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This is a list of famous Irish people.
It covers
- people who come from the island of Ireland, which includes people from
both Irish territories, the Republic of Ireland and the
province of Northern Ireland.
- people of Irish descent who identified themselves or involved themselves with Ireland (eg, Eamon de Valera, Princess Grace of
Monaco),
- people who chose to adopt an Irish identity or Irish citizenship (eg, Daniel Day-Lewis).
Some people born on the island of Ireland, particularly from Northern Ireland, also regard themselves as British.
Perhaps because of the extent of Irish emigration, talented people of Irish birth or descent have become known throughout the
world.
Art
- Francis Bacon, painter
- Robert Ballagh, painter, Aosdána
- John Behan, sculptor, Aosdána
- Pauline Bewick, Aosdána
- John Coll, sculptor
- Patrick Collins,
Saoi of Aosdána
- Dorothy Cross, various media, Aosdána
- Edward Delaney, sculptor, Aosdána
- Evie Hone stained glass
- Gene Lambert, painter,
Aosdána
- Sir William Lavery
painter
- Louis le Brocquy, painter, Saoi of Aosdána
- Daniel Maclise
- Anne Madden, Aosdána
- Tony O'Malley, Saoi of Aosdána
- William Orpen
- Patrick Pye, sculptor, painter and stained glass artist, Aosdána
- Camille Souter, painter, Aosdána
- Imogen Stuart, sculptor, Aosdána
- Jack B Yeats
Architecture
Actors
- Patrick Bergin
- Pierce Brosnan, Navan-born
(James Bond)
- Gabriel Byrne
- Cyril Cusack, born in South Africa
- Niamh Cusack
- Sorcha Cusack
- Daniel Day-Lewis, Oscar winner, born in UK
- Hilton Edwards, co-founder of the Gate Theatre, born in UK
- Colin Farrell
- Barry Fitzgerald, Abbey Theatre actor turned Hollywood star
- Brenda Fricker, Oscar winner
- Harrison Ford (irish father-russian jewish mother, Oscar winner
- Sir Michael Gambon
- Richard Harris
- Grace Kelly, Irish-American actress who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco
- Joe Lynch, TV
- Micheál Mac
Liammóir, co-founder of the Gate
Theatre, born in UK
- Victor McLaglen
- Colm Meaney
- Charles Mitchel
- Cillian Murphy
- Liam Neeson
- Ardal O'Hanlon actor/comedian
- Maureen O'Hara
- Milo O'Shea
- Maureen O'Sullivan, actor and mother of Mia Farrow
- Peter O'Toole, Oscar winner
- Stephen Rea
- Fiona Shaw
Music
- Benji and Joel
Madden, Lead Guitarist and Singer of Good Charlotte
- Gerald Barry, composer,
Aosdána
- Derek Bell, harpist
- Seóirse Bodley,
Aosdána
- Bono (real name: Paul Hewson), lead singer of U2
- Boyzone
- John Buckley, Aosdána
- The Chieftains, traditional music group
- Frank Corcoran, Aosdána
- The Corrs
- Phil Coulter, composer
- The Cranberries
- Dana, Rosemary Scallon,MEP -
singer turned politician
- Raymond Deane, Aosdána
- Jerome de
Bromhead, Aosdána
- Roger Doyle, Aosdána
- Enya (real name: Eithne Ní Bhraonáin), singer/songwriter
- Eibhlis Farrell,
Aosdána
- John Field, composer (creator of the nocturne)
- The Fury Brothers and Davy Arthur
- James Galway, flautist
- Bob Geldof, songwriter, singer of the Boomtown Rats, activist
- Hamilton Harty, composer
and arranger
- Michael Holohan,
Aosdána
- Brian Irvine, composer
- Fergus Johnson, Aosdána
- Ronan Keating, singer/songwriter
- Luke Kelly, singer
- Brian Kennedy, singer
- John Kinsella, Aosdána
- Johnny Logan, singer/songwriter
- Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy
frontman
- Philip Martin, pianist, Aosdána
- John Count
McCormack, singer
- Christy Moore,
singer/songwriter
- Van Morrison, singer/songwriter
- Samantha Mumba,
singer
- Turlough O'Carolan, 17th century harpist and composer
("Last of the Bards")
- Sinead O'Connor, Mother Bernadette, singer
- Kevin O'Connell,
Aosdána
- Daniel O'Donnell, country-and-western singer
