List of Irish people

This is a list of famous Irish people.

It covers

people who come from the island of Ireland, that is the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
people who chose to adopt an Irish identity or Irish citizenship (eg, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jeremy Irons).

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

Main list of visual artists: List of Irish artists

Architecture

Actors

Patrick Bergin
Stephen Boyd, Actor
Kenneth Branagh - Actor
George Brent Hollywood actor
Pierce Brosnan, Navan-born James Bond
Gabriel Byrne
Cyril Cusack, born in South Africa
Niamh Cusack
Sorcha Cusack
Daniel Day-Lewis, British-born Oscar winner
Brian Donlevy, Hollywood actor
Roma Downey, actress best known for her role as Monica in the TV series Touched By An Angel
Hilton Edwards, co-founder of the Gate Theatre, born in UK
Colin Farrell
Barry Fitzgerald, Abbey Theatre actor turned Hollywood star
Fionnula Flanagan , Actress
Brenda Fricker, Oscar winner
Bronagh Gallagher, Actress
Sir Michael Gambon
Cedric Gibbons, film, art director
Brendan Gleeson, actor
Richard Harris, (actor)
Evanna Lynch (actress), Cast as Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Joe Lynch, TV
Susan Lynch, Actress appeared in Nora, Secret of Roan Inish, Waking Ned
Micheál MacLiammóir, co-founder of the Gate Theatre, born in UK
Patrick McGoohan, actor and creator of The Prisoner
Victor McLaglen, Actor
Colm Meaney, Actor
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Actor
Charles Mitchel
Cillian Murphy, Actor
Devon Murray actor (seamus finnigan in harry potter 1-5)
Liam Neeson, Actor
Jim Norton, character actor
Ardal O'Hanlon actor/comedian
Maureen O'Hara, Actress
Milo O'Shea, Actor
Maureen O'Sullivan, actor and mother of Mia Farrow
Peter O'Toole, Oscar winner
Stephen Rea, Actor
Fiona Shaw, Actress
Arthur Shields, Actor (older brother of Barry Fitzgerald)
Stuart Townsend, actor and boxer

Music

Individuals

Michael William Balfe, composer
Gerald Barry, composer, Aosdána
Margaret Barry, singer
Derek Bell, harpist
Mary Bergin, tin whistler
Frances Black
Mary Black, singer
Paul Brady, singer
Bono (real name: Paul Hewson), lead singer of U2
Annette Buckley, singer songwriter
Joe Burke, accordionist
Kevin Burke, fiddler
Packi Byrne, singer
Paddy Casey, singer/songwriter
Patrick Cassidy, composer
Willie Clancy, uilleann piper
Julia Clifford, traditonal fiddle player
Michael Coleman, fiddler
Joe Cooley, accordionist
Phil Coulter, composer
Séamus Creagh
Dana, Rosemary Scallon, MEP - singer turned politician
Seamus Ennis, uilleann piper
Enya (real name: Eithne Ní Bhraonáin), singer/songwriter
John Field (composer) (creator of the nocturne)
Jem Finer, banjoist and guitarist
Gavin Friday
Mark Geary
W. H. Grattan Flood, Author and Renowned Musicologist
Rory Gallagher, blues/rock guitarist
James Galway, flautist
Bob Geldof, songwriter, singer of the Boomtown Rats, activist
Carmel Gunning, tin whistler
Hammy Hamilton
Joe Heaney, singer
Hamilton Harty, composer and arranger
Gemma Hayes
Ann Heneghan, violinist, pianist and educator
Brian Irvine, composer
Fergus Johnston, Aosdána
Dolores Keane, singer
Ronan Keating, singer/songwriter
Paddy Keenan, uilleann piper
Luke Kelly, singer
Brian Kennedy, singer
Paddy Killoran, fiddler
Dave King, singer/songwriter
John Kinsella, Aosdána
David Kitt
Josef Locke, singer
Johnny Logan, singer/songwriter
Cora Venus Lunny, violinist
Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy frontman
Mickey MacConnell, singer/songwriter
Shane MacGowan, singer/songwriter
Sean Mackin, Backup Vocals and Violinist of Yellowcard
Sarah Makem, singer
Enda Markey, Singer
Philip Martin, pianist, Aosdána
John Count McCormack, singer
Eleanor McEvoy
Mark McLaughlin
Tommy Makem, singer-songwriter
John Maher (Marr), guitarist/keyboardist/songwriter, formerly of The Smiths
Christy Moore, singer/songwriter
James Morrison, fiddler
Van Morrison, singer/songwriter
Stephen Morrissey, singer/songwriter, formerly of The Smiths
Samantha Mumba, singer
Mundy, singer/songwriter
Ruby Murray, singer
Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, singer
Turlough O'Carolan, 17th century harpist and composer ("Last of the Bards")
Kevin O'Connell, Aosdána
Maura O'Connell, singer
Martin O'Connor, accordionist
Sinéad O'Connor, singer
Daniel O'Donnell, country-and-western singer
Con O'Drisceoil
Liam O'Flynn
Seán Ó Riada, composer & musician
Damien Rice
Tim O'Riordan
Tommy Peoples, fiddler
Carmel Quinn, singer
Leo Rowsome, uilleann piper
Sharon Shannon, traditional musician
Rob Smith Singer/songwriter & Musician
Patsy Touhey, piper
Paddy Tunney, singer
Andy White
Aaron Wilkinson
Ian Wilson, Aosdána
James Wilson, Aosdána

