MacADAM, JAMES 1801-1861

James MacAdam was born in Belfast and was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution, and at Trinity College, Dublin. He was a Fellow of the Geological Society and used the opportunity of examining excavations being made during the construction of the Irish railway systems. He had a private museum of geological specimens which was regarded as the best in Ireland. In 1849 he was appointed the first librarian of Queen's College, Belfast. He was President of the Belfast Natural History Society and a founder of the Botanic Gardens, Belfast.

MacADAM, ROBERT SHIPBOY 1808-1895

Robert MacAdam was born in Belfast and was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. It is said he had the ability to speak and write in thirteen languages. He was fluent in Irish and encouraged its study and the collection of Irish manuscripts. He was the principal founder of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology in 1853 and was its editor for nine years. He was a member of the Belfast Literary Society, the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society, and the Belfast Harmonic Society. Among his publications is a Gaelic Grammar. He and his brother James established the Soho Foundry in Townsend Street in 1832.

McADOO, ANNIE FLORENCE VIOLET c.1925-1965

Violet McAdoo was born in Cookstown, County Tyrone, and studied at the Belfast School of Art and at the Royal College of Art. She was a member of the Watercolour Society of Ireland. She worked in Belfast and exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy and the Royal Ulster Academy. A collection of her work is in the Ulster Museum.

McADOO, WILLIAM 1853-1930

William McAdoo was born in Ramelton, County Donegal, and went to America as a boy. He was educated there and was called to the Bar in 1874, and was elected to Congress. In 1904 he was appointed Police Commissioner for New York, and in 1910 became Chief Magistrate.

McAFEE, DANIEL 1790-1873

Daniel McAfee was born in Bushmills, County Antrim, and was a Wesleyan minister, preaching all over Ireland for a period of thirty-eight years. He published many controversial tracts and several poems. He died in London.

MAC AINGIL, AODH, see MacCAGHWELL, HUGH

MAC AIRT, SEAN 1918-1959

Sean Mac Airt was born in Ulster and was educated at Queen's University, Belfast. He established the Ulster Placename Society in 1952 and was editor of its bulletin. He prepared two editions of ancient texts for the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies: Leabhar Branach and The Annals of Innisfallen.

MacALEESE, DANIEL 1833-1900

Daniel MacAleese was born in Randalstown, County Antrim. He was self-taught and a shoemaker by trade. In his youth he wrote much poetry. He served on the staff of several Belfast newspapers and edited the Ulster Examiner. He was fined and imprisoned for four months in 1872 for contempt of court. He was founder of The Vindicator and The Citizen in Belfast, and of the People's Advocate in Monaghan. He served as member of parliament for North Monaghan from 1895 until his death.

McALLISTER, JOHN A. 1896-1925

John McAllister attended the Belfast School of Art and the Metropolitan School of Art, Dublin. Before that point he had worked as a designer in the linen trade. He opened a studio in College Street, Belfast. His paintings were often of the Glens of Antrim, and he exhibited at the Ulster Arts Club. His portrait of William J. Coombes is in the Ulster Museum, and other work is in the Town Hall, Bangor.

MACAN, TURNER 1792-1836

Turner Macan was a captain in the 16th Hussars. He had a thorough knowledge of Persian language and literature and for many years was Persian interpreter to the commanders-in-chief of the British forces in India. He translated and published the work of the Persian poet Ferdousee. He is buried in the East, and a memorial plaque has been erected by his widow in St Mark's Church, Armagh.

MAC AN BHAIRD, AODH BUIDHE, see WARD, HUGH

MAC AN BHAIRD, EOGHAN RUADH (WARD, OWEN ROE) c.1570-1630

Eoghan Ruadh Mac an Bhaird was probably born in Donegal. He was of the family of hereditary poets to the O'Donnells, which flourished from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries. About the year 1600 he became chief poet to Red Hugh O'Donnell, and when Red Hugh fled to Spain, Eoghan Ruadh stayed in Ireland in the service of Rory O'Donnell. He composed a poem condemning Rory for surrendering to the English, but he also wrote a lament for him on his death. His last datable work was a lament for Niall Garbh O'Donnell, who died in the Tower of London in 1625.

MAC AN BHAIRD, FEARGHAL OG (WARD, FERGAL OGE) c.1550-c.1620

Fearghal Og Mac an Bhaird was probably born in Donegal, a member of the great bardic family. He worked under the patronage of Turlough Luineach O'Neill. He wrote many political poems, and it was probably these which caused his exile to Scotland, where he wrote a great deal of verse expressing his misery. He went from Scotland to Europe and appealed for sanctuary in Louvain.

MAC AN FHIR LEIGHINN, EOIN, see MacERLEAN, JOHN

McARTHUR, KENNEDY b.1881

Kennedy McArthur was born in Dervock, County Antrim, and was a postman. He won the marathon at the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912. He later went to South Africa, where he joined the Transvaal Mounted Police. A marathon is still held annually in Dervock in his memory.

McARTHUR, WILLIAM 1809-1887

William McArthur was born in Malin, County Donegal. He was a woolen draper in Derry and exported woolen goods to Australia. In 1857 he moved his business to London and was a member of the Corporations of Londonderry and London. In 1867 he was appointed Sheriff of London, and five years later an Alderman. In 1880 he became Lord Mayor of London. From 1868 to 1885 he served as Liberal member of parliament for Lambeth. He was knighted in 1882. [Biography by McCullough, 1891]

MacARTHUR, WILLIAM P. 20th century

William MacArthur was born in Belmont, County Down, and was educated at Bangor Grammar School and Queen's University, Belfast. He was clinical lecturer in Tropical Medicine at the University of Oxford, and Director-General of the British Army Medical Services. He was a fluent Irish speaker and founded the Queen's University Gaelic Society. He contributed a chapter on 'The Medical History of the Famine' to Edward and Williams' The Great Famine (1956). He was knighted in 1939.

MACARTNEY, A. fl. 1903-1909

Macartney was an international soccer player and played for Ulster, Linfield, Everton, Belfast Celtic and Glentoran. He was capped fifteen times between 1903 and 1909.

MACARTNEY, GEORGE 1660-1730

George Macartney was born in Belfast and joined the army, serving in Flanders and Spain. He was dismissed after the fall of Marlborough. He was accused of causing the death of the Duke of Hamilton, when he served as his second in a fatal duel. He was tried and found guilty as an accessory in 1716, but was later readmitted into the army and promoted to the rank of general. He died in London.

