The Geographical Distribution of Irish Ability (1906)

In 1906 London-born biographer, editor and librarian David James (DJ) O’Donoghue published a subjective biographical record of the intellect of the Irish people titled The Geographical Distribution of Irish Ability. It devotes a chapter to all thirty two counties. As the Dictionary of Irish Biography entry for O’Donoghue states, it is “of questionable validity”.

This certainly is the case for the County Kildare chapter, with the author stating that Kildare’s record is disappointing and that “there are very few names of great note among the Kildare men recorded in the usual sources of information”! It very much reflects the interests and prejudices of the period, with an excessive focus on members of the clergy, aristocracy, legal profession and men in the names listed. Nevertheless it includes an extensive list of names of individuals with potential Kildare associations, many who are less well known today including the journalist John Sheehen, spy Florence Hensey and the Brazilian railways engineer Christopher Bagot Lane.

The full entry for County Kildare can be read here Geographical Distribution of Irish Ability_Co Kildare chapter

The Dictionary of Biography entry for David James (DJ) O’Donoghue, who wrote many other other books including a well known The poets of Ireland is online here

This 330+ page book is highly subjective and full of contentious claims. Saint Bridget is listed as the greatest personage in the history of County Louth for example! The author even lists an order of merit for “how many persons of talent each county had produced per 10,000 of population” in the preface, with County Kildare placing 10th on this “list”.