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…...
Colbert, John Patrick
Colbert, John Patrick (1898–1975), public servant and economist, was born 12 February 1898, the son of William Colbert JP, a farmer of Templeathea, Co. Limerick, and Norah Colbert (née Danaher). Educated at Rockwell College, near Cashel,…...
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…...
Concannon, Helena
Concannon, Helena (1878–1952), historian and politician, was born 28 October 1878 in Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry, one of two daughters of Louis Walsh, hotel owner in Maghera, Co. Londonderry, and Elizabeth Walsh (née Donnelly); there were also three sons. Louis Walsh had been a…...
Conefrey, Peter
Conefrey, Peter (1880–1939), catholic priest and social critic, was born 9 June 1880 in Mohill, Co. Leitrim, son of James Conefrey, publican, and his wife Mary McGivney. There were many priests on both sides of the family. His uncle, Fr Thomas Conefrey, parish priest of Drumlish,…...
Conlon, Malachy (Malachi)
Conlon, Malachy (Malachi) (1913–50), journalist and politician, was born 16 January 1913 at Lurgancullenboy, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh, one of two sons and two daughters of Patrick Conlon, a farmer of Lurgancullenboy, and Mary (née Nally) Conlon. He was educated at the local national…...
Connellan, Joseph
Connellan, Joseph (1889–1967), journalist and politician, was born in Newry, the son of working-class parents, and was educated locally at the Newry CBS. His mother, who had a great knowledge of Irish history, instilled in him a love…...
Conniffe, Denis
Conniffe, Denis (1942–2011), economist, was born on 10 January 1942 in Dublin, the only child of Patrick Conniffe, of Dublin, who had a career in law, and his wife Brigid (née Toland), of Derry. The family lived in Whitehall on the north side of the city and he attended the School of…...