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.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Dublin during each.

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 cricket2.6× the global rate.

  1. Football746
  2. Politician316
  3. Actor234
  4. Player179
  5. Cricket118
  6. Writer108
  7. Singer95
  8. Painter92
  1. Cricket1182.6×
  2. Player1792.6×
  3. Football7461.9×
  4. Author501.7×

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.

1550160016501700175018001850190019502000
  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Film & TV
  • Writing
  • Art & Design
  • Music
  • Other
All3,490
Sort By

3,490 notable people

0301 PHYSICIST

Thomas Romney Robinson

1792 - 1882

Preview
0302 PLAYER

Tony O'Reilly

Born 1936

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0303 ECONOMIST

Tom Kettle

1880 - 1916

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0304 PAINTER

Edward Dodwell

1767 - 1832

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0305 FOOTBALL

Graham Kavanagh

Born 1973

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0306 ACTOR

Peter McDonald (actor)

Born 1972

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0307 FOOTBALL

Enda Stevens

Born 1990

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0308 LABOURER

Matt Talbot

1856 - 1925

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0309 EXPLORER

John Palliser

1817 - 1887

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0310 POLITICIAN

Matthew Lyon

1749 - 1822

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0311 FOOTBALL

Conor Sammon

Born 1986

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0312 PLAYER

Ian Madigan

Born 1989

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0313 LAWYER

Richard Graves MacDonnell

1814 - 1881

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0314 DUKE

Catherine Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington

1773 - 1831

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0315 FOOTBALL

Kevin Moran (footballer)

Born 1956

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0316 MILITAR

Francis Festing

1902 - 1976

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0317 DIARIST

Stanislaus Joyce

1884 - 1955

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0318 PSYCHIATRIST

David Healy (psychiatrist)

Born 1954

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0319 FILM

Damien O'Donnell

Born 1967

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0320 EXPLORER

John Meares

1756 - 1809

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0321 REPUBLICAN

Kevin Barry

1902 - 1920

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0322 FOOTBALL

Kenny Cunningham

Born 1971

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0323 BOTANIST

Frederick McCoy

1817 - 1899

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0324 FOOTBALL

Jeff Kenna

Born 1970

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0325 PRIEST

Kevin Farrell

Born 1947

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0326 POLITICIAN

Shane Ross

Born 1949

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0327 PLAYER

Phil Laak

Born 1972

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0328 PRIEST

Richard Chenevix Trench

1807 - 1886

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0329 ACTOR

David Wilmot (actor)

-

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0330 FOOTBALL

Joe Murphy (footballer, born 1981)

Born 1981

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0331 ACTOR

Richard Leech

1922 - 2004

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0332 ACTOR

Barry Keoghan

Born 1992

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0333 POLITICIAN

Brian Lenihan Jnr

1959 - 2011

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0334 FILM

Paddy Breathnach

Born 1964

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0335 ACTOR

Edwin Maxwell (actor)

1886 - 1948

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0336 SONGWRITER

Peadar Kearney

1883 - 1942

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0337 PLAYER

Fergal O'Brien

Born 1972

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0338 SCULPTOR

John Henry Foley

1818 - 1874

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0339 HISTORIAN

Vincent Arthur Smith

1848 - 1920

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0340 LAWYER

Richard Martin (Irish politician)

1754 - 1834

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0341 POLITICIAN

Alan Shatter

Born 1951

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0342 DANCER

Margaret Kelly Leibovici

1910 - 2004

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0343 PHYSICIAN

Richard Robert Madden

1798 - 1886

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0344 POLITICIAN

Brian Crowley

Born 1964

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0345 FOOTBALL

Stephen Elliott (footballer)

Born 1984

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0346 PRELATE

Francis Kenrick

1796 - 1863

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0347 POET

Eavan Boland

1944 - 2020

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0348 PLAYER

Seán O'Brien (rugby player, born 1987)

Born 1987

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0349 POLITICIAN

Lord Charles Wellesley

1808 - 1858

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0350 ACTOR

Angeline Ball

Born 1969

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0351 ACTOR

William Desmond (actor)

