Clarke, Sr Sarah
Clarke, Sr Sarah (1919–2002), nun and civil rights campaigner, was born 17 November 1919 in Eyrecourt, Co. Galway, daughter of Michael Clarke, farmer, and Brigid Clarke (née Claffey). Her father was injured in a fall from a horse and was confined to a wheelchair before succumbing to TB…...
Clarke, Thomas James (‘Tom’)
Clarke, Thomas James (‘Tom’) (1858–1916), revolutionary, was born 11 March 1858 in England, probably in Hurst Castle, Hampshire, the eldest child among two sons and two daughters of James Clarke (b. 1830) of Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim, bombardier in the Royal Artillery, and Mary Palmer of…...
Clery, Arthur Edward
Clery, Arthur Edward (1879–1932), nationalist and author, was the only child of Art Ua Cléirigh, lawyer and amateur historian, and his wife Catherine Clery (née Moylan). During his boyhood his family suffered a crisis: his father went to the Indian bar to recoup family finances, his…...
Clinch, James Bernard
Clinch, James Bernard (1770–1834), scholar and pamphleteer, was born 16 July 1770 in James's St., Dublin, fifth son of Joseph Clinch, a merchant originally from Ratoath, Co. Meath, and Mary Clinch (née Higgins) from Knockmane, Co. Roscommon. Educated at the Rev. Beragh's academy…...
Clinton, Mark
Clinton, Mark (1915–2001), government minister and farmer, was born in Walterstown, Moynalty, near Kells, Co. Meath, on 7 February 1915, the fourth son of Tom Clinton, farmer of 160 acres at Walterstown, and his wife Margaret (née Kearney). His father was elected to Meath County Council…...
Cloney, Thomas
Cloney, Thomas (1774–1850), insurgent leader and catholic activist, was probably born at Ballybeg, near St Millis, Co. Carlow, the only son among four children of Denis Cloney (1738–98), prosperous farmer and middleman of Moneyhore, near Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, and Mary Cloney (née…...
Coburn, James (‘The Duker’)
Coburn, James (‘The Duker’) (1882–1953), politician, was born 31 August 1882, one of seven children of George Coburn, stonemason, and Bridget Coburn (née Flynn) of Camp St. (now Wolfe Tone St.), Dundalk, Co. Louth. Educated at Dundalk CBS…...
Cockran, William Bourke
Cockran, William Bourke (1854–1923), lawyer and US congressman, was born 28 February 1854 in Carrowkeel, Co. Sligo, one of four sons and a daughter of Martin Cockran, landlord and horseman, and Harriet Cockran (née Knight-White). On the death of his father in a fall from a horse (…...
Coffey, George
Coffey, George (1857–1916), archaeologist and nationalist, was born 2 July 1857 in Dublin, the third and youngest son of James Charles Coffey (d. 1880), county court judge for Londonderry, and his wife, Anna Maria Coffey (formerly Lee Trafford, née Wilkinson). Educated at…...
Cogan, William Henry Forde
Cogan, William Henry Forde (1821–94), landowner and politician, was the only son of Bryan Cogan (1767–1830) of Dublin and Athgarret, Co. Kildare. His mother, Bryan's wife, Eliza or Elizabeth, was a daughter of a Dublin silk manufacturer, Edward Madden (1739?–1830), a granddaughter…...
Coghlan (Coughlan), Terence
Coghlan (Coughlan), Terence (d. 1653), politician and founder of the Coghlan family of Kilcolgan, Co. Offaly, was the third son of James Oge MacCoghlan, who received crown pardons in 1583 and 1602, and a crown grant of the castle, town, and lands of Kincorr in 1623. Terence…...
Coigly (Coigley, Quigley, O'Coigley), James
Coigly (Coigley, Quigley, O'Coigley), James (1761–98), United Irishman and catholic priest, was born in August 1761 in Kilmore, Co. Armagh, second son of James Coigly, farmer, and Louisa Coigly (née Donnelly). In the absence of seminary education in penal Ireland, Coigly served an…...
