Mayo People
Important Mayo people from history
This section of our website contains information on notable Mayo people abstracted from Mayo Library's local studies reference material including information taken from the rare A Concise Dictionary of Irish Biography by John S. Crone, M.R.I.A. published in 1928. Additional articles are included on some historical figures taken from local newspapers and journals.
The Mayo people listing is organized by surname - please select a person of interest: A-E : F-M : N-Z
MAYO PEOPLE A-E:
AMBROSE, ELEANOR, Lady Palmer, a celebrated beauty; b. Dublin about 1720; daughter of Michael Ambrose, a brewer; shone at Court of Lord Chesterfield who addressed some well-known lines to her; married Roger Palmer, M.P. for Mayo, 1752, who was created Bart. 1777; d.Dublin, 1818.
ARBUTHNOT, SIR ALEXANDER JOHN, Indian official and author; b. Farmhill, Co. Mayo, 1822; d. London 1907; ed. Rugby and Haileybury; director of public instruction Madras; vice-chancellor, Calcutta University; acting governor, 1872; K.C.S.I., 1873; opposed aggressive Afghan policy, and retired, 1889.
ARBUTHNOT, CHARLES, diplomatist and politician; b. Rockfleet, Co. Mayo, 1767; M.P. for several pocket boroughs; ambassador at Constantinople, 1804; filled various political offices; lived with Duke of Wellington, in whose house he died 1850.
ARBUTHNOT, SIR CHARLES GEORGE, general; b. Farmhill, Mayo, 1824; d.London, 1899; ed. Rugby and Woolwich; entered Royal Artillery, 1843, served in Crimea, commissioner-in-chief, Bombay and Madras; succeeded Roberts in command in Burmah, 1887; G.C.G., 1894.
ARBUTHNOT, SIR ROBERT, lieutenant-general; b. Rockfleet Mayo 1773; entered army as cornet, 1797; served in many lands; K.C.B., 1815. (“Few officers have taken part in so many general actions.” - D.N.B.) d. 1853.
ARBUTHNOT, SIR THOMAS, lieutenant-general; b. Rockfleet, Mayo 1776; brother of above; entered army, 1794; served in Peninsula, Cape, and West Indies; K.C.B., 1815; d. 1849.
ARCHDEACON, MATTHEW, novelist; b. Castlebar about 1800, and kept an academy there; wrote four excellent novels depicting his own folk, their legends, and stories of ’98, taken from the lips of participators; d. 1853.
ARTHUR, REV. WILLIAM, Wesleyan missionary and biographer; b. Newport, Mayo, 1819; laboured in India and France; principal of Methodist College, Belfast, 1868-71; wrote many religious and biographical works; d. Cannes 1901.
Baines, Thomas O'Malley (1844–99), Fenian, born near Louisburgh, Co. Mayo.
BOURKE, CANON ULICK, Irish revivalist; b. Co. Galway, 1829; ed. St. Jarlath’s and Maynooth; published, College Irish Grammar 1856; prof. of Irish, St. Jarlath’s; had special fount of type cast for his use in Tuam News and Celtic Educator; M.R.I.A., 1871; P.P., Claremorris, 1878; wrote Pre-Christian Ireland; d. 1887. (“In his circumstances, and those of his time, few men could have done more for the Irish language.” – A. Griffith.)
BOURKE, SIR THEOBALD VISCOUNT, son of Grace O’Malley; b. at sea, 1575; hence called “Tibbat-na-long, “ fought at Kinsale, and knighted; M.P., Co. Mayo, 1613; created peer, 1626; d. 1629; buried, Ballintober.
Brennan, Louis (1852–1932), the Castlebar engineer and inventor of the dirigible torpedo, the monorail system and many others.
BROWN, WILLIAM, Argentine admiral; b. Foxford, Mayo, 1777; d. Buenos Ayres, 1857; rose from cabin boy; settled in Buenos Ayres, 1812; accepted naval command, 1814; and defeated two Spanish squadrons; severely defeated Brazilian fleet, 1826-7; blockaded Monte Video in civil war, 1842-45, defying orders of English commodore.