MACARTNEY, GEORGE 1737-1806

George Macartney was born in Lisanoure, Loughgiel, County Antrim, and was educated locally and at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1760 he went on a European tour and was knighted four years later when he was sent as an envoy to the court of Catherine the Great in Russia. He was honoured by Stanislaus of Poland with the Order of the White Eagle in 1767. In 1768 he was member of parliament for Cockermouth, Cumberland, later taking a seat in the Irish parliament. In 1769 he became Chief Secretary for Ireland and held the position until 1772, in which year he was made a Companion of the Bath. Two years later he again entered the British parliament and was sent as governor to the Island of Granada where he was captured by the French; he was eventually released and returned to England. In 1776 he received a barony in the Irish peerage and in 1781 went to Madras as governor and served for four years. He then resided at Lisanoure, tending and expanding his estate and rebuilding Dervock, a nearby village. From 1792 to 1794 he served as ambassador to Peking. In 1795 he was sent on a mission to Italy, and in 1798 was appointed Governor of the Cape of Good Hope. He was a Trustee of the British Museum, a member of the Literary Club, a Fellow of the Royal Society, and a member of the Privy Council. He was created a viscount in 1792 and an earl in 1794, becoming a British peer in 1796. He died in Chiswick. [Memoir by J.Barrow (includes Macartney's Journal of the Embassy to China, An Account of an Embassy to Russia and A Political Account of Ireland). [Biography by Peter Roebuck, 1983]

MACARTNEY, JOHN ELLISON-1818-1904

J. W. Ellison-Macartney was called to the Bar in 1846, and to the Irish Bar in 1848. In 1870 he was High Sheriff of County Armagh, and from 1874 to 1885 was member of parliament for County Tyrone. He was a justice of the peace and Deputy Lieutenant.

MACARTNEY, JAMES 1770-1843

James Macartney was born in Armagh and was educated there. He joined the United Irishmen, became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, and was a surgeon in the Radnor Militia from 1803 to 1812. From 1813, when he became a Doctor of Medicine, to 1837 he was Professor of Anatomy at Trinity College, Dublin. He published many works on anatomy and was a Fellow of the Royal Society. He died in Dublin. [Biography by Macalister].

MACARTNEY, WILLIAM GREY ELLISON 1852-1924

William Ellison Macartnev was born in Dublin and was educated at Eton and Oxford. He was called to the Bar in 1878 and served as member of parliament for South Antrim for eighteen years until 1903, when he became Deputy Master of the Royal Mint. From 1913 to 1917 he was Governor of Tasmania, and for the next three years, Governor of Western Australia. He was a privy councillor, and was knighted in 1913. He died in London.

McATEER, EDWARD 1914-1986

Edward McAteer was born in Coatbridge in Scotland. When he was two the family moved to Derry. In 1949 he was returned to Stormont for Mid-Londonderry, unopposed. In 1953 he became leader of the Nationalist Party, and he accepted the role of Leader of the Opposition at Stormont in 1965. After the Civil Rights marches in 1968 he relinquished this position. In the 1969 general election he was defeated by John Hume in Derry's Foyle constituency, and in 1970 he was defeated for the Londonderry seat in Westminster.

MACAULAY, WILLIAM J.B. 1892-1964

William Macauley was born into a County Antrim family and was educated privately. He entered the diplomatic service, and his first appointment, from 1925 to 1929, was as secretary at the Irish Legion, Washington. Before being appointed Minister to the Holy See, a post which he occupied until 1941, he spent two years as consul and four years as Consul-General.

MacAULEY, JOHN HENRY d.1937

John Henry MacAuley was born on a farm in Glenshesk, County Antrim; owing to an accident when he was a child, he was disabled. He was taught to carve wood by the woman for whom his mother worked as cook. He opened his own shop in Ann Street, Ballycastle, County Antrim, selling objects carved out of bog oak, and his window displays of farm animals, circus caravans, and even an Irish funeral, were renowned. He was a well-known fiddle player and wrote a number of songs, though the only one published was the famous 'The Ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle O'

McBRIDE, DAVID 1726-1778

David McBride was born in Ballymoney, County Antrim, and studied medicine in Edinburgh, and London, where he graduated in 1764. He served in the navy and advocated yeast as a preventive against scurvy. After he settled in Dublin he was a popular teacher and physician. He published Experimental Essays on the Fermentation of Alimentary Mixtures, a work which made him known in Europe, and his Methodical Introduction to Medicine was translated into Latin, German, French and Dutch. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Society of Arts for inventing a process in tanning. He died in Dublin.

McBRIDE, JOHN 1650-1718

John McBride was born in Ulster and educated in Glasgow. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in Clare in 1680 and installed in Belfast in 1694. He declined to take the Oath of Abjuration in 1703 and was forced to escape to Scotland on two occasions. Much of his written work has survived.

McBRIDE, JOHN 1730-1800

John McBride was born in Ballymoney, County Antrim and was a brother of David McBride. He was a merchant seaman but joined the navy in 1724. He was promoted to Admiral and became a Member of Parliament for Plymouth. He died in London.

McBRIDE, JOHN JOSEPH b.1898

John McBride was born in Belfast and is the author of a number of plays, among which are The Yellow Rose; The Colorado Beetle and Down by the Glenside.

McBURNEY, JOHN 1877-1917

John McBurney was born in Belfast and attended the Government School of Design, where he specialised in designs for damask linen. He was awarded an exhibition to study art in South Kensington for two years, after which period he returned to Belfast. He was deeply involved with the Belfast Art Society, the Ulster Literary Theater, and was President of the Ulster Arts Club. He also designed embroidery.

McBURNEY, WILLIAM B. 1844-1890 pseud. CARROL MALONE

William McBurney was born in County Down and contributed articles to the Nation. When he emigrated to America, he wrote for the Boston Pilot under his pseudomnym. He wrote the ballad 'The Croppy Boy'.

MAC CABA, CATHAOIR, see McCABE, CHARLES

McCABE, CHARLES (MAC CABA, CATHAOIR) c.1700-1740

Charles McCabe was born near Mullagh, County Cavan. He was a poet and harpist and among other works is remembered for his elegy on the death of Carolan who was his friend. Most of Mac Cabe's work has been assimilated into the oral tradition, but some manuscripts are in the British Library. He is buried near St Ultan's Well in the barony of Castlerahan, County Cavan.

