53.3495° N, 6.2602° W
DUBLIN
Most Famous People Born in Dublin, Ireland
- Notable people
- 3,490
- Peak decade
- 1980s
- Median birth year
- 1946
- Most distinctive
- Cricket 2.6×
A city defined by what it sends abroad and what it keeps at home. Dublin's notables are split almost in two: a literary tradition that the rest of the English-speaking world claims as its own — Wilde, Shaw, Beckett, Swift, Burke — and a sporting culture in Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie that exists almost exclusively on the island itself. The result is a profession mix that looks both unusually international and unusually local at the same time.
One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Dublin during each.
Notable Births by Decade
Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1980s with 433 notable births.
What Dublin Is Known For
Click any row to filter the list of people below.
Football is Dublin's biggest profession — 21% of all notables (746).
Dublin over-indexes on cricket — 2.6× the global rate.
Profession Mix Over Time
Each band shows a profession family's share of Dublin's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.
- Sports
- Politics & Law
- Film & TV
- Writing
- Art & Design
- Music
- Other
- Field: Politician Clear ×
Edmund Burke
1729 - 1797
Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh
1769 - 1822
Arthur Griffith
1872 - 1922
Bertie Ahern
Born 1951
William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne
1737 - 1805
Wolfe Tone
1763 - 1798
Robert Emmet
1778 - 1803
Edward Carson
1854 - 1935
W. T. Cosgrave
1880 - 1965
Seán T. O'Kelly
1882 - 1966
Seán Lemass
1899 - 1971
Walter Guinness, 1st Baron Moyne
1880 - 1944
Henry Grattan
1746 - 1820
John A. Costello
1891 - 1976
Conor Cruise O'Brien
1917 - 2008
James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde
1665 - 1745
Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry
1778 - 1854
Cathal Brugha
1874 - 1922
Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo
1822 - 1872
Leo Varadkar
Born 1979
Pat Cox
Born 1952
Lord George Hamilton
1845 - 1927
George Noble Plunkett
1851 - 1948
John Ball (naturalist)
1818 - 1889
James Napper Tandy
1740 - 1803
Richard Bourke
1777 - 1855
Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey
1614 - 1686
John Dillon
1851 - 1927
Jonathan Aitken
Born 1942
Matthew Lyon
1749 - 1822
Shane Ross
Born 1949
Brian Lenihan Jnr
1959 - 2011
Alan Shatter
Born 1951
Brian Crowley
Born 1964
Lord Charles Wellesley
1808 - 1858
Richard Bruton
Born 1953
Joan Burton
Born 1949
Alan Dukes
Born 1945
Mary Lou McDonald
Born 1969
James Dillon (Fine Gael politician)
1902 - 1986
Cathal Goulding
1922 - 1998
Edward Gibson, 1st Baron Ashbourne
1837 - 1913
Lowry Cole
1772 - 1842
Nia Griffith
Born 1956
Ivana Bacik
Born 1968
William Henry Gregory
1817 - 1892
Síle de Valera
Born 1954
Grey Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie
Born 1939
John Robert Godley
1814 - 1861
Willie Pearse
1881 - 1916
Proinsias De Rossa
Born 1940
Francis Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham
1797 - 1876
Philip Francis (politician)
1740 - 1818
Charles FitzGerald, 4th Duke of Leinster
1819 - 1887
Gay Mitchell
Born 1951
Michael McDowell (politician)
Born 1951
Regina Doherty
Born 1971
Nessa Childers
Born 1956
Mary Banotti
Born 1939
Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun
1840 - 1915
Dominick Browne, 4th Baron Oranmore and Browne
1901 - 2002
Paul Murphy (Irish politician)
Born 1983
David Andrews (politician)
Born 1935
Bairbre de Brún
Born 1954
Simon Harris (politician)
Born 1986
John Gormley
Born 1959
Alfred Webb
1834 - 1908
Edward Joshua Cooper
1798 - 1863
Robert Briscoe (politician)
1894 - 1969
John O'Connell (Dublin politician)
1927 - 2013
William Norton
