Corish, Patrick Joseph
Corish, Patrick Joseph (1921–2013), priest and historian, was born on 17 March 1921 in Ballytarsna near Ballycullane, Co. Wexford, the son of Peter William Corish, a schoolteacher, and his wife Brigid (née O’Shaughnessy). Patrick had five brothers and one sister, and remained close to…...
Cosgrave, Mary Anne (Patrick)
Cosgrave, Mary Anne (Patrick) (1863–1900), pioneer nurse in Rhodesia, educationist, and Dominican prioress, was born 22 May 1863 in Summerhill, Co. Meath, one of four children of a member of the Irish Constabulary, who came from Ballysilla, near Oulart Hill, Co. Wexford. Her…...
Courtney, Michael Aidan
Courtney, Michael Aidan (1945–2003), catholic archbishop and Vatican diplomat, was born 5 February 1945 in Nenagh general hospital, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, youngest child among four sons and three daughters of Aloysius Daniel 'Louis' Courtney (see below), medical doctor, of 23 Summerhill…...
Cowley, Jane (Sister Mary Teresa)
Cowley, Jane (Sister Mary Teresa) (1857–1914), Sister of Mercy, Boer war nurse, and educator, was born in Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath, daughter of John Cowley and Margaret Cowley (née Loughran). She entered the Convent of Mercy, Strabane, Co. Tyrone, on 2 February 1877, taking the…...
Coyle, Anthony
Coyle, Anthony (1728–1801), catholic bishop of Raphoe, poet, and antiquarian, was born in Listack, near Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, son of a farmer. Educated at the Irish college in Paris, he was expelled in his fourth year for various mischiefs, including writing a pamphlet…...
Coyne, Edward Joseph
Coyne, Edward Joseph (1896–1958), Jesuit priest, was born 20 June 1896 in Dublin, eldest of five children of William P. Coyne (qv), head of the statistical section of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, and…...
Creagh, John
Creagh, John (1870–1947), Redemptorist priest, was born 19 August 1870 in Thomondgate, Limerick, son of John Creagh, clerk, and Mary Creagh (née Tyrsonnon). Initially educated by the Christian Brothers, he joined the Redemptorist order at 14. In 1887 he was sent to Liverpool, where he…...
Creagh, Peter (‘Piers Crevens’)
Creagh, Peter (‘Piers Crevens’) (c.1640–1705), catholic archbishop of Dublin, was born into a highly reputable Limerick family. He was the great-nephew of Richard Creagh (qv), archbishop of Armagh, and the nephew of Dr John…...
Creagh, Richard
Creagh, Richard (c.1523–c.1588), catholic archbishop of Armagh, was born in Limerick, one of at least three children of Nicholas Creagh, merchant, and his wife, Joan White, both of Limerick. Having been apprenticed to a merchant there, he traded in his own right until…...
Cregan, Donal Francis
Cregan, Donal Francis (1911–95), priest, educationist, and historian, was born 16 May 1911 in Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick, only son among three children of John D. Cregan, shopkeeper, and Elizabeth Cregan (née Foley). He attended (1924–9) Castleknock College, Dublin, after which…...
Crelly, Patrick
Crelly, Patrick (fl. 1640s–1650s), Cistercian abbot of Newry, rose to prominence during the 1640s as agent for and advisor to Randal MacDonnell, 2nd earl of Antrim (qv). In the spring of 1648 Crelly accompanied Antrim,…...
Croke, Thomas William
Croke, Thomas William (1823–1902), catholic archbishop of Cashel, was born on 19 May 1823 at Dromin, Castlecor, near Kanturk, Co. Cork, the third of eight children (six boys and two girls) of William Croke, land agent there to Joseph Deane-Freeman, and of his wife Isabella, daughter of…...
Crolly, George
Crolly, George (1813–78), catholic priest and theologian, was born 11 February 1813 in the townland of Ballyrolly, in the parish of Downpatrick, Co. Down. A son of John Crolly, who farmed at Ballyrolly, and a nephew of William Crolly (…...
Crolly, William
Crolly, William (1780–1849), catholic archbishop of Armagh (1835–49), was born 8 June 1780 at Ballykilbeg (about four miles from Downpatrick, Co. Down), son of John and Mary Crolly. The Swordes family (Crolly was the Gaelic version of the name), of Anglo-Norman origin, held…...
Cronin, Edward
Cronin, Edward (1801–82), missionary, was born in Cork city, son of a Roman Catholic father and protestant mother whose names are unknown; he had cousins whose names were Drury. He came to Dublin c.1826 to train as a doctor at the Meath Hospital and was at first welcomed…...
Crossley, Francis (‘Frank’) William
Crossley, Francis (‘Frank’) William (1839–97), engineer and evangelist, and his brothers Sir William John (1844–1911), engineer, and (Thomas) Hastings (Henry) (1846–1926), classical scholar, were sons of Maj. Francis Crossley of the East India Company, governor of the Andaman Islands…...
Crotty, Bartholomew
Crotty, Bartholomew (1769–1846), college head and catholic bishop of Cloyne, was born 1 September 1769 at Clonakilty, Co. Cork, son of a prosperous weaver; nothing else is known of his family. He was educated locally and at a classical school at Glanworth, Co. Cork, from which,…...
Crotty, Michael
Crotty, Michael (1794/5–1862), catholic priest and Church of England clergyman, was born at Broadford, Co. Clare, son of James Crotty, a farmer, and his wife, Catherine (née Drew). At the age of nineteen he entered St Patrick's College, Maynooth, to train for the priesthood (September…...
Crotty, William
Crotty, William (1808–56), catholic priest and presbyterian minister, was born at Broadford, Co. Clare, son of Patrick Crotty and his wife Sarah (née Vaughan), and educated at the Irish college, Paris, being ordained priest there on 12 January 1832. He was appointed curate in…...
Cullen, James Aloysius
Cullen, James Aloysius (1841–1921), Jesuit priest and temperance reformer, was born 23 October 1841 in New Ross, Co. Wexford, the eldest of five sons and three daughters of James Cullen, a businessman, and Mary Cullen (née Bolger). He was educated locally by the Christian Brothers…...
Cullen, Luke
Cullen, Luke (1793–1859), Carmelite brother and collector of reminiscences of the rebellions of 1798 and 1803, was born at Little Bray in the parish of Cabinteely, Co. Dublin, and spent much of his youth at his grandfather's house at Glenbrien, near Gorey, Co. Wexford. At the age…...
Cullen, Mary Teresa
Cullen, Mary Teresa (1866–1940), nun and founder of the magazine Virgo Potens, was born 27 August 1866, fourth child of Hugh Cullen, of Liverpool, and Elizabeth Cullen (née Leonard), of Co. Meath. She was the grand-niece of Cardinal …...
Cullen, Paul
Cullen, Paul (1803–78), catholic archbishop and cardinal, was born 29 April 1803 at Prospect House, near Ballitore, Co. Kildare, third of the fifteen children of Hugh Cullen and his second wife, Mary Maher of Kilrush. (There was one daughter by an earlier marriage.) Prosperous tenant…...
Cummins, Catherine
Cummins, Catherine (1879–1967), Sister of Charity and founder member of Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital, was born 6 February 1879 in Dublin, one of thirteen children of Patrick Cummins and Mary Cummins (née Kelly). Patrick was the proprietor of four pawnbroking establishments in Dublin, so…...
Curran, Michael
Curran, Michael (1880–1960), priest and separatist, was born in Dublin on 8 May 1880, elder of two sons of Patrick Curran, head of the GPO telegraphic division and originally from Carlow, and his wife Mary Elizabeth (née McGahan), daughter of…...