Co. Mayo

O'Connell, Jeremiah Joseph (‘J. J.’, ‘Ginger’) (1887–1944), soldier and revolutionary, was born 21 December 1887 in Ballina, Co. Mayo, son of Jeremiah Ambrose O'Connell, national school inspector, and Winifred O'Connell (née Geraty). Because of his father's job the family moved…

O'Connell, Thomas Joseph (‘T. J.’) (1882–1969), teacher, trade unionist, and politician, was born 28 November 1882 at Spotfield, Bekan, Co. Mayo, second son of Thomas Connell, farmer, and Maria Connell (née Biesty). Educated at Bekan national school, where from July 1895 he served…

O'Donovan, (Peter) Joseph ('Joe') (1946–2008), consulting engineer, was born 9 June 1946 in Molloy Terrace, Ballina, Co. Mayo, son of Peter Joseph O'Donovan, a school inspector originally from west Cork, and his wife Hannah (née Bourke), formerly a teacher; he had at least four…

O'Dwyer, Paul (1907–98), lawyer, activist, and politician in the USA, was born 29 June 1907 in Lismirrane (Lismiraun), Bohola, Swinford, Co. Mayo, youngest of eleven children (of whom six sons and four daughters survived infancy) of Patrick O'Dwyer, native of Tullylease, Co. Cork,…

O'Dwyer, William (‘Bill-O’) (1890–1964), policeman, lawyer, judge, and politician in the USA, was born 7 July 1890 in Lismirrane (Lismiraun), Bohola, Swinford, Co. Mayo, eldest of eleven children (of whom six sons and four daughters survived infancy) of Patrick O'Dwyer, native of…

O'Hart, John (1824–1902), teacher and genealogist, was born in December 1824 into an Irish-speaking family in Crossmolina, Co. Mayo, fifth and longest surviving among six sons of Shane (John) O'Hart and Nora O'Hart (née Geraghty) from the nearby parish of Glenhest. Of his four sisters,…

O'Keane, Henry (1763–1817), catholic priest and French army officer, known also as O'Kane, O'Keon, or Keon, was born 3 February 1763 at Kilcummin near Killala, Co. Mayo, one of three or more sons of a cowherd on the Tyrawley estate. After learning some Latin at a hedge school, he…

O'Malley, Ernest Bernard (‘Ernie’) (1897–1957), revolutionary and writer, was born 26 May 1897 in Ellison Street, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, second child among nine sons and two daughters of Luke Malley, solicitor's clerk, of Co. Mayo, and Marion Malley (née Kearney) of Co. Roscommon.…

O'Malley, John (1835/6–1892), parish priest and land agitator, was born in the parish of Aglish, Co. Mayo, the son of Patrick and Mary O'Malley. Ordained on 20 August 1863, he served in Co. Galway as curate in the parish of Ballinakill (1863–6) and in Annaghdown (1866–7). In 1867…

Ó Móráin, Micheál (1911–83), politician, was born 24 December 1911 at Ross, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, one of the five children of Bryan Moran, farmer, and Ellen Moran (née Rowland). Educated at St Gerard's College, Castlebar, he then studied law at …

O'Neill, Phelim Robert Hugh (1909–94), 2nd Baron Rathcavan , politician, was born 2 November 1909 at The Braid, Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, eldest among three sons of Robert William Hugh O'Neill (qv) and Sylvia Irene O'Neill (née…

Ormsby, John (1829–95), writer and translator, was born 25 April 1829 at Gortner Abbey, Co. Mayo, eldest child of George Ormsby (d. 1836), captain in the 3rd Dragoon Guards and high sheriff of Mayo in 1827, and his wife, Marianne, third daughter of Humphrey Jones of Mullinabro,…

Owenson, Robert (1744–1812), singer and actor, was born in Tyrawley, Co. Mayo, the only son of Walter MacEoghan (or MacOwen), farmer, and Sydney Bell, orphan granddaughter of George Crofton and a relative of the Croftons of Longford House. The pair eloped after meeting at a hurling…

Peyton, Patrick Joseph (1909–1992), Holy Cross priest and radio and television evangelist (‘the Rosary Priest’), was born 9 January 1909 in Carracastle, near Ballina, Co. Mayo, sixth of the nine children of John Peyton (1868–1934), county road repair worker, and Mary Gillard Peyton (…

Philbin, Eva Maria (1914–2005), chemist and university professor, was born 3 January 1914 in Ballina, Co. Mayo, the elder of two daughters of George Ryder , a postman and later a publican, and his wife Kate (née Donegan). Eva attended the Convent of Mercy in Ballina, and then went…

Philbin, William Joseph (1907–91), bishop of Clonfert, and of Down and Connor, was born 26 January 1907 in Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo, the middle child and only son among three children of James Philbin and Brigid Philbin (née O'Hora), both of whom were national schoolteachers. Educated…

Phillips, Philip (c.1716–1787), catholic archbishop of Tuam, was born in Clonmore House, parish of Kilbeagh, Co. Mayo, second or third son of Myles Philips (b. 1684), extensive but minor landowner. Nothing is known of his mother. In the 1730s he took a commission in the…

Quinn, Thomas Joseph (c.1860–1934), republican, was born at Claremorris, Co. Mayo, the son of a gardener. In the late 1870s Quinn and his elder brother, Joseph Quinn (qv), were active in the Claremorris branch of the…

Raiftearaí, Antaine (Ó Reachtabhra, Antoine; Raftery, Anthony) (1799–1835), poet, was born in Cill Liadáin (Killedan) near Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo, son of a weaver from Co. Sligo; nothing else is known of his parents. Blinded by smallpox in childhood, and illiterate, he was helped by his…

Rainsford, Frederick Fitzpatrick (‘Turkey’) (1909–99), RAF air commodore and diplomat, was born 12 December 1909 at Fisherhill, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, son of County Inspector Ross Carthy Rainsford of the RIC and Maud Elizabeth Rainsford (…

Rewcastle, Attracta Genevieve (1897–1951), doctor and public figure, was born 6 September 1897 in Ballaghadereen, Co. Mayo, daughter of Bartholomew Candon, publican and grocer, and Winifred Candon (née Casey). She studied in Galway and Dublin, graduating…

Riley, John (c.1817–p.1850), soldier, was born in Clifden, Co. Mayo. Details of his early life are scarce, but it is believed that he enlisted in the British army and served with the 66th Foot in Canada before deserting and travelling to America. In 1842/3 he was…

Ruttledge, Patrick Joseph (‘Paddy’, ‘P. J.’) (1892–1952), lawyer, politician, and racehorse owner, was born in Ballina, Co. Mayo. Educated at St Muredach's College, Ballina, and St Enda's school, run by Patrick Pearse (qv). he…

Ruttledge, Robert Francis (‘Robin’, ‘Jim’) (1899–2002), ornithologist, was born 11 September 1899 in Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo, elder of two sons of Thomas Henry Bruen Ruttledge of Ballinrobe, high sheriff for Mayo 1904, and his wife Mary Caroline, daughter of William Browne-Clayton of…

Sears, William (1868–1929), newspaper proprietor and politician, was born in the Neale, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo, eldest son of Mark Frederick Sears. He had at least two younger brothers: Mark became a peace commissioner in Ballinrobe and Richard (d. 1914) was a journalist on the Irish…