FABBRINI, GAETANO fl.1816-1845

Gaetano Fabbrini came from Florence. He was appointed drawing master and teacher of Italian at Belfast Academical Institution about 1816. He quarrelled with the other staff of the school and was eventually dismissed in 1820. During this period, he practised as a portrait painter in Belfast. In 1834 he exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, and in 1836 was an honorary member of the Belfast Association of Artists. He had a school, the Belfast Italian Drawing Academy, but in the 1843-44 Belfast Directory, he is described as a teacher of dancing.

FAGAN, JAMES BERNARD 1873-1933

James Fagan was born in Belfast and was educated at Clongowes Wood and Trinity College, Oxford. Abandoning a career in law, he joined the theatre company of Sir Frank Benson and acted with Beerbohm Tree. For fourteen years he wrote plays and then resumed his career as actor and producer. In 1923 he founded the Oxford Playhouse, and the company had among its number Flora Robson, John Gielgud and Tyrone Guthrie. In 1929 he was appointed director of the Festival Theatre, Cambridge. His plays include And So To Bed and The Improper Duchess. He died in California.

FAIR, JAMES GRAHAM 1831-1894

James Fair was born in Clogher, County Tyrone, and went to America when he was twelve years old. The gold rush of 1849 drew him to California, and the silver mining of Nevada lured him in 1860. With his friends and fellow-countrymen Mackay, Flood and O'Brien, he became known as one of the 'bonanza kings' who owned large silver mines and founded the Bank of Nevada. He was elected a United States Senator in 1881 and served until 1887. He retired from business in 1886 as a millionaire. He died in San Francisco.

FALLS, CYRIL BENTHAM 1888-1971

Cyril Falls was born in Dublin and was educated at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, at Bradford College and London University. In the First World War he served with the British army, and for sixteen years from 1923 he worked with a team writing the official history of the war. From 1939 to 1953 he was military correspondent of The Times. He published many books, including The History of the 36th (Ulster) Division; Elizabeth's Irish Wars and Mountjoy: Elizabethan General. He was a regular contributor to the Illustrated London News. He died in England.

FARQUHAR, GEORGE 1678-1707

George Farquhar was born in County Londonderry and was educated at Wall's School in Derry and at Trinity College, Dublin, from which he was expelled. He was befriended by Wilkes the actor and went to work at Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin. His theatrical career lasted only two years and was terminated when he accidently wounded a fellow-actor. He went to London, where he continued to write comedy and received a commission in the regiment of the Earl of Orrery. Despite having published with great success many plays such as Love and a Bottle, The Constant Couple and The Recruiting Officer, he left the army in 1700 after selling his commission to pay off his debts. In 1707, the year of his death, he published The Beaux Stratagem, one of his most widely known plays. He is buried at St Martin's-in-the-Fields, London. He ranks, in terms of his contribution to English literature, with Congreve and Etherege.

FARLEY (or FARRELLY), JOHN MURPHY 1842-1918

John Farley was born in Newtownhamilton, County Armagh, and was educated at the local National School. By the time he was twelve he was an orphan but his maternal uncle, Patrick Murphy, who lived in New York, funded his education at St Macartan's Seminary in County Monaghan. He then went to New York and studied in St Joseph's Seminary. In 1866 he went to Rome to study at the North American College and was ordained in 1870. When he returned to New York he was appointed curate in St Peter's parish, Staten Island, and subsequently became secretary to Archbishop McCloskey. In 1884 he was given his own parish, St Gabriel's, and was awarded the title Monsignor. Eleven years later he was consecrated titular bishop of Zeugma, the first auxiliary Bishop to be appointed to New York. In 1902 he was appointed Archbishop of New York. In 1911 he was elevated to cardinal. He organised the production of the Catholic Encyclopaedia and was committed to educational reform. He returned to Newtownhamilton on three occasions. He dedicated two stained glass windows to the memory of his parents, one in St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh and the other in St Patrick's Church, Cullyhanna, County Armagh.

