MacDermott Roe, Mary (Máire)
MacDermott Roe, Mary (Máire) (d. 1739?), patron of Turlough Carolan (qv), may have been born in the 1670s, and was a daughter – possibly eldest daughter – of John Fitzgerald (d. p. 1717),…...
Mac Mathúna, Ciarán
Mac Mathúna, Ciarán (1925–2009), folk music collector and broadcaster, was born Kieran MacMahon on 26 November 1925 at 14 St John's Avenue, off Mulgrave Street, Limerick city, youngest among five sons and one daughter of James MacMahon (1875–1967), national school teacher, native…...
Makem, Thomas ('Tommy')
Makem, Thomas ('Tommy') (1932–2007), folk singer, was born 4 November 1932 in Keady, Co. Armagh, youngest of five children of Peter Makem and his wife Sarah (née Boyle). Though Peter Makem was a fiddler and flautist, Tommy derived his musical interests and talent primarily through…...
McAuley, Anthony Gerard (Tony)
McAuley, Anthony Gerard (Tony) (1939–2003), broadcaster, television producer and expert on folksongs, was born 24 October 1939 in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, one of two sons and five daughters of William John McAuley, who owned a chemist’s shop on James Street. His mother Ita (née…...
McCall, Patrick Joseph
McCall, Patrick Joseph (1861–1919), songwriter and poet, was born 6 March 1861 in Dublin, the only surviving son among three children of John McCall and his wife Eliza Mary (née Newport) of Rathangan, Co. Wexford. His father John McCall (1822–1902), publican and writer…...
McCormack, John Francis
McCormack, John Francis (1884–1945), singer, was born 14 June 1884 in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, fourth of five children to survive out of a family of eleven of Andrew McCormack and his wife Hannah (née Watson), Scottish mill workers who had moved to Ireland. The tenor's paternal…...
McDaniel, Maisie
McDaniel, Maisie (1939–2008), singer, was born Mary Anne McDaniel on 28 October 1939 in Kensington, London, England, one of four daughters and two sons of Sligo man Paddy McDaniel and his wife Lizzie (née Wynne). The family soon returned to Sligo, and Maisie grew up in Garavogue…...
Molloy, James Lynam
Molloy, James Lynam (1837–1909), songwriter, was born 19 August 1837 at Cornalare, King's Co. (Offaly), eldest son of Dr Kedo J. Molloy and his wife, Maria Theresa, daughter of James Tracy Lynam. His brother Bernard Charles Molloy (1842–1916) was nationalist MP for Offaly (1880–85)…...
Moore, Thomas
Moore, Thomas (1779–1852), writer and musician, was born 28 May 1779 at 12 Aungier Street, Dublin, the first child of John Moore and his wife, Anastasia (née Codd). The couple were married in 1778 and had nine children in all, six of whom died in infancy. Moore was baptised a Roman…...
Murphy, Delia
Murphy, Delia (1902–71), ballad singer, was born 16 February 1902 at Ardroe, Claremorris, Co. Mayo, second of eight daughters of John (‘Jack’) Patrick Murphy of Mayo and Anna Agnes Murphy (née Fanning) from Tipperary. Her father worked in the gold mines in Klondike, where he met and…...
Nachstern, Arthur
Nachstern, Arthur (1911–99), violinist, was born 16 June (29 June NS) 1911 in Odessa, Ukraine, only child of Arthur Nachstern (1881–1951), lawyer, and Janina-Alina Nachstern (née Januszewska; 1889–1966), both of whom were Polish. He himself wrote that his early years – before the…...
Ní Annagáin, Máighréad
This is a co-subject for the entry on Clandillon, Seamus (‘Clan’). View the original entry....
Ní Ghuairim, Máire
Ní Ghuairim, Máire (1896–1964), teacher, author and sean-nós singer, was born 6 July 1896 in Roisín na Manach, Carna, Co. Galway, eldest daughter of farmer Máirtín Gorham and his wife, Catherine Burke. She received her earliest education in the Convent of Mercy school in Roisín na…...
