Tobin, Liam
Tobin, Liam (1895–1963), republican, soldier, businessman, and civil servant, was born 15 November 1895 at 13 North Great George's St., Cork, son of David Tobin of Clolefin (Cloughleafin, near Mitchelstown, north Co. Cork), furniture salesman at Clery's department store, Dublin, and…...
Traynor, Oscar
Traynor, Oscar (1886–1963), revolutionary, politician, and sports administrator, was born 21 March 1886 in 32 Upper Abbey St., Dublin, son of Patrick Traynor, bookseller and Fenian, and Maria Traynor (née Clarke). Educated at St Mary's Place…...
Treacy, Seán
Treacy, Seán (1895–1920), revolutionary, was born John Treacy on 14 February 1895 in Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary, son of Denis Treacy, farmer, and Bridget Treacy (née Allis). His father died when Treacy was three and the family went to live with his mother's brother, Jim Allis, in…...
Tunney, James (‘Jim’)
Tunney, James (‘Jim’) (1924–2002), politician, was born 25 December 1924 in Finglas, Co. Dublin, fourth child among three sons and five daughters of James Tunney, farmer, Labour Party TD 1943–4, and Labour senator, and M. Ellen Tunney (née Grimes), who both came from outside Westport,…...
Twomey, Séamus
Twomey, Séamus (1919–89), Provisional IRA chief of staff, was born in Marchioness Street in the Lower Falls area of Belfast, the son of an IRA Volunteer in the 1920s. Twomey experienced the poverty of interwar Belfast: ‘degradation and…...
Tynan, Margaret
Tynan, Margaret (1930–2007), first woman mayor of Kilkenny, was born 15 November 1930 in Kilkenny city, only daughter of Pierce Tynan and his wife Mary ('Minnie') (née McGrath); there were also three sons. Pierce Tynan set up a prosperous motor company and garage in Kilkenny, and was…...
Tynan, Thomas
Tynan, Thomas (1871–1953), merchant, farmer, greyhound breeder, and politician, was born 17 March 1871 in Jamestown, Ballybrittas, Queen's Co. (Laois), son of Thomas Tynan, farmer, and Mary Tynan (née Connell). Educated locally, in early manhood he entered business as publican and…...
Uí Choisdeailbh, Eibhlín (Edith Costello)
Uí Choisdeailbh, Eibhlín (Edith Costello) (1870–1962), folksong collector, Irish language enthusiast, and political activist, was born 27 June 1870, probably in the Strand union workhouse, St Pancras, London. She was christened Edith Drury and raised a member of the Church of…...
Upington, Sir Thomas
Upington, Sir Thomas (c.1844–98), lawyer and statesman in South Africa, was born at Lisleigh House, Co. Cork, the only son of Samuel Upington, catholic merchant, and Mary Ellen Upington (née Tarrant). Educated at Cloyne diocesan college, Mallow, Co. Cork, he entered…...
Waldron, Laurence Ambrose
Waldron, Laurence Ambrose (1858–1923), stockbroker, patron of the arts, and MP, was born on 14 November 1858 at Ballybrack, Co. Dublin, fourth son of Laurence Waldron (1811–75), JP, DL, and MP for Co.…...
Wall, Seán
Wall, Seán (1882–1921), revolutionary, was born 1 February 1882 near Bruff, Co. Limerick, one of at least three sons of Thomas Wall, small farmer, and Deborah Wall (née Lynch). The family had a tradition of Fenian sympathy and activity. He attended Bruff national school, but his…...
Walsh (Breathnach), Róisín
Walsh (Breathnach), Róisín (1889–1949), librarian and republican, was born on 24 March 1889 into a staunchly nationalist catholic family in the townland of Lisnamaghery, Clogher, Co. Tyone, the eldest of eight children (five sisters and two brothers) of James Walsh (d. 1925), a national…...
