Italy

Porter, Francis (Walter) (d. 1702), Franciscan priest and ecclesiastical writer, was the eldest of three sons of Simon Porter, a landed gentleman of an Old English family, from Kingstown near Navan in Co. Meath. He attended a school for Irish students in Lille founded by the…

Redmond, Mary (1863–1930), sculptor, was born in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, daughter of a quarry worker, and moved at a young age with her family to Ardclough, near Straffan, Co. Meath, where her father was employed in the local limestone quarries, the chief source of wealth in the…

Reid, Richard Tuohill (1823–83), lawyer and academic, was the only surviving son of Herbert Reid, a Killarney merchant, and Catherine Reid (née Tuohill). His father died young and he entered TCD as a sizar in 1841; he was admitted as a…

Reynolds, Charles (c.1496–1535), Fitzgerald envoy to the pope, was most likely born into the Mac Raghnaill ecclesiastical dynasty based around the Augustinian priory at Mohill and the cathedral chapter at Ardagh. He was the son of a Maurus Mac Raghnaill, and someone of that…

Rinuccini, GianBattista (1592–1653), archbishop of Fermo and papal nuncio to the confederate catholics of Ireland, was born 15 September (NS) 1592 in Rome, son of Camillo Rinuccini, a Florentine patrician, and his wife Virginia Bandini, sister of the important Cardinal Ottavio…

Rothwell, Richard (1800–68), portrait and subject painter, was born 20 November 1800 in Dublin. His father has generally been stated to be James Rothwell (possibly a soldier) of Lisdaly, near Cloghen, King's Co. (Offaly), though primary source evidence suggests that he was the son of…

Ryan, Dermot Joseph (1924–85), catholic archbishop of Dublin, was born 27 June 1924 in Clondalkin, Co. Dublin, second among four children of Andrew Ryan, physician, and Theresa Ryan (née McKenna). His paternal grandfather came to Dublin from Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, at the turn of the…

Scarampi, PierFrancesco (1596–1656), papal representative to the confederate catholics of Ireland, and provost of the Roman Oratory, was probably born on family lands near Montferrat on the Piedmont–Genovese border in northern Italy. His parents (of whom no other details are known…

Sheil, Richard Lalor (1791–1851), playwright and politician, was born 17 August 1791 at Drumdowney, Co. Kilkenny, eldest of four sons of Edward Sheil, merchant, and his wife, Catherine McCarthy, of Spring House, Co. Tipperary. Richard was tutored at home by a French priest before…

Sheridan, Thomas (1684–1746), Jacobite tutor of Charles Edward Stuart, one of the ‘Seven men of Moidart’, was son of Thomas Sheridan (qv) the elder (1647–1712) – formerly secretary to …

Smith, Bernard (1812–92), catholic priest and papal official, was born 12 September 1812 in the townland of Behey or Beaghey in the parish of Lavey, Co. Cavan, son of Bernard Smith and his wife, Rose. Intent on a career in the catholic church, he entered the Irish college at Rome…

Stawell, Sir William Foster (1815–89), lawyer and chief justice of Victoria, Australia, was born 27 June 1815 at Old Court, Mallow, Co. Cork, second son among ten children of Jonas Stawell (1769–1840), barrister and classical scholar, and Anna Stawell (née Foster). Educated at…

Taaffe, James (1623/4–1681), Franciscan friar and papal envoy, was a son of Sir John Taaffe, 1st Viscount Taaffe, of Coreen, Co. Sligo, and his wife, Ann Dillon, daughter of Theobald (qv), Viscount Dillon. The Taaffes were a…

This is a co-subject for the entry on Teeling, Charles George. View the original entry.

This is a co-subject for the entry on Devas, Nicolette. View the original entry.

Thomas of Ireland (Thomas Hibernigena) (d. c.1270), Irish Franciscan in the monastery of Aquila, Abruzzi, Italy. Almost nothing is known of him apart from his conjectured authorship of a moral concordance to the Bible grouped by feasts, called by Wadding (who first…

Topping, Walter William Buchanan (1908–78), barrister, judge, and politician, was born 13 January 1908 in Belfast, second son of Walter W. Topping, a manager of a linen warehouse, and his Scots wife, Jane. There were also at least two daughters in the prosperous household. He was…

Ua hÁedacáin, Imar (d. 1134), anchorite and reforming abbot of Armagh, was, for a time, spiritual mentor of St Malachy (qv). Apart from a few meagre references in the Irish annals, Bernard of Clairvaux is the main source…

Ua Longargáin, Donnchad (Dionisius) (d. 1216), archbishop of Cashel, belonged to an ecclesiastical lineage of Dál Cais, descended from Donn Cuan, son of Cennétig. Earlier members of the family included Annad (d. 1099), abbot of Terryglas, Domnall (d. 1158), archbishop of Cashel,…

Wadding, Luke (1588–1657), Franciscan priest, scholar, and churchman, was born 16 October 1588 at Waterford and baptised on 18 October, the son of Walter Wadding, a wealthy merchant, and his wife, Anastasia (née Lombard), a relative of Peter…

Waldré, Vincent (1742–1814), history painter and architect, was born Vincenzo Valdre or Valdrati in November 1742 in Faenza, Italy, son of Carlo Valdrati, master of the wardrobe of Don Filippo, duke of Parma. The family resided in Parma, where Waldré studied with the painter…