A - C

D - K

Seamus Deane, Aosdána
Eamon Delaney
Aubrey de Vere, poet
Denis Devlin, poet
Roddy Doyle, novelist
Sir Samuel Ferguson poet
Roderick Flanagan, Historian
Brian Friel, playwright, Aosdána
Oliver Goldsmith, novelist and dramatist
Oliver St John Gogarty
Lady Gregory, playwright and founder of the Abbey Theatre
Dermot Healy, Aosdána
Randolph Healy, Poet
Seamus Heaney, Saoi of Aosdána
Aidan Higgins, Aosdána
Pat Ingoldsby, poet, playwright, etc.
Henry James, American Novelist
Jennifer Johnston, Aosdána
Neil Jordan, author, film director, Aosdána
James Joyce, novelist
Trevor Joyce, poet
Herminie Templeton Kavanagh, author
Patrick Kavanagh,poet
Benedict Kiely, Saoi of Aosdána
Mary Kusack, the "Nun of Kenmare," patriot and controversialist

L - P

Mary Lavin, Saoi of Aosdána
Francis Ledwidge, poet
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, gothic novelist
C. S. Lewis (author of the Chronicles of Narnia)
Michael Longley, Aosdána
Walter Macken, novelist
James Clarence Mangan poet
Malachi Martin, (1923-2000), horror writer
Edward Martyn, playwright, art patron and political activist
Frank McCourt, writer
Martin McDonagh, playwright
John McGahern, novelist, Aosdána
Frank McGuinness, Aosdána
Gerard McKeown, writer
Richard Murphy, poet, Aosdána
Thomas Moore, poet
Paul Muldoon, poet
Christopher Nolan, poet, Aosdána
Edna O'Brien, novelist, Aosdána
Sean O'Casey, playwright
Frank O'Connor, short story writer
Ulick O'Connor, Aosdána
Máirtín Ó Díreáin, great Irish-language poet,Aosdána
Sean O'Faolain, Saoi of Aosdána
Liam O'Flaherty, novelist, short story writer
Brian O'Nolan (aka Myles na Gopaleen, Flann O'Brien), novelist/columnist
James Plunkett, Aosdána

R - Z

George Russell, AE
Maurice Scully, poet
George Bernard Shaw, novelist, playwright
Richard Brinsley Sheridan, playwright
Michael Smith (poet)
Geoffrey Squires, poet
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
William Wall, novelist, poet
Oscar Wilde, novelist, poet, satirist
William Butler Yeats, poet