Walsh, Peter
Walsh, Peter (c.1616–1688), Franciscan author, was born at Mooretown, Co. Kildare. His father, whose first name is not known, was a chandler at Naas, Co. Kildare, and a member of a local Old English family; his mother, named as ‘Goodie N.’ in one source, was an English…...
Walsh, Sir John
Walsh, Sir John (c.1613–c.1670), lawyer and politician, was eldest son of David Walsh of Rathronan, Co. Tipperary; nothing is known about his mother. A leading merchant in Waterford city, John also held lands in Tipperary and Kilkenny from…...
Walsh, Thomas
Walsh, Thomas (1901–56), politician and farmer, was born 8 December 1901 in Garryduff, Gowran, Co. Kilkenny, one of two sons and one daughter of James Walsh, farmer, and Catherine Walsh (née Byrne). After early education at Patrician Brothers' College, Mountrath, Queen's Co. (…...
Ward, Francis Constantine (‘F. C.’, ‘Con’)
Ward, Francis Constantine (‘F. C.’, ‘Con’) (1891–1966), medical doctor and politician, was born 12 February 1891 in Corlygorm, Donaghmoyne, Co. Monaghan, son of Patrick Ward, farmer, and Elizabeth Ward (née Ruddin). He was educated at the Patrician Brothers' schools, Carrickmacross.…...
Warren, Richard Augustus
Warren, Richard Augustus (1705–75), Jacobite and French army officer, was born at Corduff near Castleknock, Co. Dublin, son of John Warren and Mary Warren (née Jones). Two of his brothers became officers in the Irish brigade in the service of France, while a third became a…...
Wheatley, John
Wheatley, John (1869–1930), socialist and publisher, was born 19 May 1869 at Bunmahon, Co. Waterford, eldest among three sons and seven daughters of Thomas Wheately, copper miner of Welsh extraction, and Johanna Wheately (née Ryan); it is not known when he came to use the spelling…...
White, Rowland
White, Rowland (d. 1572), Anglo-Irish reformer, was the son of Baron White of the Dufferin in north-east Ulster, which the family was forced to abandon when it came under attack from the Scots and the local Gaelic chieftains early in the sixteenth century. Nothing is known of…...
Whitmore, William James Brennan-
Whitmore, William James Brennan- (1886–1977), revolutionary and journalist, was born 21 October 1886 at the family home in Mary St., Wexford, son of Thomas Whitmore, People journalist and printer, and Mary Whitmore (née Brennan) from Ferns, Co. Wexford. Both parents died…...
Williams, Richard D'Alton
Williams, Richard D'Alton (1822–62), poet, medical doctor, and nationalist, was born 8 October 1822 in Dublin, the illegitimate son of Alexandre Count D'Alton (1766–1859), an officer in the French army and land proprietor in Co. Tipperary, and Mary Williams, the daughter of a…...
Williams, Thomas (‘Tom’)
Williams, Thomas (‘Tom’) (1923–42), republican, was born 12 May 1923 in the Beechmount area of the Falls Road, Belfast, third of four children of Thomas Williams, labourer, and his wife Mary (née Fay). The family had lived in a catholic enclave on the Shore Road in north Belfast, but…...
Wilson, John Patrick
Wilson, John Patrick (1923–2007), government minister and Gaelic footballer, was born on 8 July 1923 at Callanagh, Kilcogy, Co. Cavan, the son of John Wilson, farmer, and his wife Brigid (née Comaskey). His grandfather James Wilson was a Fenian, his father a Fianna Fáil and GAA activist…...
Wilson, Katherine Anna Gifford (Katie)
This is a co-subject for the entry on DONNELLY, Helen Ruth (‘Nellie’) Gifford. View the original entry....
Wogan, Patrick
Wogan, Patrick (c.1740–1816), printer, was born in obscure circumstances: nothing is known of his origins or early life. In 1771 he was in business in Church Street, Dublin, and in 1773 moved to Old Bridge Street, where he transacted for thirty-four years; from 1775 to 1782 he…...