1900 - 1963
Richard Boyd Barrett
Born 1967
Kevin Boland
1917 - 2001
Oscar Traynor
1886 - 1963
Pierce Charles de Lacy O'Mahony
1850 - 1930
Jim Mitchell (politician)
1946 - 2002
Francis Annesley, 1st Viscount Valentia
1585 - 1660
Eamon Ryan
Born 1963
James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont
1728 - 1799
Samuel Blackall
1809 - 1871
Tony Gregory
1947 - 2009
Michael Symes (diplomat)
1761 - 1809
Lynn Boylan
Born 1976
Éamon Ó Cuív
Born 1950
Richie Ryan (politician)
1929 - 2019
George Colley
1925 - 1983
Rory O'Connor (Irish republican)
1883 - 1922
Roddy Connolly
1901 - 1980
Richard Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork
1829 - 1904
Gemma Hussey
Born 1938
Rory O'Hanlon
Born 1934
Joseph McGrath (Irish politician)
1887 - 1966
Hilary Weston
Born 1942
Somerset Lowry-Corry, 2nd Earl Belmore
1774 - 1841
James Campbell, 1st Baron Glenavy
1851 - 1931
Frank Cluskey
1930 - 1989
Liadh Ní Riada
Born 1966
Alexandra Colen
Born 1955
John O'Connell (MP)
1810 - 1858
Henry Lowry-Corry (1803–1873)
1803 - 1873
Niall Andrews
1937 - 2006
Alfie Byrne
1882 - 1956
Daniel Pollen
1813 - 1896
Paddy Power (Irish politician)
1928 - 2013
Avril Doyle
Born 1949
Eoin Ó Broin
Born 1972
Gerard Sweetman
1908 - 1970
William Ellison-Macartney
1852 - 1924
Seán Crowe
Born 1957
John FitzGerald, Baron FitzGerald
1816 - 1889
Ruth Coppinger
Born 1967
Seán Haughey
Born 1961
Hugh Seymour, 6th Marquess of Hertford
1843 - 1912
Vivion de Valera
1910 - 1982
John Thomson (Ohio politician)
1780 - 1852
Patrick Cooney
Born 1931
William McCullagh Torrens
1813 - 1894
Seán Barrett (politician)
Born 1944
Edward Sparrow
1810 - 1882
Edmund Dwyer Gray (Irish politician)
1845 - 1888
Marc MacSharry
Born 1973
Michael Hayes (politician)
1889 - 1976
Mervyn Taylor
Born 1931
Thomas Davis (Rhode Island)
1806 - 1895
Robert Molesworth, 1st Viscount Molesworth
1656 - 1725
Harvey du Cros
1846 - 1918
Margaret Pearse
1857 - 1932
Ray Burke (Irish politician)
Born 1943
Matthew Locke (U.S. Congress)
1730 - 1801
Tommy Broughan
Born 1947
Tras Honan
Born 1930
Averil Power
Born 1978
Rodney Leach, Baron Leach of Fairford
1934 - 2016
William Russell (Ohio politician)
1782 - 1845
Eoin Ryan Jnr
Born 1953
Armar Lowry-Corry, 3rd Earl Belmore
1801 - 1845
John Hastings (Ohio)
1778 - 1854
Sally Oppenheim-Barnes
Born 1930
Blair McClenachan
1751 - 1812
Seán Ardagh
1947 - 2016
Edmund Dwyer-Gray
1870 - 1945
Thomas Carter (1690–1763)
1690 - 1763
Noel Ahern
Born 1944
Terence Flanagan
Born 1975
Kevin Izod O'Doherty
1823 - 1905
Thomas Pringle (politician)
Born 1967
Vincent Brady
Born 1936
John Montgomery (delegate)
1722 - 1808
Roger Boyle, 2nd Earl of Orrery
1646 - 1682
Eric Byrne
Born 1947
Mark Killilea Jnr
1939 - 2018
Joan Freeman (politician)
Born 1958
Laurence O'Neill
1874 - 1943
Andrew Doyle
Born 1960
Ruairí Brugha
1917 - 2006
William Augustus Adam
1865 - 1940
Ben Briscoe
Born 1934
Helen Keogh
Born 1951
William Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby
1744 - 1806
Patrick Byrne (Irish politician)
Born 1925
Des Geraghty
Born 1943
Hugh Law (Cumann na nGaedheal politician)
1872 - 1943
Fergus O'Brien
1930 - 2016
Alan Gillis
Born 1936
Mícheál Mac Donncha
Born 1965
Barry Andrews (politician)
Born 1967
Alexander Manning
1819 - 1903
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Born 1964
Nuala Fennell
1935 - 2009
Nora Owen
Born 1945
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Born 1976
Conor Lenihan
Born 1963
Sir John Doyle, 1st Baronet
1756 - 1834
Liam Ó Buachalla
1899 - 1970
Patrick Nulty
Born 1982
Sir Patrick O'Brien, 2nd Baronet
1823 - 1895
William O'Shea
1840 - 1905
Colm Brophy
Born 1973
Cathal Ó Murchadha
1880 - 1958
Peadar Doyle
Died 1956
Derrick Westenra, 5th Baron Rossmore
1853 - 1921
John Boland (Fine Gael politician)