Business

Donnie Cassidy, businessman and TD
Niall FitzGerald, honorary KBE, chief executive Unilever
Arthur Guinness - brewer
Eddie Hobbs, financial guru, presenter of Show me the Money and Rip-Off Republic
Denis O'Brien, highly successful entrepreneur and founder of Esat Telecom
Michael O'Leary, colourful CEO of Ryanair
Anthony J F O'Reilly - Independent Newspapers and head of Heinz, 1979-1996
Sean Quinn - multi-millionaire entrepreneur
Tony Ryan, founder of Ryanair and Guinness Peat Aviation
Pat McDonagh, founder of Supermacs
Peter Sutherland, Chairman of BP Plc, and Chairman of Goldman Sachs International and formerly Ireland's representative at the European Commission

Politics

Main list: List of Irish politicians

Science, Education and Technology

Main list: List of Irish scientists, engineers and inventors

Sport

George Best, footballer
Packie Bonner, footballer
Andrew Bree, swimmer
John Pius Boland - double Olympic medal-winner/tennis,1896
Michael Carruth, Olympic gold medal winner/boxing
Eamonn Coghlan, runner
Liam Daish, footballer
Gordon D'Arcy, rugby player
Ronnie Delany - Olympic medal winner/athletics
Mick Doyle - rugby player
Mick Doyle - Muay Thai and kickboxing
Damien Duff, footballer
Eamon Dunphy, soccer player turned media commentator and broadcaster
Mick Galwey, rugby player and coach
Shay Given, footballer
Johnny Giles, footballer
Padraig Harrington, golfer
Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed, 19th century mountaineer
Alex Higgins, 'Hurricane Higgins', snooker player
David Humphreys - rugby player
Ellen Hutchins, botanist
Eddie Irvine, Formula One driver
Pat Jennings, footballer
Eddie Jordan, racing driver and Formula 1 team owner
Robbie Keane, footballer
Roy Keane, footballer
Sean Kelly, cyclist
Michael Kinane, jockey
Eddie Macken, horse showjumper
Dave McAuley, boxer
Kevin McBride, boxer
Willie John McBride - rugby player
Mick McCarthy - former Republic of Ireland football manager
Wayne McCullough - Olymic Silver Medalist/Boxing
Paul McGinley, golfer
Paul McGrath, footballer
Barry McGuigan, boxer
Catherina McKiernan, athlete
Jimmy McLarnin, boxer
Geordan Murphy - rugby player
Pat O'Callaghan - Olympic gold medal/hammer, 1928, 1932
Patrick O'Connell - Real Betis/FC Barcelona manager, 1930s
Cian O'Connor - show jumper who had olympic gold medal taken from him
Brian O'Driscoll - rugby player
Ronan O'Gara, rugby player
Malcolm O'Kelly, rugby player
Jonjo O'Neill, jockey
Tony O'Reilly - rugby player
Peter O'Sullevan - horse racing commentator
Sonia O'Sullivan, Olympic silver medalist
Niall Quinn, footballer
Stephen Roche, cyclist
Tom Sharkey, boxer
Michelle Smith - Multi gold medalist 1996 Olympics
Tommy Smyth - ESPN commentater and former football player.
Steve Staunton, footballer
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
Ken Doherty, former World Snooker champion
Paul Darragh - showjumper

