thumb|250px|Location of Ireland

This is a list of notable Irish people, who were born on the island of Ireland, in either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland, and have lived there for most of their lives. Also included on the list are people who were not born in Ireland, but have been raised as Irish, have lived there for most of their lives or in regards to the Republic of Ireland, have adopted Irish citizenship (e.g., Daniel Day-Lewis). The names are sorted by surname.

Arts

Architecture

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  • George Ashlin
  • Angela Brady
  • George Drumgoole Coleman
  • Sir Thomas Drew
  • Yvonne Farrell
  • Eileen Gray
  • James Hoban – designer of the White House
  • Francis Johnston
  • Sheila O'Donnell
  • Thomas Parke
  • Edward Lovett Pearce
  • Kevin Roche
  • Michael Scott

Actors

  • Sara Allgood – actress
  • Jonas Armstrong – actor, star of the BBC series Robin Hood
  • Caitríona Balfe – actress
  • Spranger Barry – actor
  • Patrick Bergin – film actor
  • Sarah Bolger – actress, played Princess Mary Tudor in The Tudors; Spiderwick Chronicles; Princess Aurora in Once Upon a Time
  • Stephen Boyd – film actor
  • Kenneth Branagh – actor on stage, film and TV, Harry Potter films
  • Brid Brennan – actress
  • George Brent – Hollywood actor
  • Harry Brogan – actor
  • Shane Brolly – actor, Underworld
  • Pierce Brosnan – actor, best known as James Bond from 1994 to 2005
  • Gabriel Byrne – TV and film actor
  • Todd Carty – TV, stage and film actor and director
  • Elaine Cassidy – film actress
  • Tony Clarkin – actor of stage, TV, radio, film; voiceover artist
  • Michael Colgan – actor
  • Kerry Condon – actress
  • D'Arcy Corrigan – Hollywood actor
  • Nicola Coughlan – actress
  • Catherine Cusack – stage and TV actor; daughter of Cyril Cusack
  • Cyril Cusack – actor of stage, film and TV (born in South Africa)
  • Niamh Cusack – TV actress; daughter of Cyril Cusack
  • Sinéad Cusack – stage, film and TV actress; daughter of Cyril Cusack; married to Jeremy Irons
  • Sorcha Cusack – film and TV actress; daughter of Cyril Cusack
  • Daniel Day-Lewis – English-born Oscar winner
  • Thomas Doggett – actor
  • Alison Doody – actress, best known for her role in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
  • Richard Dormer – actor, playwright, known for roles in Game of Thrones and Fortitude
  • Jamie Dornan – actor and model; played the Huntsman in Once Upon a Time; best known for roles in The Fall and Fifty Shades of Grey
  • Roma Downey – actor, best known for her role as Monica in the TV series Touched by an Angel
  • Maria Doyle Kennedy – actress and singer
  • Ada Dyas – actress
  • Hilton Edwards – co-founder of the Gate Theatre, born in UK
  • Colin Farrell – Hollywood actor
  • Michael Fassbender – Hollywood actor, born in West Germany
  • Al Ferguson – actor
  • Barry Fitzgerald – Abbey Theatre actor turned Hollywood star
  • Geraldine Fitzgerald – actress
  • Fionnula Flanagan – actress
  • Brenda Fricker – Oscar winner
  • Bronagh Gallagher – actress
  • Michael Gambon – theatre, TV and film actor, Harry Potter films
  • Charles K. Gerrard – Hollywood actor
  • Douglas Gerrard – Hollywood actor
  • Aidan Gillen – actor, The Wire, Game of Thrones, Queer as Folk
  • Brendan Gleeson – actor, Harry Potter films
  • Brian Gleeson – actor
  • Domhnall Gleeson – actor
  • Creighton Hale – actor
  • Louisa Harland – actress
  • Richard Harris – actor, Harry Potter films
  • Forrester Harvey – Hollywood actor
  • Amy Joyce Hastings – actress
  • Amy Huberman – actress
  • Saoirse-Monica Jackson – actress
  • Valene Kane – actress, The Fading Light
  • David Kelly – actor
  • Barry Keoghan – actor
  • J. M. Kerrigan – Abbey actor
  • Joanne King – actress
  • Dervla Kirwan – actress, Ballykissangel, Goodnight Sweetheart
  • Evanna Lynch – actress, Harry Potter films
  • Joe Lynch – TV actor
  • John Lynch – actor
  • Susan Lynch – actress
  • Micheál Mac Liammhóir – co-founder of the Gate Theatre, born in UK
  • Eoin Macken – actor, Merlin
  • Gerard McCarthy – actor, Hollyoaks
  • Sean McClory – actor
  • F. J. McCormick – Abbey actor
  • Damian McGinty – TV actor Glee
  • Patrick McGoohan – actor and creator of The Prisoner
  • Barry McGovern – stage, film and TV actor
  • Katie McGrath – film and TV actress
  • Gerard McSorley – actor
  • Colm Meaney – Hollywood actor
  • Paul Mescal – actor
  • Jonathan Rhys Meyers – film and TV actor
  • Charles Mitchel – actor and newsreader
  • Damien Molony – stage and television actor
  • Colin Morgan – actor of stage, film and TV, best known for being the lead in Merlin
  • Edward Mulhare – actor; played Captain Daniel Gregg in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir; Knight Rider
  • Cillian Murphy – actor
  • Devon Murray – actor, Seamus Finnigan in the Harry Potter films
  • Liam Neeson – actor
  • Sam Neill – actor
  • James Nesbitt – actor
  • Jim Norton – character actor
  • Jamie-Lee O'Donnell – actress
  • Colin O'Donoghue – actor, member of The Enemies; best known for playing Captain Hook in Once Upon A Time
  • Chris O'Dowd – actor and comedian
  • Ardal O'Hanlon – actor and comedian
  • Joan O'Hara – actress
  • Maureen O'Hara – actress
  • Jason O'Mara – actor
  • Milo O'Shea – actor
  • Maureen O'Sullivan – actor; mother of Mia Farrow
  • Peter O'Toole – Oscar winner
  • Daragh O'Malley – actor
  • Glenn Quinn – actor
  • Aidan Quinn – actor
  • Stephen Rea – actor
  • Jack Reynor – actor
  • Paul Ronan – actor, The Devil's Own; father of Saoirse Ronan
  • Saoirse Ronan – actress
  • Andrew Scott – film, stage and television actor
  • Fiona Shaw – actress, Harry Potter films
  • Robert Sheehan – actor
  • Arthur Shields – actor; younger brother of Barry Fitzgerald
  • Niall Tóibín – actor and comedian
  • Stuart Townsend – actor and boxer
  • Aidan Turner – actor, played John Mitchell in the BBC's Being Human and Kili in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  • Richard Wall – actor

