Foley, Desmond (‘Des’)
Foley, Desmond (‘Des’) (1940–95), sportsman and politician, was born 12 September 1940 in a nursing home at 12 Seville Place, North Strand, Dublin, youngest among five sons and five daughters of Patrick Foley, a carrier, resident at 21 Blackheath Park, Clontarf, and Elizabeth…...
Foley, Lar (Liam)
Foley, Lar (Liam) (1938–2003), Gaelic footballer and hurler, was born William Foley on 28 November 1938 in a nursing home at Seville Place, North Strand, Dublin, second youngest among five sons and five daughters of Patrick Foley, a carrier, resident at 37 Rutland Street, Summerhill,…...
Foster, Alexander Roulston ('Alec')
Foster, Alexander Roulston ('Alec') (1890–1972), rugby international, schoolmaster and political activist, was born on 22 June 1890 in Derry city, the younger son among two sons and four daughters of John Foster and his wife Christina ('Chrissie') (née Roulston(e)). John Foster was…...
Fowler, Bryan John (‘the Brig’)
Fowler, Bryan John (‘the Brig’) (1898–1987), Olympic silver medallist in polo, amateur jockey, and racehorse owner, breeder, and trainer, was born 18 August 1898 at Rahinston, Co. Meath, second son among two sons and a daughter of George Hurst Fowler of Eureka Wells, Co. Meath, and…...
Fox, Richard Kyle
Fox, Richard Kyle (1846–1922), publisher and patron of sports, was born on Albertbridge Road, Belfast, on 12 August 1846. Fox's father James was a carpenter and mason, and his mother Mary (née Kyle) was the daughter of Henry Kyle, a Belfast presbyterian minister. As a teenager Fox…...
Freaney, Oliver
Freaney, Oliver (1928–91), Gaelic footballer, was born 16 November 1928 in Dublin, son of John Freaney, drapery buyer, and Maura Freaney (née Hearne). He was educated in O'Connell's Schools CBS, in the north of Dublin's inner city,…...
Frith, James Wiltshire (‘J. W.’)
Frith, James Wiltshire (‘J. W.’) (1869–1948), journalist and racing official, was born 11 September 1869 at 8 Seapoint Terrace, Irishtown, Co. Dublin, son of James Frith, printer, and Maria Louisa Frith (née Wiltshire); assertions in his obituary notices that he was the son of a…...
Fullam, Robert (‘Bob’)
Fullam, Robert (‘Bob’) (1895–1974), soccer player, was born 17 September 1895 in 32 Bridge St., Ringsend, Dublin, son of John Fullam, fisherman, and Mary Fullam (née Reilly). He began his football career in 1914 with St Brendan's in Dublin, and moved (1917) to another Dublin club,…...
Fulton, Robert Patrick
Fulton, Robert Patrick (1906–79), soccer player, was born 6 November 1906 in Gardenmore Place, Larne, Co. Antrim, son of John Fulton, mercantile clerk, and Maggie Fulton (née Purdy). He played soccer as a youth in the Falls Park League and had joined Belfast Celtic as a full back by…...
Gallacher (Gallagher), Patrick (‘Patsy’)
Gallacher (Gallagher), Patrick (‘Patsy’) (1891–1953), footballer, was born 16 March 1891 at Milford workhouse, Co. Donegal, one of four boys and three girls of William Gallagher, a post car driver from Ramelton, and his wife Margaret (née Gallagher). When Patsy was three years old…...
Gallagher, Redmond
Gallagher, Redmond (1914–2006), businessman and motor-racing enthusiast, was born in the family home at Dunwiley House in Stranorlar, Co. Donegal, on 27 February 1914, the youngest child of Henry Gallagher and his wife Eileen (née Cullen). He represented the third generation of a…...
Gallaher, David (Dave)
Gallaher, David (Dave) (1873–1917), rugby player, was born on 30 October 1873 in Castle Street, Ramelton, Co. Donegal, son of James Henry Gallagher, a shopkeeper trading at Market Cross there, and (Anna) Maria Hardy Gallagher (née McCloskey), a schoolteacher originally from Belfast.…...