Other

Peter Lacy - Russian Field Marshal
Catherine McGuinness - Justice of the Supreme Court of Ireland, President of the Law Reform Commission - [1]
Emily O'Reilly - journalist, Ombudsman and Information Commissioner
James Hamilton - Director of Public Prosecutions
Todd Andrews - civil servant
Timothy Smiddy - academic, economist, Ireland's first ambassador
Ryan Tubridy - entertainer
Harry Clarke - stained glass artist
Martin Maher - Famed cadet instructor at United States Military Academy at West Point
Kevin Murphy, Ombudsman and Information Commissioner
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
Seán Brady - Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
Desmond Connell - Roman Catholic Cardinal of Ireland
Diarmuid Martin - Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland
Robin Eames - Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
Michael Anthony Fleming - Bishop of St. John's, Newfoundland
Jim Duffy - Irish advisor to Australia's Republic Advisory Committee
Lord Killanin, former head of the International Olympic Committee
St. Patrick - British born Irish patron saint
St. Brigid - Irish saint and bishop
St. Aidan of Lindisfarne
Sir William Johnson
Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh
Dermot Morgan - satirist and star of Father Ted
Lady Mary Heath - early aviator
Michelle Burke- twice Oscar-winner for make-up
Philip Treacy - milliner
Sir Alfred Chester Beatty
Sir Horace Plunkett - founder of co-operative movement
Kitty O'Shea - mistress of Charles Stewart Parnell
Edward Martyn - co-founder of the Irish Literary Theatre
James Larkin - labour leader
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
Eliza Lynch, mistress of Francisco López, Paraguayan dictator
Nellie Cashman, gold prospector in the United States; born in County Cork

Notable Irish people (selection)

File:Rharris.jpg

Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator.

Augusta, Lady Gregory - playwright, co-founder of Abbey Theatre, died 1932
Anne Bonny - pirate
Brian Boru - King of Munster and High King of Ireland, killed 1014
Saint Brigid of Ireland - Irish Goddess and Saint
Diarmait mac Mail na mBo - King of Leinster, killed 1072
Dicuil, 8th/9th century geographer
Echmarcach mac Ragnaill, King of Dublin, ruler of the Irish Sea, died after 1061
Johannes Scotus Eriugena, philosopher, died 877
Maelruanaidh Mor mac Tadg, founder of the kingdom of Moylurg, fl. 956
Niall of the Nine Hostages - ancestor of many Irish dynasties; died c.450/455
Olaf III Guthfrithson, King of Dublin, died 941
Bertie Ahern - Irish Taoiseach since 1997
Matthew Aylmer, 1st Baron Aylmer - Admiral in British navy, died 1720
John Banville - novelist
Samuel Beckett - playwright and novelist
Brendan Behan - Dramatist
George Berkeley - Idealist Philosopher
Bono - Singer, political activist
Robert Boyle - Chemist
Pierce Brosnan - actor, played James Bond 1994-2005
Noel Browne - politician
Ray Burke - politician
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde - stateman and soldier, died 1688

Gabriel Byrne - Actor
Gay Byrne - presenter of the Late Late Show (1962-1999)
Roger Casement - Irish revolutionary
Patrick Clancy - Member of the Clancy Brothers
John Clyn - monk and chronicler
William Coffey - War hero
Michael Collins (Irish leader) - rebel and politician
Sir Eyre Coote, Commander-in-Chief, British forces, India; died 1783
Thomas Connellan - composer, died 1698
The Corrs - Irish traditional/pop band
Seamus Costello - IRA Leader
Nadine Coyle - Singer
Tom Crean - Antarctic explorer
Daniel Day-Lewis - Award-winning actor
Joe Duffy - radio personality.
Val Doonican - singer
Robert Emmett Irish patriot 1798
Colin Farrell - actor, born 1976
Barry Fitzgerald - Noted award-winning actor
George FitzGerald - Noted physicist
Geraldine Fitzgerald - Renowned actress
Rory Gallagher - influential Irish rock and blues musician
Bob Geldof - singer and activist, born 1954
Oliver Goldsmith - Author and playwright
Maude Gonne-McBride [2]- Celebrated beauty, Irish Nationlist muse of William Butler-Yeats
Constance Gore-Booth [3]- Countess Markievicz was a significant leader during the 1916 Easter Rising.
Veronica Guerin - journalist, murdered 1996
Arthur Guinness - brewer
William Rowan Hamilton - Major mathematician, scientist
Paddy Hannan - gold prospector, died 1927
Richard Harris - actor
Victor Herbert - Composer of popular music
Chaim Herzog, Israel's sixth president, born Vivian Herzog in Belfast
Patrick Hillery - sixth president of Ireland
William Patrick Hitler - nephew of Adolf Hitler
Bridget Dowling Hitler - sister-in-law of Adolf Hitler
James Hoban - designer of the White House, died 1831
John Joseph Hughes - first Archbishop of New York, built St. Patrick's Cathedral, born Co. Tyrone
Sir William Johnson - Indian Agent in Colonial America, died 1774
Neil Jordan - film director
James Joyce - Author
Roy Keane - footballer
Geoffrey Keating - historian, died 1643
Francis Ledwidge - poet and political activist, killed in action 1917