Chefs

  • Darina Allen – TV personality and chef
  • Myrtle Allen – chef, teacher and writer
  • Rachel Allen – celebrity chef
  • Danni Barry
  • Michael Bolster
  • Rory Carville
  • Richard Corrigan
  • Matthew Darcy
  • Matt Dowling
  • Kevin Dundon
  • Oliver Dunne
  • Catherine Healy
  • Neven Maguire – celebrity chef
  • Clare Smyth

Comedians

  • Dave Allen
  • Aisling Bea
  • Ed Byrne
  • Jimmy Carr
  • Risteárd Cooper
  • Neil Delamere
  • P. J. Gallagher
  • Brendan Grace
  • Sean Hughes
  • Jon Kenny
  • Denis Leary
  • Andrew Maxwell
  • Kevin McGahern
  • Tim McGarry
  • Seán William McLoughlin – YouTube personality (under the name Jacksepticeye), musician, game commentator
  • Dylan Moran
  • Dermot Morgan – comedian, actor, radio personality
  • Colin Murphy
  • Graham Norton
  • Dara Ó Briain
  • Brendan O'Carroll
  • Jimmy O'Dea
  • David O'Doherty
  • Ardal O'Hanlon
  • Hector Ó hEochagáin
  • Deirdre O'Kane
  • Jarlath Regan – comedian, journalist, interviewer, author, cartoonist
  • Mario Rosenstock – comedian, impressionist, actor, musician
  • Pat Shortt
  • Tommy Tiernan
  • Jackie Wright

