Co. Laois

Gray, Edward Joseph (‘Ned’) (1925–72), director general of the Confederation of Irish Industry, was born 2 May 1925 in Portlaoise, Co. Laois, eldest son among three sons and nine daughters of Michael Gray, army officer, and his wife Mary, daughter of Edward Power of Portlaoise and…

Halpin, Nicholas John (1790–1850), clergyman and writer, was born 18 October 1790 at Portarlington, Queen's Co. (Laois), son of William Halpin, gentleman. He entered TCD in 1810 and, in a distinguished career there, showed a talent for…

Harty, William (1781–1854), physician and medical writer, was born in Kilkenny city, son of Timothy Harty, gentleman; nothing is known of his mother. He entered TCD in April 1797, aged 16, and became a scholar in 1799. He graduated…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Haslam, Anna Maria. View the original entry.

Jacob, Arthur (1790–1874), ophthalmologist, medical editor and reformer, was born 13 June 1790 in Knockfin near Maryborough, Queen's Co. (Portlaoise, Co. Laois), grandson of surgeon Michael Jacob, and second son of John Jacob, MD, and Grace…

Jellicoe, Anne (1823–1880), pioneer of women's education and founder of Alexandra College, Dublin, was born 26 March 1823 at Mountmellick, Queen's Co., the daughter of William Mullin (1796–1826), a quaker schoolmaster, and his wife, Margaret Mullin (née Thompson; 1801–1840). She…

Jocelyn, Robert (1788–1870), 3rd earl of Roden , landowner and politician, was born 27 October 1788 at Brockley Park, Queen's Co. (Laois), eldest son of Robert Jocelyn (qv), 2nd earl of Roden, and his first wife, Frances Theodosia (d.…

Keane, Maurice Ignatius ('Moss') (1948–2010), rugby and Gaelic footballer, was born on 27 July 1948 in Currow, near Castleisland, Co. Kerry, the eldest of three sons of Willie Keane and his wife Cassie (née O'Mahony), who were farmers. He was educated in Currow national school before…

Keeffe (O'Keeffe), Robert (‘Bob’) (1880–1949), hurler and GAA administrator, was born 16 August 1880 in Glengrant, near Mooncoin, Co. Kilkenny, one of at least three sons and two daughters of Peter Keeffe, farmer, from Glengrant, and Honora (‘Norah’, ‘Nano’) Keeffe (née Nolan).…

Keegan, John (1816?–49), poet and sketch writer, was born in the townland of Killeany, near Shanahoe, Queen's Co. (Laois), the son of Mary Keegan, née O'Mahony, probably in 1816 – though some sources suggest 1809; his father's name is not known. He lived with his parents in the home of…

Kilbride, Denis (1848–1924), agrarian campaigner and MP, was one of five sons of Thomas Kilbride of Lugacurran, Queen's County (Laois), farmer, and his wife, Maria Ryan. He was educated at Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare. After leaving school he worked on his father's…

Lalor, James Fintan (1807–49), nationalist writer, activist, and agrarian reformer, was born 10 March 1807 in Tinnakill, Queen's Co. (Laois), eldest among eight sons and three daughters of Patrick Lalor, a substantial tenant farmer and middleman, of Tinnakill, Queen's Co., and his…

Lalor, Patrick (‘Patt’) (1781–1856), tenant farmer and politician, was born in Tenakill, Queen's Co. (Laois), second son of Patrick Lalor (d.1813), a prosperous middleman and tenant farmer, who at the time of his death leased around 300 acres of agricultural land in the county.…

Lalor, Peter (1827–89), politician and leader of the Eureka Stockade rebellion in Australia, was born 5 February 1827 at Tinnakill, Queen's Co. (Laois), son of Patrick Lalor (qv), a substantial farmer and later MP for Queen's Co. (…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Lalor, Patrick (‘Patt’). View the original entry.

Lewis, Cecil Day (Nicholas Blake) (1904–72), poet, was born 27 April 1904 in Ballintubbert, Co. Laois, the only child of Frank Cecil Day-Lewis, Church of Ireland curate, and his wife, Kathleen Blake (née Squires), herself the youngest of the ten children of the director of the General…

Mac Giolla Phádraig (FitzPatrick), Brian (d. 1652), catholic priest and Gaelic poet, was born in Co. Laois sometime in the late sixteenth century, the son of Turlough Mac Giolla Phádraig, the half-brother of Barnaby Mac Giolla Phádraig (Fitzpatrick), the second baron of Upper…

Miller, Liam (1924–87), publisher, was born William Miller 24 April 1924 in Mountrath, Co. Laois, son of James Miller, victualler, and Elizabeth Miller (née Carbery). He studied architecture at UCD and travelled to London after 1945 to…

Mills, Michael (1927–2008), journalist and ombudsman, was born 31 October 1927 in Mountmellick, Co. Laois, the son of Anthony Mills, originally from Gorthmelia, near Belmullet, Co. Mayo, and his wife Kathleen (née Phelan), originally from Radestown, Co. Kilkenny. His father managed a…

Monck, William Henry Stanley (1839–1915), philosopher and astronomer, was born 21 April 1839 at Skeirke, Queen's Co. (Laois), third son of Thomas Stanley Monck, curate of Skeirke 1829–50, and Lydia Elinor Monck (née Kennedy). The family moved (1850) to Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny,…

Moore, Joe (1908–89), businessman, was born in Mountrath, Co. Laois, on 16 November 1908, the son of Edward Moore, farmer, of Mountrath, and his wife Elizabeth (née Dunne). Bad eyesight precluded him from playing his favourite sport of hurling, so he organised teams instead. Attending…

Murchad (d. 1042), son of Dúnlaing and overking of Leinster, belonged to the Uí Muiredaig lineage of the Uí Dúnlainge dynasty. His father, Dúnlaing (qv), died at Glendalough in 1014, having held the overkingship of Leinster for only a month.…

Murphy, Thomas (‘Tommy’) (1921–85), Gaelic footballer, was born in Graiguecullen, Queen's Co. (Laois). Educated at Graiguecullen national school and Knockbeg College, he played for the Laois minor team aged 15, made his senior football debut for Laois in 1937 while still at school,…

O'Brien, William Shoney (1825–78), capitalist in America, was born in Abbeyleix, Queen's Co. (Laois). He emigrated to the US as a teenager and settled in New York City, where he became an American citizen on 3 November 1845. Harbouring dreams of finding adventure in Texas, he worked…

O’Duinn, Seán (1873–1952), teacher, propagandist and trade representative, was born John J. Dunne on 7 September 1873 at 1 Forge Street, Mountmellick, Queen’s Co. (Laois), the son of James Dunne, a shopkeeper of Mountmellick, and his wife Catherine (née McEvoy); his mother had…