FAULKNER, ARTHUR BRIAN DEANE 1921-1977

Brian Faulkner was born in Helen's Bay, County Down. He was educated at St Columba's Cllege, Rathfarnham, County Dublin and entered the family shirt-making business. When he was elected for East Down in 1949 he was the youngest ever member of the Northern Ireland parliament. In 1956 he became Government Chief Whip, in 1959 Minister of Home Affairs, and in 1963 Minister of Commerce. Having served as Deputy Prime Minister, he became Prime Minister in 1971. During his term of office he put internment into effect, and direct rule from Westminster was introduced on 25th March, 1972. He was Chief of the Executive established by the Sunningdale Agreement, which was set up to implement power-sharing and a Council of Ireland, but this Executive lasted only five months and was terminated by an Ulster Workers' Council strike. He resigned from politics in 1976 and was made Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick in 1977, the year in which he was killed in a hunting accident.

FAUSSET, ANDREW ROBERT 1821-1910

Andrew Fausset was born at Silverhill, County Fermanagh, and was educated at Dungannon and Trinity College, Dublin. He eventually graduated as a Doctor of Divinity in 1843. In 1885 he became a prebendary at York. He edited Terence, Homer, Livy and Euripides, and published many religious and critical works.

FERDOMNACH c. 807

Ferdomnach is known as the scribe of the Book of Armagh, which was compiled from older manuscripts in about 807 at the request of Torbach, Abbot of Armagh. Many of the passages are written in Gaelic, and there is the Latin Confessio of St Patrick, as well as a copy of the New Testament. The manuscript is in the library of Trinity College, Dublin.

FERGUS MAC ERC d. c.501

Fergus was the second son of Erc, King of Dalriada, and is one of the chiefs who, with his brothers, led the migration of the Irish to Scotland. Fergus is said to have taken possession of Cantire in 501.

FERGUS MAC ROIGH first century

Fergus Mac Roigh was King of Ulster and a hero of a popular romance. He was usurped by his step-son, Conor Mac Nessa. He was killed by a javelin thrown while he was swimming in Lough Ein. It was by his grave that Murgen the seer is said to have written the story of the great Tain Bo Cuailgne.

FERGUSON, HENRY GEORGE 1884-1960

Harry Ferguson was born at Growell, Hillsborough, County Down. He worked on his father's farm before serving an apprenticeship in a car and cycle repair shop in Belfast. In 1903 he and his brother had their own garage in Belfast and were successful in motor-cycle and car racing. In 1909 he had designed, built and flown a monoplane, the first person in Ireland to do so and only four years after the pioneering flight of the Wright brothers. By the next year he was able to fly a distance of twenty miles. He opened his own business in 1911. In 1917, having been approached by the Irish Board of Agriculture, he designed a plough which would increase efficiency in food production. He felt that only a tractor of his own design would do justice to his plough, and the Brown-Ferguson tractor was introduced to the public in 1936. His partnership with Henry Ford, who sold the tractors he had designed, led to the Ford-Ferguson tractor later known as the Fordson tractor. In 1947 Ford's family reneged on the contract, but Ferguson won a legal action against them. He died in England.

FERGUSON, MARY CATHERINE (nee GUINNESS) 1823-1905

Mary Guinness was born in Stillorgan, Dublin, and on her marriage to Samuel Ferguson, shared many of his social and literary aspirations. She wrote Ireland before the Conquest in 1868 and Sir Samuel Ferguson in the Ireland of His Day in two volumes in 1896.

