List of University College Dublin people

Last updated August 31, 2025

The following is a list of University College Dublin people, including notable alumni and faculty members of University College Dublin, a constituent university of the National University of Ireland.

Alumni

Victorian poet Gerard Manley Hopkins GerardManleyHopkins.jpg — Victorian poet Gerard Manley Hopkins

Literature

Maeve Binchy, author
Sarah Rees Brennan
Gabriel Byrne
Marina Carr
Austin Clarke
Benjamin Cleary
Brian Cleeve
Brian Coffey
Eamon Delaney
Denis Devlin
Emma Donoghue
Roddy Doyle ( Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha )
Paul Durcan
Brendan Gleeson
Michael Hartnett
Desmond Hogan
Gerard Manley Hopkins
John Jordan
Neil Jordan, Oscar winner, ( The Crying Game )
James Joyce, author of Ulysses
Trevor Joyce
Thomas Kilroy
Mary Lavin
Princess Mako of Akishino
Hugh McFadden
John McGahern
Frank McGuinness
Conor McPherson
John Montague
Flann O'Brien ( At Swim-Two-Birds )
Kate O'Brien
Carroll O'Connor
Joseph O'Connor
Ulick O'Connor
Chris O'Dowd
Dan O'Herlihy
Seán Ó Faoláin
Liam O'Flaherty
Nuala O Faolain
Brian O'Nolan, writer, At Swim-Two-Birds
Emily O'Reilly
Keith Ridgway
Jim Sheridan ( My Left Foot )
Orla Tinsley
Colm Tóibín ( The Master )

Journalism

Vincent Browne ^{[ citation needed ]}
Ruth Dudley Edwards
Sally Hayden journalist
Hugh McFadden
Kevin Myers
Doireann Ní Bhriain
Kevin O'Sullivan, editor of The Irish Times
Fintan O'Toole
Caitriona Palmer
Conor Ryan
Maev-Ann Wren

Business

Peter Sutherland Peter-Sutherland-2011.jpg — Peter Sutherland

Sharon Donnery, Irish economist and financial regulator
Niall FitzGerald, former CEO of Unilever
Aidan Heavey, CEO of Tullow Oil
Gary McGann chairman of Flutter Entertainment, and former CEO of Smurfit Kappa and Aer Lingus
Ann O'Dea, CEO of Inspirefest
Tony O'Reilly, owner of Mediahuis Ireland
Denis O'Brien, owner of Communicorp and Digicel
David J. O'Reilly, chairman and CEO of Chevron Corporation ^[1]^[2]
Dalton Philips, CEO of Morrisons
Mark Pollock
Feargal Quinn, former owner of Superquinn, and Senator
Peter Sutherland, former Director General of the World Trade Organization; former Chairman of BP; Chairman of Goldman Sachs Europe; served as Ireland's Attorney General and European Commissioner

Science and technology

Conrad Burke, entrepreneur
Rónadh Cox, Irish geologist, Brust Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at Williams College and Fellow of the Geological Society of America
Evelyn Cusack former Secretary of the Irish Meteorological Society.
Conor P. Delaney, Irish-American colorectal surgeon known for developing enhanced recovery pathways
Dervilla M. X. Donnelly, Irish chemist
Orla Feely, Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact and Professor of Electronic Engineering at University College Dublin,^[3] and Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Garret A. FitzGerald Irish pharmacologist
Edmond Harty CEO and technical director of Dairymaster,
Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer of Ireland
Mary Horgan, Irish physician and president of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
Teresa Lambe, co-developer of Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
Eleanor Maguire Irish neuropsychologist
Julie McEnery American astrophysicist
Eilis McGovern, Irish professor of cardiothoracic surgery, President of RCSI, and first female President of any Royal College of Surgeons in the world
Anne Merriman British doctor, founded Hospice Africa Uganda
John Monahan, bioscientist and CEO of Avigen Inc in California, a NASDAQ company
Thomas E. Nevin, Irish physicist and Dean of the Faculty of Science 1963 to 1979
John James Nolan, Irish physicist and President of the Royal Irish Academy
Patrick Joseph Nolan, Irish atmospheric physicist
Daniel Joseph Kelly O'Connell, SJ, astronomer and seismologist, Director of Riverview and the Vatican Observatory, president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences(1968–72), O'Connell effect named after him.
Cormac O'Raifeartaigh, Irish physicist and philosopher of science
David J. O'Reilly former chairman and CEO of Chevron Corporation
Delia Grace Randolph
Michael J. Ryan (doctor) Irish epidemiologist and former trauma surgeon
Trevor C. Weekes, astronomer, pioneer of gamma-ray astronomy

