Welcome to the Dictionary of Irish Biography
The Dictionary of Irish Biography, a collaborative project between Cambridge University Press and the Royal Irish Academy, is the most comprehensive and authoritative biographical dictionary yet published for Ireland. These 11 volumes contain fascinating short summaries and detailed assessments that document over 10,000 lives, ranging from the earliest times to 2010. Biographical subjects include: artists, scientists, lawyers, actors, musicians, writers, politicians, criminals, and saints.
The following lives were added to the Dictionary of Irish Biography Online in December 2019.
- Barnewall, Sir John (1634?–1691?), barrister and judge
- Barry, Denis (1883–1923), Irish Volunteer
- Bewley, Victor Ernest Henry (1912–2000), quaker businessman and philanthropist
Biography of the Day
Hanley, Gerald (1916–1992)
by Bridget HouricanHanley, Gerald (1916–92), writer, was born 17 February 1916 in Cork, younger son of Edward Hanley, merchant seaman, and Brigid Hanley (née Roche). His father had forsaken an established family printing business and legal studies to go to sea (and adding an ‘e’ to his original surname, Hanly); his mother hailed from a long line of seafarers. This self-reliance was carried through to the next generation: Gerald's older brother, the writer James Hanley (qv), ran off to sea at age 13, and Gerald him...
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The Dictionary of Irish Biography, a project of the Royal Irish Academy, is funded by the Higher Education Authority.