- Mary O'Hara,
harpist/singer
- Jane O'Leary, Aosdána
- Eric Sweeney, Aosdána
- Westlife
- Ian Wilson, Aosdána
- James Wilson, Aosdána
Dance
Writing
- Cecil
Frances Alexander
- William Allingham, poet
- John Banville,
novelist
- Leland Bardwell,
Aosdána
- George Barrington
- Sebastian Barry,
novelist, Aosdána
- Samuel Beckett, Saoi
- Brendan Behan, playwright, novelist
- Dermot Bolger, novelist,
Aosdána
- Clare Boylan, Aosdána
- Christy Browne, author of
My Left Foot
- J. B. Bury, historian
- Marina Carr, Aosdána
- Ciarán Carson, Aosdána
- Philip Casey, Aosdána
- Harry Clifton, Aosdána
- Michael Coady, Aosdána
- Anthony Cronin, Aosdána
- Margaretta
D'Arcy, Aosdána
- Seamus Deane, Aosdána
- Eamon Delaney
- Aubrey de Vere, poet
- Theo Dorgan, Aosdána
- Roddy Doyle, novelist
- Sir Samuel Ferguson poet
- Brian Friel, playwright, Aosdána
- Carlo Gébler, Aosdána
- Oliver Goldsmith, novelist and dramatist
- Oliver St John Gogarty
- Robert Greacen, Aosdána
- Lady Gregory, playwright and founder of the Abbey Theatre
- Dermot Healy, Aosdána
- Seamus Heaney, Saoi of Aosdána
- Aidan Higgins, Aosdána
- Rita Ann Higgins,
poet, Aosdána
- Pearse Hutchinson,
Aosdána
- Jennifer Johnston,
Aosdána
- Neil Jordan, author, film director, Aosdána
- James Joyce, novelist
- Patrick Kavanagh,poet
- Adrian Kenny, Aosdána
- Benedict Kiely, Saoi of Aosdána
- Tom Kilroy, Aosdána
- Mary Kusack, the "Nun of Kenmare," patriot and controversialist
- Mary Lavin, Saoi of Aosdána
- Francis Ledwidge, poet
- Michael Longley,
Aosdána
- Walter Macken,
novelist
- James Clarence
Mangan poet
- Martin McDonagh,
playwright
- John McGahern, novelist,
Aosdána
- Frank McGuinness, Aosdána
- Richard Murphy, poet,
Aosdána
- Thomas Moore, poet
- Christopher Nolan, poet, Aosdána
- Edna O'Brien, novelist,
Aosdána
- Sean O'Casey, playwright
- Frank O'Connor, short story writer
- Ulick O'Connor,
Aosdána
- Julia Ó Faoláin,
Aosdána
- Seán Ó Faoláin,
Saoi of Aosdána
- Brian O'Nolan (aka Myles na Gopaleen, Flann O'Brien),
novelist/columnist
- James Plunkett, Aosdána
- Deirdre Purcell
- George Russell, AE
- George Bernard Shaw, novelist, playwright
- Richard Brinsley Sheridan, playwright
- Laurence Sterne, novelist
- Bram Stoker, author of Dracula
- Francis Stuart, Saoi of Aosdána
- Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, novelist and satirist
- John Millington Synge, dramatist
- William Trevor, writer, Aosdána
- Oscar Wilde, novelist, poet, satirist
- William Butler Yeats, poet
Politics
See also: List of Irish
Politicians
- Eamon de Valera (born in USA) Taoiseach (1932-1948; 1951-54; 1957-1959) President of
Ireland (1959-1973)
- Padraic Pearse - poet,
teacher and leader of the Easter Rising
- James Connolly - Scottish-born
socialist, founder of the Labour Party and Easter Rising participant
- W.T. Cosgrave - President of the Executive Council (prime minister)
(1922-1932)
- Mary Harney, deputy Prime Minister (Tánaiste) & leader of the Progressive
Democrats
- Desmond O'Malley - founder and first leader of the Progressive Democrats
- Tim Healy - politician and Governor-General of the Irish
Free State (1922-28)
- Domhnall Ua Buachalla Fianna Fáil TD turned
Governor-General (1932-36/7)
- Douglas Hyde - founder of the Gaelic League, President of Ireland (1938-1945)
- Patrick Hillery - Irish EEC Commissioner & President of
Ireland (1976-1990)
- Mary Robinson, President of Ireland (1990-1997)
- Mary McAleese, President of Ireland (1997-present)
- Bertie Ahern, prime minister (the Taoiseach) and leader of Fianna Fáil
- Gerry Adams - politician & leader of Sinn Féin
- Wolfe Tone - nationalist leader
- David Trimble - former First Minister of Northern Ireland and
leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
- Brian Lenihan - Tánaiste & defeated presidential candidate
- Roger Casement - human rights campaigner turned revolutionary
- Michael Collins - assassinated
President of the Provisional Government
- Gerry Fitt - politician
& first leader of the SDLP
- John Hume - MP, MEP and second leader of the SDLP
- Garret FitzGerald - politician and Taoiseach (1981-2, 1982-87)
- Charles Haughey - politician and Taoiseach (1979-81; 1982; 1987-92)
- Countess
Markiewicz - politician
- Rev. Ian Paisley MP, MEP, MLA - politician and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party
- Charles Stewart Parnell - politician and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party
- Boyle Roche - eighteenth century politician and member of the Irish House
of Commons
- Edmund Burke
- Arthur Griffith - President of Dáil Éireann (Jan-Aug 1922) & 1921 Treaty delegation leader
- David Norris - senator, Joycean scholar and gay rights campaigner
- Lord Edward FitzGerald - eighteenth century
aristocratic revolutionary
- Arthur Wellesley,
1st Duke of Wellington - member of Irish House of
Commons, military leader and British Prime
Minister
- Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl
of Longford Irish-born UK politician, cabinet minister and author.
- Pat Cox - President of the European Parliament
- Brian Boru - High King of Ireland
- Rory O'Connor - High King of Ireland
- Dermot McMurrough -
King of Leinster
- Garret Fitzgerald -
the Great Earl of
Kildare
- Patrick Sarsfield - Earl of Lucan - military leader
- Willam Joyce - Lord Haw Haw - Nazi propagandist
- Robert Emmet - leader of 1803 rebellion
- Henry Joy
McCracken - Ulster leader of 1798 rebellion
- Daniel O'Connell - The Liberator - leader of campaign for Catholic Emancipation
- Isaac Butt - Home Rule
leader
- Michael Davitt
(1846-1906) - founder of the Land League
- John Redmond - Home Rule leader
- Eoin MacNeill - founder-member of the Gaelic League
- Thomas J. Clarke - signatory of 1916 Proclamation
- The O'Rahilly - 1916
leader
- Joseph Mary Plunkett - signatory of 1916
Proclamation
- Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa - veteran Fenian leader (d. 1915)
- Seán Mac Diarmada - signatory of 1916 Proclamation
- Thomas MacDonagh - signatory of 1916 Proclamation
- Eamonn Ceannt - signatory of 1916 Proclamation
- Tomás MacCurtain -
Lord Mayor of Cork (d. 1920)
- Terence MacSwiney -
Lord Mayor of Cork (d. 1920)
- Arthur Griffith - Home Rule leader (d. 1922)
- Seán Lemass - Taoiseach
- General Eoin
O'Duffy - leader of the Blueshirts
- John A Costello - Taoiseach (1948-51),(1954-57)
- Noel Browne - controversial Health Minister (1948-51)
- Seán MacBride - IRA chief, minister (1948-51),lawyer and founder member of Amnesty International
- T.K. Whitaker - architect of post-war economic development
- Liam Cosgrave - Taoiseach(1973-77)
- Frederick Boland -
Diplomat and Irish delegate to UN
- Lord Edward Fitzgerald - aristocratic rebel in
1798 rebellion
- Henry Grattan- 18th century defender of Irish parliamentary
independence and opponent of the Act of Union
- Thomas D'Arcy McGee, promoter of a federal union for
the Canadian provinces
Science, Education and Technology
- Robert Boyle
- Nicholas Comins,
binaural
stethoscope
- John Boyd Dunlop, pneumatic tyre
- William Dargan, engineer
- Michael Everson, expert in writing systems and Unicode, born in USA
- George Francis FitzGerald, physicist
- William Rowan Hamilton, quaternions; mathematical
physics
- John Phillip Holland, submarine designer
- Virginia O'Mahony, President of the Irish Primary Principals Network
- George Stokes
- Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton, physicist,