Mathematics

Seán Dineen, mathematician known for results in complex analysis.
Thomas J. Laffey, Mathematician known for group theory and matrix theory
Peter Lynch, Mathematician, meteorologist, book author and Irish Times columnist
Henry Charles McWeeney, Mathematician who served as vice president of UCD from 1909 to 1935
Colm Mulcahy, Mathematician known for his chronicling of Irish mathematicians throughout history

Finance and banking

Patrick Honohan, Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland

Politics and government

Heads of state

V. V. Giri, 4th President of India (did not graduate)
Patrick Hillery, 6th President of Ireland
Douglas Hyde, 1st President of Ireland, Professor of Irish
Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, 5th president of Ireland

Heads of government

John Bruton, 9th Taoiseach of Ireland
John A. Costello, 2nd Taoiseach of Ireland
Brian Cowen, 11th Taoiseach of Ireland
Garret FitzGerald, 7th Taoiseach of Ireland
Charles Haughey, 6th Taoiseach of Ireland

Other Political Leaders

Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner

Military

Michael Beary, Irish Army Major General and Commander of UNIFIL

Engineers

Thomas McLaughlin, key player in the construction of the Ardnacrusha power plant, the largest hydroelectric plant in the world when constructed
Eddie O'Connor, founder of Mainstream Renewable Energy
William F. Roe, electrical engineer; led the rural electrification scheme in Ireland
J.O.(Seán) Scanlan, circuit theory; gold medalist of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society

Arts

Joanne McNally, comedian
Consolata Boyle, costume designer
Paul Brady
Niall Breslin, musician
Gabriel Byrne
Graham Cantwell
Benjamin Cleary, Oscar winner
Cyril Cusack
Barbara Dawson, director of Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin
Foil Arms and Hog, Irish sketch comedy group.
Brendan Gleeson
Róisín Heneghan, architect and designer
Amy Huberman
Neil Jordan, film director, screenwriter, novelist and short story writer
Roisin Kennedy, art critic and curator
Pat Kenny, broadcaster, former host of The Late Late Show
Rosaleen Linehan, actress
Dominique McElligott, actress
Hugh McFadden
Michael McGlynn, Irish composer
David McNulty, architect
Kieron Moore
Dermot Morgan, actor best known as Father Ted
Dara Ó Briain, Mock the Week , Have I Got News For You , QI , Three Men in a Boat
Miriam O'Callaghan, Irish television current affairs presenter with RTÉ
Carroll O'Connor
Chris O'Dowd, The IT Crowd , Bridesmaids , Girls , Moone Boy
Dan O'Herlihy, Academy Award-nominated actor
Kevin Roche, architect
Jim Sheridan
Bill Shipsey
Ryan Tubridy, host of The Late Late Show
Bill Whelan, composer and musician
Colette Wong, presenter of Fox Sports Central Asia

Clergy

Desmond Connell, Cardinal, Archbishop of Dublin
Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin
Fr. Malachi Martin S.J., author
Saint John Henry Newman, Cardinal, educator, writer
Tomás Ó Fiaich, Cardinal, Archbishop of Armagh
Maurice Piat CSSp, GCSK, Cardinal, Archbishop of Port Louis, Mauritius
Dermot Ryan, Archbishop of Dublin, Professor of Oriental Languages