Music

Music – A to C

  • Chloë Agnew – singer
  • Iain Archer – singer-songwriter and producer
  • Bobbi Arlo – singer
  • Michael William Balfe – opera composer
  • Gerald Barry – composer, member of Aosdána
  • John K. Beatty – uilleann piper
  • Derek Bell – harpist
  • Eric Bell – guitarist, Thin Lizzy
  • Ed Bennett – composer
  • Mary Bergin – tin whistler
  • Big Tom – lead singer of Big Tom and The Mainliners
  • Wallis Bird – singer-songwriter
  • Frances Black – singer
  • Mary Black – singer
  • Seóirse Bodley – composer, Saoi of Aosdána
  • Bono (Paul David Hewson) – lead singer of U2
  • Ciarán Bourke – singer, guitarist
  • Brian Boydell – composer
  • Ina Boyle – composer
  • Michael Bradley – bass player, songwriter, The Undertones
  • Brídín Brennan – singer
  • Enya Brennan – musician
  • Moya Brennan – musician
  • Niall Breslin – lead singer of The Blizzards
  • John Buckley – composer
  • Chris de Burgh – singer-songwriter, musician
  • Joe Burke – accordionist
  • Kevin Burke – fiddler
  • Nicky Byrne – singer of Westlife, songwriter
  • Eamonn Campbell – guitarist, producer
  • Vivian Campbell – co-lead guitarist of Def Leppard, Dio
  • Seán Cannon – singer, guitarist
  • Paddy Casey – singer-songwriter
  • Patrick Cassidy – composer
  • Mic Christopher – singer-songwriter
  • Bobby Clancy – singer, banjo, guitar, harmonica, and bodhrán player
  • Liam Clancy – singer, guitarist
  • Paddy Clancy – singer, harmonica player
  • Tom Clancy – singer
  • Willie Clancy – uilleann piper
  • Siobhán Cleary (born 1970) – composer
  • Julia Clifford – traditional fiddle player
  • Erica Cody – singer
  • Philip Cogan – composer
  • Michael Coleman – fiddler
  • Finghin Collins – pianist
  • Brian Conway – fiddler
  • Tadhg Cooke – singer
  • Frank Corcoran – composer
  • Andrea Corr – singer from The Corrs
  • Caroline Corr – drummer
  • Jim Corr – guitarist
  • Sharon Corr – fiddle player
  • Phil Coulter – composer
  • Nadine Coyle – singer