O'Brien, Brendan
O'Brien, Brendan (1941–2008), showband singer, was born 23 July 1941 in the family home of 5 Montpellier Terrace, Wellington Road, Cork city, the youngest of five children of Edward O'Brien, engineer, and his wife Ellen (née Crowley). The O'Briens soon moved outside Cork city to…...
O'Brien, Dermot
O'Brien, Dermot (1932–2007), musician and Gaelic footballer, was born 23 October 1932 in Ardee, Co. Louth, the son of Paddy O'Brien, labourer and bandmaster of the Ardee Brass and Reed Band, of Dolan Terrace, Ardee, and his wife Nancy (née Dowdall). He attended Ardee's De La Salle…...
O'Brien, Oliver
This is a co-subject for the entry on O'Brien, Vincent. View the original entry....
O'Brien, Vincent
O'Brien, Vincent (1870–1948), conductor, music teacher, and répétiteur, was born in May 1870 in Dublin (where he lived all his life), son of Richard V. O'Brien and his wife, Elizabeth O'Brien (née Halton). The family's musical lineage was strong: the father was an…...
O'Connor (Glasgow), Terry
O'Connor (Glasgow), Terry (1897–1983), musician and music teacher, was born Mary Teresa O'Connor on 14 October 1897 in Johnstown, Waterford city, the second among at least four daughters of James O'Connor, grocer and vintner, and Brigid O'Connor (née Keirsey). Educated at the…...
O'Dowda, Brendan Joseph
O'Dowda, Brendan Joseph (1925–2002), singer, was born 1 October 1925 in Dundalk, Co. Louth, the youngest of a family of seven boys and three girls of Francis Joseph O'Dowda (d. 1955) from Cork, who worked in the engineering department of the post office, and his wife Josephine (née…...
Ó hAnnracháin, Fachtna
Ó hAnnracháin, Fachtna (1920–2010), broadcasting administrator and music director, was born on 2 September 1920 in Skibbereen, Co. Cork, eldest among four sons and two daughters of Peadar Ó hAnnracháin (1873–1965), small farmer, Irish-language activist, civil servant, journalist,…...
O'Leary, John ('Johnny') (Johnny Leary)
O'Leary, John ('Johnny') (Johnny Leary) (1923–2004), musician, better known as 'Johnny Leary', was born 6 June 1923 in Meall Uí Chíobháin (Maulykeavane), Co. Kerry, between Gníomh go Leith (Gneevguilla) and Killarney. He was brought up by his maternal grandparents, Paddy O'Leary…...
O'Neill, Arthur
O'Neill, Arthur (1734/6–1816), harper, was born at Drumnastrade, near Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, of O'Neill stock on his mother's and father's sides going back several generations; nothing else is known of his parents. It was supposed in folk tradition that the children of such a union were…...
O'Reilly, Brendan
O'Reilly, Brendan (1929–2001), athlete, broadcaster, entertainer, and songwriter, was born 14 May 1929 in Granard, Co. Longford, one of six children of James P. O'Reilly, shopkeeper and musician, and Catherine O'Reilly (née Donegan). The family moved to Dublin when Brendan was…...
Ó Riada, Seán
Ó Riada, Seán (John Reidy) (1931–71), composer, was born John Reidy on 1 August 1931 in Cork city, the first child of Seán and Julia Reidy (née Creedon). A second child, Louise, was born in 1935. His father, from west Clare, was a member of the Garda Síochána, and was an amateur…...
Ó Síocháin, Seán (John Sheehan)
Ó Síocháin, Seán (John Sheehan) (1914–97), singer and sports administrator, was born 24 March 1914 in Cahirdahy, Kilnamartry, Macroom, Co. Cork, one of two sons and four daughters of Daniel Sheehan, bootmaker, of Cahirdahy, and Kate Sheehan (née Lynch). Educated at Kilnamartry national…...