Co. Louth

Muirchertach na Cochall Craicinin (d. 943), son of Niall Glúndub (qv) and king of Ailech, belonged to the Northern Uí Néill dynasty of Cenél nÉogain. His father was king of Tara; his mother was either Aillinn. daughter of Ainbith son of…

Murphy, Michael Joseph (1913–96), writer and collector of folklore, was born in Eden St., Liverpool, England, on 2 July 1913, son of Michael Murphy, ship's fireman, and Susan Murphy (née Campbell). Both parents were from south Armagh, and in 1922 the family returned to this region.…

Murphy, William Richard English (1890–1975), teacher, soldier, schools’ inspector, general and police commissioner, was born on 26 January 1890 at Danescastle, Carrig on Bannow, Co. Wexford, son of John Joseph Murphy and Sarah Agnes (née English), both of whom were teachers. He had one…

Murray, Laurence Patrick, ('Larry'), (Ó Muireadhaigh, Lorcán) (1883–1941), priest, historian and Irish-language activist, was born 8 June 1883 in Newry Street, Carlingford, Co. Louth, the eldest of seven surviving children (four sons and three daughters) of James Murray, a member of the…

Neville, William Cox (c.1855–1904), rugby international, sports administrator, and pioneer obstetrician, was born c.1855 in Dundalk, Co. Louth, son of John Neville, civil engineer; nothing is known of his mother. Educated at Dundalk College, he studied medicine…

Nic Shiubhlaigh, Máire (1883–1958), actress and republican, was born Mary Elizabeth Walker, 8 May 1883, at 39 Charlemont Street, Dublin, daughter of Matthew Walker, a printer and typesetter, and Mary Anne Walker (née Dogherty), a dressmaker. Her father, who had printed Fenian and other…

O'Brien, Dermot (1932–2007), musician and Gaelic footballer, was born 23 October 1932 in Ardee, Co. Louth, the son of Paddy O'Brien, labourer and bandmaster of the Ardee Brass and Reed Band, of Dolan Terrace, Ardee, and his wife Nancy (née Dowdall). He attended Ardee's De La Salle…

Ó Buachalla, Liam (1899–1970), professor of economics and Irish-language enthusiast, was born 10 April 1899 at 40 Clanbrassil Street, Dublin, son of Thomas Buckley, cooper, and Sarah Buckley (née Treacy). His family moved to Drogheda when he was very young and he received his education…

O'Donohue, Maura (1933–2015), missionary doctor and public health campaigner, was born on 2 March 1933 at Likeen, her family home in Kilfenora, Co. Clare, the second of four children (two girls and two boys) of Andrew O’Donohue, a farmer, and his wife Kate (née O’Brien). Mary Brigid, as…

O'Dowda, Brendan Joseph (1925–2002), singer, was born 1 October 1925 in Dundalk, Co. Louth, the youngest of a family of seven boys and three girls of Francis Joseph O'Dowda (d. 1955) from Cork, who worked in the engineering department of the post office, and his wife Josephine (née…

Ó Gallchobhair, Éamonn (Eamonn O'Gallagher) (1900–82), composer and music critic, was born Edward Joseph Gallagher on 30 September 1900 in Dundalk, Co. Louth, the second eldest of at least five children (one girl and four boys) of Edward Gallagher (d. 1918), a Scottish-born plumber and…

O'Hanlon, Paddy (Patrick Michael) (1944–2009), political activist, community worker, barrister and author, was born in Drogheda, Co. Louth, on 8 May 1944, second of seven children of Paddy O'Hanlon, butcher and Old IRA veteran, and his wife Margaret (née Grant). Both parents came from…

O'Kearney (Kearney), Nicholas (‘Nioclás Ó Cearnaigh’) (c.1800?–1865?), Gaelic poet, editor, scribe, Irish-language revivalist, and literary forger, was born in Thomastown, just west of Dundalk, Co. Louth, probably c.1800. He may have been a son of…

O'Neill, Eliza (Lady Wrixon- Becher) (1791–1872), actress, was born in Drogheda, Co. Louth. Both her father (John O'Neill, manager of a Drogheda theatre) and mother (formerly a Miss Featherstone) were actors, and she, like her sister and three brothers, performed on the stage from…

O'Reilly, Frank (c.1884–1957), secretary of the Catholic Truth Society, was born in Drogheda, Co. Louth, and educated by the Christian Brothers in Drogheda and Belfast; no details of his parents are known. In 1904 he was in Dublin as a Post Office official, a position he…

Orpen, Beatrice Esther (‘Bea’) (1913–80), painter and art teacher, was born 7 March 1913 at Lisheens, Carrickmines, Co. Dublin, one of twin daughters, the youngest children among five daughters and one son of Charles St George Orpen (1864–1939), a solicitor and president of the…

Ó Scanaill, Máel Pátraic (Patricius) (d. 1270), bishop of Raphoe and archbishop of Armagh, was probably a member of the Ó Scanaill family from Connacht. A Dominican, he may have been a member of the priory at Dundalk (Co. Louth). He was elected to the bishopric of Raphoe in…

Plunket, David Robert (1838–1919), 1st Baron Rathmore , politician and solicitor general, was born 3 December 1838 in Ireland, third son among five sons and eight daughters of John Plunket, 3rd Baron Plunket of Newton, and his wife, Charlotte, daughter of the lord chief justice…

Plunket, Katharine (1820–1932), botanical and landscape painter, was born 22 November 1820 at Kilsaran rectory, Co. Louth, the eldest of five daughters of Thomas Span Plunket (qv) (1792–1866), protestant curate of the parish,…

Reddan, Clare Rosemary ('Clarrie') (née Tiernan) (1916–2007), golfer, was born 3 July 1916 in Co. Louth, one of two daughters of Andrew Joseph Tiernan, who worked in the offices of a milling company in Dublin, and his wife Mary Victoria (née Connolly). Clarrie attended Loreto College on…

Reid, Nano (1900–81), painter, was born Anne Margaret Reid on 1 March 1900 in Drogheda, Co. Louth, eldest among four children of Thomas Reid, publican, and Anne Reid (née Downey). The family lived above their pub on the corner of Peter St. and Fair St., and enjoyed a prosperous…

Scott, Michael (1905–89), architect, was born 24 June 1905 in Drogheda, Co. Louth, second child among two sons and two daughters of William Scott, a school principal and later schools inspector from Co. Kerry, and Hilda Scott (née Daly), native of Cork city. In his childhood the family…

Sharkey, Thomas Joseph (‘Tom’; ‘Sailor’) (1873–1953), bare-knuckle heavyweight boxer, was born 26 November 1873 in Mill St., Dundalk, Co. Louth, son of James Sharkey, labourer, and Margaret Sharkey (née Kelly). Little is known of his early life except that he spent a decade at sea (…

Stokes, Robert (1845–1916), accountant, was born in Dublin but spent his early life in England, where he was educated in Stafford; no further details of his family are known except that he had at least one brother. Training as an accountant in Liverpool, he later returned to Dublin…

Sullivan, Luke (1705–71), engraver and miniaturist, was born in Co. Louth and moved to England with his father, a groomsman, at an early age. His father was employed in the stables of the duke of Beaufort, who noticed the boy's talent for drawing and arranged an art education for him…