Coile, Bernard
Coile, Bernard (1771?–1829), linen manufacturer and catholic activist, was born near Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry, on, by his own account, 14 May 1771 (though a gravestone inscription suggests 1766). His father's family were from Co. Donegal and related to the catholic bishop of…...
Colbert, Cornelius (‘Con’)
Colbert, Cornelius (‘Con’) (1888–1916), revolutionary, was born 19 October 1888 in Moanlena, Castlemahon, Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick, son of Michael Colbert, small farmer, native of Athea, Co. Limerick, and Honora Colbert (née MacDermott), originally of Cooraclare, Co. Clare. His…...
Colclough, John Henry
Colclough, John Henry (1769–1798), insurgent leader, was born 15 June 1769, the son of Thomas Francis Colclough and his wife Catherine McMahon, of Ballyteigue, Bargy, Co. Wexford. He worked as a physician, leased a substantial landed estate, and was one of the county's most…...
Colivet, Michael Patrick
Colivet, Michael Patrick (1884–1955), revolutionary and civil servant, was born 29 May 1884 at 11 Windmill St., Limerick, son of John Colivet, able seaman of Jersey, Channel Islands, and Ann Colivet (née Kenrick) of Askeaton, Co. Limerick. Educated at St Joseph's seminary, Galway…...
Colley, George (Joseph Pearse)
Colley, George (Joseph Pearse) (1925–83), government minister, was born in Dublin on 18 October 1925, the fifth child (of eight) and eldest son of Harry Colley (qv), 1916 veteran, adjutant Dublin Brigade…...
Colley, Henry Edward (‘Harry’)
Colley, Henry Edward (‘Harry’) (1891–1972), politician, was born in Dublin 21 February 1891, eighth of ten children of George Colley (d. 1905), gas-fitter, and Jane Colley (née Carroll; d. 1937). The family lived at 17 St Kevin's Rd, Portobello, Dublin, and later at Mount Pleasant…...
Collins, Eamon
Collins, Eamon (1954–99), republican, was born in Camlough, Co. Armagh, son of Brian Collins (farmer, livestock trader, and cattle smuggler) and Kathleen Collins (née Cumiskey). Collins's extended family had no history of political involvement, though his upbringing was fervently…...
Collins, Jerome James
Collins, Jerome James (1841–81) meteorologist, Arctic explorer, and founder of Clan na Gael, was born 17 October 1841 in Cork city, the son of Mark Collins, a lime and saltworks owner of South Main Street, Cork, and his wife Ellen (née Ryan). He attended St Vincent's Seminary,…...
Collins, John Henry
Collins, John Henry (1880–1952), lawyer and politician, was born 3 March 1880 in Newry, Co. Down, elder son of Henry Patrick Collins, auctioneer of Derrybeg, Newry, Co. Down, and Kate Collins, daughter of Frank McDonald, farmer, of Carrickredmond, Dundalk, Co. Louth. The family…...
Collins, Michael
Collins, Michael (1890–1922), revolutionary leader, chairman of the Irish provisional government, and commander-in-chief of the provisional government army, was born 16 October 1890 at Woodfield, Sam's Cross, west Co. Cork, last born of three sons and five daughters of Michael Collins,…...
Comerford, James ('Jim') Joseph
Comerford, James ('Jim') Joseph (1901–88), nationalist, judge and parade organiser, was born on 7 January 1901 in the family home at Coolraheen, Muckalee, Co. Kilkenny, the only child of John Comerford, farmer, of Coolraheen, and his wife Julia (née Kavanagh), schoolteacher, from…...
Comerford, Maire (Mary Eva)
Comerford, Maire (Mary Eva) (1893–1982), republican and journalist, was born 29 June 1893, in Ardavon, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow, the eldest daughter of James Charles Comerford, a mill owner, and Eva May Comerford, the daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Esmonde of Co.Wexford. She…...
Comyn, George
Comyn, George (d. 1663), lawyer and politician, second son of Edmund Comyn and Gennett Sarsfield, was born into a family that had played a leading role in the civic life of Limerick for over two centuries. George trained as a lawyer, entering Gray's Inn on 11 February 1621, before…...