Co. Donegal

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Alexander, Conel William (O'Donel) Long

Alexander, Conel William (O'Donel) Long (1879–1920), civil engineer and rugby footballer, was born 6 June 1879 in Imlick, Co. Donegal, youngest son of Joseph Alexander, farmer and JP, and his wife Frances Mary Long. Registered at birth as ‘…

Alexander, Eleanor Jane (Nell)

This is a co-subject for the entry on Alexander, Cecil Frances. View the original entry.

Alison, Francis

Alison, Francis (1705–79), presbyterian minister and educator in America, was born in the parish of Leck, Co. Donegal, son of Robert Alison, weaver, who may have been fairly well off, and who seems to have died in 1725; his mother's name is unknown, but her first name was possibly…

Allingham, William

Allingham, William (1824–89), poet and customs official, was born 19 March 1824 in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, eldest of five children of William Allingham, merchant and bank manager, and Elizabeth Allingham (née Crawford). A brother died in infancy; his mother died when Allingham…

Armstrong, Sir Alexander

Armstrong, Sir Alexander (1818–99), naval surgeon and explorer, was born in Co. Donegal, son of Alexander Armstrong of Croghan Lodge, Co. Fermanagh. His family was originally from Cumberland and one of his ancestors was Maj.-gen. John Armstrong (d. 1742), a military engineer and…

Ash, Thomas

Ash, Thomas (1660?–p. 1735), diarist and defender of Derry, was born in Killylane, near Muff, Co. Donegal, before his family moved to Corrinerin, later known as Ashbrook, Co. Londonderry. One of twenty-four children of John Ash, he was the third son of John's second wife…

Assicus (T'Assach)

Assicus (T'Assach) (d. c.508), an artisan – i.e. coppersmith – of supposed Gaulish origin, came to Ireland at some stage during the mission of St Patrick (qv) and was later consecrated a bishop by him.…

Baird, Ernest Austin

Baird, Ernest Austin (1930–2003), unionist politician and businessman, was born 13 June 1930 in Ballycrampsie, on the Malin peninsula in Co. Donegal, son of Samuel Baird, a farmer, and his wife Rachel (née Fulton); he had two sisters. In 1953 the family moved to Belfast. Although Baird…

Barrington, Margaret (Louise)

Barrington, Margaret (Louise) (1896–1982), writer and journalist, was born 10 May 1896 in Malin, Co. Donegal, one of three daughters of Richard Barrington, RIC sergeant (later district inspector), and Charlotte Barrington (née Scott). Owing…

Bartlett (Barthelet), Richard

Bartlett (Barthelet), Richard (d. 1603?), cartographer, of Norfolk, England, may have been related to Thomas Berthelet (c.1490–1555), king's printer under Henry VIII, or to Edward Barthelet of Attleborough (d. 1605). He is thought to have taken part in the Ulster and…

Blaney, Harry

Blaney, Harry (1928–2013), public representative, was born on 18 February 1928 in Rossnakill on the Fanad Peninsula, Co. Donegal, one of eleven children (five daughters and six sons) of Neal Blaney TD (qv) and his wife Nora (née Sweeney…

Blaney, Neal (Neil)

Blaney, Neal (Neil) (1889–1948), politician and businessman, was born 5 November 1889 in the family home at Rosnakill, Co. Donegal, fifth of six children of William Blaney, small farmer, and Anna Blaney (née Sweeney). Aged 12, he left school to work on the family farm, situated…

Blaney, Neil Terence Columba

Blaney, Neil Terence Columba (1922–95), sometimes referred to as Neil Óg, politician and Fianna Fáil cabinet minister, was born in Rossnakill (half-way up the western side of the Fanad peninsula in the Milford electoral area), Co. Donegal, on 29 October 1922, the eldest of the eleven…

Bolton, Mary

Bolton, Mary (1920–96), counsellor, was born 16 September 1920 in Co. Donegal. An orphan, she was adopted by a farming couple in Co. Tyrone. As a young woman she settled in London, where she became an alcoholic. Recovering from her addiction as a result of treatment under Dr Max…

Bond, Oliver Cromwell

Bond, Oliver Cromwell (c.1761–1798), United Irish leader, was born in Co. Donegal, son of a presbyterian minister, and was apprenticed as a youth to a Derry haberdasher. Moving to Dublin in the early 1780s to trade in woollen goods at 54 Pill Lane, he took up residence (1786)…

Boyce, John

Boyce, John (1810–64), priest and novelist, was born in Donegal town, one of five children of Jerome Boyce, a hotelier who owned much of the town, became a magistrate, and was ‘a moderate upholder of the English administration’. Two of John's brothers, Jerome (d. childless, 1851)…

Brennan, Joseph

Brennan, Joseph (1913–80), politician, was born 14 February 1913 in Donegal, youngest of the twelve children of Frank Brennan, farmer, and Hannah Brennan (née Carr). The family lived at Croagh, near Dunkineely, west Donegal. Educated locally, he began his working life as a freelance…

Breslin, Cormac

Breslin, Cormac (1902–78), politician, was born 25 April 1902 in Ballindrait, Bunbeg, Co. Donegal, eldest of the seven children of John Breslin (d. 1919), hotelier and general merchant of Glenties, Co. Donegal, and his wife Mary (d. 1974), daughter of Daniel and Sorca Boyle, small…

Brooke, Stopford Augustus

Brooke, Stopford Augustus (1832–1916), clergyman and author, was born 14 November 1832 at ‘Glendoen’, near Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, eldest of eight children of the Rev. Richard Sinclair Brooke, the local curate, and Anna Brooke (née Stopford). When his maternal grandfather and…

Browne, Frances

Browne, Frances (1816–79), writer, was born 16 January 1816 in Stranorlar, Co. Donegal, seventh among twelve children of Samuel Browne, postmaster of Stranorlar, and his wife Frances (née Luke). Though blinded by smallpox at the age of 18 months, she picked up an education from her…

Burgh, Walter de

Burgh, Walter de (d. 1332), magnate, was eldest son of William ‘Liath’ de Burgh (qv) and Finola, daughter of Brian Ruad Ó Briain (qv). His first appearance in the…

Burkitt, James Parsons

Burkitt, James Parsons (1870–1959), ornithologist and engineer, was born 20 August 1870 at Killybegs, Co. Donegal, second son among five sons and two daughters of Thomas Henry Burkitt, presbyterian minister, and Emma Eliza Burkitt (née Parsons). He was educated at Galway grammar…

Butler, William Archer

Butler, William Archer (1812?–1848), clergyman and professor of moral philosophy, was second son of Pierce Archer Butler and Anna Maria Butler (née Gallwey); their seven children were brought up as Roman Catholics by their mother, though the father, who had several times been…

Butt, Isaac

Butt, Isaac (1813–79), barrister and politician, was born 6 September 1813 in the Rectory at Glenfin, Co. Donegal, the only son of Robert Butt (d. 1829), a Church of Ireland parson, and his second wife, Berkeley (née Cox), daughter of the Rev. R. Cox, of Dovish, Co. Donegal and a…

Carbery, Ethna

Carbery, Ethna (1866–1902), poet, writer, and journalist, was born Anna Johnston 3 December 1866 into a catholic family in Ballymena, Co. Antrim, the second of three children. She lived nearly all her life in Belfast, where her father,