Danny La Rue - female impersonator
Liam Lawlor - former TD and convicted criminal
C.S. Lewis - Author
Phil Lynott - singer-songwriter and rock star, died 1986
Mary McAleese - President of Ireland since 1997
Sean McBride - Noble Peace Prize Winner
Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh - historian and genealogist, murdered 1671
Henry Joy McCracken Irish patriot 1798
Dermot MacMurrough - King of Leinster, invited Normans to Ireland; died 1171.
Bernadette Devlin McAliskey - Northern Irish MP
D'Arcy McGee - Canadian politician
Barry McGuigan - Featherweight champion
Spike Milligan - comedian, actor and writer
Finian Maynard - Windsurfing champion
Paddy Moloney - composer and founder of The Chieftains
Van Morrison - singer-songwriter
Christy Moore - leading Irish singer-songwriter
Gary Moore - Musician
Samantha Mumba - actress, pop star, model, born 1983
Cillian Murphy - actor
Sam Neill - Actor
Christopher Nolan (author) - Disabled author
Graham Norton - TV personality and actor
Dáibhí Ó Bruadair, one of the last of the Bardic poets, died 1698
Turlough O'Carolan - Irish harpist and composer, 1670-1738
Sean O'Casey - Dramatist, political activist
Sinéad O'Connor - singer
Daniel O'Connell - barrister and Irish emancipator
Máirtín Ó Direáin - poet
Hugh Roe O'Donnell, last de facto Prince of Tir Connall, assassinated 1602
William O'Dwyer - Irish-born mayor of New York City
Seán Óg Ó hAilpín - Captain of the Cork hurling team
Maureen O'Hara - Actress best known for her beauty, temper and luxurious red hair
John O'Mahony - Revolutionary
Grace O'Malley - Irish chieftain and pirate, c.1530-c.1603
Felim O'Neill of Kinard - lawyer and soldier, executed 1652
Hugh O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone - last King of Tir Eoghan, died 1616
Hugh Dubh O'Neill - soldier, fl. 1650
Owen Roe O'Neill - Irish general, died 1649
Tony O'Reilly - entrepreneur
Maureen O'Sullivan - Irish actress, Tarzan's Jane
Sonia O'Sullivan - Olympic athlethe, born 1969
Peter O'Toole - Oscar-winning actor
Albert Reynolds - eighth Irish Taoiseach
Adi Roche - humanitarian
Cornelius Ryan - Journalist, author
Mary Robinson- seventh Irish president, Commissioner for Human Rights
Tony Ryan - entrepreneur
Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan, soldier, died 1693
Ernest Shackleton - Antarctic explorer, died 1922
Sharon Shannon - Popular singer

Belle Steel Irish Patriot 1798
Bram Stoker - theatre manager and author of Dracula, died 1912
Jonathan Swift - author of Gulliver's Travels
Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnel, soldier, died 1691
Ruaidri mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair - last High King of Ireland, died 1198
Lorcan Ua Tuathail - Archbishop of Dublin, died 1180
Charles Stewart Parnell - leader of Irish Home Rule Party, died 1891
U2 - rock band
Eamon de Valera - Irish Taoiseach and President, died 1975
Ninette de Valois - ballerina and founder of the Royal Ballet, died 2001
Oscar Wilde - playwight, poet, wit.

Art