1944 - 2000
Henry Morgan Dockrell
1880 - 1955
Fiach Mac Conghail
Born 1964
Todd Andrews
1901 - 1985
John Cust, 1st Earl Brownlow
1779 - 1853
Joseph Orpen
1828 - 1923
Gerry Horkan
Born 1961
Arthur Clery
1879 - 1932
Peter Mathews (politician)
1951 - 2017
George Higinbotham
1826 - 1892
Gerard Brady
1936 - 2020
William Clements, 3rd Earl of Leitrim
1806 - 1878
Paschal Mooney
Born 1947
Flor O'Mahony
Born 1946
Robert Carew, 2nd Baron Carew
1818 - 1881
Vincent Jackson (politician)
Born 1966
Timothy Burns (Wisconsin politician)
1820 - 1853
Royston Brady
Born 1972
Jillian van Turnhout
Born 1968
Seán Garland
1934 - 2018
Jack Murphy (Irish politician)
1920 - 1984
Alice Glenn
1927 - 2011
Niall MacDermot
1916 - 1996
Susan O'Keeffe
Born 1960
T. C. Kingsmill Moore
1893 - 1979
Joseph Nannetti
1851 - 1915
Daniel McCarthy (politician)
1883 - 1957
Roger Sweetman
1874 - 1954
Hugh McCalmont
1845 - 1924
Anne Marie Waters
Born 1977
Henry Wrixon
1839 - 1913
Nathaniel Clements, 2nd Earl of Leitrim
1768 - 1854
Seán Moore (Irish politician)
1913 - 1986
Thomas W. Ward
1807 - 1872
Christine May
Born 1948
Joseph Despard Pemberton
1821 - 1893
Albert Grant (company promoter)
1831 - 1899
Forbes George Vernon
1843 - 1911
Sean Farren
Born 1939
Bryan O'Loghlen
1828 - 1905
Alfred P. Byrne
1913 - 1952
Emily Cecil, Marchioness of Salisbury
1750 - 1835
Christy Burke
Born 1990
Luke Gardiner, 1st Viscount Mountjoy
1745 - 1798
Liz O'Donnell
Born 1956
Philip Brady (Irish politician)
1898 - 1995
Michael O'Brien (Victorian politician)
Born 1971
Anne Ferris
Born 1954
Chris O'Malley
Born 1959
Harry Colley
1891 - 1972
J. E. Kenny
1845 - 1900
Tom Mitchell (politician)
1931 - 2020
Seán Ryan (politician)
Born 1943
Bernie Malone
Born 1948
John Stafford (Irish politician)
Born 1944
Quintin Dick
1777 - 1858
James Redfoord Bulwer
1820 - 1899
Críona Ní Dhálaigh
-
Dermot Fitzpatrick
Born 1940
Henry George Hughes
1810 - 1872
Charlie O'Connor
Born 1946
Brian Gibbons (politician)
Born 1950
Chris Andrews (politician)
Born 1964
George Nicolls
Died 1942
Robert Dowds
Born 1953
P. J. Brady
1868 - 1943
Brendan Carr (politician)
-
Honor Crowley
1903 - 1966
William Lennon
1849 - 1938
Francis Cahill
1882 - 1957
Marie Hasler
Born 1948
Roger Garland
Born 1933
William Henry Pringle
1771 - 1840
G. V. Wright
Born 1947
James Barlow Hoy
1794 - 1843
Thomas Hodgins
1828 - 1910
Gerry Bermingham
Born 1940
Séamus Dwyer
1886 - 1922
John O'Donovan (politician)
1908 - 1982
Ruth Grier
Born 1936
William Kenny (politician)
1846 - 1921
Mike Farnan
Born 1941
Lionel Booth
1914 - 1997
Dermot McCarthy
Born 1954
Eithne FitzGerald
Born 1950
Noel Lemass
1929 - 1976
Tom Leonard (Irish politician)
1924 - 2004
Robert McCalmont
1881 - 1953
Thomas Pakenham (British Army officer)
1826 - 1913
Mary Flaherty (politician)
Born 1953
St. George Richard Gore
1812 - 1871
Edward Harney
1865 - 1929
Robin Kåss
Born 1977
John Mullan (Australian politician)
1871 - 1941
Thomas J. Fitzpatrick (Dublin politician)
Born 1926
Patrick Burke (Dublin politician)
1904 - 1985
Chris Wall
Born 1946
Peter Faucett
1813 - 1894
P. J. Sheehan
1933 - 2020
Anne Colley
Born 1951
Mary Fitzpatrick
Born 1969
John Good (Irish politician)
Died 1941
Stephen Dawson (politician)
Born 1975
Thomas Finlay (Cumann na nGaedheal politician)
1893 - 1932
Noel Duignan
Born 1948
Cormac Devlin
Born 1980
Gary Gannon
Born 1987
Robert Carroll (Australian politician)
1876 - 1940
Michael Joe Cosgrave
Born 1938
Andrew Kelly (Australian politician)
1854 - 1913
P. T. Daly
1870 - 1943
Edward William James Owens
1860 - 1928
Piers Crosby
1590 - 1646
Richard James Strachan Harman
1826 - 1902
George Gordon (Ontario politician)
1888 - 1971
Patrick Karney
Born 1948
James Mac-Adaras
1838 - 1919
Aideen Nicholson
1927 - 2019
Edward Joseph Garland
1885 - 1974