Co. Kerry

Ó Rathaille, Aogán (1670?–1728/9), poet, was probably born in Co. Kerry. Origins There is no direct evidence of his date of birth or family origins, but notes in multiple manuscript compilations of his work agree that he was born on the Kerry side of the intersection of counties Kerry…

Ó Séaghdha, Diarmaid na Bolgaidhe (c.1755–1846), poet, was born in Dring in the parish of Tuosist, Co. Kerry. Nothing is known of his parents. Local folklore tells that his family descended from a mermaid from whom he inherited his keen intellect and gift for sailing. Numerous other…

Ó Séaghdha, Pádraig (c.1855–1928), writer and Irish language activist, was born in Gort Breac between Kenmare and Killarney, Co. Kerry, son of John O'Shea, a farmer, and his wife, Gobnait Moriarty. Both his parents were native Irish speakers and he was educated at the local…

Ó Sé, Páidí (O'Shea, Paudie) (1955–2012), Gaelic footballer and manager, was born on 16 May 1955 in St Ann's Home, Tralee, Co. Kerry, the youngest of three sons of Tommy O'Shea of Ventry, Co. Kerry, and his wife Beatrice (née Lavin), originally of Ballymoate, Co. Sligo. Formally named…

Ó Siochfhradha, Pádraig (‘An Seabhac’) (1883–1964), teacher, writer and Irish language activist, was born 10 March 1883 in Burnham East, near Dingle, Co. Kerry, one of nine children of gamekeeper Patrick Sugrue and his wife, Ellen Cleary. Mícheál Ó Siochfhradha (1901?–1986), dramatist…

Ó Súilleabháin, Amhlaoibh (O'Sullivan, Humphrey) (1783–1838), diarist, seanchaí (storyteller), schoolteacher, and draper, was born 1 May 1783 in Glenfesk, near Killarney, Co. Kerry, probably the eldest of several children born to Donncha Ó Súilleabháin (1738–1808),…

Ó Súilleabháin, Eoghan ‘Rua’ (c.1748–1784), poet, was born in Meentoges, some 12 km east of Killarney in the parish of Kilcummin, Co. Kerry, one of three or four sons of Parthalón Ó Súilleabháin, tenant farmer, and his wife, whose surname may have been Ní Scannail. Any account…

Ó Súilleabháin, Muiris (1904–50), author, was born 19 February 1904 on the Great Blasket Island, youngest of the five children of Seán ‘Lis’ Ó Súilleabháin, fisherman and farmer, and Cáit Ó Súilleabháin (née Ní Ghuithín), niece of the author…

Ó Súilleabháin, Seán (1903–96), folklorist, was born 30 November 1903 in Derrylough in the parish of Tuosist, Co. Kerry, second youngest of six children of teachers Eoghan Ó Súilleabháin and his wife, Helena Ní Shúilleabháin. Of the six children, five became national schoolteachers. Ó…

Ó Súilleabháin, Tomás Ruadh (1785–1848), schoolmaster and poet in Irish, was born in Bán Ard, Derrynane, Co. Kerry. His father, a relation of Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin (qv), may have been called Tadhg and his mother's maiden name…

O'Sullivan, Edward (Eamon; ‘the Doc’) (1897–1966), athlete, Gaelic football trainer, sports administrator, and psychiatrist, was born 8 May 1897 in Ballincarrig, Firies, Co. Kerry, only son among three children of James ‘J. P.’ O'Sullivan, farmer, originally from Beaufort near…

O'Sullivan, John Marcus (1881–1948), historian and politician, was born 18 February 1881 at Killarney, the second son of M. O'Sullivan, JP, merchant. He was part of an extended O'Sullivan family grouping, which struggled for dominance of…

O'Sullivan (Sullivan), Sir John William (c.1700–p. 1760), Jacobite soldier and companion to Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender, was born in Co. Kerry, one of two sons of Dermot O'Sullivan, described as lord of Dunkerron, and his wife, whose maiden surname…

O'Sullivan, Timothy James (‘Toddy’) (1906–94), manager of the Gresham Hotel, Dublin, was born 15 December 1906 in Waterville, Co. Kerry, son of Timothy O'Sullivan. Educated at Presentation College, Cork, he later travelled extensively before entering hotel management. Having managed…

Patterson, John Francis (‘Johnny’) (1840–89), clown and songwriter, was born in Kilbarron, near Feakle, Co. Clare, youngest among two sons and two daughters of Francis Patterson, nailer, and his wife, of whom nothing is known. Orphaned as an infant, Johnny was raised by his uncle,…

Pelham, Henry (1749–1806), miniaturist, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, son of Peter Pelham (1697–1751), mezzotint engraver, and his third wife Mary Singleton Copley. She was the widow of Richard Copley and mother of the distinguished American artist and miniaturist John…

Power, John (‘Jackie’) (1916–94), hurler, was born 30 May 1916 in Annacotty, Co. Limerick, one of two children of David Power, gardener, from Kilbreedy, Kildimo, Co. Limerick, and his second wife Ellen Power (née Fitzgerald) of Annacotty. He had two half-brothers and one half-sister…

Prendiville, Redmond Garrett (‘Mundy’) (1900–68), Gaelic footballer and catholic archbishop of Perth, Western Australia, was born 11 September 1900 in Glenlarhan, Cordal, Castleisland, Co. Kerry, youngest among sixteen children of Garrett Prendiville, farmer, and Hannah…

Quill, Michael Joseph (1905–66), trade union leader, was born 18 September 1905 in Gortloughera, Kilgarvan, Co. Kerry, seventh among five sons and three daughters of John Daniel Quill, farmer, of Gortloughera, and Margaret Quill (née Lynch), of Ballyvourney, Co. Cork. He attended…

Randles, Eileen (1937–2015), teacher, education leader and nun, was born 26 April 1937 in Kenmare, Co. Kerry, the youngest of three daughters born to Tom Randles and his wife Nora (‘Dolly’) May (née Healy). The family lived on the premises of the garage Tom ran on Shelbourne Street in…

Raymond, Anthony (1675–1726), clergyman and Irish-language scholar, was born in Ballyloughran, near Listowel, Co. Kerry, second son of Anthony Raymond, sheriff of Kerry, and his wife Ann (née Taylor). His family moved to Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, at some stage during his youth. Little is…

Rice, James Louis (1730–p. 1793), soldier and duellist, was son of Thomas Rice, count of the Holy Roman Empire and merchant, of Baile Mhic an Daill, Dingle, Co. Kerry, and Alicia Rice (née Meade). Educated at the Irish College at Louvain, he was initially destined for the…

Rice, John Joe (1893–1970), republican activist, was born 19 June 1893 in Kilmurry, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, son of George Rice, draper's assistant, and Ellen Rice (neé Ring). After national school he became a clerk with the Great Southern & Western Railway Co., working at stations…

Roche, Stephen Anselm (1890–1949), civil servant, was born in Caherciveen, Co. Kerry. His father was an excise officer in the British civil service who was posted on the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and as a result Roche spent much of his childhood there. He…

Rowan, Anne Margaret (1832–1913), novelist, historian, and political activist, was born 21 November 1832 in Tralee, Co. Kerry, to Arthur Blennerhasset Rowan (qv), Church of Ireland clergyman and antiquarian, and his wife…