Sports

Soccer

Alan Cawley, retired professional footballer
Tony McDonnell, retired professional footballer
David McMillan, striker for Dundalk FC
Evan McMillan, defender for Sligo Rovers
Conor Sammon, Irish International, striker for Derby County

Hockey

Emily Beatty, Irish International hockey player
Deirdre Duke, Irish International hockey player
Nicola Evans, Irish International hockey player
Katie Mullen, Irish International hockey player
Anna O'Flanagan, Irish International hockey player
Gillian Pinder, Irish International hockey player

Rugby

Patrick Casey, former Irish International
Leo Cullen (rugby union), Coach of Leinster rugby team
Gordon D'Arcy, Irish rugby international, British and Irish Lions
Mick Doyle, Irish rugby international player and coach, British and Irish Lions
Tony Ensor, former Irish rugby international
Luke Fitzgerald, Ireland international and the British and Irish Lions
Denis Hickie, former Irish rugby international, British and Irish Lions
Rob Kearney, Ireland International and the British and Irish Lions
Ray McLoughlin, Ireland international and British and Irish Lions
Brian O'Driscoll, captain of the Irish rugby team, British and Irish Lions
Conor O'Shea, Irish rugby international and director of rugby at Harlequin F.C.
Johnny Sexton, Irish rugby union player
Fergus Slattery, Ireland international and the British and Irish Lions
Cillian Willis, currently playing for Connacht Rugby
Nichola Fryday, Ireland Captain for the 2022 Women's Six Nations campaign

Rowing

Eimear Lambe 2020 Summer Olympics bronze medalist
Paul O'Donovan, Olympic gold medallist in lightweight double sculls

Horse Racing

Dermot Weld former jockey and one of Ireland's most successful racehorse trainers.

GAA

Rena Buckley Cork dual Gaelic football/camogie player
Brian Dooher
Cormac McAnallen
Jack McCaffrey Gaelic footballer
Kevin O'Flanagan
Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh Irish Gaelic games commentator
Colm O'Rourke Gaelic football manager
Derval O'Rourke
Jason Sherlock

Swimming

Michelle Smith

Fictional

Humanitarians

Fr. Aengus Finucane, missionary, one of the founders of Concern Worldwide
Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy, founder of Focus Ireland
Sr. Maura Lynch, Irish doctor, a nun, and proponent of women's health in Africa
Fr. Peter McVerry SJ, founder of the Peter McVerry Trust is a science graduate.
Sr. Mary Aquinas Monaghan, Columban missionary in China and Hong Kong, a specialist in the treatment and management of tuberculosis.
Sr. Lucy O'Brien, missionary nun and medical doctor in Africa.
John O'Shea, humanitarian, founder of GOAL
Sr. Mona Tyndall, medical doctor and missionary nun in Nigeria and Zambia

References

↑ Santo, Joseph R. (15 August 2006). "Where the Fortune 50 CEOs Went to College". Time. ISSN 0040-781X . Retrieved 28 January 2020.
↑ "The Irish Oil Man: Dave O'Reilly". Irish America. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
↑ "Professor Orla Feely". people.ucd.ie. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
↑ "Ireland's first female ambassador to the US Anne Anderson". IrishCentral.com. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
↑ "Golden jubilee celebration lunch as class of 1953 go back to UCD". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2 March 2020.

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[1] Santo, Joseph R. (15 August 2006). "Where the Fortune 50 CEOs Went to College". Time. ISSN 0040-781X . Retrieved 28 January 2020.

[2] "The Irish Oil Man: Dave O'Reilly". Irish America. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2020.

[3] "Professor Orla Feely". people.ucd.ie. Retrieved 14 January 2021.

[4] "Ireland's first female ambassador to the US Anne Anderson". IrishCentral.com. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2020.

[5] "Golden jubilee celebration lunch as class of 1953 go back to UCD". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2 March 2020.

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