Co. Donegal

O'Doherty, Rosa (c.1588–1660), refugee and political activist, was born on the Inishowen Peninsula in northern Co. Donegal, daughter of Sir John O'Doherty (d. 1601) and his first wife, a daughter of Shane O'Neill (qv). Rosa…

Ó Dónaill, Niall (1908–95), writer and lexicographer, was born 27 August 1908 in Ailt an Eidhinn near Loch an Iúir, Co. Donegal, the eldest of six children of a farmer, Tarlach Ó Dónaill, and his wife, Éilís Nic Ruairí. His mother was a musician and a storyteller and for many years his…

O'Donnell, Hugh McHugh Dubh (Aodh Ó Domhnaill) (c.1537–1618), nobleman and bardic poet, was born in Co. Donegal, the youngest son of Aodh Dubh O'Donnell (qv), lord of Tír Conaill (d. 1537). His mother may…

O'Donnell, Manus (Ó Domhnaill, Maghnas) (d. 1563), lord of Tír Conaill, was born in Co. Donegal, the eldest son of Aodh Dubh O'Donnell (qv), lord of Tír Conaill. His mother is unknown. He had thirteen half-brothers…

O'Donnell, Nuala (c.1575–c.1630), refugee, was born in Tir Conaill, daughter of Hugh O'Donnell (qv) (d. 1600), lord of Tyrconnell and his second wife,…

O'Donnell (Ó Domhnaill), Neachtan (1392–1452), king of Tír Conaill, was second son of Toirdhealbhach O'Donnell (qv), king of Tír Conaill; his mother was probably Gráinne, daughter of…

O'Donnell (Ó Domhnaill), Sir Aodh Dubh (d. 1537), lord of Tír Conaill, was born c.1471 in Co. Donegal, son of Aodh Ruadh O'Donnell (qv), lord of Tír Conaill, and his wife Fionnghuala, an O'Brien of Thomond. Aodh…

O'Donnell (Ó Domhnaill), Toirdhealbhach (d. 1423), king of Tír Conaill, was son of Niall Garbh O'Donnell, the short-lived king of Tír Conaill 1342–3. No information survives on Toirdhealbhach's youth and early manhood. He emerges into the light of history in 1380 as a middle-aged…

O'Donnell (Ó Domnaill), Domnall Mór (c.1180–1241), king of Donegal, was the son of Éccnechán O'Donnell (d. 1207), king of Donegal from the late 1190s. Nothing is known of his early years, but it seems he was at his father's side during Éccnechán's struggle for the kingship…

O'Donnell (Ó Domnaill), Maelsechlainn (c.1210–47), king of Donegal, the eldest son of Domnall Mór O'Donnell (qv) (d. 1241), king of Donegal, and an unknown noblewoman, seems to have been brought up in the Ó…

O'Donnell, Patrick (1835–83), killer of the informer James Carey (qv), was born at Meenaclady, near Derrybeg, Co. Donegal. In 1846 he emigrated with his family to the USA, but returned to Ireland in 1852. In 1860 he was back in America…

O'Donnell, Patrick (1856–1927), cardinal, was born at Kilraine, near Glenties, Co. Donegal, on 28 November 1856, the son, and one of nine children, of Daniel O'Donnell, tenant farmer, and his wife, Mary (née Breslin). The O'Donnells claimed descent from the medieval chiefly…

O'Donnell, Peadar (1893–1986), socialist and writer, was born 22 February 1893 in Meenmore, near Dunglow (Dungloe), Co. Donegal, one of the middle children of thirteen of Biddy and James (‘Sheáin Mhóir’) O'Donnell. He was greatly influenced by his upbringing in the Rosses, in north-west…

This is a co-subject for the entry on O'Donnell (Ó Domhnaill), Conchobhar. View the original entry.

O'Friel, Henry (1892–1977), public servant, was born 19 March 1892 in Co. Donegal, possibly at Milford, second among five children of James O'Friel, teacher, and Teresa O'Friel (née Redmond) of Co. Wicklow. He was educated at St Colman's College, Fermoy, Co. Cork, and secured many…

O'Glacan (Ó Glacan), Nial (d. 1665?), physician and writer, was born in Co. Donegal sometime in the last quarter of the sixteenth century. Very little is known of his early life, but his own writings indicate that he was trained as a physician by one of the Mac Duinntsleibhe (…

Ó Grianna, Séamus (‘Máire’) (1889–1969), writer, known locally as ‘Jimmy Fheilimidh’ and publishing under the pseudonym ‘Máire’, was born 17 November 1889 in Ranafast, Co. Donegal, eldest son and fourth child among five sons and six daughters of Feidhlimidh Mac Grianna (Feidhlimidh…

Ó hEochaidh, Seán (1913–2002), folklore collector, was born 9 February 1913 in Croaghlin, Teelin, Co. Donegal, son of a fisherman. He was educated locally in Teelin national school and afterwards joined his father's fishing crew, working for several years as a fisherman. From an early…

O'Malley, William (1853–1939), journalist and politician, was born in February 1853 at Ballyconneely, Co. Galway, the son of Michael, a farmer, and Honoria O'Malley, both of Ballyconneely, Co. Galway. He was educated at a national school in Ballyconneely and at the Galway Model…

O'Neill, William Chichester (1813–83), 1st Baron O'Neill , clergyman, was born William Chichester 4 March 1813 at Culdaff House, Co. Donegal, eldest among four sons of the Rev. Edward Chichester, rector of Kilmore, Co. Armagh, and Catherine Chichester (née Young). Educated at Foyle…

O'Shiel, Owen (Eoghan Ó Siadhail ) (1596–1650), physician, was born in Co. Westmeath, the son of James O'Shiel, of the barony of Moycashel in that county. The family had been prominent physicians in Westmeath since the sixteenth century. Nothing is known of O'Shiel's life until 1618,…

Porter, James (1752/3–1798), presbyterian minister and satirist, was born in the townland of Tamnawood, near Ballindrait in the Laggan district of Co. Donegal. His parents, who were presbyterians, were natives of the place and had three younger sons and four daughters. The father…

Porter, Josiah Leslie (1823–89), presbyterian minister, professor, and president of QCB, was born 4 October 1823 at Carrowan, Burt, Co. Donegal, youngest son of William Porter and Margaret Porter (née Leslie); both parents were from…

Reid, Mary (1953–2003), republican and feminist, was born in Monaghan town (home of her maternal grandparents) on 25 April 1953. She was the eldest of six children (four girls and two boys) of Plunkett Reid, grocer, and his wife Patricia. Her childhood was spent in Pettigo, Co.…

Rentoul, James Alexander (1845–1919), presbyterian minister, lawyer and politician, was born at Errity House, Manorcunningham, Co. Donegal, on 7 August 1845, eldest son (of three sons and five daughters) of Alexander Rentoul, presbyterian minister, and his wife Erminda (née Chittick…