1951 Nobel Prize in Physics
Sport
- George Best, footballer
- Andrew Bree, swimmer
- John Pius Boland -
double Olympic medal-winner/tennis,1896
- Sean Boylan, long-time manager
of All-Ireland winning Meath football team
- Eamonn Coghlan, runner
- Ronnie Delany - Olympic medal winner/athletics
- Damien Duff, footballer
- Eamon Dunphy, soccer player turned media commentator and
broadcaster
- Shay Given, footballer
- Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed, 19th century
mountaineer
- Eddie Irvine, Formula One driver
- Robbie Keane, footballer
- Roy Keane, footballer
- Sean Kelly, cyclist
- Dave McAuley, boxer
- Mick McCarthy - former Republic of Ireland football manager
- Paul McGinley, golfer
- Barry McGuigan, boxer
- Catherina McKiernan, athlete
- Pat O'Callaghan -
Olympic gold medal/hammer, 1928, 1932
- Brian O'Driscoll, rugby player
- Mick O'Dywer, successful
gaelic inter-county football manager
- Jonjo O'Neill, jockey
- Colm O'Rourke, Gaelic
Athletic Association GAA footballer
- Sonia O'Sullivan,
Olympic medal winner
- Niall Quinn, footballer
- Stephen Roche, cyclist
- Michelle Smith - disgraced Olympic swimming medal-winner
- Jim Stynes - Champion Australian Rules footballer
- Bob Tisdall - Olympic gold medal/400mH, 1932
- John Treacy - Olympic silver
medal/marathon, 1984
- Ruby Walsh, jockey
- Keith Wood, rugby
player
Other
- Emily O'Reilly - journalist, Ombudsman and Information
Commissioner
- James Hamilton - Director of Public Prosecutions
- Harry Clarke - stained glass artist
- Michael Mills - Ombudsman
- Kevin Murphy, Ombudsman
and Information Commissioner
- Arthur Guinness -
brewer
- Terry Wogan - TV and radio "personality"
- Gay Byrne - broadcaster and presenter of the Late Late Show (1962-1999)
- Eamonn Andrews - TV personality, producer and businessman
- Graham Norton - TV personality and actor
- Pat Kenny - broadcaster & presenter of the Late Late Show (1999-present)
- George Berkeley - philosopher
- Desmond Connell,
Cardinal Archbishop of Dublin and Primate
of Ireland
- Lord Eames, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate
of All Ireland
- Jim Duffy - Irish advisor to Australia's Republic Advisory Committee
- Lord Killanin, former
head of the International Olympic
Committee
- St. Patrick - Welsh born Irish patron saint
- St. Brigid - Irish saint and bishop
- St. Aidan of Lindisfarne
- Dermot Morgan - satirist and star of Father Ted
- Lord Henry
Mountcharles - rock impressario, owner of Slane Castle, politician
- Edward Arthur Henry Pakenham, 6th Earl of Longford - Gate Theatre manager
- Lady Mary Heath - early
aviator
- Michelle Burke - twice
Oscar-winner for make-up
- Philip Treacy - milliner
- Norah Barnacle - wife of
James Joyce
- Sir Alfred Chester Beatty
- Sir Horace
Plunkett - founder of co-operative movement
- Sir Anthony J F
O'Reilly - Independent Newspapers and head of
Heinz, 1979-1996
- Kitty O'Shea - mistress of Charles Stewart Parnell
- Edward Martyn - co-founder of the Irish Literary
Theatre
- James Larkin - labour
leader
- William Martin
Murphy - Dublin Employers Association (1911)
- Johannes
Scotus Erigena - theologian (b. 810)
- Ernest Shackleton - explorer
- Grace O'Malley - Granuaile,Gráinne Mhaol, pirate queen
- Edward McLysaght - Chief Herald of Ireland, 1943-54
- Gerard Slevin - Chief Herald of Ireland, 1954-81
- Patricia Donlon -
Chief Herald of Ireland, 1995-97
- Donal Begley - Chief Herald of Ireland, 1981-95
- Brendan O
Donoghue - Chief Herald of Ireland,
1997-date
- Niall FitzGerald, honorary KBE, chief executive Unilever
- Eliza Lynch, mistress of Francisco López, Paraguayan
dictator
See also
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