Wilma
Fitzgerald, Geraldine Mary Wilma (1913–2005), actress and stage director, was born 24 November 1913 at 85 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin, one of two daughters and two sons of Edward Martin Fitzgerald (1886–1965), a lawyer, who was Roman catholic, and his wife Edith Marie (née Richards) (…...
Flanagan, Edward Joseph
Flanagan, Edward Joseph (1886–1948), catholic priest and founder of Boys Town, was born 13 July 1886 at Ballymoe, Co. Roscommon, son of John Flanagan, herdsman, and Nora Flanagan (née Larkin). One of eleven children, he was first educated at a local school, Drimatample, and…...
Fleischmann, Aloys Georg
Fleischmann, Aloys Georg (1910–92), composer, conductor, and musicologist, was born 13 April 1910 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, only child of Aloys Georg Fleischmann (b. Dachau, Bavaria, 24 April 1880; d. Cork, 3 January 1964), who came to Cork city in 1906 as organist and choir master…...
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…...
Fleischmann, Maria Theresa Mathilda ('Tilly')
Fleischmann, Maria Theresa Mathilda ('Tilly') (1882–1967), pianist and teacher, was born 2 April 1882 at 14 Dyke Parade, Cork, the second of nine children of German immigrants, Hans Conrad Swertz and his wife Walburga (née Rössler). Her early musical education was largely overseen…...
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…...
Foley, Allan James
Foley, Allan James (1835–99), opera singer, was born 7 August 1835 at Cahir, Co. Tipperary; nothing is known of his family background. He was trained as a carpenter, but abandoned this after it was discovered that he had an excellent singing voice. Moving to Naples, he studied under…...
Forde, William
Forde, William (1796?–1849/50?), musician and musical scholar, was born in Cork city, elder son of Samuel Forde, tradesman, who when his business failed went off to America, abandoning his family. Nothing is known of his mother. William, still very young, supported the others from…...
Fox, Charlotte Olivia (née Milligan)
Fox, Charlotte Olivia (née Milligan) (1864–1916), ethnomusicologist, was born 17 March 1864 in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, the eldest child among five daughters and six sons (two of whom did not reach adulthood) of Seaton Forrest Milligan (1836–1916) of Glencar, Omagh, businessman,…...
French, (William) Percy
French, (William) Percy (1854–1920), songwriter, humourist, entertainer, and painter, was born 1 May 1854 in Cloonyquin House, parish of Tulsk, Co. Roscommon, second son and third child among four sons and five daughters of Christopher French (1821–97), landowner, and Susan Emma French…...
Friel, (James) Redmond
Friel, (James) Redmond (1907–79), composer, arranger, teacher, and church musician, was born 13 February 1907 in Duke Street, Derry. His father, Michael, born in the Twins area of Co. Donegal, was an engine driver on the Derry–Killybegs railway line; his mother, Sarah Donaghey, was from…...
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…...
Gallagher, Bridget Ena ('Bridie')
Gallagher, Bridget Ena ('Bridie') (1924–2012), singer, was born on 7 September 1924 near Creeslough, Co. Donegal, to Jim Gallagher and his wife Biddy (née Sweeney). Bridie (as she was always known) had three older brothers, five older sisters and one younger sister; the family…...
Gallagher, Rory
Gallagher, Rory (1948–95), rock guitarist, eldest son of Daniel and Monica Gallagher, was born 2 March 1948 in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, although his family soon moved south to Cork, where he spent his childhood. He was educated locally but his passion for music overwhelmed any…...
Garvey, Máire (Mary) McDonnell
Garvey, Máire (Mary) McDonnell - (1927–2009), traditional musician and writer, was born 10 July 1927 on a farm in Tobracken, near Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon, one of three children (a girl and two boys) of James McDonnell and his wife Annie Theresa (née Talbot). As well as farming…...
Gately, Stephen Patrick
Gately, Stephen Patrick (1976–2009), pop singer and entertainer, was born 17 March 1976 at the Rotunda hospital, Dublin, third son and fourth child among four sons and one daughter of Martin Francis Gately, house painter and decorator, and Margaret Gately (née Martin), homemaker and…...
Geary (Garry), Thomas Augustine (Timothy)
Geary (Garry), Thomas Augustine (Timothy) (1775–1801), composer, was born in Dublin in 1775 (his date of birth is sometimes given as 1772), the son of Timothy Garry (senior). Geary (who signed himself ‘Timothy Garry’ at the age of fifteen) later adopted the first names Thomas Augustine…...