This is a list of famous Irish people.
It covers
- people who come from the island of Ireland, which includes people from both Irish states, 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.
Art
- Francis Bacon (painter)
- Robert Ballagh painter
- John Behan sculptor
- John Coll sculptor
- Pauline Bewick
- Louis le Brocquy, Saoi painter
- Dorothy Cross
- Edward Delaney
- Evie Hone stained glass
- Gene Lambert
- Sir William Lavery painter
- Daniel Maclise
- Anne Madden
- William Orpen
- Patrick Pye
- Camille Souter
- Imogen Stuart
- Jack B Yeats
- Patrick Collins, Saoi
- Tony O'Malley, Saoi
Architecture
- Eileen Gray
- James Hoban (designer of White House)
- Kevin Roche
- Sam Stephenson
Actors
- Pierce Brosnan - Navan-born James Bond Actor
- Gabriel Byrne
- Cyril Cusack (born in South Africa)
- Niamh Cusack
- Sorcha Cusack
- Hilton Edwards - British born co-founder of the Gate Theatre
- Daniel Day Lewis (born in UK, now Irish citizen)
- Colin Farrell
- Barry Fitzgerald - Abbey Theatre actor turned Hollywood star
- Brenda Fricker - Oscar winner
- Richard Harris
- Grace Kelly - Irish American actress who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco
- Joe Lynch - TV actor
- Micheál MacLiammoir - British born co-founder of the Gate Theatre
- Victor McLaglen
- Colm Meaney
- Liam Neeson
- Maureen O'Hara - actress
- Milo O'Shea
- Maureen O'Sullivan - actress, mother of Mia Farrow
- Peter O'Toole
- Stephen Rea
- Fiona Shaw
- Patrick Bergin
Music
- Bono (real name: Paul Hewson), lead singer of U2
- Boyzone
- The Corrs
- Sinead O'Connor,Mother Bernadette, singer
- Mary O'Hara, harpist/singer
- Derek Bell, harpist
- Turlough O'Carolan, 17th century harpist and composer ("Last of the Bards")
- Dana,Dana Rosemary Scallon,MEP - singer turned politician
- James Galway - musician
- Ronan Keating,siger/songwriter
- Christy Moore, singer/songwriter
- Van Morrison, singer/songwriter
- Bob Geldof,songwriter, singerBoomtown Rats, activist
- John Field, composer (creator of the nocturne)
- The Chieftains,traditional music group
- The Fury Brothers and Davy Arthur
- Christy Moore, songwriter and singer
- Luke Kelly, singer
- Daniel O'Donnell, C and W singer
- Phil Lynnott - singer with Thin Lizzy
- Samantha Mumba - singer
- Brian Kennedy - singer
- Gerald Barry - composer
- Hamilton Harty - composer and arranger
- John, Count McCormack - singer
- Phil Coulter - composer
- Westlife
Dance
- Michael Flatley, dancer
- Bill Whelan - choreographer
- Dame Ninette de Valois, ballet
Writing
- George Barrington
- John Banville, novelist
- Samuel Beckett, Saoi
- Brendan Behan,playwright, novelist
- Roddy Doyle,novelist
- Brian Friel, playwright
- Oliver Goldsmith - novelist and dramatist
- Seamus Heaney, Saoi
- James Joyce, novelist
- Patrick Kavanagh,poet
- Francis Ledwidge, poet
- Thomas Moore - poet
- Edna O'Brien - novelist
- Sean O'Casey, playwright
- George Bernard Shaw,novelist, playwright,
- Laurence Sterne - novelist
- Bram Stoker (author of Dracula)
- Jonathan Swift,Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral,Dublin,novelist and satirist
- John Millington Synge - dramatist
- Oscar Wilde, novelist, poet, satirist
- William Butler Yeats, poet
- Richard Brinsley Sheridan, playwright
- Martin Mc Donagh, playwright
- Cecil Frances Alexander
- William Allingham,poet
- Brian O'Nolan (aka Myles na Gopaleen, Flann O'Brien), novelist/columnist
- Christy Browne - author of My Left Foot
- Francis Stuart, Saoi
- Sebastian Barry, novelist
- Dermot Bolger, novelist
- Clare Boylan
- Pearse Hutchinson
- Rita Ann Higgins, poet
- Jennifer Johnston
- Benedict Kiely, Saoi
- Tom Kilroy
- Christopher Nolan, poet
- Frank O'Connor, short story writer
- John McGahern, novelist
- Seamus Deane
- Brian Friel
- Carlo Gebler
- Michael Longley
- Frank McGuinness
- Richard Murphy,poet
- James Plunkett
- William Trevor
- Lady Gregory, playwright and founder of the Abbey Theatre
- Deirdre Purcell
- Marina Carr
- Ciarán Carson
- Leland Bardwell
- Philip Casey
- Harry Clifton
- Michael Coady
- Dermot Healy
- Aidan Higgins
- Adrian Kenny
- Ulick O'Connor
- Julia Ó Faoláin
- Seán Ó Faoláin' Saoi
- Anthony Cronin
- Margaretta D'Arcy
- Theo Dorgan
- Robert Greacen
- Eamon Delaney
- Oliver St John Gogarty
- Mary Lavin, Saoi
- James Clarence Mangan poet
- Aubrey de Vere poet
- Sir Aubrey de Vere poet
- Sir Samuel Ferguson poet
- George Russell,AE
Politics
- 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
- 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 the Gaelic League
- Thomas J Clarke - signatory of 1916 Proclamation
- The O'Rahilly - 1916 leader
- Joseph 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
- TK 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 and technology
- Nicholas Comins (binaural stethoscope)
- John Phillip Holland (submarine designer)
- John Boyd Dunlop (pneumatic tyre)
- William Rowan Hamilton (quaternions; mathematical physics)
- George Francis FitzGerald - physicist
Sport
- Eddie Irvine, Formula One driver
- Paul McGinley, golfer
- George Best, footballer
- Dave McAuley, boxer
- Barry McGuigan, boxer
- Jonjo O'Neill, jockey
- Roy Keane, footballer
- Colm O'Rourke, Gaelic Athletic Association GAA footballer
- Sean Boylan, long-time manager of All-Ireland winning Meath football team
- Mick O'Dywer, successful gaelic inter-county football manager
- Sonia O'Sullivan, Olympic medal winner
- Eamon Coughlan, runner
- Ruby Walsh, jockey
- Eamon Dunphy, soccer player turned media commentator and broadcaster
- Michelle Smith - disgraced Olympic swimming medal-winner
- Ronnie Delaney - Olympic medal winner/athletics
- Mick McCarthy - former Republic of Ireland manager
- John Pius Boland - double Olympic medal-winner/tennis,1896
- Pat O'Callaghan - Olympic gold medal/hammer, 1928, 1932
- Bob Tisdall - Olympic gold medal/400mH, 1932
- John Treacy - Olympic silver medal/marathon, 1984
Other
- Harry Clarke - stained glass artist
- 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
- Neil Jordan - cinema director and author
- Desmond Connell, Cardinal Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland
- Lord Eames, Church of IrelandArchbishop 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
- 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 Horace Plunkett - founder of co-operative movement
- Sir Anthony O'Reilly - Independent Newspapers and head of Heinz
- 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
See also: List of people by nationality