Ganly, James Blandford
Ganly, James Blandford (1904–76), cricket, rugby, and tennis international, was born 7 March 1904 in Balscadden, Howth, Co. Dublin, son of James Ganly, auctioneer, and Olive Ganly (née Blandford). Educated at St Columba's College, Rathfarnham, he had his first success at cricket;…...
Gardiner, Frederick Thomas
Gardiner, Frederick Thomas (1874–1921), rugby footballer, was born 31 May 1874 at Tullyglush, Co. Armagh, son of William Gardiner, merchant, and Mary Gardiner (née Coulter). Educated at Lurgan College in the late 1880s, he moved to Belfast to play club rugby for the North of Ireland…...
Gardner, George
Gardner, George (1877–1954), boxer, was born 17 March 1877 in Ballinslacken, Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare, son of Patrick Gardner, bare-knuckle prizefighter; nothing is known of his mother. His family emigrated to Lowell, Massachusetts, in his early childhood and he fought his first of…...
Garvey, Philomena Kathleen
Garvey, Philomena Kathleen (1926–2009), amateur golfer, was born on 26 April 1926 in the village of Baltray, Co. Louth, the youngest of six children (four sons and two daughters) of James Garvey, a seaman, and his wife Kathleen (née Owens), whose father had been a ship's captain.…...
Gibbons, Hugh
Gibbons, Hugh (1916–2007), Gaelic footballer, medical doctor and politician, was born 6 July 1916 in Ballybeg, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, the fourth child of Luke Gibbons and his wife Ellen (née Egan). His parents married in 1910 and his father was a publican and merchant. Hugh Gibbons…...
Gillespie, William (Billy)
Gillespie, William (Billy) (1891–1981), footballer, was born 6 August 1891 in Kerrykeel, Co. Donegal, the eldest son of seven children (four girls and three boys) of Robert Gillespie, an RIC sergeant, and his wife Eliza, a native of Co.…...
Gill, Mollie (Ní Giolla, Máire)
Gill, Mollie (Ní Giolla, Máire) (1891–1977), camogie player and administrator, was born Mary Anne Gill on 24 March 1891 at Murphystown, near Leopardstown, in south Co. Dublin, the daughter of James Gill, a shoe-maker, and his wife Jane (neé Daly). Census records suggest that she was the…...
Gill, William Joseph
Gill, William Joseph (1908–81), amateur golfer and businessman, was born 10 May 1908 at 61 Mountjoy Square, Dublin, first child of Richard A. Gill, publisher, and Alice Gill (née Scallan). His great-grandfather was Michael Henry Gill…...
Gilmartin, John Joe (‘Gil’)
Gilmartin, John Joe (‘Gil’) (1914–80), handball player, was born 9 June 1914 at Maudlin St., Kilkenny city, son of Joseph Gilmartin, printer for the Kilkenny Moderator, and Martina Gilmartin (née McNally). His uncle, Joe McNally of Westport, Co. Mayo, won the All-Ireland…...
Glen, William Matthew (‘Sacky’)
Glen, William Matthew (‘Sacky’) (1903–81), soccer player, was born 18 July 1903 in 25 North William St., Dublin, son of Robert Glen, blacksmith, and Maria Glen (née Hillan). He joined Shamrock Rovers at the age of sixteen, while the club was still in the Leinster Senior League, and…...
Goodall, Ken (Kenneth George)
Goodall, Ken (Kenneth George) (1947–2006), rugby player, was born 23 February 1947 at St Mary’s hospital, Leeds, England, to George Goodall, a roofer, and his wife Kathleen (née Daly). George, a Yorkshireman, had married Kathleen, from Derry, during the second world war; the family…...
Goold, Vere Thomas St Leger
Goold, Vere Thomas St Leger (1853–1909), first notable Irish lawn tennis player, was born 2 October 1853 in Waterford, sixth son among seven children of George Ignatius Goold, justice of the peace and resident magistrate, and his wife Clara, daughter of Major General James Webber-Smith…...
Gordon, Maurice Leonard (‘Maurie’)
Gordon, Maurice Leonard (‘Maurie’) (1910–90), sports administrator, businessman, and community activist, was born 10 January 1910 in Leeds, England, only son and elder of two children of Joseph Gordon (originally Seltzer), textile worker from Russia, and Bessie Gordon (née Bellow…...