Music – D to K

  • Raymond Deane – composer
  • Damien Dempsey – singer-songwriter
  • Mike Denver – singer
  • Joe Dolan – singer, entertainer
  • Ryan Dolan – singer-songwriter
  • Brian Downey – drummer, Thin Lizzy
  • Roger Doyle – composer
  • Maria Doyle Kennedy – singer-songwriter, musician
  • Ronnie Drew – singer, guitarist
  • Keith Duffy – singer of Boyzone
  • Hugo Duncan – singer
  • Benjamin Dwyer – composer
  • The Edge (David Howell Evans) – guitarist, singer of U2
  • Kian Egan – singer of Westlife, songwriter
  • Séamus Ennis – uilleann piper
  • Enya – singer-songwriter
  • Órla Fallon – singer, harpist
  • Ciarán Farrell – composer
  • Mark Feehily – singer of Westlife, songwriter
  • Angela Feeney – opera singer
  • John Field – composer; creator of the nocturne
  • Shane Filan – singer of Westlife, songwriter
  • Mick Flannery – singer-songwriter
  • Aloys Fleischmann – composer and musicologist
  • W. H. Grattan Flood – musicologist
  • Dave Flynn – award-winning composer, guitarist and singer-songwriter
  • Gavin Friday – singer
  • Finbar Furey – singer-songwriter, uilleann piper, 5-string banjo player, actor
  • Rory Gallagher – blues/rock guitarist
  • Sir James Galway – flautist
  • Bobby Gardiner – accordionist
  • Rea Garvey – singer-songwriter, guitarist, tv music competition judge and lead singer of Reamonn
  • Stephen Gately – singer of Boyzone
  • Mark Geary – singer
  • Thomas Augustine Geary – composer
  • Bob Geldof – songwriter, singer of the Boomtown Rats, activist
  • John William Glover – composer
  • Len Graham – singer
  • Michael Graham – singer of Boyzone
  • Bernadette Greevy – mezzo-soprano
  • John and Edward Grimes – X Factor 2009
  • Marc Gunn – autoharpist, singer-songwriter, and podcaster, formerly of the Brobdingnagian Bards
  • Carmel Gunning – tin whistler
  • Lisa Hannigan – singer-songwriter
  • Glen Hansard – Oscar-winning singer/songwriter
  • Hamilton Harty – composer and arranger
  • Catherine Hayes – opera singer
  • Gemma Hayes – singer
  • Una Healy – member of girl band The Saturdays
  • Christie Hennessy – singer-songwriter
  • Niall Horan – singer-songwriter, member of British-Irish boy band One Direction
  • Hozier – musician and singer-songwriter
  • Herbert Hughes – composer and arranger
  • Red Hurley – singer
  • Brian Irvine – composer
  • Jolyon Jackson – composer musician
  • Fergus Johnston – composer, member of Aosdána
  • Dolores Keane – singer
  • Bryan Kearney – trance DJ and producer
  • Richard Kearns – classical composer
  • Ronan Keating – singer-songwriter
  • Paddy Keenan – uilleann piper
  • Lisa Kelly – singer
  • Luke Kelly – singer
  • Michael Kelly – tenor and composer
  • Brian Kennedy – singer
  • Dermot Kennedy – singer-songwriter
  • Paddy Killoran – fiddler
  • Katie Kim – singer-songwriter, musician
  • Dave King – singer-songwriter
  • John Kinsella – composer, member of Aosdána
  • David Kitt – musician