1878 - 1949

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0352 CINEMA

Thaddeus O'Sullivan

Born 1947

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0353 FOOTBALL

Graham Burke

Born 1993

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0354 FOOTBALL

Stephanie Roche

Born 1986

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0355 WRITER

Lorna Byrne

Born 1953

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0356 PHILOLOGIST

Whitley Stokes

1830 - 1909

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0357 EDUCATOR

Lady Eve Balfour

1899 - 1990

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0358 POLITICIAN

Richard Bruton

Born 1953

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0359 SON

Jack Churchill (1880–1947)

1880 - 1947

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0360 SPRINT

David Gillick

Born 1983

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0361 DAUGHTER

Violet Gibson

1876 - 1956

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0362 FOOTBALL

Paddy McCarthy

Born 1983

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0363 ACTOR

Bernie Nolan

1960 - 2013

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0364 FOOTBALL

Stephen Henderson (footballer, born 1988)

Born 1988

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0365 AUTHOR

Katharine Tynan

1859 - 1931

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0366 POLITICIAN

Joan Burton

Born 1949

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0367 NOVELIST

Charles Lever

1806 - 1872

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0368 CRICKET

Kevin O'Brien (cricketer)

Born 1984

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0369 MUSIC

Rick Laird

Born 1941

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0370 SPORT

Seamus Elliott

1934 - 1971

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0371 HISTORIAN

Philip Grierson

1910 - 2006

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0372 PRODUCER

Nicky Ryan

Born 1949

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0373 SISTER

Bridget Dowling

1891 - 1969

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0374 SINGER

Ciarán Bourke

1935 - 1988

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0375 PAINTER

George Petrie (artist)

1790 - 1866

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0376 PHYSICIAN

Sheila Sherlock

1918 - 2001

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0377 ACTOR

Aisling Franciosi

Born 1993

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0378 POLITICIAN

Alan Dukes

Born 1945

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0379 FOOTBALL

Keith Treacy

Born 1988

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0380 AUTHOR

Gertrude Elizabeth Blood

1857 - 1911

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0381 FOOTBALL

Conor Clifford

Born 1991

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0382 WIFE OF

Hilda Petrie

1871 - 1956

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0383 NAVAL

Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet

1721 - 1811

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0384 POLITICIAN

Mary Lou McDonald

Born 1969

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0385 PLAYER

Cian Healy

Born 1987

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0386 POLITICIAN

James Dillon (Fine Gael politician)

1902 - 1986

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0387 FOOTBALL

Steve Heighway

Born 1947

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0388 FOOTBALL

Jon Daly (footballer)

Born 1983

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0389 RADIO

Eamonn Andrews

1922 - 1987

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0390 PHYSICIST

Humphrey Lloyd (physicist)

1800 - 1881

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0391 CHEMIST

Robert Kane (chemist)

1809 - 1890

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0392 GOLF

Paul McGinley

Born 1966

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0393 PLAYER

Luke Fitzgerald

Born 1987

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0394 FILM

Montgomery Tully

1904 - 1988

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0395 POET

Austin Clarke (poet)

1896 - 1974

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0396 ACTOR

Geoffrey Toone

1910 - 2005

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0397 POET

Willie Wilde

1852 - 1899

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0398 FOOTBALL

Billy Whelan

1935 - 1958

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0399 BOXER

Dan Donnelly (boxer)

1788 - 1820

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0400 FOOTBALL

Willo Flood

Born 1985

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0401 BASKET

Pat Burke

Born 1973

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0402 SINGER

Dave King (Irish singer)

Born 1961

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0403 ACTOR

Peter Caffrey

1949 - 2008

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0404 KING

Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone

1480 - 1559

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0405 PAINTER

Hugh Douglas Hamilton

1740 - 1808

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0406 FOOTBALL

Jack Byrne (footballer)

Born 1996

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0407 THIEF

Martin Cahill

1949 - 1994

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0408 ARCHBISHOP

Diarmuid Martin

Born 1945

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0409 PLAYER

Alain Rolland

Born 1966

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0410 MUSIC

Seán Potts

1930 - 2014

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0411 THEOLOGIAN

Henry Dodwell

1641 - 1711

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0412 PAINTER

Sarah Purser

1848 - 1943

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0413 NEUROLOGIST

Gordon Morgan Holmes

1876 - 1965

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0414 PHYSICIAN

William Henry Fitton

1780 - 1861

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0415 SINGER

Frances Black

Born 1960

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0416 OFFICER

Henry Hamilton (governor)