McCABE, WILLIAM PUTNAM 1775-1821

William Putnam McCabe was born in Belfast and was an ardent United Irishman, his interest stemming from Wolfe Tone's visit to Belfast in 1791. He became an active organiser and was responsible for Leitrim and Roscommon, and it is said that he was a master of disguise. He was arrested as one of a bodyguard to Lord Edward FitzGerald but was freed when he convinced the Scottish soldiers that he was Scottish. He escaped to France, having been specifically named in the Banishment Act. He established a cotton mill near Rouen, which was favoured by Napoleon. He returned to Ireland on three occasions, and on each one was arrested and imprisoned for short periods. He pleaded that he was traveling on behalf of his business, but the Home Secretary's comment was: 'It is very extraordinary that, in whatever part of the king's dominions his own business brought him, some public disturbance was sure to take place'. He died in Paris.

MacCAFFREY, JAMES 1875-1935

James MacCaffrey was born in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone. He was educated at St McCarten's College, Monaghan and Maynooth. In 1899 he was ordained and then carried out research in Paris and at the University of Freiburg. He was a monsignor and President of Maynooth from 1918 until 1935. He was editor of Archivium Hibernicum. Among his publications are History of the Catholic Church in the Nineteenth Century; School History of the Catholic Church; History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution and an edition of The Black Book of Limerick.

MacCAGHWELL, HUGH (MAC CATHMHAOIL, or MAC AINGIL, AODH) 1571-1626

Hugh MacCaghwell was born in Downpatrick, County Down. He became tutor to Hugh O'Neill's sons, having spent some years in the Isle of Man. He went to Spain and entered the Franciscan Order in Salamanca after the Flight of the Earls. He was appointed Guardian of the Irish Franciscan College in Louvain and taught there. In 1626 he was appointed Archbishop of Armagh, though five months later he died in Rome, where he was involved in the founding of the Irish College, and never reached his see. His writings deal with theology, philosophy and history, such as Scathan Shacramuinte na hAithridhe; Scoti Commentaria and Quaestiones in Metaphysicam as well as two books on Duns Scotus. He wrote in Irish and Latin and is the foremost composer of Christmas carols in Irish.

McCALLUM, JOHN D. M. 20th century

Johnnie McCallum was a badminton and cricket player. He was capped eight times for Ireland between 1913 and 1926 in badminton. He introduced the game into Denmark and in Ireland founded the Strollers Club. He was a major in the army in the Second World War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the CBE. From 1961 to 1963 he was President of the International Badminton Federation, and served as Secretary for fifty-two years in the Northern Branch of the Badminton Union of Ireland. He was also capped for Ireland as a cricket wicket keeper.

McCALMONT, HUGH 1809-1887

Hugh McCalmont was born in Abbeylands, County Antrim. He became a wealthy stockbroker and settled in London, where he bestowed much money on hospitals. He died in London and his estate was valued at over three million pounds.

McCALMONT, HUGH 1845-1924

Hugh McCalmont was born in County Antrim. He joined the army in 1865, serving in Canada, Egypt and South Africa. He was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1896, and was member of parliament for North Antrim for four years until 1899, and for the next four years was army commander in the Cork District. He was knighted in 1900, and his autobiography was published in 1924.

McCANDLESS, REX 1915-1992

Rex McCandless was born in Hillsborough, County Down. He began work in a miller's when he was thirteen. In his early twenties he went to London and worked at servicing lorries, and before the Second World War he returned to Belfast, where Short Brothers & Harland employed him to install brake systems in Bristol Bombay aeroplanes. In 1943 he went into partnership with his brother Cromie to repair vehicles for the Ministry of Supply. During this period he built his own motor-cycle and this became the prototype for the 'Featherbed' adapted by Norton. In the 1950s McCandless refined the design, calling it the 'Kneeler', and it broke many world speed records. In 1953 he designed two aluminum-bodied racing cars for Harry Ferguson. He developed a light cross-country vehicle which he called the 'Mule', but on Ferguson's death McCandless had no means of legally proving that the design was his. After a visit to Germany he devised a method of burning coal at low temperatures, an idea which saved the National Coal Board millions of pounds. In the 1960s he built his own autogiro. Towards the end of his life he perfected the technique of producing blackberry wine.

MacCANN, GEORGE 1909-1967

George MacCann was born in Belfast and was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and in 1926 entered the Belfast School of Art to study sculpture. In 1929 he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, London, and won a prize on the commendation of Henry Moore. When he returned to Ulster, he taught at the Royal School, Armagh, Portadown College, County Armagh, and from 1938 to 1939 he lectured in sculpture at the Belfast College of Art. During the Second World War he served in Burma as a captain in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. In 1942, his collection of short stories, Sparrows Round My Brow, was published under the pseudonym of George Galway. When he returned to Belfast, he taught art at Sullivan Upper School, Holywood. During the Festival of Britain in 1951, two sculptures were commissioned, one St Columba for the Guild Hall, Derry. He also painted murals for the Northern Ireland section of the Festival of Britain. In 1955 he becme a free-lance designer and painter, and worked for the Group Theatre and the Lyric Theatre, and painted murals for public houses. He was an associate of the Royal Ulster Academy, and exhibited in Belfast and Dublin. He was the husband of Mercy Hunter, and in 1963, he made the death mask of the poet Louis MacNeice.

McCANN, JACK 1917-1993

Jack McCann lived all his life on the Broughshane Road, Ballymena, County Antrim. He joined the family business and qualified as a lawyer in 1944. He practised as a solicitor in Ballymena all his life. He had an eduring interest in the theatre, especially the Slemish Players and the Open Door Theatre, and he was involved in the North West 200 motorcycle race, on which he commentated. He founded the Glens of Antrim Historical Society in 1965 and the John Hewitt International Summer School in 1988.

McCANN, LOUISA fl. 1890s

Louisa McCann was born in Belfast. She went to Paris in the 1980s and studied at the Academie Julian. In 1890 a watercolour portrait was exhibited at the Paris Salon. All that is known is that it had been sent from the Hotel de Chartres, Rue Brea.