FERGUSON, SAMUEL 1810-1886

Samuel Ferguson was born in Belfast and was educated at Belfast Academy, the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Trinity College, Dublin, where he was called to the Bar in 1838. Between 1845 and 1846 he went to Europe wher he made many sketches, especially of cathedrals and churches dedicated to Irish saints and he studied painting and sculpture in Italy. Some of his sketches are in the Linen Hall Library, Belfast. He became Queen's Counsel in 1859 and Doctor of Laws in 1864. He was published in Blackwood's Magazine and in the Dublin University Magazine. In collaboration with the Young Ireland movement he founded the Protestant Repeal Association . He kept an open house for the literati of Dublin. In 1867 he became Deputy Keeper of Public Records in Ireland and published many volumes of verse, some of the poems based on Gaelic legends. His collected poems, Lays of the Western Gael, appeared in 1865, and Comgal,an epic poem in five books, in 1872. He was President of the Royal Irish Academy and wrote many essays on Irish antiquities. He is renowned for his work Ogham Inscriptions in Ireland, Wales and Scotland. He was knighted in 1878. His Poems of Sir Samuel Ferguson were published in Dublin in 1963 with an introduction by Padraic Colum. He died at Howth and was interred at Donegore, County Antrim.

FERRIS, SAMUEL 1900-c.1977

Sam Ferris was born in Magherabeg, near Dromore, County Down. He moved to Glasgow, but returned to Dromore as a young man. At the age of seventeen, he joined the Shelteston Carriers, a running club. A year later he joined the Royal Air Force and was posted to India. After the war he returned to Dromore and took up running. IN 1923 he rejoined the Royal Air Force and was stationed at Uxbridge, where he began to take long distance running seriously. In 1924 he finished second in the Olympic Marathon, and won a silver medal. In 1930 he was runner-up in the first Empire Games. As a warrant officer in the Royal Air Force he served in stations throughout the world, and in Dieppe in 1940 was the officer in charge of evacuation. He is remembered in Dromore by a race held each year.

FINDLATER, WILLIAM HUFFINGTON 1824-1906

William Findlater was born into a Derry family. In 1846 he became a solicitor and was twice President of the Incorporated Law Society. For forty-four years he was a member of the council of the society and served as Chairman of the Solicitors' Benevolent Society for twenty-three years. He was chairman of Findlater's Mountjoy Brewery until it was sold in 1891. He presented to the National Library an autographed letter from Robert Burns which had been sent to a member of his family.

FINDLEY (or FINDLAY), WILLIAM d.1821

William Findley was born in the north of Ireland and when he was young went to America, where he fought in the War of Independence. He was an able orator and soon became a noted politician and a member of Congress. He supported Thomas Jefferson and opposed the implementation of the United States constitution. His publications include a Review of the Funding System, 1794; Observations and a History of the Insurrection in Western Pennsylvania, an account of the revolutionary war in the area where he lived and eventually died.

FINEGAN, PATRICK 1858-1937

Patrick Finegan was educated at St Patrick's College Cavan, ordained in 1881, and became Bishop of Kilmore in 1910. He raised money for the new Cathedral of St Patrick and St Phelim, which was eventually dedicated in 1942.

FINLAY, FRANCIS DALZIEL 1793-1857

Francis Finlay was born in County Down and enjoyed the patronage of William Drennan, whose Fugitive Pieces, 1815, was the first book he printed. In 1812 he joined the Belfast Monthly Magazine, and when it ceased in 1814, he set up a printing office off Joy Street. He later moved to Cornmarket, where he founded the Northern Whig in 1824. He was in favour of Catholic Emancipation and supported the tenant right movement. During the course of his career he was imprisoned twice for libel and fined heavily.

FINLAY, PETER 1851-1929

Peter Finlay was born in County Cavan and was educated at St Patrick's College, Cavan, in France and in Germany. From 1874 to 1878 he was a language teacher at Clongowes Wood College. In 1881 he joined the Jesuits and was ordained. He was Professor of Philosophy at Milltown Park, Dublin, from 1881 to 1885, when he was appointed Professor of Theology at St Beuno's in England and the following year at Woodstock, America. From 1912 to 1923 he was the first Professor of Catholic Theology at the National University of Ireland. Among his publications are Catholics in Civil Life; The Catholic Church and the Civil State; The Church and Secular Education and Socialism and Catholic Teaching. He was fluent in at least five languages.

