Famous People Born In Dublin

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 1 
Conor McGregor
(Mixed Martial Artist and Former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Double-Champion)
Conor McGregor
194
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 14, 1988
Sun Sign: Cancer

The highest paid fighter of Ultimate Fighting Championship, Conor McGregor is one of the most famous athletes in the world. His ascent from humble beginnings to becoming ‘The Notorious’ has been fuelled by McGregor’s mastery of martial arts, skilful fighting style and powerful punches. He is the first fighter to hold both UFC Featherweight Championship and UFC Lightweight Championship simultaneously.

 2 
Oscar Wilde
(One of the Greatest Playwrights of the 'Victorian Era')
Oscar Wilde
75
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: October 16, 1854
Sun Sign: Libra
Died: November 30, 1900

Widely regarded as one of the most popular writers of all time, Oscar Wilde is best remembered for his plays and epigrams. He was also one of the best-known personalities during his time as he was popular for his conversational skills, flamboyant dressing sense, and biting wit. Imprisoned in 1895 for consensual homosexual acts, Oscar Wilde was pardoned posthumously in 2017.

 3 
Bono
(Lead Vocalist and Primary Lyricist of The Rock Band 'U2')
Bono
67
Birthdate: May 10, 1960
Sun Sign: Taurus
U2 frontman Bono he has earned more than 20 Grammys and has been named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with the band. An avid philanthropist, he has also been associated with projects such as the ONE Campaign and Product Red, to aid countries such as Africa.
 4 
George Bernard Shaw
(Irish playwright Who Won the 1925 Nobel Prize in Literature)
George Bernard Shaw
26
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 26, 1856
Sun Sign: Leo
Died: November 2, 1950

Nobel Prize-winning playwright and author George Bernard Shaw was best known for his realism and his support for women’s rights and socialism. His ideas gave rise to the word “Shavian.” His drama Pygmalion inspired the musical My Fair Lady. His other notable works include Candida and Man and Superman.

 5 
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
(Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1828 - 1830, 1834))
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
14
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: May 1, 1769
Sun Sign: Taurus
Died: September 14, 1852
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, served as the British prime minister twice. He also served as the governor of Seringapatam and Mysore, and won the Battle of Assaye. He led the Hundred Days War and along with the Prussian army, won the Battle of Waterloo, defeating Napoleon.
 6 
Brendan Gleeson
(Actor and Director Best Known for His Role as ‘Alastor Moody’ in the ‘Harry Potter’ Films)
Brendan Gleeson
18
Birthdate: March 29, 1955
Sun Sign: Aries

One of the most talented Irish film actors of all time, Brendan Gleeson gained international attention after playing Alastor Moody in the Harry Potter movie series. He was ranked 18th in The Irish Times' Ireland's greatest film actors list in 2020. Brendan Gleeson is also credited with inspiring his sons Domhnall and Brian Gleeson to become actors.

 7 
Jonathan Swift
(Satirist & Author of 'Gulliver's Travels',' A Tale of a Tub' and 'A Modest Proposal')
Jonathan Swift
14
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 30, 1667
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Died: October 19, 1745

Eighteenth-century essayist, poet, and pamphleteer Jonathan Swift is remembered for his iconic works such as A Tale of a Tub, A Modest Proposal, and Gulliver's Travels. One of the world’s greatest satirists, he gave rise to the deadpan Swiftian style. He had also been the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

 8 
Aidan Gillen
15
Birthdate: April 24, 1968
Sun Sign: Taurus
Aidan Gillen is best known as Petyr Baelish from the iconic series Game of Thrones and as Tommy Carcetti from The Wire. He has also appeared in Project Blue Book, Peaky Blinders, and the Maze Runner movies. A talented theater actor, he has earned a Drama Desk Award nomination, too.
 9 
Maureen O’Hara
(American Actress and Singer)
Maureen O’Hara
15
Birthdate: August 17, 1920
Sun Sign: Leo
Died: October 24, 2015

Maureen O'Hara was an Irish singer and actress. Dubbed The Queen of Technicolor due to her long and successful career throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Maureen O'Hara was popular for playing passionate, but sensible characters. In 2014, she received an Honorary Academy Award. In 2020, she was ranked first on Ireland's greatest film actors list published by The Irish Times.