MacCANN, SOMHAIRLE 1901-1975

Somhairle MacCann was born in Belfast and educated at the Christian Brothers' School. He was appointed a textile designer to a damask and linen manufacturers in 1915, and attended Belfast School of Art, studying damask and embroidery design. In 1921 he was sentenced to death by British court martial. He won the Sorella Art Scholarship in 1923 and in 1924 taught in the School of Art. He won the Dunville Scholarship in 1925 and went to study at the Royal College of Art, London. He became an art master at Galway Technical School from 1929 to 1935, and later became art inspector to the Department of Education, Dublin. In 1937 he became principal of the Crawford Municipal School of Art, Cork, a post which he held until retirement. He exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, and he illustrated books. His work is held at the Cork Municipal Art Gallery.

McCARRISON, ROBERT 1878-1960

Robert McCarrison was born in Portadown, County Armagh, and studied medicine at Queen's College, Belfast, and at the Richmond Hospital, Dublin. In 1900 he joined the Indian Medical Service. His study of goitre, cretinism and deficiency diseases had to be put in abeyance because of active service during the First World War. In 1918 he returned to India and continued his research and from 1929 until 1935 held the position of director of the Nutrition Research Laboratories at Coonoor. He retired from the Indian Medical Service with the rank of major-general. During the Second World War he was official medical adviser and for ten years from 1945 he was the first Director of Post-Graduate Medical Education at Oxford. He was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal for public service in India, and the Prix Amussat of the Academy of Medicine of Paris for his original research. From 1928 to 1935 he served as Honorary Physician to the King, and in 1933 he was knighted. On a tour of America he lectured extensively in leading universities and medical centres. The Work of Sir Robert McCarrison, which was presented to him on his seventy-fifth birthday, included all his important papers. In London a McCarrison Society has been founded.

McCARTAN, PATRICK 1878-1963

Patrick McCartan was born in County Tyrone. He took a degree in medicine and was appointed Resident Medical Officer of the General Hospital in New York. He returned to Ireland and in 1917 was sent as a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood to the American President with a message that Ireland intended to fight for its independence. In 1918 he was elected unopposed as member of parliament for King's County and in the same year was appointed Irish Envoy to America. Although he was opposed to the Treaty he felt that failure to accept it would lead to war. From 1948 to 1961 he was a member of the Senate.

McCARTHY, JAMES JOSEPH 1845-1895

James McCarthy was a prominent Irish architect. He built, among others, the churches at Ballitore, County Clare; Clogheen, County Tipperary; St Michael's, Ballinasloe and St John's, Tralee. He built the cathedrals at Monaghan and Thurles, the mortuary chapel at Glasnevin and the college chapel and senior infirmary at Maynooth. After 1854 he became the architect of Armagh Cathedral.

McCARTHY, JUSTIN 1830-1912

Justin McCarthy was born in Cork and was a journalist there before going to Liverpool and London, where he edited the Morning Star from 1864 to 1868. In 1870 he wrote for the Daily News. From 1879 to 1885 he served as member of parliament for Longford, and from 1886 to 1892 for Londonderry. As a writer he was highly regarded and wrote biography, history and fiction. He died in Kent. [Biography, The Story of an Irishman 1904]

Mac CATHMHAOIL, SEOSAMH see CAMPBELL, JOSEPH

MAC CATHMHAOIL, AODH see MacCAGHWELL, HUGH

McCAUGHEY, SAMUEL 1835-1919

Samuel McCaughey was born near Ballymena, County Antrim, and emigrated to Australia in 1856. He became manager of a sheep station in Victoria after a two-year apprenticeship. By 1860, with two partners, he had built up a famous marino stud farm in New South Wales. After this he bought other stations and introduced methods to improve the yield and quality of wool. He was the first to adopt irrigation and to improve the breed of sheep. At one point he had one million sheep to shear. He became the wealthiest man in the state and was known as the 'Sheep King'. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly for twenty years until 1919 and was knighted in 1905. He gave twenty war planes to the government in the First World War, and £2,000,000 for charitable and educational purposes.

McCAULEY, LEO 1895-1979

Leo McCauley was born in Derry and was educated at University College, Dublin, where he became a lecturer in Classics. He then became a civil servant and in 1926 was secretary of the committee chaired by W. B. Yeats which was to advise on the new coinage of the Irish Free State. He later moved to the diplomatic service and was posted to Berlin as First Secretary. He served as Irish Ambassador to Spain, Canada and the Vatican.

MacCAUSLAND, DOMINIC 1806-1873

Dominic MacCausland was born at Daisy Hill, County Londonderry, and studied law at Trinity College, Dublin. He was called to the Bar in 1835 and became Queen's Counsel in 1860. He published many works on religion, the most popular of which, Sermons in Stones, has gone through thirteen editions. He died in Dublin. [Memoir by W.D.Ferguson, 1873].

McCLEERY, WILLIAM VICTOR 1887-1957

William McCleery was educated privately. From 1945 to 1958 he served as a Unionist member of the Northern Ireland parliament. From 1949 to 1953 he was Minister of Commerce. He was a prominent Orangeman, and in 1954 was Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Northern Ireland; in 1955 he became Grand Master of the Imperial Grand Orange Council of the World.

McCLELLAND, JOHN ALEXANDER 1870-1920

John McClelland was born in Coleraine, County Londonderry. He was educated at the Academical Institution, Coleraine, and Queen's College, Galway. In 1895 he became a Junior Fellow of the Royal University of Ireland, and in 1901 was appointed a Fellow. He was Professor of Physics at University College, Dublin, and he specialised in atmospherical electricity. He was a member of the governing body of University College, Dublin, a member of the Senate of the National University of Ireland, a Fellow of the Royal Society, London, and Secretary of the Royal Irish Academy.

McCLELLAND JOHN T. 1940-1976

Jack McClelland was born in Lurgan, County Armagh and was an international goal keeper, playing soccer for Glenavon, Arsenal, Fulham, Lincoln City and Barnet. Between 1961 and 1967 he was capped for Northern Ireland six times.

McCLINTON, ARTHUR NORMAN 20th century

Arthur McClinton was a rugby international who played for the North of Ireland Foot-ball Club. In 1908 he won an Ulster Senior Cup medal. He was capped for Ireland on two occasions and was selected for the 1910 Lions tour of South Africa.

