List of Irish people
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This is a list of famous Irish people.
It covers
- people who come from the island of Ireland, that is the countries: the Republic of Ireland and 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.
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Art
Main list of visual artists: List of Irish artists
Architecture
- Eileen Gray
- James Hoban, designer of White House
- Kevin Roche
- Sam Stephenson
- Edward Lovett Pearce
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 nominee
- Sir Michael Gambon
- Richard Harris
- Grace Kelly, Irish-American actress who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco
- Joe Lynch, TV
- Mícheál 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
- Fada, trad-pop irish 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)
- Jem Finer, banjoist and guitarist
- 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
- Dave King, singer/songwriter
- John Kinsella, Aosdána
- Johnny Logan, singer/songwriter
- Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy frontman
- Philip Martin, pianist, Aosdána
- John Count McCormack, singer
- Shane MacGowan, singer/songwriter
- Christy Moore, singer/songwriter
- Van Morrison, singer/songwriter
- Samantha Mumba, singer
- Sean Mackin, Backup Vocals and Violinist of Yellowcard
- Turlough O'Carolan, 17th century harpist and composer ("Last of the Bards")
- Sinéad O'Connor, singer
- Kevin O'Connell, Aosdána
- Daniel O'Donnell, country-and-western singer - linked to wrong Daniel O'Donnell
- Mary O'Hara, harpist/singer
- Jane O'Leary, Aosdána
- Eric Sweeney, Aosdána
- Westlife
- Ian Wilson, Aosdána
- James Wilson, Aosdána
Dance
- Michael Flatley, dancer
- Dame Ninette de Valois, ballet
- Bill Whelan, choreographer
Writing
See also: List of Irish novelists
A - C
- 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
- Seathrún Céitinn (Geoffrey Keating)
- Austin Clarke (poet)
- Harry Clifton, Aosdána
- Michael Coady, Aosdána
- Brian Coffey, poet
- Anthony Cronin, Aosdána
D - K
- Margaretta D'Arcy, Aosdána
- Seamus Deane, Aosdána
- Eamon Delaney
- Aubrey de Vere, poet
- Denis Devlin, poet
- Theo Dorgan, Aosdána
- Roddy Doyle, novelist
- Sir Samuel Ferguson poet
- Roderick Flanagan, Historian
- 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
- Randolph Healy, Poet
- Seamus Heaney, Saoi of Aosdána
- Aidan Higgins, Aosdána
- Rita Ann Higgins, poet, Aosdána
- Pearse Hutchinson, Aosdána
- Pat Ingoldsby, poet, playwright, etc.
- Jennifer Johnston, Aosdána
- Neil Jordan, author, film director, Aosdána
- James Joyce, novelist
- Trevor Joyce, poet
- Herminie Templeton Kavanagh, author
- Patrick Kavanagh,poet
- Adrian Kenny, Aosdána
- Benedict Kiely, Saoi of Aosdána
- Tom Kilroy, Aosdána
- Mary Kusack, the "Nun of Kenmare," patriot and controversialist
L - P
- Mary Lavin, Saoi of Aosdána
- Francis Ledwidge, poet
- Michael Longley, Aosdána
- Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh, genealogist, (k. 1671)
- Walter Macken, novelist
- James Clarence Mangan poet
- F.X. Martin (1922-1999), historian
- Fr. Francis Martin, (1652-1714), theologin
- Malachi Martin, (1923-2000), horror writer
- Mary Letatia Martin, (1815-1850), novelist
- Voilet Florence Martin (1862-1915), short-story writer and novelist
- Edward Martyn, playwright, art patron and political activist
- 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
- Máirtín Ó Díreáin, great Irish-language poet,Aosdána
- Julia Ó Faoláin, 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
- Deirdre Purcell
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
- Catherine Walsh, poet
- Oscar Wilde, novelist, poet, satirist
- William Butler Yeats, poet
Business
- Donnie Cassidy, businessman and TD
- Arthur Guinness - brewer
- Niall FitzGerald, honorary KBE, chief executive Unilever
- Denis O'Brien, highly successful entrepreneur and founder of Esat Telecom
- Michael O'Leary, colourful CEO of Ryanair
- Sir 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 Supermac's
Politics
Main list: List of Irish politicians
Science, Education and Technology
- John Stewart Bell, physicist
- John Desmond Bernal, X-ray crystallography
- 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
- 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
- Michael Carruth, Olympic gold medal winner/boxing
- Eamonn Coghlan, runner
- Gordon D'Arcy, rugby player
- Ronnie Delany - Olympic medal winner/athletics
- Mick Doyle - rugby player
- Damien Duff, footballer
- Eamon Dunphy, soccer player turned media commentator and broadcaster
- Shay Given, footballer
- Padraig Harrington, golfer
- Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed, 19th century mountaineer
- David Humphreys - rugby player
- Eddie Irvine, Formula One driver
- Pat Jennings, footballer
- Robbie Keane, footballer
- Roy Keane, footballer
- Sean Kelly, cyclist
- Michael Kinane, jockey
- 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
- Cian O'Connor - Olympic gold medal/show jumper
- Brian O'Driscoll, rugby player
- Mick O'Dywer, successful gaelic inter-county football manager
- Ronan O'Gara, rugby player
- Malcolm O'Kelly, rugby player
- Jonjo O'Neill, jockey
- Tony O'Reilly - rugby player
- Colm O'Rourke, Gaelic Athletic Association GAA footballer
- Paidi O'Se, GAA footballer and Westmeath county manager
- Sonia O'Sullivan, Olympic medal winner
- Niall Quinn, footballer
- Stephen Roche, cyclist
- Tom Sharkey, boxer
- Michelle Smith - disgraced Olympic swimming medal-winner
- 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
Other
- Emily O'Reilly - journalist, Ombudsman and Information Commissioner
- James Hamilton - Director of Public Prosecutions
- Todd Andrews - civil servant
- Ryan Tubridy - entertainer
- Harry Clarke - stained glass artist
- Michael Mills - Ombudsman
- 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
- 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 - British born Irish patron saint
- St. Brigid - Irish saint and bishop
- St. Aidan of Lindisfarne
- Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh
- Dermot Morgan - satirist and star of Father Ted
- Lord Mount Charles - rock impressario, owner of Slane Castle, politician
- Lord 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
- 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
- Eliza Lynch, mistress of Francisco López, Paraguayan dictator
- Nellie Cashman, gold prospector in the United States; born in County Cork
See also
- Irish cities
- Irish universities
- Other lists