FINLAY, THOMAS A. 1848-1940

Thomas Finlay was born in County Cavan and was educated at St Patrick's College, Cavan, and St-Acheul, Amiens, and the Gregorian University, Rome. He became a Jesuit in 1866, was ordained in 1881, and was appointed Rector of Belvedere College in 1882. He was Professor of Political Economy, University College, Dublin, and President of University Hall, Dublin. He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy and Vice-President of the Royal Irish Agricultural Organisation Society. He founded and edited Lyceum, which later merged with New Ireland Review which he edited from 1894 to 1910.

FINLEY, SAMUEL 1715-1766

Samuel Finley was born in Armagh and at the age of nineteen went to Philadelphia. In 1742 he was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. He travelled the country preaching, despite the laws against this practice. For the next seventeen years, from 1744 to 1761, he directed an academy in Pennsylvania and was for some time Principal of Princeton College. He edited the sermons of President Davies, his predecessor at Princeton, and published some of his own sermons and dissertations. He died in Philadelphia.

FINNCHU d.608

St Finnchu was Abbot of Bangor, County Down and repelled British pirates who were attacking the King of Meath. He also gave aid in the wars of the Kings of Leinster and Munster.

FINNIAN, ST (FINNBARR or FINDIA) d.576

Finnian was born near what is now Newtownards in County Down, and was educated by St Colman at Dromore, County Down and went from there to the school of Ninian in northern Britain. At Newtownards in 540 he established a famous school. He died and was buried there. His feast-day is the 11th of February. [Biography in William Reeves, Antiquities of Down and Connor and Dromore]

FITZPATRICK, MARY (m. SULLIVAN) early 20th century

Mary Fitzpatrick was born in Farney, County Monaghan and was educated in Dublin and Paris. She published in periodicals in Ireland and America. In 1914 she published The One Outside, a collection of short stories.

FITZPATRICK, THOMAS fl. 1857-1868

Thomas Fitzpatrick was probably born in Belfast, and was a student at Belfast School of Design, founded in 1850. Later he and his brothers gave financial support to this establishment. In 1857 he executed the carving on the pediment of the Custom House, and he is also credited with the carved stone work at the Ulster Bank, Waring Street, Belfast.

FITZPATRICK, THOMAS 1832-1900

Thomas Fitzpatrick was born in Virginia, County Cavan, and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He took a degree in medicine in 1856. He became a member of the Royal College of Physicians twelve years later. Tours and Excursions was published posthumously in 1901, and in the same year his widow founded the Fitzpatrick Lectureship at the Royal College of Physicians in London.

FITZPATRICK, T. 1845-1912

T. Fitzpatrick was born in County Down and was a school-teacher and historian. His novels include The King of Claddagh and Jabez Murdock, the latter published under the pseudonym 'Banna Borka'. His history books include The Bloody Bridge and Other Papers Relating to the Insurrection of 1641 and Waterford During the Civil War.

FITZPATRICK, W. J. 1902-1982

W. J. Fitzpatrick was born in County Down and was educated in Kilkeel, County Down. He was a journalist and a broadcaster and his books An Old-Timer Talking and Margaret O'Mourne are a record of local folk-tales and superstitions. He also published Sailing Ships of Mourne and A Mourne Man's Memoirs.

FITZRALPH, RICHARD d.1360

Richard FitzRalph was born in Dundalk and was educated at Oxford, where he became a Doctor of Divinity. In 1333 he was appointed Chancellor of the University of Oxford. Having been promoted from Chancellor of Lincoln to Archdeacon of Chester and then Dean of Lichfield, he was advanced to the see of Armagh in 1346 by Pope Clement VI. In a controversy involving the secular and regular clergy, he sided with the former and appeared at Avignon, where the cardinals ruled against him. He died at Avignon, and in 1370, it is said, his bones were removed to Dundalk. He is believed to have translated, among many other things, the Bible into Irish.