McCLOY, SAMUEL 1831-1904

Samuel McCloy was born in Lisburn, County Antrim and was apprenticed to a firm of engravers. From 1850 to 1851 he studied at the School of Design. He worked in Belfast, London and Cork and in 1853 became Master of the Waterford School of Art. He exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy Exhibition in Dublin in 1862, and in London. In 1875 he returned to live in Belfast, six years later moving to London. 'At The Pantomime' is one of his best known oil paintings. His work is represented in The Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Ulster Museum.

McCOAN, JAMES CARLILE 1829-1904

James McCoan was born in Dunlow, County Tyrone, and was educated in Dungannon, County Tyrone, and Homerton. He was called to the Bar in 1856 and was war correspondent of the Daily News during the Crimean War. The first newspaper in English in Turkey, the Levant Herald, was founded by him in 1864. He was member of parliament for County Wicklow from 1880 to 1885. He died in London.

MacCOLGAN, JOHN d.1765

John MacColgan was born in Cregamullen, Inishowen, County Donegal. In 1752 he was appointed Bishop of Derry. He resided at Muff until he fled the authorities and found refuge with Joseph Campbell. From there he fled to Omagh where he died.

McCOMB, WILLIAM 1793-1873

William McComb was born in Coleraine, County Londonderry. Before becoming a bookseller in Belfast he was a schoolteacher. He published six volumes of poetry, and a collected edition was published in 1864. He was responsible for establishing the Presbyterian Almanac, a publication which ran for nearly fifty years.

Mac CONMARA, SEAMUS 1909-1936

Seamus Mac Conmara was born in Newry, where his father, a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary, was a native Irish speaker. He was the author of a successful novel, An Coimhthiac (The Stranger).

MAC CONMIDHE, GIOLLA BRIGHDE ALBANACH 1180-1260

Giolla Brighde Mac Conmidhe was born in Ulster. He wrote poems about the King of Donough and the King of Connaught. Another of his poems laments the hardships of a journey to Palestine, and some of his personal poetry asks God for the gift of a son. It is said that towards the end of his life he came under the patronage of the King of Connacht, but also that he ranked as the chief poet and chronicler of Ulster, his major work being a lament on the death of Brian O'Neill. His career marks the beginning of the great bardic revival which continued into the fourteenth century. There is a theory that his biography actually encompasses that of two poets.

McCONNELL, ADAMS ANDREW 1884-1972

Andrew McConnell was born in Belfast and was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Trinity College, Dublin, where in 1946 and 1947 he was Provost, having been first Senior Moderator of Science. From 1946 to 1961 he was Regius Professor of Surgery, Trinity College, Dublin, and had served as Professor of Surgery in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

McCONNELL, ALBERT JOSEPH 1903-1993

Albert McConnell was born in Ballymena, County Antrim. He entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1922, where he studied both mathematics and philosophy. He went to Rome for his doctoral studies and on returning to Dublin in 1930 was elected a fellow of Trinity. In the same year he was appointed to the University Chair of Natural Philosophy. In 1931 his book, Applications of the Absolute Differential Calculus, was published, reflecting his interest in Riemannian geometry and tensor calculus. He had been elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 1929, and collaborated with A. W. Conway in preparing the second volume of the collected mathematical works of William Rowan Hamilton, which was published in 1940. He was elected Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, in 1952, a position which he held for twenty-two years. During that period he instigated many reforms, including introducing a retiring age for all staff. He was a friend of Aemonn de Valera, and in 1973, was appointed to the Council of State.

MacCORMAC, HENRY 1800-1886

Henry MacCormac was born at Fairlawn, County Armagh, and studied medicine in Dublin, Paris and Edinburgh. Before settling in Belfast in 1828, he traveled in Africa and America. In 1832 he was placed in charge of the fever hospital in Belfast, and during the epidemic of that year he took charge of the cholera hospital. He improved the conditions and diet of the patients in the district lunatic asylum, of which he was visiting physician. In 1836 he was one of the founders of the Belfast Medical Society, and he was among the first physicians to suggest that tuberculosis sufferers ought to be exposed to fresh air. He is said to have had a knowledge of twenty languages and was particularly interested in the study of comparative philology.

MacCORMAC, WILLIAM 1836-1901

William MacCormac was born in Belfast and was educated at Queen's College, Belfast. He was appointed Surgeon to the Royal Hospital and in 1870-1871 was in charge of the Anglo-American Ambulance in the Franco-Prussin war. In 1873 he was surgeon to St Thomas's Hospital, London, and was employed as a consultant surgeon during the Boer War. He was knighted in 1881, made a baronet in 1897 and was President of the Royal College of Surgeons. He wrote many books on surgery and on his war experiences. He died in London.

McCORMICK, ARTHUR DAVID 1860-1943

Arthur McCormick was born in Coleraine, County Londonderry and was educated locally. He studied art at the Government School of Design in Belfast and later in London, where he worked for the English Illustrated Magazine. In 1889 the Royal Academy exhibited his work and from 1922 to 1933 he accompanied Sir Martin Conway as artist on his exhibition to Karakoram in the Himalayas, and later accompanied Clinton T. Dent to Central Caucasus, and his illustrations appeared in Conway's Climbing and Exploring in the Himalayas in 1894. In 1895, McCormick produced his own book, An Artist in the Himalayas. He worked in many parts of the world, including Africa, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and India, and he was a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 1927 the tobacco manufacturers, John Player & Son commissioned him to paint the head and shoulders of a sailor on their cigarette packets. He is represented, among other places, in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

M'COSH, JAMES 1811-1894

James M'Cosh was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, was educated at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, and was ordained in the Presbyterian ministry. In 1850 he was appointed Professor of Logic and Metaphysics in Queen's College, Belfast. This appointment was satirised by Thackeray in Punch. He was appointed President of Princeton College, America, in 1868 and remained there for twenty years.

