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Kildare, Thomas Fitzgerald, 10th earl of

(Encyclopedia)Kildare, Thomas Fitzgerald, 10th earl of, 1513–37, Irish nobleman, called Silken Thomas. When his father, the 9th earl and lord deputy of Ireland, was summoned to London on charges of maladministrat...

Blessington, Marguerite, countess of

(Encyclopedia)Blessington, Marguerite, countess of, 1789–1849, English author and famous beauty, b. Ireland. At the age of 14 she was forced by her father into marriage with Capt. Maurice St. Leger Farmer, a sadi...

Smillie, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Smillie, Robert smīˈlē [key], 1857–1940, British labor official, b. Belfast, Ireland, of Scottish parents. He was president of the Scottish Miners' Federation from 1894 to 1918 and from 1921 unti...

Valentia

(Encyclopedia)Valentia or Valencia vəlĕnˈshēə [key], island (1991 pop. 680), c.7 mi (11.3 km) long and 2 mi (3.2 km) wide, off the coast of Co. Kerry, SW Republic of Ireland. Its slate, once famous, is no long...

Truro , city, Canada

(Encyclopedia)Truro tro͝orˈō [key], town (1991 pop. 11,683), central N.S., Canada, near the head of Cobequid Bay, an arm of the Bay of Fundy. It is a railroad and industrial center, with lumber mills, printing p...

Barrington, George

(Encyclopedia)Barrington, George bârˈĭngtən [key], 1755–c.1804, notorious English pickpocket, b. Ireland. His family name was Waldron. Arriving in London in 1773, he became a professional pickpocket and, obta...

Owen, John

(Encyclopedia)Owen, John, 1616–83, English Puritan divine and theologian. In the civil war Owen supported the parliamentary cause. Oliver Cromwell took him as chaplain to Ireland and Scotland and had him appointe...

Eriugena, John Scotus

(Encyclopedia)Eriugena or Erigena, John Scotus skōˈtəs ĕryo͞oˈjĭnə; ĕrĭjˈ– ĕrēˈ– [key] [Lat. Scotus=Irish, Eriugena=born in Ireland], c.810–c.877, scholastic philosopher, born in Ireland. About ...

Irish language

(Encyclopedia)Irish language, also called Irish Gaelic and Erse, member of the Goidelic group of the Celtic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Celtic languages). The history of Irish as a liter...

Friel, Brian

(Encyclopedia)Friel, Brian frēl [key], 1929–2015, Irish playwright, b. Killyglogher, Northern Ireland. Treating themes that enmesh both Irelands, he became the most acclaimed Irish dramatist of the late 20th cen...