1734 - 1796

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0417 ARMY

Christian Davies

1667 - 1739

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0418 MUSIC

Terry Woods

Born 1947

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0419 WRITER

Alex Barclay

Born 1974

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0420 FOOTBALL

Paddy Madden

Born 1990

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0421 AUTHOR

Glenn Meade

Born 1957

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0422 ACTOR

Karl Geary

Born 1972

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0423 FOOTBALL

Gavin Gunning

Born 1991

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0424 ACTOR

Emmett J. Scanlan

Born 1979

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0425 AUTHOR

John Ross Browne

1821 - 1875

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0426 ACTOR

Eddie Byrne

1911 - 1981

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0427 FOOTBALL

Jason Byrne (footballer)

Born 1978

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0428 ACTOR

Dermot Walsh

1924 - 2002

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0429 ACTOR

Sinead Keenan

Born 1977

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0430 ARTIST

Grace Gifford

1888 - 1955

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0431 PLAYER

Kyran Bracken

Born 1971

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0432 PHYSICIAN

Dominic Corrigan

1802 - 1880

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0433 PLAYER

Girvan Dempsey

Born 1975

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0434 SINGER

Gemma Craven

Born 1950

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0435 WRITER

Anna Maria Hall

1800 - 1881

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0436 FILM

Aisling Walsh

Born 1963

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0437 ORNITHOLOGIST

Valentine Ball

1843 - 1894

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0438 FOOTBALL

Seán Dillon

Born 1983

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0439 ACTOR

Peg Woffington

1720 - 1760

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0440 SINGER

Damien Leith

Born 1976

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0441 POET

Isabella Valancy Crawford

1850 - 1887

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0442 SURGEON

Robert Adams (physician)

1791 - 1875

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0443 REPUBLICAN

Michael Mallin

1874 - 1916

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0444 DRIVER

Derek Daly

Born 1953

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0445 SINGER

Damien Dempsey

Born 1975

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0446 POLITICIAN

Cathal Goulding

1922 - 1998

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0447 FOOTBALL

Jim Stynes

1966 - 2012

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0448 WRITER

Thomas Keightley

1789 - 1872

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0449 CHEMIST

Helen Megaw

1907 - 2002

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0450 FOOTBALL

Mark Kennedy (footballer, born 1976)

Born 1976

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0451 POET

Charles Wolfe

1791 - 1823

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0452 CHEMIST

Richard Chenevix (chemist)

1774 - 1830

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0453 MILITAR

John Hely-Hutchinson, 2nd Earl of Donoughmore

1757 - 1832

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0454 ACTOR

Aidan McArdle

Born 1970

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0455 WRITER

Denis Johnston

1901 - 1984

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0456 PLAYER

Nick Popplewell

Born 1964

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0457 PLAYER

Dave Kearney

Born 1989

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0458 POLITICIAN

Edward Gibson, 1st Baron Ashbourne

1837 - 1913

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0459 ACTOR

Maire O'Neill

1885 - 1952

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0460 POLITICIAN

Lowry Cole

1772 - 1842

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0461 POLITICIAN

Nia Griffith

Born 1956

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0462 FOOTBALL

Eoin Doyle

Born 1988

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0463 ACTOR

Stanley Townsend

Born 1961

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0464 DJ

Annie Mac

Born 1978

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0465 POLITICIAN

Ivana Bacik

Born 1968

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0466 POLITICIAN

William Henry Gregory

1817 - 1892

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0467 POLITICIAN

Síle de Valera

Born 1954

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0468 NOVELIST

Patricia Moyes

1923 - 2000

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0469 FOOTBALL

Paul Heffernan

Born 1981

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0470 FOOTBALL

Glen Crowe

Born 1977

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0471 MATHEMATICIAN

Edward Bromhead

1789 - 1855

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0472 POET

Lola Ridge

1873 - 1941

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0473 POET

Paul Durcan

Born 1944

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0474 POLITICIAN

Grey Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie

Born 1939

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0475 AUTHOR

Fintan O'Toole

Born 1958

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0476 POLITICIAN

John Robert Godley

1814 - 1861

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0477 POLITICIAN

Willie Pearse

1881 - 1916

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0478 INVENTOR

Walter Gordon Wilson

1874 - 1957

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0479 SPORT

Martin Earley

Born 1962

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0480 ARTIST

Duncan Campbell (artist)

