Grace O’Malley was born in 1934 as the elder of two children of Charles Vincent O’Malley and Dr Sarah (Judy) née Walsh. Her father was a dentist and ran a successful dental practice in the heart of Limerick city at No. 4 Pery Square, while her mother worked as a doctor and ophthalmologist. Grace was educated at Mount Anville in Dublin and later entered University College Dublin, where her studies for a degree in French and Italian were interrupted by tuberculosis in 1956. Following her recovery, Grace worked in public relations in Shannon. In 1958 she met and married her husband, George Cantillon, and had four children with him. Grace’s lifelong interest in family history culminated in an MA in Art History at University of Limerick in 2004 and the publication of The Round House O’Malleys: The Power of One Woman! in 2014.
James Gaffney was born in Limerick on 12 October 1866 to Thomas Gaffney and Agnes Mary née Clune. He was educated at Crescent College, Limerick and gained a BA from University College Dublin in 1887. Later that year he became apprenticed to Patrick Shelton Connolly, a solicitor in Limerick. He qualified as a solicitor in November 1890. In 1907, he was appointed Crown Solicitor for county Limerick and served in that capacity until 1920. James Gaffney married Mary ('Cis') Spain in 1901 and by her had two sons and five daughters. He died in Limerick city on 21 October 1933.
David Bolger is an Irish dancer, choreographer and founder of the dance company CoisCéim.
Jill Gregory was born on 10 October 1917 in Bristol. Her family moved to Ireland when she was seven years old, and it was in Dublin that she was first introduced to Ballet. In 1931, she joined the Vic-Wells Ballet, founded in London by Ninette de Valois. The company later became known as the Royal Ballet. In 1962 Gregory was appointed its ballet mistress responsible for training the corps de ballet. She remained with the Royal Ballet until her retirement in 1986. She died on 5 January 2010, aged 92.
General Eoin O'Duffy was an Irish nationalist military leader who played a central role in the development of the Irish armed forces and police. His attraction to fascism led him to raise an Irish Brigade to aid Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939.
For a full biography of Seán Mac Diarmada, please refer to the Dictionary of Irish Biography, https://www.dib.ie/biography/mac-diarmada-macdermott-sean-a5027.
For a full biography of Eugene O'Curry, please refer to the Dictionary of Irish Biography, https://www.dib.ie/biography/ocurry-curry-o-comhrai-eugene-eoghan-a6664.
Timothy Looney, a native of Cahir, county Tipperary, was born in 1914. A well-known local historian, he could regularly be found exploring local castles, churches, graveyards and sites of archaeological interest. He was known to challenge established beliefs and traditions and to use the evidence of cross-disciplinary elements such as documents and landscapes to offer alternative interpretations. His house on Pearse Street, a treasure trove of maps, books, documents and photographs, was a popular port of call for genealogists tracing their ancestors and for scholars researching historical topics. Looney’s collecting activities culminated in a remarkable salvage operation to recover papers from Shanbally Castle, county Tipperary prior to its destruction by a controlled explosion in March 1960.
In addition to his historical pursuits, Looney was an active member of his local community. He had a lifelong interest in the GAA, and was influential in the development of Gaelic games in Cahir. He was a tireless charity worker and fundraiser. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he organised volunteers to travel around the country to collect money for the Central Remedial Clinic, known as the Little Willie Fund, to aid the plight of polio victims. A supporter of the trade union movement, he was also active in the Irish Transport and General Workers Union. He had a great fondness for Cahir, and campaigned prominently to save its historical railway station. Timothy Looney died in his native town in 1990.
Captain Robert Gee enlisted in the army in 1893. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious military decoration of the British Armed Forces for his actions on 30 November 1917 during the Battle of Cambrai in France.