Co. Galway

Ó Conaire, Pádraic (1882–1928), novelist and short-story writer, was born 28 February 1882 in the ‘Lobster Pot Bar’ in Galway city, one of five children of Tomás Ó Conaire, publican, and his wife Cáit (née Ní Dhonncha). Much folklore surrounds Pádraic's life and his biographers have…

Ó Conaire, Pádraic Óg (1893–1971), author and translator, was born 11 March 1893 in Turlach Beag, Ros Muc, Connemara, Co. Galway, son of Pádraic Ó Conaire and Nan Ní Fhéinneadha. His grandfather used the surname Ó Maolchonaire and according to Ó Conaire family folklore, the family moved…

O'Connell, Frederick William (1876–1929), clergyman and Irish-language scholar, was born 22 October 1876 in Clifden, Co. Galway, son of Reverend W. Morgan O'Connell, rector of Clifden. Educated at the High School, Dublin, he entered Trinity College Dublin (TCD) with entrance prizes in…

O'Connell, John (1949–99), human rights activist, was born 27 September 1949 in Claregalway, Co. Galway, the youngest of the seven children, four boys and three girls, of James O'Connell, a farmer, and his wife, Margaret, née Folan, who also came from a farming background. He was…

O'Connor, Michael Patrick (1896–1967), doctor, writer, and broadcaster, was born 15 October 1896 in Loughrea, Co. Galway, the son of Thomas O'Connor, RIC sergeant, of Athenry Rd, Loughrea, and Mary O'Connor (née Scanlon). Reared a…

O'Connor (Ó Conchobair), Fedlimid (1293–1316), king of Connacht, was son of Áed mac Eógain O'Connor (qv) (c.1265–1309), king of Connacht, and of a daughter of Geoffrey O'Farrell (Séfraid Ó Fergail) of Anghaile. In 1293 Áed mac Eógain, with the help of…

This is a co-subject for the entry on O'Connor (Ó Conchobair), Cathal Ruad. View the original entry.

O'Conway, Matthias James (1766–1842), linguist and lexicographer, was born 3 February 1766 in Galway, son of Matthew O'Conway (who was according to one source a ‘merchant’ of that city) and his wife Elizabeth O'Hogan. We know of only one other sibling, an older brother, John. A native…

Ó Direáin, Máirtín (1910–88), poet, was born 26 November 1910 in Inis Mór, Aran, Co. Galway, the eldest of the three sons and one daughter of Seán Ó Direáin, small farmer, and Mairéad Ní Dhireáin (widow of Labhrás Mac Confhaola), both of Inis Mór. His father died in 1917, aged forty-…

O'Flaherty, Liam (1896–1984), writer and political activist, was born 28 August 1896 at Gort na gCapall on Inis Mór, one of the Aran islands, eighth child and second surviving son among fourteen children (of whom only eleven survived) of Michael O'Flaherty, smallholder, and his wife…

O'Flaherty, Roderick (Ó Flaithbheartaigh, Ruaidhrí) (1629–1718), historiographer, was born in late 1629 at Moycullen, Co. Galway, to Hugh O'Flaherty, proprietor of the castle and manor of Moycullen, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Alderman Martin Darcy of Galway city and a…

O'Flaherty, Thomas (1890–1936), journalist, writer, and socialist, was born 30 December 1890 in Gort na gCapall, Inishmore, Aran Islands, Co. Galway, one of two sons and seven daughters of Michael O'Flaherty, smallholder, Fenian, and Land Leaguer, and Margaret O'Flaherty (née Ganly…

Ó Flathartaigh, Mairtín (1912–2005), civil servant and Irish-language scholar, was born 11 November 1912 in the townland of An Caorán Mór, near Carraroe, Co. Galway, the youngest of seven children of Colm Ó Flathartaigh (1872–1919), a small farmer from An Caorán Mór, and his wife Bríd…

Ó Gadhra, Nollaig (1943–2008), journalist, historian and Irish-language activist, was born 16 December 1943 on the family farm at Kilmurry, Feenagh, Co. Limerick, the eldest son of David Geary of Feenagh and his wife Hannah (née Flynn) of Fieries, Co. Kerry. His parents met after…

Ó hÉanaí, Seosamh (Heaney, Joe; ‘Joe Éinniú’) (1919–84), sean-nós singer and storyteller, was born 1 October 1919 in Ard Thoir, Carna, Co. Galway, one of eight children of Pádraig Ó hÉinniú and his wife Béib Ní Mhaoilchiaráin (Béib Sheáin Mhichíl Shéamuis). He received his earliest…

Ó hEithir, Breandán (1930–90), writer, broadcaster, and journalist, was born 18 January 1930 in Cill Rónáin, Aran, Co. Galway, eldest among two sons and two daughters of Pádraig Ó hEithir of west Clare and Bríd (‘Delia’) Ní Fhlatharta of Aran, sister of…

Ó hEocha, Colm (1926–97), biochemist and president of UCG, was born 19 September 1926 in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, eldest of two sons and one daughter of Séamus Ó hEocha of Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, and Greta Ó hEocha (née Drohan), schoolteacher, from Ballynevin, Carrick-on-Suir, Co…

O'Heyne, John (c.1648–1713), Dominican priest and historian, was born near Athenry; his writings, curiously, do not mention his own parentage. He was the great-nephew on his father's side of Dominic Burke (qv)…

O'Higgins, Quentin (Con Ó hUiginn) (d. 1565), Dominican priest and vicar provincial, was born at Termonhiggin, Co. Sligo. His family belonged to a branch of the southern Uí Néill, one of the most distinguished literary families in Ireland, as attested in the annals of the Four…

Ó hUiginn, Tadhg Óg (d. 1448), praise poet, was the son of the poet Tadhg Ó hUiginn (d. 1391). Of his mother, nothing is known other than her Christian name, Áine. The Ó hUiginn family of Connacht was closely linked with bardic poetry and scholarship in the later medieval and…

O'Kelly, Charles (1621–95), Jacobite army officer and writer, was born at Screen castle, Co. Galway, eldest son of John O'Kelly (d. 1674), 8th lord of the manor of Screen, and Isma, daughter of Sir William Hill of Ballybeg, Co. Carlow. He received his education at St Omer in the…

O'Kelly de Gallagh et Tycooly, Gerald Edward (1890–1968), diplomat, was born 11 March 1890 at Gurtray, Portumna, Co. Galway, third among seven sons of Count John Appleyard O'Kelly – his ancestor Festus O'Kelly de Gallagh et Tycooly had been created a count of the Holy Roman Empire…

O'Kelly (Ó Cellaig), Domnall (d. 1295), one of the five sons of Conchobar O'Kelly (qv) (d. 1268), king of Uí Maine, succeeded his elder brother Maine Mór c.1271 as king of Uí Maine. Nothing substantive is known of…

O'Kelly, Patrick (c.1746–1837), poet, was born in Loughrea, Co. Galway, probably in 1746, though one of his own poems gives his birth year as 1754. Famed for his eccentricity, he fancied himself a bard in the old Gaelic tradition and travelled around the great houses,…

O'Kelly, Seumas (1875?–1918), journalist and writer, was born James Kelly in Mobhill, Loughrea, Co. Galway, youngest of seven (or possibly eight) children of Michael Kelly, corn merchant, and his wife, Catherine Fitzgerald. His date of birth is uncertain; some commentators believe he…