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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 29/09/2026

#DIBLives Republican activist and women’s rights advocate Kathleen Clarke (d. #OTD 1972) occupies an important place in the history of Irish republicanism, and women in public life after independence. A TD and senator, she was also the first woman Lord Mayor of Dublin. www.dib.ie/biography/cl...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 28/09/2026

Probably the first woman in the British Isles (and possibly the world) to design, build and fly a powered machine, pioneering aviator Lilian Bland (b. #OTD 1878) built 'The Mayfly', a biplane glider made from bamboo, ash and elm that flew at 30mph. www.dib.ie/biography/bl...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 25/09/2026

#DIBLives Peace campaigner Gordon Wilson (b. #OTD 1927) sought no glory for himself, wishing he could return to his earlier life as "a wee provincial draper"; but few would have disagreed with Alliance politician Seamus Close, who called him ‘a walking saint’. www.dib.ie/index.php/bi...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 24/09/2026

#DIBLives ‘If to have endeavoured to give my native country a place among the nations of the Earth was treason, then I am guilty indeed’. Forced to surrender following General Humbert's defeat at Ballinamuck, Bartholomew Teeling was hanged #OTD 1798 in Dublin. www.dib.ie/biography/te...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 23/09/2026

#DIBLives The first identified healthy carrier of typhoid in North America, and the most widely and sensationally publicised, Mary Mallon (b. #OTD 1869), known in popular culture as 'Typhoid Mary', died in Riverside Isolation Hospital after 23 years in quarantine. www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 22/09/2026

#DIBLives Captain Charles Boycott believed Irish peasants were prone to idleness and required firm handling. Following an attempt to evict tenants #OTD 1880 he was subjected to the ostracism advocated by Parnell, and the word 'Boycott' entered the English language. www.dib.ie/biography/bo...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 21/09/2026

#NewBlog 'Pieces of a jigsaw – John Duncan Craig, race, empire and Victorian Ireland' In this month's blog, Patrick Maume explores what the writings of John Duncan Craig reveal about race and empire among nineteenth-century Irish unionists. www.dib.ie/blog/pieces-... #DIBLives

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 18/09/2026

#DIBLives 'A lot of nincompoops.' Monaghan-born suffragist Mary Agnes Lee (d. #OTD 1909) helped found the South Australian Women's Suffrage League. Frustrated by the lack of progress, she kept campaigning and in 1894 South Australian women won the parliamentary vote. www.dib.ie/biography/le...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 17/09/2026

Apologies to users in the US who are currently unable to access the DIB website. This is due to an ongoing layer 7 DDoS attack, and we hope to restore access as soon as possible.

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 17/09/2026

#DIBLives 'Under bare Ben Bulben's head In Drumcliff churchyard Yeats is laid... ...By his command these words are cut: Cast a cold eye On life, on death. Horseman, pass by!' #OTD 1948 W.B. Yeats' remains were returned to Ireland and buried in his beloved Sligo. www.dib.ie/biography/ye...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 16/09/2026

#DIBLives One of Ireland’s first female paediatricians, Victoria Coffey's (b. #OTD 1911) research into congenital disorders and sudden infant death helped advance the study of newborn health. She was also the first female president of the Irish Paediatric Association. www.dib.ie/biography/co...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 15/09/2026

#RevisedLives Architect, dramatist and WWI serviceman David Parkhill, aka Lewis Purcell, was co-founder of the Ulster Literary Theatre. His play, ‘The enthusiast’, was the first play in which Ulster people were realistically and sympathetically portrayed on stage. www.dib.ie/biography/pa...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 11/09/2026

#NewLives Jer O'Leary's knowledge of Irish socialist history and his commitment to social justice & unions, together with his talent for bold graphics revived the tradition of trade union banners. His portrayal of Jim Larkin became one of the defining images of his career. www.dib.ie/biography/ol...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 10/09/2026

#NewLives Art and design historian Nicola (Nikki) Gordon Bowe was a meticulous scholar who revelled in research and delighted in sharing details she unearthed. Her monograph 'The Life and Work of Harry Clarke' ensured the stained-glass artist became a household name. www.dib.ie/biography/go...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 09/09/2026

#NewLives Shaped by his working-class Dublin background, Sean Garland was a significant figure in mid-twentieth-century Irish republicanism. Regarded by his enemies as a dangerous adversary, he inspired intense loyalty among those closest to him. www.dib.ie/biography/ga...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 07/09/2026

#NewLives Alternately portrayed as a heartless criminal or as a pretty innocent duped by the manipulative James McDermott, Grace Mark's life has been adapted twice by Margaret Atwood: in a 1974 play titled 'The servant girl', and in the novel 'Alias Grace' (1996). www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 04/09/2026