 10 
Francis Bacon
(Painter)
Francis Bacon
6
Birthdate: October 28, 1909
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Died: April 28, 1992

Francis Bacon was an English philosopher and statesman. He played a major role in the development of the scientific method and was an influential figure through the scientific revolution. He served as attorney general and as lord chancellor of England and was the first recipient of the queen's counsel designation. He has created Baron Verulam in 1618. 

 11 
Dominique McElligott
(Irish Actress)
Dominique McElligott
7
Birthdate: March 5, 1986
Sun Sign: Pisces
Irish actor Dominique McElligott is best known for her appearances in Hell on Wheels, The Astronaut Wives Club, The Boys, and the Netflix series House of Cards. She began her career with On Home Ground, in her teens. Her character in The Philanthropist was dropped before the series started airing.
 12 
Sarah Bolger
(Irish Actress Known for Her Films ‘In America’, ‘Stormbreaker’ and ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’)
Sarah Bolger
4
Birthdate: February 28, 1991
Sun Sign: Pisces

Sarah Bolger is best known for her roles in movies such as Stormbreaker, The Lazarus Effect, and The Spiderwick Chronicles. She is also known for her IFTA Award-winning performance as Princess Mary Tudor in the series The Tudors and for her role as Princess Aurora in Once Upon a Time.

 13 
Brian Gleeson
(Actor)
Brian Gleeson
4
Birthdate: November 14, 1987
Sun Sign: Scorpio
 14 
Liam Cunningham
(Best Known for Playing Davos Seaworth in the HBO Epic-Fantasy Series 'Game of Thrones')
Liam Cunningham
3
Birthdate: June 2, 1961
Sun Sign: Gemini

Initially an electrician who worked at a Zimbabwean safari park, Liam Cunningham changed his luck by applying for an acting school after coming across an ad. The Irish actor is known for his signature stare and thick Irish accent and became internationally renowned as Davos Seaworth in Game of Thrones.

 15 
Colm Meaney
(Best Known for His Role as ‘Miles O'Brien’ in the TV Series ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’)
Colm Meaney
5
Birthdate: May 30, 1953
Sun Sign: Gemini

Colm Meaney is an actor known for portraying Miles O'Brien in TV series, such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Also known for his significant film career, Meaney received the Best Actor IFTA for playing Martin McGuinness in The Journey. Meaney was named in The Irish Times' Ireland's greatest film actors list in 2020.

 16 
Siobhan Fahey
5
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: September 10, 1958
Sun Sign: Virgo

Irish singer and musician Siobhan Fahey is best known as a founding member of the British/Irish girl group Bananarama. As part of the group, she delivered several top 10 hits. Later, she formed the musical act, Shakespears Sister, which went on to win an Ivor Novello Award. In her 60s now, she continues to be active in the music scene.

 17 
Ruth Kearney
(Actor)
Ruth Kearney
1
Birthdate: November 11, 1984
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 18 
Iris Murdoch
(Irish & British Novelist Best Known for Her Novels: 'Under the Net', 'The Sea, the Sea' and 'The Bell')
Iris Murdoch
4
Birthdate: July 15, 1919
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: February 8, 1999

One of the most popular Irish-born British novelists, Iris Murdoch is remembered for her psychological novels, which had a good dose of sexuality, philosophy, morality, and comic elements. While she won the Booker Prize for The Sea, the Sea, the Oxford alumnus had also worked for the HM Treasury and the UN.

 19 
Stephen Gately
(Irish Singer-Songwriter & Co-Lead Singer of the Pop Group 'Boyzone')
Stephen Gately
4
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: March 17, 1976
Sun Sign: Pisces
Died: October 10, 2009

Irish singer Stephen Gately, who soared to fame in the 1990s with the globally popular band Boyzone, was born to working-class parents in Dublin. He later revealed he was gay, when a friend black-mailed he would reveal Gately’s sexuality. He died of a heart condition at age 33.

 20 
Ali Hewson
(Activist and Co-founder of the Fashion Line "EDUN" and Skincare Products Company "Nude")
Ali Hewson
8
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: March 23, 1961
Sun Sign: Aries

Ali Hewson is an Irish businesswoman and activist. In the 1990s, Hewson joined the anti-nuclear movement and started working with activists like Adi Roche. In 2002, she played a key role in organizing campaigns against the Sellafield nuclear facility in England. As a businesswoman, Hewson has co-founded a skincare company and a fashion label called Nude skincare and EDUN respectively.