FLACKES, WILLIAM D. 1921-1993

W. D. Flackes was born in Burt, County Donegal. He worked for a number of local newspapers, including the Fermanagh News and the Derry Standard, before he joined the staff of the Belfast News-Letter. From 1947 to 1957 he moved to Westminster as a parliamentary reporter for the press association. Later he worked as chief leader writer and news editor for the Belfast Telegraph. He was the BBC's Northern Ireland political correspondent from 1964 to 1982, when he retired. He was awarded the OBE in 1981. He published science fiction and biographies and a political directory of Northern Ireland. He was buried in Lisburn, County Antrim.

FLEMMING, JAMES 1830-1908

James Flemming was born in Strabane, County Tyrone, and was and educated at Shrewsbury and Cambridge. He was ordained in 1853 and became chaplain to the royal family in 1876. He was a popular preacher and was made Canon of York in 1879. He published Art of Reading Sermons and the Life of Queen Alexandra.[Biography by A. R. Finlayson].

FLOOD, WILLIAM HENRY GRATTAN 1859-1928

William Grattan Flood was born in Lismore, County Waterford, and was educated at Mount Melleray and the Catholic University, where he graduated in music. He was organist at Thurles Cathedral, at Belfast Pro-Cathedral in 1879, and at Enniscorthy Cathedral in 1895. He was also Professor of Music at Clongowes, at Cotton College, Staffordshire, and at St Kieran's College, Kilkenny. He was created a Knight of St Gregory and in 1922, a Chevalier. He wrote prolifically and among his works are Stories of the Harp; Bagpipes; History of Enniscorthy and Ferns and a History of Irish Music which is a university textbook. He also edited Moore's Irish Melodies and Selected Airs of O'Carolan.

FORBES, GEORGE 1768-1837

George Forbes was 6th Earl of Granard. He was educated at Armagh and commanded the Longford Militia at Castlebar in 1798. He was an ardent supporter of the Irish liberal party and was against the Union. In 1806 he was created a peer of Great Britain. He was in favour of Catholic emancipation and reform. He died in Paris in 1837, having spent many years in France. He is buried at Newtownforbes.

FORDE, FRANCIS 18th century

Francis Forde was born in Seaforde, County Down. He served with the East India Company, second in command to Clive in Bengal in 1758. Having helped drive the French from the Deccan in 1759 and the Dutch from Chinsurah, he returned to England.

FOSTER, ALEXANDER ROULSTON 1890-1972

Alex Foster was born in Derry. He was a schoolteacher and was an international rugby player. Between 1910 and 1921 he was capped seventeen times for Ireland. He played for the British and Irish Lions side which toured South Africa in 1910 and won two test places, scoring a try on his test debut. He captained Ireland three times.

FOSTER, VERE HENRY LEWIS 1819-1900

Vere Foster was born in Copenhagen, where his Irish father was British minister. He was educated at Eton and Oxford. Having served in the British Diplomatic Corps in South America, he visited Ireland during the Great Famine. The appalling conditions which he witnessed confirmed him in his desire to work for the alleviation of misery. It is said that he gave many emigrants their passage money and that he himself travelled on emigrant ships to America, and the evidence he gathered helped to secure reforming legislation. Several hundred new parish school houses were built with grants which he procured. He assisted in the establishment of the teachers' union which was to become the Irish National Teachers' Organisation. He published a series of drawing and copy books for schools. He wrote The Two Duchesses and died in Belfast, where he had been working for the relief of the sick and poor. Virtually his entire fortune had been spent on these causes, yet when he died in Belfast, few newspapers gave him an obituary notice.