#DIBLives Overshadowed by her brother and sister, Fanny Parnell (d. #OTD 1882) is mostly remembered as the poet of the Land League. But she did more than write patriotic verse, and through her work she helped establish a political role for women in Irish-American circles. www.dib.ie/biography/pa...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 03/09/2026

#DIBLives “September has come, it is hers Whose vitality leaps in the autumn, Whose nature prefers Trees without leaves and a fire in the fireplace." (Louis MacNeice, 'Autumn Journal') Poet, critic, dramatist and broadcaster Louis MacNeice died #OTD 1963. www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 02/09/2026

#DIBLives "Let every one of the Gaels who is in the Foreigner's province come forth to his own country." After victory in the Battle of Tara, high-king of Ireland Máel-Sechnaill (d. #OTD 1022) successfully sieged Dublin, freeing Irish captives and slaves. www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 01/09/2026

#DIBLives A humanitarian who fought with bravery and determination against the enslavement of indigenous peoples in the Congo and Amazonia, Roger Casement (b. #OTD 1864) was also the last victim of the executions that followed the 1916 Easter Rising. www.dib.ie/biography/ca...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 31/08/2026

#DIBLives #OTD 1913 Ireland's first 'Bloody Sunday' took place when James Larkin, disguised as an elderly clergyman, addressed a crowd from the balcony of the Imperial Hotel. The Dublin Metropolitan Police baton-charged the crowd, killing two and injuring hundreds. www.dib.ie/biography/la...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 28/08/2026

#DIBLives A fearless pioneer for women's rights and child welfare in Ireland, Rosa (Mary) Barrett (d. #OTD 1936) fought tirelessly for equality for women. In 1879 she founded Dublin's first crèche for working mothers on low incomes in Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire). www.dib.ie/biography/ba...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 27/08/2026

#DIBLives Trade unionist and suffragist Cissie Cahalan (d. #OTD 1948) was the first and only female president of the Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks (IUDWC). Her tenure oversaw the establishment of a minimum wage and an end to the living-in system. www.dib.ie/biography/ca...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 26/08/2026

#NewBlog 'Balloonists and aviatrixes: spotlight on the early history of Irish aviation.' In this month's blog, managing editor of @dib.ie Dr Eoin Kinsella explores the first flight in Ireland, and the lives of three remarkable Irish women aviators. www.dib.ie/blog/balloon...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 25/08/2026

On 23 August 1170 Richard FitzGilbert de Clare, known as Strongbow, landed near Waterford with a force of 200 knights and 1000 other troops. The city fell two days later and #OTD Diarmait MacMurchada's daughter Aífe was given to Strongbow in marriage. www.dib.ie/biography/ai...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 24/08/2026

'I met with Napper Tandy And he took me by the hand He said "How's dear old Ireland? And how does she stand?' Merchant, Volunteer and radical politician James Napper Tandy, one of the founding members of the United Irishmen, died in exile in France #OTD 1803. www.dib.ie/biography/ta...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 11/08/2026

We were very saddened to hear of the passing of our former colleague, managing editor and friend, Dr James Quinn, on Saturday, 8 August. James served as executive editor and then managing editor of the DIB and made an enormous contribution to Irish history and biography: www.dib.ie/news/sad-new...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 10/08/2026

#DIBLives After a daring escape from an Australian prison, journalist, poet and political activist John Boyle O’Reilly made his way to Boston where he became a passionate advocate for all victims of racial, class and religious oppression. He died #OTD 1890. www.dib.ie/biography/or...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 07/08/2026

#DIBLives A master portraitist & fierce force for culture, painter, stained-glass artist, art activist & founder of An Túr Gloine, Sarah Purser was the first woman admitted to the RHA. She died #OTD 1943 from a stroke precipitated by the 'bad art' on a commemorative stamp. www.dib.ie/biography/pu...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 06/08/2026

#NewLives 'The only bishop to unequivocally admit in evidence to the commission that he may not have handled matters satisfactorily', Bishop Laurence Forristal was virtually unique in his willingness to acknowledge his repeated failures to deal adequately with CCSA. www.dib.ie/biography/fo...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 05/08/2026

#NewLives ‘A voice not only for peace but for reconciliation, for recognising all traditions & beliefs on the island of Ireland.’ The New Ireland Movement founded by surgeon & peace activist John Robb, focused on non-violent consensus across religious & political divides. www.dib.ie/biography/ro...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 04/08/2026

#NewLives 'The voice of a saint trapped in a glass harp.’ From an early age, Dolores O’Riordan used her lyrics and songwriting to reflect and process her emotions; her words provided the framework for the band, but her voice that gave The Cranberries their unique sound. www.dib.ie/biography/or...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 31/07/2026

#DIBLives Printer, politician, anti-slavery activist & internationalist Alfred John Webb (d. #OTD 1908) connected Irish reform movements with campaigns for justice across the world. He made history in 1894 as the second non-Indian President of the Indian National Congress. www.dib.ie/biography/we...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 30/07/2026