 21 
Louisa Harland
(Actress)
Louisa Harland
2
Birthdate: 1994 AD
 22 
Dervla Kirwan
(Irish Actress)
Dervla Kirwan
9
Birthdate: October 24, 1971
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Irish actor Dervla Kirwan gained fame as Assumpta Fitzgerald in the series Ballykissangel. She was also seen in Goodnight Sweetheart and in The Next Doctor, a Christmas special episode of Doctor Who. A skilled stage actor, too, she has appeared in plays such as a production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal.
 23 
Dave Allen
(Comedian Best Known for His Observational Comedy)
Dave Allen
3
Birthdate: July 6, 1936
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: March 10, 2005

Born to a well-known Irish journalist, Dave Allen initially followed in his father’s footsteps but soon switched to doing stand-up comedy in night clubs and strip clubs. He later soared to fame with his iconic The Dave Allen Show. He often used his amputated forefinger as part of his acts.

 24 
Sorcha Cusack
(Irish Television and Stage Actress)
Sorcha Cusack
8
Birthdate: April 9, 1949
Sun Sign: Aries

Sorcha Cusack is an Irish actress known for her association with popular theatre companies, such as the Royal Exchange, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the National Theatre. Born into a family of actors, Sorcha Cusack followed in the footsteps of her parents to establish herself as an actress. 

 25 
Brenda Fricker
(Actress)
Brenda Fricker
5
Birthdate: February 17, 1945
Sun Sign: Aquarius
 26 
Pádraig Harrington
(Irish Professional Golfer)
Pádraig Harrington
4
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 31, 1971
Sun Sign: Virgo

Irish golfer Padraig Harrington had started training in golf at age 5. Now a multiple Ryder Cup winner and a PGA champion, he has also won 2 British Open championship titles. He has been twice named the European Tour Golfer of the Year. He is promotes the Special Olympics as its global ambassador.

 27 
Gavin Bazunu
(Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Goalkeeper)
Gavin Bazunu
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: February 20, 2002
Sun Sign: Pisces
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 28 
Danny O Donoghue
9
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: October 3, 1979
Sun Sign: Libra
The Script frontman Danny O Donoghue shocked his fans when revealed his struggle with the blood disorder Wilson’s disease and how he needs to pop pills daily to survive. The Irish singer is also a fan of Muay Thai, a martial art that has helped him overcome his depression.
 29 
Fionnula Flanagan
(Actress)
Fionnula Flanagan
3
Birthdate: December 10, 1941
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 30 
Aisling Franciosi
(Irish Actress Known for Her Role as ‘Katie Benedetto’ in TV Series ‘The Fall’)
Aisling Franciosi
8
Birthdate: June 6, 1993
Sun Sign: Gemini
Irish actor Aisling Franciosi is best known as Katie Benedetto from the series The Fall and as Kate Crawford from the TNT series Legends. She was also seen as Lyanna Stark in Game of Thrones and as Clare Carroll in The Nightingale, and won an AACTA award for the latter.
 31 
Sir William Rowan Hamilton
(Irish Mathematician and Astronomer Who Contributed to the Development of ‘Optics’, ‘Classical Mechanics’ and ‘Abstract Algebra’)
Sir William Rowan Hamilton
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: August 4, 1805
Sun Sign: Leo
Died: September 2, 1865

Son of a Dublin solicitor, Sir William Rowan Hamilton was raised and educated by his priest uncle from age 3. Initially a master of languages such as Latin, Greek, and Persian, Hamilton began deviating to math at 16. He is remembered for his contribution to optics, Hamiltonian mechanics, and algebra.

 32 
Richard Todd
3
Birthdate: June 11, 1919
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: December 3, 2009

Richard Todd was an Irish actor best remembered for his portrayal of Corporal Lachlan MacLachlan in the movie The Hasty Heart, for which he won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination. One of the most bankable actors of his generation, Richard Todd was frequently listed among the most popular British stars throughout the 1950s. 

 33 
Jim Norton
(actor, radio personality)
Jim Norton
1
Birthdate: July 19, 1968
Sun Sign: Cancer
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 34 
Richard Flood
(Actor)
Richard Flood
1
Birthdate: July 29, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
 35 
Veronica Guerin
(Irish Crime Reporter and Journalist)
Veronica Guerin
2
Birthdate: July 5, 1959
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died: June 26, 1996

Veronica Guerin wasn’t just one of the most popular crime journalists of Ireland but also represented her country in both basketball and football. Her articles revolved around Irish drug lords and criminals, and she was eventually murdered by kingpin John Gilligan’s men while driving on the outskirts of Dublin.