Born 1972

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0481 POLITICIAN

Proinsias De Rossa

Born 1940

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0482 FOOTBALL

Owen Garvan

Born 1988

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0483 MARTIAL ART

Aisling Daly

Born 1987

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0484 HOCKEY

Fergus Kavanagh

Born 1985

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0485 POET

Donagh MacDonagh

1912 - 1968

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0486 POLITICIAN

Francis Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham

1797 - 1876

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0487 SOVEREIGN

Sigtrygg Silkbeard

970 - 1042

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0488 PRIEST

Peter Richard Kenrick

1806 - 1896

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0489 CONDUCTOR

Seóirse Bodley

Born 1933

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0490 PHYSIOLOGIST

Robert Bentley Todd

1809 - 1860

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0491 FILM

Vivienne Dick

Born 1950

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0492 CHEMIST

James Sheridan Muspratt

1821 - 1871

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0493 PAINTER

Amelia Curran (painter)

1775 - 1847

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0494 MILITAR

Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine

1751 - 1799

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0495 FOOTBALL

Johnny Carey

1919 - 1995

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0496 GEOLOGIST

Sir Richard Griffith, 1st Baronet

1784 - 1878

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0497 AUTHOR

Alfred Perceval Graves

1846 - 1931

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0498 MUSIC

John O'Conor

Born 1947

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0499 ARTIST

Jim Fitzpatrick (artist)

-

Preview
0500 JOURNALIST

Donal MacIntyre

Born 1966

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0501 JUMPER

Cian O'Connor

Born 1979

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0502 POLITICIAN

Philip Francis (politician)

1740 - 1818

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0503 MUSIC

Meiert Avis

-

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0504 ARTIST

James Coleman (Irish artist)

Born 1941

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0505 POLITICIAN

Charles FitzGerald, 4th Duke of Leinster

1819 - 1887

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0506 FOOTBALL

Patrick Cregg

Born 1986

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0507 BOTANIST

D. A. Webb

1912 - 1994

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0508 POLITICIAN

Gay Mitchell

Born 1951

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0509 POLITICIAN

Michael McDowell (politician)

Born 1951

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0510 SCREENWRITER

Johnny Byrne (writer)

1935 - 2008

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0511 BUSINESS

Willie Walsh (businessman)

Born 1961

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0512 BOXER

Darren Sutherland

1982 - 2009

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0513 FOOTBALL

Alan Dunne

Born 1982

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0514 POLITICIAN

Regina Doherty

Born 1971

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0515 ACTOR

Kathleen Ryan

1922 - 1985

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0516 ECONOMIST

Philip R. Lane

Born 1969

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0517 EXPLORER

Juan Galindo

1802 - 1839

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0518 FOOTBALL

Liam O'Brien (footballer, born 1964)

Born 1964

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0519 POLITICIAN

Nessa Childers

Born 1956

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0520 MUSIC

Bernie Tormé

1952 - 2019

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0521 PLAYER

Victor Costello

Born 1970

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0522 PAINTER

Thomas Frye

1710 - 1762

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0523 PHOTOGRAPHY

Lucien Bull

1876 - 1972

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0524 HISTORIAN

Cyril Falls

1888 - 1971

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0525 FOOTBALL

Graham Barrett

Born 1981

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0526 LAWYER

George Bryan

1731 - 1791

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0527 CHESS

George Alcock MacDonnell

1830 - 1899

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0528 NEUROSCIENTIST

Eleanor Maguire

Born 1970

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0529 PHOTOGRAPHER

Edward Quinn

1920 - 1997

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0530 FOOTBALL

James O'Connor (footballer, born 1979)

Born 1979

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0531 MILITAR

Frederick Maurice (soldier)

1871 - 1951

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0532 COMPOSER

David Downes (Irish composer)

Born 1975

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0533 MUSIC

Gerry Leonard

Born 1961

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0534 PAINTER

George Barret Sr.