McCOUBREY, MARGARET 1880-1955

Margaret McCoubrey was born in Eldersley, near Glasgow. At the age of twelve she began working for a men's outfitters shop in Glasgow, though she continued her education at night school. In 1896 she qualified as a junior shorthand typist, and three years later became secretary to the managing director of the first private telephone service in Scotland. She taught in the Skerries Business Training College, of which she became deputy head mistress at the age of twenty-four. She married and came to live in Belfast in 1905. She joined the Suffragette Movement in 1910, and was an active militant. At the outbreak of the First World War she joined the peace movement, and gave refuge to conscientious objectors. She became general secretary of the Co-Operative Guild, and from 1910 to 1916 was elected onto the board of management. During this period she sat on all the sub-committees in turn, and she taught economics and the history of the Co-Operative Society in the educational department. In the 1920s she took a one-year course in economics at Manchester University. She contributed articles to many periodicals, including the Co-Op magazine, the Wheat Sheaf, and she had a weekly column in the Co-Op News. A history of the Co-Op movement by her was unfinished at the time of her death. She was an active member of the independent Labour party, and in 1920 was elected Labour councillor for Dock ward. In 1933 she went to live in Carnlough, County Antrim, where she ran Drumalla House as a non-profit making base for members of the Belfast Girl's Club Union to come on holiday. [Reminiscence by Elizabeth Hutchinson]

McCRACKEN, ELIZABETH A. M. (pseud. L. A. M. PRIESTLY) c.1865-1944

Elizabeth McCracken lived during the summer in Bangor, County Down. She was one of Ulster's leading suffragettes and published under her pseudonym. Among her publications is The Feminine in Fiction.

McCRACKEN, HENRY JOY 1767-1798

Henry Joy McCracken was born in High Street, Belfast. He was put in charge of a cotton factory at the age of twenty-two, and with Thomas Russell formed the first Society of United Irishmen in Belfast in 1791. In 1796 he was imprisoned for over a year, but was released and appointed commander-in-chief of the forces which were defeated at the Battle of Antrim in 1798. He was prevented from escaping to America and was court-martialled. On refusing to turn informer, he was hanged in Belfast on the evening of the day of his trial.

McCRACKEN MARY ANN 1770-1866

Mary Ann McCracken was born in Belfast and was educated at David Manson's school in Clugston's Entry, Belfast. She collected Irish harp music and was closely involved with the establishment of the United Irishmen. She was present when her brother, Henry Joy McCracken, was hanged in 1798. In partnership with her sister she started a muslin business which closed in 1815. She was a prolific writer and worked energetically for the poorhouse which had been designed and built by her uncle Robert Joy. A Ladies' Committee was formed in 1827 to supervise the treatment of women and children there, and she was its secretary for twenty-five years. All her life she actively opposed slavery and campaigned against the use of small boys as chimney sweeps. She was president of the committee of the Ladies' Industrial School for the Relief of Irish Destitution which was established in 1847 to assist famine victims. She believed in the equality of women. In her nineties she assisted Dr R. R. Madden in the writing of the history of the United Irishmen.

McCRACKEN, WILLIAM 1883-1979

Billy McCracken was born in Belfast and was a soccer international full-back. He planed for Distillery, Newcastle United and won medals in 1905, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910 and 1911. He also played for Hull City. He was capped fifteen times for Northern Ireland between 1902 and 1923. and scored an international goal. He later managed Hull City, Millwall and Aldershot.

McCREERY, JOHN 1768-1832

John McCreery was born in Strabane, County Tyrone. He went to Liverpool, where he worked as a printer and became renowned for the high quality of his work. His poem, 'The Press', was printed and used as a specimen of his workmanship. He moved to London, where he continued to work as a printer. He died in Paris.

MAC CUBHTHAIGH (McCOOEY), ART c.1715-1773

Art Mac Cubhthaigh was born in Ballinaghy, Creggan, County Armagh, and was a major poet, although his livelihood depended on labouring and gardening jobs. He wrote an aisling or vision poem, Uir-chill an Chreagain which became a popular song in south Ulster. He dedicated some of his poems to the O'Neills of Glassdrummond, a branch of the family who were traditionally patrons of poetry. Much of his work was set to music, and he was known as 'Art na gCeoltai'.

McCULLAGH, JAMES 1809-1847

James McCullagh was born in Badoney, County Tyrone and educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where in 1832 he became a fellow and, in 1838, Doctor of Laws. He served first as a Professor of Mathematics, then as Professor of Natural Philosophy, and he was Secretary of the Royal Irish Academy and Fellow of the Royal Society. He received the Cunningham Medal and won the Copley Medal. He published many papers on geometry and the wave theory of light. His failure to win the Dublin University seat for the Liberals, combined with overwork on his researches, contributed to his death by suicide. He presented the Cross of Cong and other antiquities to the National Museum.

McCULLOUGH, JOHN EDWARD 1837-1885

John McCullough was born in Coleraine, County Londonderry, emigrated to America, and worked in Philadelphia as a chair-maker. He made his first appearance on the stage in 1857. He played Shakespearean parts, the most successful of which was Othello, and appeared at Drury Lane, London in 1881. He suffered a nervous breakdown and died in Philadelphia.

McCURRY, NORMAN ERNEST (NORRY) 1919-1993

Norry McCurry was born in Belfast and moved to Oxfordshire where he spent his youth. He was educated at St Edward's and later St Edmund Hall. He served as a sailor on northern Atlantic convoys, first as a seaman and then as an officer, and later he went to Chichester Theological College. He was appointed curate in Staveley and in Leeds, was priest in charge near High Wickham, and was vicar to St Edward's, Holbeck, Leeds. He finally moved to St Bartholomew's, Armley, Leeds, where he stayed for ten years from 1963. From 1973 to 1985 he was rector of St Dunstans, Stepney and from 1980 to 1985, was prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral. He was appointed to the Advisory Council for the Church's Ministry, and Archbishop Runcie invited him to look after clergy who had particular difficulties. In 1985 he became Prebendary Emeritus and Honorary Priest to St James's, Picadilly.

MacDERMOTT, JOHN CLARKE 1896-1979

John MacDermott was born in Belfast and was educated at Campbell College, Belfast, and Queen's University, Belfast, where from 1931 to 1935 he was Lecturer in Jurisprudence and, from 1951 to 1969, Pro-Chancellor. He was Unionist member of parliament for Queen's University and in 1941 he was appointed Attorney-General. In 1944 he became a High Court judge and in 1947 Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. From 1951 to 1971 he served as Lord Chief Justice for Northern Ireland.

MacDEVITT, PHILIP 1724-1797

Philip MacDevitt was born in Fahan, County Donegal, and was educated at the Sorbonne. In 1766 he became Bishop of Derry. He founded a bursary at Maynooth for students from Derry and raised money for a seminary at Claudy. He began building the Long Tower Church in 1786, towards which his Church of Ireland counterpart, Bishop Hervey, is said to have contributed two hundred guineas.