#DIBLives "Nobody is ordinary if you know where to look." Along with disappointment and disillusionment, rage and pain, Maeve Binchy's view of the world also included a reassuring belief in human goodness, resilience and recovery. She died #OTD 2012. www.dib.ie/biography/bi...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 29/07/2026

#DIBLives Comhghairdeas le Maigh Eo on winning the Sam Maguire cup for the first time in 75 years. The last Mayo captain to lift the cup was Seán Flanagan when he captained the county to back-to-back All-Ireland championships in 1950 and 1951. www.dib.ie/biography/fl...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 28/07/2026

#DIBLives In 1610 cartographer John Speed (d. #OTD 1629) created one of the most famous early detailed records of Ireland. His 'Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine' split the island into its four historic provinces and featured the earliest known street map of Dublin. www.dib.ie/biography/sp...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 27/07/2026

#DIBLives Antarctic explorer Tom Crean (d. #OTD 1938) spent more time in the Antarctic than Scott or Shackleton; he was awarded the Albert Medal and the Polar Medal with 3 Antarctic clasps. The Crean Glacier in South Georgia and Mount Crean in Antarctica are named for him. www.dib.ie/biography/cr...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 22/07/2026

The latest edition of our newsletter, 'Life Lines' is now available. Read our new entries, our blogs on the 1926 census and how the Irish holidayed in the past, and our featured biography of Gillian Bowler. mailchi.mp/ria.ie/lifel...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 22/07/2026

#DIBLives 'Humanity Martin'. Introduced #OTD 1822, The Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act was the first known piece of animal welfare legislation in the world. It was introduced by Galway-born MP Richard Martin and became known as 'Martin's Act' in his honour. www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 21/07/2026

#DIBLives Humour and laughter were the essence of John B. Keane and his work: the earthy humour of rural Ireland, the humour of human foibles and the quirky humour that comes from the deliberate juxtaposition of the mundane and the exotic. He was born #OTD 1928. www.dib.ie/biography/ke...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 20/07/2026

#DIBLives Comhghairdeas le Luimneach! Fittingly the first MacCarthy Cup, purchased by London-born Liam MacCarthy with a Dáil national loan and presented to the GAA in 1922, was won by Limerick in the 1921 All-Ireland hurling final (played in 1923 because of the civil war). www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 17/07/2026

#DIBLives 'Tell them I have done my duty.' General of Antrim & Commander-in-Chief of the United Irish army of the north, Henry Joy McCracken was court-martialled & sentenced to death. He was executed #OTD 1798 having refused to name other leaders in exchange for clemency. www.dib.ie/biography/mc...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 15/07/2026

#DIBLives Kinsale-born sailor Tim McCarthy (b. #OTD 1887) was aboard 'The Endurance' when it was crushed by ice in November 1915. He was awarded the polar medal for his part in sailing 1,450km through the treacherous seas of the South Atlantic to get help. www.dib.ie/biography/mc...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 14/07/2026

#DIBLives The first woman elected to the British parliament and the only female cabinet minister in the first Dáil Éireann, revolutionary, nationalist, labour activist, suffragist and politician Constance Markievicz died #OTD 1927. www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 13/07/2026

#NewBlog Postcards produced by 1950s photographer John Hinde showed an Ireland of red-haired children, endless sunshine and cottages by a bright sea. In this month's blog 'Are we there yet?' Niav Gallagher looks at how Irish holidays have evolved over the last 200 years. www.dib.ie/blog/are-we-...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 10/07/2026

#DIBLives Recognised for wearing two sprigs of shamrock on his tennis shirt, Monaghan-born James Cecil Parke reached the men's singles semi-finals of #Wimbledon on two occasions & the doubles finals on four. He and Ethel Larcombe won the Wimbledon mixed doubles in 1914. www.dib.ie/biography/pa...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 09/07/2026

#DIBLives “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” “Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.” “Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.” Philosopher and politician Edmund Burke died #OTD 1797. www.dib.ie/biography/bu...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 08/07/2026

#NewLives On 2 September 1911 barrister & judge Redmond John Barry was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland, reportedly the youngest ever. His youth & religion seemed to signal a shift away from the typical demographic, but severe mental health issues cut his career short. www.dib.ie/biography/ba...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 07/07/2026

#NewLives Architect Frederick MacManus helped design Silver End, a model village for workers at the Crittall Windows Ltd factory in Essex, among the earliest modernist-style buildings in Britain & regarded as some of ‘the most remarkable housing’ built there in the 1920s. www.dib.ie/biography/ma...

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Dictionary of Irish Biography @dib.ie · 06/07/2026

#NewLives One of Ireland's earliest & most influential speech therapists, Miriam Gallagher was also a writer of range & vision, who combined an acute awareness of human frailty with history and myth to form ‘an intriguing assortment of stories and mysterious characters.' www.dib.ie/biography/ga...

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