Co. Westmeath

Geoghegan, James (1886–1951), politician and judge, was born 8 December 1886 in Walshestown, Co. Westmeath, one of two children of farmers Thomas Geoghegan and Bridget Geoghegan (née Carney). Educated at the CBS at Mullingar, he…

Ginnell, Laurence (1852–1923), land agitator and politician, was born in April 1852 at Crowenstown, Delvin, Co. Westmeath, one of twins among three sons of Laurence Ginnell, agricultural labourer, and his wife Mary (née Monaghan). Little is known about his life before he became…

Gore, John Ellard (1845–1910), amateur astronomer and writer on astronomy, was born 1 June 1845 in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, eldest among four sons and one daughter of John Ribton Gore (1820–94), archdeacon of Achonry, Co. Sligo, and Frances Brabazon Gore (née Ellard). He was educated…

Guernsey, Wellington (1817–85), musician and songwriter, was born in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, son of an army officer who named him after the victor of Waterloo; nothing more is known of his family. He was a delicate child and his schooling was limited, but he read widely and was…

Hamilton, James Archibald (1747–1815), Church of Ireland clergyman and astronomer, was born at Athlone, Co. Westmeath, son of Col. Gustavus Hamilton and Jane Hamilton (née Giverdot). From 1754 he attended the Royal School at Armagh before entering…

Hart, Josephine (1942–2011), writer, theatrical producer and poetry promoter, was born on 1 March 1942 in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, the eldest of five children of Dermot Hart and his wife Sheila (née Donoghue). Her father had been a commercial traveller and a lorry driver, until…

Healy, Dermot (1947–2014), novelist, poet, memoirist and playwright, was born on 9 November 1947 in the village of Finea, Co. Westmeath, the son of Winnie, housewife, and Jack Healy, a garda, and the brother of Tony, Úna and Miriam. When he was a young boy, the family moved to Cavan…

Heaton, Hubert ('Bert') Ormsby (1916–2009), businessman, was born on 14 February 1916 in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, the elder of two sons of (John) Arthur Heaton and his wife Emily Florence (née Ormsby); a younger sister died as a child in 1929. His father was the son of Samuel Heaton,…

Higgins, Matthew James (1810–68), journalist, was born 4 December 1810 in Westmeath, youngest child and only son of Matthew Higgins of Benown Castle, Co. Westmeath, and his wife Janette, daughter of James Baillie of Dochfour, Inverness-shire, Scotland. His father died soon after…

Higgins, Patrick ('Pat') (1923–2007), baker and businessman, was born on 5 August 1923 at the family home in Kilmore near the village of Kilkeely, Co. Mayo, one of four children of Patrick Higgins, farmer, and his wife Mary (née O'Grady). He worked in a number of bakeries in Mayo and…

Hogan, Patrick (1885–1969), Labour politician, was born 10 October 1885 in Culleen, Kilmaley, Ennis, Co. Clare, only son of Patrick Hogan, labourer, and his wife Bridget (née O'Connor). Educated locally, he worked as a postman; a fluent Irish speaker, he became active in Sinn Féin and…

Holmes, Thomas Rice Edward (1855–1933), historian and classicist, was born 24 May 1855 at Waterstown House, near Athlone, Co. Westmeath, fifth son of Robert Holmes, farmer and breeder of cows and horses, and Jane Holmes (née Henn). Originally taught by a private tutor, he entered…

Jessop, William John Edward (1902–80), physician, was born 11 July 1902 near Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, the eldest of three sons of John Brabason Jessop, a farmer, and Mary Jane Jessop (née Anderson), daughter of William Anderson. He was educated at the Ranelagh School, Athlone, and…

Kavanagh, Thomas Henry (‘Lucknow Kavanagh’) (1821–82), East India Company official and first civilian recipient of the VC, was born 15 July 1821 in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Details of his early life are scarce but it is believed that his father…

Keegan, John (1813–93), surveyor and diarist, was born at Laragh, near Horseleap, Co. Westmeath, in 1813, the only son of Thomas Keegan (1789–1854), a farmer, and his wife, Mary (née Gannon). The Keegans were descended from the hereditary brehons of the Irish midlands; one…

Kelly, Sarah (1801–56), landowner and murder victim, was born Sarah Birch in Ramsgate, Kent, England, sixth child of John Birch, husbandman and innkeeper, and his wife Elizabeth. At the age of 15 she was seduced by Joshua Paul Meredith, an Anglo-Irish gentleman who took her to…

Killen, John (c.1763–1803), publican and convicted rebel, was born at Kinnegad, Co. Westmeath; there are no details about his family or early life. He moved to Dublin where he purchased a small public house on Thomas Street, beside James Street. There he married a notorious…

Leeson, Margaret (‘Peg’) (1727–97), prostitute, brothel-keeper, and memoirist, was born Margaret Plunket at Killough, Co. Westmeath, one of eight surviving children of Matthew Plunket, a wealthy farmer, and his wife, whose maiden name was O'Reilly. Most of what is known about Margaret…

Lenihan, Brian (1959–2011), politician, was born on 21 May 1959 in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, eldest of five sons and one daughter of Brian Lenihan (qv), Fianna Fáil politician, and his wife Ann (née Devine). His grandfather…

MacAvin (McAvin), John Patrick (1880–1938), businessman and politician, was born on 27 December 1880 in Ballymore, Co. Westmeath, the eldest son of David MacAvin, an RIC constable stationed in the Ballymore area and originally of Co. Monaghan, and his wife Anne (née Walsh) from Co.…

This is a co-subject for the entry on MacDermot, Brian. View the original entry.

Malby, Sir Nicholas (c.1530–1584), soldier and president of Connacht, was born probably in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. All that is known of his parents is that his father died when he was four, and he may have been brought up in London by a merchant, John Malby…

Martin, Liam Christopher (1934–98), artist and illustrator, was born 25 February 1934 in Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath, the son of Ambrose Victor Martin of Kilbeggan, a commercial traveller, and his wife Margaret (née Harding). When he was aged one his family moved to Rathfarnham, Co.…

McCormack, John Francis (1884–1945), singer, was born 14 June 1884 in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, fourth of five children to survive out of a family of eleven of Andrew McCormack and his wife Hannah (née Watson), Scottish mill workers who had moved to Ireland. The tenor's paternal…

McGrath, John (‘Jobber’) (1928–80), hurler, was born 15 February 1928 in Taughmon, Co. Westmeath, son of James McGrath, labourer, and Marcella McGrath (née O'Brien). His nickname derived from the traditional involvement of his family in the cattle-dealing business. He grew up and…