MAC DIARMADA, SEAN 1884-1916

Sean Mac Diarmada was born in Kiltyclogher, County Leitrim, and at sixteen went to work in Glasgow as a gardener and later a tramway conductor. He moved to Belfast in 1902, worked as a tram conductor there and as a barman. He joined the Gaelic League, where he met Bulmer Hobson, who asked him to act as organiser for the Dungannon Clubs set up by the Irish Republican Brotherhood. In 1906 he joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood and was appointed Treasurer of its Supreme Council. He was a full-time organiser for Sinn Fein by 1907, and in 1910 he was appointed manager of Irish Freedom, a monthly journal. Despite being crippled by polio, he continued to work and was elected to the Provisional Committee of the Irish Volunteers in 1913. He was a member of the Military Council set up by the Irish Republican Brotherhood to plan a rising, and he fought in the General Post Office in Easter 1916. The Proclamation of the Republic carried his signature. He was court-martialled, sentenced to death and executed.

McDONAGH, W. PATRICK 1902-1961

Patrick McDonagh played hockey for Dub lin University, East Antrim and Cliftonville. Between 1923 and 1934 he was capped twenty-nine times for Ireland. He was a cricketer and tennis player as well as an artist and a poet.

MacDONALD, FINULA 16th century

Finula MacDonald was the daughter of James MacDonald of Isla, and Agnes Campbell, and gained the nick-name Ineen Dubh. She was brought up at the court of the Stuarts and in 1569 married Hugh O'Donnell. Together with her mother, she recruited the majority of Scots mercenaries into Ireland at that time. She was given lands by her husband, on the banks of Lough Foyle, and fortified houses at Mongavlin and Carrigans, which allowed her to retain close contact with her homeland. She maintained a body-guard of Scottish auxiliaries. She bore Sir Hugh O'Donnell four male children and was determined to ensure the succession of her eldest son, Hugh Roe O'Donnell, to whom she gave birth in 1572. While Hugh Roe was imprisoned, and his competitor Hugh O'Gallagher was gaining strength, she arranged for O'Gallagher to visit Mongavlin, and had him killed. She offered bribes, sureties and hostages to Perrot in 1588 to try and obtain Hugh Roe's release and in 1590, seeing Donnell O'Donnell as a threat, she defeated and killed him at Doire Leathan, Tirconnell. In 1593 she was described by Miler Magrath as 'a cruel, bloody woman who has committed sundry murders'. Her military strength and influence is seen as the decisive factor in the ultimate election of Hugh Roe O'Donnell to succeed his father as king of Tirconnell.

McDONALD, JAMES ALEXANDER 1849-1928

James MacDonald was educated at Methodist College, Belfast and played rugby there and for the Royal University of Ireland. He played in Ireland's first international in 1875 and won thirteen caps in ten seasons. He was a doctor and was Chairman of the British Medical Association.

MacDONLEVY, CORMAC see MAC DUINNSHLEIBHE, CORMAC

MacDONNELL, ALASDAIR (Mac Colla) d. 1647

Alasdair MacColla was a Scottish chieftain, related to the MacDonnells of Antrim. He was given the rank of Major-General and led a company of soldiers to Ulster, where he refused to accept the Covenant and fought in the war of 1641-1652. He won a decisive victory near Ballymoney. Later he was appointed Lieutenant-General of Munster. He was killed in battle and is buried in Clonmeen churchyars, Kanturk.

MacDONNELL, ALEXANDER d. c.1696

Alexander MacDonnell was the 3rd Earl of Antrim. In 1642 he commanded a regiment which in 1651 he led to relieve Derry. On approaching the city, he was mistaken for an enemy, and the gates were barred to him. As a consequence of this, he was wrongly assumed to be a supporter of James II, and his lands were confiscated. Under the Treaty of Limerick, however, he recovered his estates.

MacDONNELL, ALEXANDER 1794-1875

Alexander MacDonnell was born in Belfast and was educated at Westminster School and Oxford University. He was called to the Bar in 1824 and became Resident Commissioner of National Education, a post which he occupied for thirty-two years. He was appointed a Privy Councillor in 1846 and was created a baronet in 1872. He died in Drogheda. A statue of him by Farrell stands in Marlborough Street School, Dublin.

MacDONNELL, ALEXANDER 1798-1835

Alexander MacDonnell was born in Belfast and was involved in business in Demerara in the West Indies between 1820 and 1830. He was appointed secretary to the West Indies Merchant Committee. He was one of the finest chess-players in the world, and a number of his games are in a publication by W. G. Walker.

MacDONNELL, JAMES 1763-1845

James MacDonnell was born in Cushendun, County Antrim, and studied medicine at Edinburgh, where he graduated in 1784. When he settled in Belfast, he became one of the founders of the Royal Hospital, eventually becoming renowned as a doctor all over Ulster. He was a member of the Literary Society and a founder of the the Linen Hall Library and was active in many institutions. He was a keen amateur minerologist and geologist and an early member of the Belfast Natural History Society. Among his personal friends were Henry Joy McCracken and Wolfe Tone. He was involved with the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792.

MacDONNELL, RANDAL d.1636

Randal MacDonnell was the son of Sorley Boy and in 1601 inherited his father's lands. He was fostered on the island of Arran, and was known as 'Arranach'. In 1602 he changed allegiance and offered to attack Hugh O'Neill, whom he had formerly supported. He was knighted and in 1603 was granted three hundred and thirty-four thousand acres between Larne and Coleraine. The following year he married O'Neill's daughter, and when O'Neill and O'Donnell fled in 1607, it left him in a perilous position. He turned his attention to improving his estates. He was received well at the court in London, and in 1618 was created Viscount Dunluce, a member of the Privy Council and Lieutenant of the County of Antrim. In 1620 he was made Earl of Antrim. He died at Dunluce and was buried at Bonamargy, Ballycastle, County Antrim.

MacDONNELL, RANDAL 1609-1682

Randal MacDonnell was the son of the 1st Earl of Antrim. He traveled on the continent and was well received at the court in England. Charles I appointed him one of his Commissioners in the Highlands of Scotland on the outbreak of war. He took a seat in the Irish House of Lords. In 1642 he was imprisoned in Carrickfergus Castle and supposedly escaped by being smuggled out in a bed as a sick person. He fled to York, and on returning to Ireland was again taken prisoner and again escaped. For helping raise troops in Antrim for the king's service, he was rewarded by being created a marquis. Under the Cromwellian settlement his estates were confiscated but restored to him in 1666. He died at Ballymagarry and is buried at Bonamargy, Ballycastle, County Antrim.