FOWKE, FRANCIS 1823-1865

Francis Fowke was born in Ballysillan, Belfast, and studied at Dungannon, County Tyrone, and the military college in Woolwich. He obtained a commission in the Royal Engineers and served with distinction in Bermuda and Paris. When he returned he was appointed architect and engineer in charge of the building of several government structures, among them the Industrial Museum in Edinburgh, the National Gallery, Dublin, and the London Exhibition buildings. He died of a burst blood-vessel before he had time to complete the South Kensington Museum, and his suggested designs became the basis for the plan of the Albert Hall, London.

FOX, CHARLOTTE MILLIGAN 1864-1916

Charlotte Fox was born in Omagh, County Tyrone, the sister of Alice Milligan, and founded the Irish Folksong Society in 1904. She was a musician in her own right and collected folk songs and airs throughout Ireland on gramophone. She published Annals of the Irish Harpers from Edward Bunting's papers. She died in London.

FOY, WILLIAM 1791-c.1861

William Foy was born in County Londonderry and was a pupil of the Rev. James Knox, headmaster of the New Free School (later Foyle College). He trained as an artist in the Dublin Society School. He appears to have had a thriving business painting portraits, and his work was included in principal exhibitions in London from 1828 to 1861. He returned to Dublin and exhibited regularly at the Royal Hibernian Academy from 1836 until 1859. In 1861 he had an exhibition in the British Institution in London. A head and shoulders portrait of Knox by Foy is in the Foyle and Londonderry College.

FRASER, DONALD 1912-1993

Donald Fraser was born in Glasgow, and worked for a railway company. He studied for the ministry of the United Free Presbyterian Church at Edinburgh, and was ordained in 1938. In 1949 he came to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland as Sabbath School Society organiser. He edited the Presbyterian Herald from 1966 to 1976, and was awarded a Doctorate of Divinity. He was a member of the Northern Ireland YMCA executive, the Northern Ireland Youth Employment Service Board and the Northern Ireland Orthopaedic Development Committee. In 1971 he was Moderator of East Belfast Presbytery, and in 1974, Moderator of the Synod of Belfast.

FRAZER (or FRASER), HUGH fl.1813-1861

Hugh Frazer was born in Dromore, County Down. He was a pupil in the Drawing School of the Dublin Society in 1812. He published Essay on Painting, and from 1826 to 1861 was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Hibernian Academy. His 'River Lagan from Stranmillis' is in the Belfast Harbour Office and he also painted 'Ruins of Old Priory Church, Hloywood'. In 1837 he became a member of the Royal Hibernian Academy. He was President of the Association of Artists which was founded in Belfast in 1836. Some of his works are in the Ulster Museum, Belfast.

FRENCH, PERCY 1854-1920

Percy French was born in Clooneyquin, County Roscommon, and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he studied civil engineering. In 1881 he became Inspector of Drains for County Cavan. Later he toured the country playing a banjo and singing his own songs. He was an artist and painted watercolours. Among his popular songs are `Are you Right There, Michael'; `The Mountains of Mourne'; `Phil the Fluther's Ball' and `Slattery's Mounted Fut'. He died in Formby, Lancashire.

FULLER, GEORGE 1829-1907

George Fuller was born in Newbury, Berkshire and was educated at King's College, London. He was appointed principal associate in the engineering business of Professor James Thomson in Belfast, and from 1854 to 1888 was employed on railway works by Liddell and Cordon, Civil Engineers of Westminster. He then became resident engineer at Madras to the Great Southern of India Railway, and in 1868 took up the position of Professor of Engineering at University College, London. Five years later he came to Belfast as Professor of Engineering at Queen's College: After eleven years he resigned to take up private work in London. In 1878 he invented a cylindrical spiral slide-rule which had the accuracy of a straight slide rule of over twenty-five metres long.

FULLERTON, ANDREW d.1934

Andrew Fullerton was born in Dalkey and studied medicine at Queen's College, Belfast. He became a surgeon and was President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Among his publications are Colles's Fracture, Surgical Anatomy of the Knee Joint and Operations on the Gall Bladder and Bile Duct.