Personalities

Carlow personalities.
[ photo: County Museum. ]

Reflect on the contribution by Carlow people and their descendants who have made significant contributions to local, national and international life.

Read about some of our scientists, thespians and revolutinaries. Kevin Barry is a name that is sononious with Ireland’s struggle for independence when, at the tender age of eighteen he was hanged, while Michael O’Hanrahan was one of sixteen executed for his role in the 1916 Rising. Much of todays modern technological developments is based on fibre optics, a development pioneered in the 1850s by John Tyndall. Reverend Samuel Haughton's scientific research is still in use in some form today including his expertise in tides and tidal calculations. Val Vousden was a well regarded actor while international playwright George Bernard Shaw had very strong local connections and made a gift to the town of the several properties he inheritted.

Other personalities from the county include Myles Keogh, who is probably the county’s most famous soldier who was second in command to General Custer and was killed at the battle of Little Big Horn. Pierce Bulter was a signatory of the American Constitution and was involved in developing its Electoral College. Australia’s first Cardinal was Patrick Moran from Leighlinbridge while Myshall man Peter Fenelon Collier published over sixty million books, Collier’s Weekly and Collier’s Encylopaedia. Judge Mary O’Toole was the first woman appointed to the District of Columbia Municipal.

Descendants

Descendants of the county include Walt Disney whose ancestors are buried in the county. One of the worlds highest paid entertainers Michael Flatley’s biggest influences on his dancing career was his grandmother and mother who hail from the south of the county. When Brain Mulroney became Prime Minister of Canada in 1984 he became the highest political achieving descendant of Carlow.