Famous People Born In Cork

One of the most successful footballers from Ireland, Roy Keane became one of the stars of Manchester United. A talented midfielder, he has helped the team win multiple FA Cups and Premier League championships. Post-retirement, he has also managed teams such as Sunderland and Ipswich Town.

Irish singer, songwriter, and guitarist Allie Sherlock came into the limelight in 2017 after a YouTube cover of hers went viral. Even though she had been uploading her music on YouTube since 2014, it was only in 2017 that she gained widespread attention. Since then, she has appeared in a few TV shows as well.

Known for his 12-year stint with Manchester United, Irish footballer Denis Irwin established himself as a dependable left-back, winning many championships with the club, such as the Premier League and the FA Cup. Post-retirement, he launched a successful media career as a sports presenter on channels such as MUTV.

Renowned as a talented midfielder, former Irish footballer Stephen Ireland is known for his stints with clubs such as Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Stoke City. He has been, in the past, been involved in controversies regarding his exclusion from the Ireland team, and amid speculations, eventually never returned to play.

After losing her husband and children in a yellow fever epidemic and her dress shop in the great Chicago fire, schoolteacher and dressmaker Mary Harris Jones became an activist, earning the nickname Mother Jones. A prominent unionist for coal miners and other workers, she also co-founded the Social Democratic Party.

Irish defender Kevin Long, who represents the club Burnley in the Premier League, had begun his career with the youth team of Cork City. Starting his stint with Burnley in 2010, he has often been loaned but remains the team’s longest-serving player. He has also played for the Irish national team.

Boxer Gary O'Sullivan is known for his multiple title wins, including the WBA and WBO championships. A middleweight boxing star, he has also appeared in movies such as Strength and Honour. He used the COVID-19 lockdown to gain new tactics and wishes to manage boxers post-retirement.

Sheffield United defender John Egan is the son of a Gaelic footballer father and a footballer mother, and himself played Gaelic football and hurling in his younger days. He led the Irish U19 team to the 2011 U19 European Championship semi-finals and has also captained Ireland against Bulgaria.

Bradford City defender Fiacre Kelleher was born into a sports-loving family and grew up playing hurling with his brothers, one of whom is Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher. Starting his career with Celtic, he has also played for the Irish U-19 team and clubs such as Oxford United and Wrexham.

Apart from being the goalkeeper for the Scottish club Kilmarnock, Irish-born footballer Colin Doyle is also their goalkeeping coach. He is known for his 12-year stint with Birmingham City and has played for the Republic of Ireland, too. The Cork-born sports star initially excelled in hurling and Gaelic football, too.

Initially trained as a woodwork instructor, Irish republican and political activist Dáithí Ó Conaill co-founded the Provo branch of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). While he was often imprisoned for his activities, he also introduced the car bomb strategy in the IRA’s campaigns in Northern Ireland.

A well-known Irish professional footballer, Denise O'Sullivan plays for the North Carolina CouragefFootball club and has been instrumental in her club winning three NWSL Shield titles and two NWSL Championships. The midfielder, who also plays for the national team of the Republic of Ireland, has won the MVP title twice as well as the 2019 Sportswoman of Month title.

Irish animator and voice actor Nora Twomey is best known for co-founding the animation studio Cartoon Saloon. She also directed the Oscar-nominated animated films The Secret of Kells and The Breadwinner. A school drop-out, she initially worked in a factory, before studying fine art and then animation.