Music – L to P

  • John F. Larchet – composer
  • April Lawlor – singer-songwriter
  • Damien Leith – singer-songwriter, winner of Australian Idol 2006
  • Gary Lightbody – lead singer of Snow Patrol
  • Josef Locke – singer
  • Johnny Logan – singer-songwriter
  • Samuel Lover – composer and performer
  • Cora Venus Lunny – violinist
  • Dónal Lunny – musician
  • Bob Lynch – folk musician
  • Shane Lynch – singer of Boyzone
  • Phil Lynott – Thin Lizzy frontman
  • Jimmy MacCarthy – singer-songwriter
  • Mickey MacConnell – singer-songwriter
  • Shane MacGowan – English-born singer-songwriter
  • Sean Mackin – backup vocals and violinist of Yellowcard
  • Sean Maguire – violinist
  • Sarah Makem – singer
  • Tommy Makem – singer-songwriter
  • Margo – singer
  • Enda Markey – singer
  • Philip Martin – pianist, composer, member of Aosdána
  • Gwendolyn Masin – violinist, author, pedagogue
  • Larry Mathews – singer-songwriter, violinist
  • Frederick May – composer
  • Christopher McCafferty – underground club promoter, DJ
  • Jim McCann (musician) – musician
  • John Count McCormack – singer
  • Eleanor McEvoy – singer-songwriter
  • Brian McFadden – singer-songwriter
  • Damian McGinty – Celtic Thunder; played Rory Flanagan on Glee
  • Matt McGinn – singer-songwriter
  • Michael McGlynn – composer, arranger, choir director
  • Geraldine McGowan – folk singer
  • Barney McKenna – banjo player
  • Susan McKeown – Grammy Award-winning vocalist and songwriter
  • Geraldine McMahon – harpist
  • Paul McSherry – guitarist
  • James Lynam Molloy – ballad composer
  • Christy Moore – singer-songwriter
  • Gary Moore – guitarist, singer-songwriter
  • Peter K. Moran – composer
  • Van Morrison – singer-songwriter
  • Lee Mulhern – singer-songwriter
  • Gráinne Mulvey – composer
  • Samantha Mumba – singer, actress
  • Mundy – singer-songwriter
  • John Murphy – fiddle player
  • Róisín Murphy – singer
  • Ruby Murray – singer
  • Máiréad Nesbitt – fiddler
  • Méav Ní Mhaolchatha – singer
  • Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh – musician
  • Eithne Ní Uallacháin – singer
  • Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin – singer
  • John O’Callaghan – musician
  • Fintan O'Carroll - composer
  • Turlough O'Carolan – 17th/18th-century harper and composer
  • Colm Ó Cíosóig – musician, drummer of My Bloody Valentine
  • Maura O'Connell – singer
  • Máirtín O'Connor – accordionist
  • Sinéad O'Connor – singer
  • Daniel O'Donnell – country-and-western singer
  • Danny O'Donoghue – lead singer of The Script
  • Robert O'Dwyer – composer
  • Liam O'Flynn – uilleann piper
  • Kane O'Hara – composer
  • Mary O'Hara – harpist/singer
  • Mícheál Ó hEidhin – musician
  • Arthur O'Leary – composer
  • Jane O'Leary – composer and pianist
  • Damian O'Neill – lead guitarist of The Undertones
  • John O'Neill – guitarist of The Undertones; writer of Teenage Kicks
  • Seán Ó Riada – composer and musician
  • Annmarie O'Riordan – singer-songwriter
  • Dolores O'Riordan – singer-songwriter, guitarist
  • George Alexander Osborne – composer
  • Gilbert O'Sullivan – pop singer-songwriter, pianist
  • Una Palliser – violinist, violist, singer
  • Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer – composer
  • Luan Parle – singer-songwriter, musician
  • Tommy Peoples – fiddler
  • Brendan Phelan – songwriter
  • A. J. Potter – composer

Music – Q to Z

  • Carmel Quinn – singer
  • Paddy Reilly – singer/guitarist
  • Damien Rice – singer-songwriter
  • Thomas Roseingrave – composer
  • Leo Rowsome – uilleann piper
  • Derek Ryan – singer
  • Frank Ryan – tenor
  • Dana Rosemary Scallon – MEP-singer turned politician
  • Sharon Shannon – traditional musician
  • Feargal Sharkey – lead singer of The Undertones
  • John Sheahan – fiddler
  • Mark Sheehan – guitarist of The Script
  • Kevin Shields – musician, vocalist and guitarist of My Bloody Valentine
  • Chris Singleton – singer-songwriter
  • Donal Skehan – singer
  • Carly Smithson – singer
  • Charles Villiers Stanford – composer
  • Robert Prescott Stewart – composer and organist
  • Bambie Thug – singer
  • Patsy Touhey – piper
  • Joan Trimble – composer and pianist
  • Paddy Tunney – singer
  • VerseChorusVerse – musician and singer-songwriter, pseudonym of Tony Wright
  • Gerard Victory – composer
  • Kevin Volans – composer
  • William Vincent Wallace – composer
  • Jennifer Walshe – composer and performer
  • Patsy Watchorn – musician
  • Liam Weldon – singer-songwriter
  • Bill Whelan – composer
  • Andy White – singer-songwriter
  • Colm Wilkinson – singer
  • Ian Wilson – composer
  • James Wilson – composer
  • Charles Wood – composer
  • Terry Woods – musician
  • Richard Woodward – composer and organist
  • Finbar Wright – singer-songwriter