BROWN, PATRICK, naturalist; b. Woodstock, Mayo, 1720; d. Rushbrook, Mayo, 1790; M.D. Leyden; friend of Linnaeus; travelled much, studying geology and botany; published History of Jamaica, 1756; from 1774 lived at home, publishing “catalogues” of native birds, fishes, etc., his Fasciculus Plantorum Hiberniae in Latin, English and Gaelic, 1788 is notable.
CELLACH, ST., Bishop of Killala; who flourished in the sixth century; was eldest son of Eogan Bel, King of Connaught; monk at Clonmacnois; succeeded his father, but cursed by St. Ciaran renounced crown and returned to monastery; murdered by order of King Guaire. Festival, 1st May.
COLMAN, ST., bishop of Lindisfarne; b. Co. Mayo; studied at Iona; consecrated Bishop of Lindisfarne, 661; defeated at Synod of Whitbby, 664, on the question of date of Easter; returned to Ireland, settled on Inishboffin, where he d. 676; the ruins of his church to be seen in townland of Knocka, Festival, 8th August.
COMON, CORMAC, “Cormac Dall”, bard and storyteller; b. Woodstock, Mayo, 1703; d. in Galway about 1786; blind through small pox; endowed with a sweet voice and a good ear, he earned his livelihood wandering about the country singing and story-telling; composed several songs and elegies.
Condon, Richard (1937–91), theatre manager, born 27 July 1937 in Belfast, and attended St. Gerald's College, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
Daly, James (1836?–1911), newspaper editor, farmer, and local politician.
DAVITT, MICHAEL, politican and author; b. Straid, Mayo, 1846; evicted, and brought up in Lancashire; lost an arm in factory; organising secretary Irish Republican Brotherhood, 1868; sentenced to 15 years’ penal servitude for share in movement, of which he served nine; founder of the Land League, 1879; M.P., Co. Meath, 1882; North Meath, 1892; South Mayo, 1895-9; established Labour World in London, 1890; founded united Irish League, 1898; published works include The Defence of the Land League (speech before Parnell Commission), 1891; Leaves from a Prison Diary, 1884; Boer Fight for Freedom; Fall of Fuedalism in Ireland, 1904; d. Dublin, 1906, (Lives by D. B. Cashman, and F. Sheehy-Skeffington 1908.)
Derrig, Thomas (Ó Deirig, Tomás) (1897–1956), revolutionary, teacher, and politician, born 26th Nov., 1897 in Westport, Co. Mayo
DILLON, JOHN, politician, son of succeeding; b. Blackrock, 1851; ed. Catholic Univ., Dub.: L.R.C.S.I.; accompanied Parnell to America, 1879; M.P., Tipperary, 1880-83; one of the traversers in the State Trial, 1881; M.P., East Mayo, 1885-1918; several times imprisoned under Coercion Acts; with William O’Brien established “Plan of Campaign”; left Parnell at “Split” 1890; succeeded Justin McCarthy as leader of anti Parnellite party; and John Redmond as leader of Nationalist party, 1918; d. London, 1927.
DILLON, JOHN BLAKE, politician; b. Ballaghadereen, Co. Mayo, 1816; d. Killarney, 1866; ed. Maynooth, T.C.D., B.A., 1841; bar, 1841; President of the Historical Society, 1841; member of Young Ireland party, and one of the founders of The Nation; a leader of rebellion of ’48; escaped to France, and thence to America; returned to Dublin, 1855; co founder of National Association, 1865; M.P., Tipperary, 1865.
DUFFY, EDWARD, fenian; b. Ballaghadereen, 1840; became I.R.B., 1863, and “the life and soul of the movement west of the Shannon” – McCarthy; arrested with Stephens, 1865, and imprisoned; re-arrested, 1867; d. Millbank prison,London, 1868; beloved by Ellen O’Leary who wrote pathetic poem on him.
Contact Information:
Ivor Hamrock, Local History Department, Castlebar Central Library, John Moore Rd, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.Email: ihamrock@mayococo.ie Phone: +353 (0)94 9047953