1730 - 1784

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0535 ILLUSTRATOR

Phoebe Anna Traquair

1852 - 1936

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0536 ACTOR

Susan McFadden

Born 1983

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0537 FILM

Ruairí Robinson

Born 1978

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0538 MILITAR

Théobald Dillon

1745 - 1792

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0539 POLITICIAN

Mary Banotti

Born 1939

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0540 OFFICER

James O'Hara, 2nd Baron Tyrawley

1682 - 1774

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0541 ASTRONOMER

Mary Proctor

1862 - 1957

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0542 CONDUCTOR

Noel Kelehan

1935 - 2012

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0543 MILITAR

Frederick Stopford

1854 - 1929

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0544 FOOTBALL

Alan O'Brien

Born 1985

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0545 PHYSICIST

Frederick Thomas Trouton

1863 - 1922

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0546 POLITICIAN

Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun

1840 - 1915

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0547 BOXER

Michael Carruth

Born 1967

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0548 FOOTBALL

Jay O'Shea

Born 1988

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0549 SONGWRITER

Steve Hanley (musician)

Born 1957

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0550 MILITAR

Lewis Nicola

1717 - 1807

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0551 PLAYWRIGHT

Isaac Bickerstaffe

1733 - 1812

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0552 VIOLIST

Garth Knox

Born 1956

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0553 AUTHOR

Jane Casey

Born 1977

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0554 FOOTBALL

Shaun Williams (footballer)

Born 1986

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0555 PLAYER

Denis Hickie

Born 1976

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0556 PLAYER

Shane Jennings

Born 1981

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0557 COMPOSER

John Andrew Stevenson

1761 - 1833

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0558 ACTOR

Peter Hanly

Born 1964

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0559 SINGER

Dickie Rock

Born 1946

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0560 FOOTBALL

Mark O'Brien (footballer, born 1992)

Born 1992

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0561 COMPOSER

Donnacha Dennehy

Born 1970

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0562 ACTOR

Vincent Dowling

1929 - 2013

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0563 DIPLOMAT

William Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket

1864 - 1920

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0564 AUTHOR

Samuel Lover

1797 - 1868

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0565 MUSIC

Christy Doran

Born 1949

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0566 POLITICIAN

Dominick Browne, 4th Baron Oranmore and Browne

1901 - 2002

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0567 FOOTBALL

Karl Sheppard

Born 1991

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0568 FIDDLER

Martin Fay

1936 - 2012

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0569 SINGER

Kevin Conneff

Born 1945

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0570 POLITICIAN

Paul Murphy (Irish politician)

Born 1983

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0571 PLAYER

Jack McGrath (rugby player)

Born 1989

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0572 PHILANTHROPIST

Benjamin Guinness

1798 - 1868

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0573 PLAYER

Josh van der Flier

Born 1993

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0574 POLITICIAN

David Andrews (politician)

Born 1935

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0575 PAINTER

Mary Swanzy

1882 - 1978

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0576 POLITICIAN

Bairbre de Brún

Born 1954

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0577 POLITICIAN

Simon Harris (politician)

Born 1986

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0578 MATHEMATICIAN

John T. Graves

1806 - 1870

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0579 POLITICIAN

John Gormley

Born 1959

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0580 POLITICIAN

Alfred Webb

1834 - 1908

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0581 DIPLOMAT

Yaakov Herzog

1921 - 1972

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0582 CAMPAIGN

Christina Noble

Born 1944

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0583 MILITAR

Archibald Nye

1895 - 1967

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0584 SPY

Lydia Darragh

1728 - 1789

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0585 BUSINESS

William Thomas Mulvany

1806 - 1885

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0586 PLAYER

AJ MacGinty

Born 1990

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0587 FOOTBALL

Wayne Henderson (footballer)

Born 1983

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0588 POLITICIAN

Edward Joshua Cooper

1798 - 1863

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0589 POLITICIAN

Robert Briscoe (politician)

1894 - 1969

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0590 WRITER

Catherine Dunne (writer)

Born 1954

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0591 RADIO

Pat Kenny

Born 1948

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0592 COMPOSER

John Wolf Brennan

Born 1954

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0593 MUSIC

David Kitt

Born 1975

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0594 POLITICIAN

John O'Connell (Dublin politician)

1927 - 2013

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0595 PRIEST

Edward MacCabe

1816 - 1885

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0596 SPORT

Pat McQuaid

Born 1949

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0597 EARLY SETTLER

Frederick Edward Maning

1812 - 1883

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0598 ECONOMIST

Patrick Honohan

Born 1949

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0599 BIOLOGIST

Henry Horatio Dixon

1869 - 1953

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0600 POLITICIAN

William Norton

1900 - 1963

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