Dance

  • Breandán de Gallaí – Irish dancer
  • Joanne Doyle – Irish dancer
  • Monica Loughman – ballet
  • Tristan MacManus – ballroom and Latin dancer, Dancing with the Stars, US season 13
  • Lola Montez (Eliza Gilbert) – dancer, courtesan
  • Dame Ninette de Valois – ballet
  • Bill Whelan – composer

Visual arts

  • Hilary Heron – sculptor
  • Seán Keating – painter
  • Launt Thompson – American sculptor from Abbeyleix, County Laois
  • Jack B. Yeats – painter

Writing

Writing – A to C

  • Cecelia Ahern – novelist
  • William Allingham – poet
  • John Banville – novelist
  • George Barrington – pickpocket, writer and transportee
  • Sebastian Barry – novelist
  • Samuel Beckett – novelist, playwright, theatre director, poet, author of Waiting for Godot and Nobel laureate
  • Brendan Behan – playwright, novelist
  • Maeve Binchy – novelist
  • Dermot Bolger – novelist
  • Patrick Brontë – poet
  • Stephen Brown – writer, bibliographer
  • J. B. Bury – historian
  • William Carleton – novelist
  • Austin Clarke – poet
  • Josephine Fitzgerald Clarke – author
  • Brian Cleeve – author
  • Brian Coffey – poet
  • Eoin Colfer – author
  • Laura Angela Collins – author
  • Frederick William Conway – editor and journalist
  • Eoghan Corry – journalist and author
  • Sister Margaret Anna Cusack – the "Nun of Kenmare", patriot and controversialist

Writing – D to K

  • Thomas Osborne Davis – writer, poet
  • Seamus Deane – writer, member of Aosdána
  • Patrick Deeley – poet
  • Eamon Delaney – diplomat and writer
  • Frank Delaney – writer and broadcaster
  • Greg Delanty – poet
  • Denis Devlin – poet
  • Roddy Doyle – novelist
  • Margaretta Eagar – memoirist
  • Garth Ennis – comic writer
  • Sir Samuel Ferguson – poet
  • Roderick Flanagan – historian
  • Philip Flattisbury – compiler
  • Brian Friel – playwright, member of Aosdána
  • Oliver St. John Gogarty – poet
  • Oliver Goldsmith – novelist and dramatist
  • Augusta, Lady Gregory – playwright and founder of the Abbey Theatre
  • Hugo Hamilton – author
  • Dermot Healy – writer, member of Aosdána
  • Randolph Healy – poet
  • Seamus Heaney – poet, Saoi of Aosdána, Nobel laureate
  • Aidan Higgins – fiction writer, member of Aosdána
  • Anthony Holten – author
  • Pat Ingoldsby – poet, playwright, television performer
  • Jennifer Johnston – novelist, member of Aosdána
  • Neil Jordan – author, film director, Aosdána
  • James Joyce – novelist, author of Ulysses – playwright
  • Frank O'Connor – short story writer
  • Ulick O'Connor – writer, member of Aosdána
  • P. G. O'Dea – playwright
  • Máirtín Ó Direáin – Irish-language poet, member of Aosdána
  • Peadar O'Donnell – novelist, autobiographer and revolutionary
  • Harry O'Donovan – scriptwriter
  • Dennis O'Driscoll – poet
  • Seán Ó Faoláin – writer, Saoi of Aosdána
  • Liam O'Flaherty – novelist, short story writer
  • Finghin O Mathghamhna – medieval translator and scribe
  • Brian O'Nolan (aka Myles na gCopaleen – Flann O'Brien) – novelist, author of Tristram Shandy – author of Dracula
  • Francis Stuart – writer, Saoi of Aosdána (born in Australia)
  • Jonathan Swift – fiction writer, member of Aosdána
  • William Wall – novelist, poet
  • Oscar Wilde