M'DONNELL, RANDAL WILLIAM b.1870

Randal M'Donnell was bron in Dublin and was educated at Armagh Royal School and Trinity College, Dublin. He worked as assistant librarian in Marshes Library, and then as an inspector. He published three volumes of poetry, and many works of fiction among which are Kathleen Mavourneen (1898); When Cromwell Came to Drogheda (1906); My Sword For Patrick Sarsfield (1907) and Ardnaree (1911).

McDONNELL, SCHOMBERG KERR 1861-1915

Schomberg Kerr McDonnell was born in Glenarm, County Antrim, and was educated at Eton and Oxford. He served as private secratary to Lord Salisbury when the latter was Prime Minister. He fought in the Boer War and was knighted in 1902. He subsequently became secretary to the Office of Works and died in Flanders, fighting with the Cameron Highlanders.

MacDONNELL, SORLEY BOY c.1505-1590

Sorley Boy MacDonnell was probably born in Ballycastle, County Antrim. Having been imprisoned for a year in Dublin Castle, he came to prominence in 1552 when he drove the English from Carrickfergus, stating 'playnly that Inglische men had no ryght to Yrland'. In 1559 the MacQuillans tried to retreive the Route, which had been their territory, and a battle was fought at Bonamargy, with Sorley Boy leading the MacDonnells. He was imprisoned for two years following a defeat by Shane MacNeill. On his release, Sorley Boy, with help from supporters in Scotland, opposed the government's efforts to take his lands. His territory was invaded by the Earl of Essex, and his wife and children who had been sent to Rathlin for sanctuary were murdered, while, as Essex's account puts it,'Sorley then stood upon the mainland of the Glynnes, and saw the taking of the island and was likely to run mad for sorrow saying that he had lost all he ever had'. For eight years from 1576 Sorley Boy ruled the north coast, which after many skirmishes remained in his command, including the MacDonnells' seat at Dunluce, which he had lost and reclaimed. He was buried in Bonamargy, Ballycastle, County Antrim.

McDOWELL, FLORENCE MARY (nee DUGAN) 1888-1977

Florence McDowell was born in Doagh, County Antrim. She was a primary schoolteacher and her first book Other Days Around Me was written after she retired. Roses and Rainbows was published posthumously in 1986. Sam Hanna Bell said of her first book: 'For myself, I recognised with pleasure my own country childhood, in a different county, but filled with much the same sounds and sights and odours'.

MacDOWELL, PATRICK 1799-1870

Patrick McDowell was born in Belfast and was educated at a school run by Hugh Gordon who was an engraver. When his mother moved to London, he was apprenticed to a coach-builder there. He was taught how to draw and sculpt by Peter Francis Chenu, a French sculptor with whom he lodged. The work which first brought him to public attention was his statue 'The Girl Reading'. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1822 and was commissioned to execute statues of Pitt the Elder and Pitt the Younger, Lord Belfast for the city of Belfast, and Viscount Fitzgibbon for Limerick. He became a member of the Royal Academy in 1846, and his last piece of sculpture was 'Europa', commissioned for the Albert Memorial, London. He died in London.

MAC DUINNSHLEIBHE, CORMAC c.1420-1480

Cormac Mac Duinnshleibhe was born in County Donegal. He and his family were hereditary physicians to the O'Donnells. He translated into Irish De Dieties written by Isaac and De Dosibus written by Walter de Burley. It is said that Cormac was trained in the Arabian school of medicine.

McDYER, JAMES 1911-1987

James McDyer was born in Kilraine, Glenties, County Donegal, and was educated at St Eunan's College, Letterkenny, and Maynooth. During the Second World War, after his ordination in 1937, he worked in England with Irish immigrants. From there he was transferred to Tory Island, County Donegal, and remained a curate in Glencolumbkille from 1951 for twenty years. He was instrumental in having water and electricity brought to the area, and he instigated many co-operative projects to attract visitors and provide employment. He published his autobiography, Father McDyer of Glencolumbkille and The Glencolumbkille Story. In 1971 he was appointed parish priest of Carrick and Glencolumkille.

McELDERRY, ROBERT KNOX 1869-1949

Robert McElderry was born in Ballymoney, County Antrim, and was educated at Queen's College, Belfast, and St John's College, Cambridge. From 1902 to 1916 he was Professor of Greek at Queen's College, Galway, and from 1916 until 1926 he was Professor of Ancient Classics there. He was later Emeritus Professor of Greek at Queen's University, Belfast.

McELROY, JOHN 1782-1877

John McElroy was born in Brookeborough, County Fermanagh and emigrated to America in 1802. He entered the Society of Jesus as a lay brother and was ordained in 1817. He built a church, a college, schools and an orphanage in Frederick, Maryland. He served as army chaplain during the Mexican War, and from 1847 to 1862 he was in Boston, where he built a church and a college. He died in Frederick, Maryland.

MacENTEE, SEAN 1889-1984

Sean MacEntee was born in College Square, Belfast and was educated at St Malachy's College, Belfast, and Belfast Municipal College of Technology, where he qualified as an electrical engineer. For his part in the Easter Rising of 1916 he was sentenced to death. This sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and he was released after the general amnesty of 1917. In 1918 he was elected Sinn Fein member of parliament for Monaghan. He was imprisoned for a second time by the Free State government for his active opposition to the Treaty settlement. He was a founder member of Fianna Fail and held many ministerial posts in a distinguished political career. In 1918 he published Poems. He was given an honorary doctorate by the National University of Ireland and made a Knight Grand Cross of the Pian Order.

MacERLEAN, JOHN (MAC AN FHIR LEIGHINN, EOIN) 1870-1940

John MacErlean was born in Belfast and educated at St Malachy's College, Belfast. He joined the Society of Jesus as a novice in 1888, and in 1904 was ordained. He collected and edited the poems of Seathrun Ceitinn (Geoffrey Keating). He spent a year in Spain, and on his return collected and edited the poems of Daibhidh O Bruadair for the Irish Texts Society in three volumes.