 36 
Jonas Armstrong
2
Birthdate: January 1, 1981
Sun Sign: Capricorn
While he gained fame as the titular character in BBC’s Robin Hood, Irish-born actor Jonas Armstrong also broke his foot while filming a fight scene for the series. Blessed with a penchant for mastering different accents, he has bagged plum roles in series such as Ripper Street and The Drowning.
 37 
Phil Laak
(Professional Poker Player)
Phil Laak
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 8, 1972
Sun Sign: Virgo
Nicknamed The Unabomber for his signature style of hiding his face with his sunglasses and hoodie, Phil Laak was first introduced to poker on a camping trip. The world-renowned poker player is now also an actor, an author, and a real-estate investor, and is dating actor Jennifer Tilly.
 38 
Edmund Burke
(Statesman)
Edmund Burke
7
Birthdate: January 12, 1729
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: July 9, 1797

Anglo-Irish statesman and philosopher, Edmund Burke, was a member of parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of Great Britain for several years. He supported  Catholic emancipation and strongly opposed the French Revolution. He felt revolution destroyed the fabric of good society and traditional institutions of state and society. He is considered the philosophical founder of modern conservatism. 

 39 
Patrick Pearse
(Barrister and a Leader of the Easter Rising in 1916)
Patrick Pearse
5
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: November 10, 1879
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Died: May 3, 1916

Patrick Pearse was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, and revolutionary. He was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916. Opinionated with radical views, he decided as a boy that he would dedicate his life to Irish freedom. A relentless idealist, he was executed after the Easter Rising and was immortalized as a symbol of the rebellion.

 40 
Micheal Richardson
(Actor)
Micheal Richardson
1
Birthdate: June 22, 1995
Sun Sign: Cancer
 41 
Matt Doherty
(Irish Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Right-Back)
Matt Doherty
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: January 16, 1992
Sun Sign: Capricorn

Footballer Matt Doherty, who had a successful youth career with teams such as Bohemians, is now a dependable defender of the Tottenham Hotspur and the Irish national team. Owing to his Dutch mother, he was eligible to play for the Netherlands, too, but chose the country of his birth instead.

 42 
Michael McElhatton
(Actor)
Michael McElhatton
0
Birthdate: September 12, 1963
Sun Sign: Virgo
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 43 
John Kavanagh
(Irish Martial Arts Coach)
John Kavanagh
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 18, 1977
Sun Sign: Capricorn

John Kavanagh was introduced to martial arts at age 4 and had earned his karate black belt by age 12. While he initially also studied medical engineering, he later scripted history by becoming the first Irish martial artist to get a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He is now a renowned martial arts coach.

 44 
Brendan Behan
(One of the Greatest Irish Writers of All Time)
Brendan Behan
5
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 9, 1923
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Died: March 20, 1964
Irish author and poet Brendan Behan is remembered for his trademark satire and for his works such as The Quare Fellow and Borstal Boy. In a life plagued with arrests, he had served 14 years behind bars for the attempted murder of a policeman. He was also a lifelong alcoholic.
 45 
Mark McKenna
(Actor)
Mark McKenna
3
Birthdate: May 5, 1996
Sun Sign: Taurus
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 46 
Frank Kelly
(Actor)
Frank Kelly
2
Birthdate: December 28, 1938
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: February 28, 2016
 47 
Imelda May
(Singer Known for Her Musical Style of Rockabilly Revival)
Imelda May
3
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: July 10, 1974
Sun Sign: Cancer

Irish singer Imelda May, who has released chart-topping albums such as Love Tattoo, is also a talented multi-instrumentalist, well-versed in a wide range of instruments such as the guitar, the bodhrán, the tambourine. She also became a published poet with her volume A Lick and a Promise.

 48 
Thomas Moore
(Irish Poet and Singer Known for His Lyrics to the Popular Song ‘The Last Rose of Summer’)
Thomas Moore
2
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: May 28, 1779
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: March 25, 1852

Irish author Thomas Moore was chiefly branded a Whig ally. It is believed he had a role in burning the memoirs of his friend Lord Byron, an act now considered a literary crime. His iconic Irish Melodies contained his most popular works, such as The Last Rose of Summer.

 49 
Luke Kelly
(Singer)
Luke Kelly
2
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: November 17, 1940
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Died: January 30, 1984
 50 
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor
(Actor)
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor
1
Birthdate: November 4, 1977
Sun Sign: Scorpio