List of people from County Meath

Last updated June 10, 2025

This is a list of notable people who were either born in County Meath, have lived there for a significant portion of their lives or are otherwise generally associated with the county.

Aristocracy

Nicholas St Lawrence (c. 1550 – 1607), 9th Baron Howth
Egidia de Lacy (1205-?), Lady of Connacht
Hugh de Lacy (c. 1176 – 1242), Earl of Ulster
Hugh de Lacy (c. 1135 – 1186), First Lord of Meath, built Trim Castle
Walter de Lacy (1172–1241), Lord of Meath
Garret Wesley (1735–1781), 1st Earl of Mornington
John Netterville (1603–1659), 2nd Viscount Netterville
Nicholas Netterville (1581–1654), 1st Viscount Netterville
Elizabeth Darcy (1332–1390), Countess of Ormond
Jenet Sarsfield (1528–1598), noblewoman
Simon Fleming (died 1370), 1st Baron Slane
Lady Anne Culling Smith (1775–1844), sister of the Duke of Wellington
John Barnewall (died 1538), 3rd Baron Trimlestown

Politics

Yemi Adenuga (born 1971), first black woman to be elected to local government in Ireland
Thomas Brennan (1853–1912), co-founder of the Irish National Land League
John Bruton (born 1947), Taoiseach 1994–1997
Christopher Fleming (1669–1726), Member of Parliament
Thomas Fleming (1358–1435), Member of Parliament
Thomas Fleming (died 1601), Member of Parliament
Thomas Hussey (1749–1824), MP for Aylesbury
Sir William Johnson (c. 1715 – 1774), diplomat
Frank McLoughlin (born 1946), TD for Meath
Matthew O'Reilly (1880–1962), TD for Meath
William Wellesley-Pole (1763–1845), Chief Secretary for Ireland
Nicholas Plunkett (1602–1680), Member of Parliament
John Reilly (1646–1717), Member of Parliament
Francis Singleton (1812–1887), member of the Western Australian Legislative Council

Law

John Lowth (1822–1877), lawyer
Peter Metge (1740–1809), judge
Luke Netterville (1510–1560), judge
Richard Netterville (1540–1607), barrister
Nicholas Nugent (1525–1582), Solicitor-General for Ireland
Thomas Plunket (1440–1519), Chief Justice of the Common Pleas for Ireland
Thomas Fitz-Christopher Plunket (1407–1471), Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
Richard Plunkett (1340–1393), judge and statesman
Richard Rede (fl. 1416), statesman
Edward George Ryan (1810–1880), 3rd chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Patrick Segrave (died 1610), judge
Richard Segrave (1540–1598), judge
James Alleyn (died 1457), Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
William Skrene (1350–1421), Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer
Barnaby Skurloke (1520–1587), lawyer
Richard Sydgrave (died 1425), Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer
Richard White (died 1367), Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
Patrick White (1480–1561), Baron of the Court of Exchequer

Military

Guy Johnson (c. 1740 – 1788), British officer in the American Revolutionary War
Patrick James Leonard (1847–1899), United States Army sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient
Tony Magan (1910–1981), Chief of Staff of the IRA
Simon Mangan (died 1906), Lord Lieutenant of Meath
Thomas Meredyth (died 1719), officer
John Nangle (died 1508), soldier
Richard Ridgeway (1848–1924), Victoria Cross recipient
Frederick Augustus Smith (1826–1887), Victoria Cross recipient
Thomas Sullivan (1859–1940), soldier and US Medal of Honor recipient
Thomas Preston (1585–1655), soldier and mercenary
Peter Warren (1703–1752), Royal Navy officer
Arthur Wellesley (1769–1852), defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo

Royalty

Máel Dóid mac Suibni (died 653), King of Uisneach
Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid (died 862), High King of Ireland
Rose Ní Conchobair (fl. 1180), Lady of Meath
Cormac mac Art Ó Melaghlain (1182–1239), King of Meath
Órlaith íngen Cennétig (died 941), Queen of Ireland
Tigernach mac Fócartai (died 865), King of Loch Gabhair
Túathal Máelgarb (died 540s), High King of Ireland
Donnell Mor Mideach Ua Conchobair (1144–1176), Prince of Connacht

Sports

Darragh Burns (born 2002), footballer
Sam Curtis (born 2005), footballer
Dawson Devoy (born 2001), footballer
Luke Heeney (born 1999), footballer
Evan Ferguson (born 2004), footballer
James Finnerty (born 1999), footballer
Conor Keeley (born 1997), footballer
Josh Keeley (born 2003), footballer
Darragh Lenihan (born 1994), footballer
Tommy Lonergan (born 2004), footballer
Adrian Maguire (born 1971), trainer and jockey
Dónal McDermott (born 1989), footballer
Séamus McDonagh (born 1962), boxer
Jamie McGrath (born 1996), footballer
Luke McNally (born 1999), footballer
Brendan Murphy (born 1975), footballer
Éamonn O'Brien (born 1960), footballer and manager of Meath
Georgie Poynton (born 1997), footballer
Andrew Quinn (born 2002), footballer
Ger Robinson (born 1982), footballer
Gary Rogers (born 1981), football goalkeeper
Edward Rooney (1880–1950), cricketer
Tom Sheridan (born 1969), handball player
Brian Smyth (1924–2016), footballer
Kevin Toner (born 1996), footballer
Emre Topçu (born 2005), footballer
Adderley Wilkinson (1887–1978), cricketer

Religion

Felim of Kilmore (6th century), saint
Ia of Cornwall (died 5th century), saint
Lommán of Trim (died 6th century), saint
Mac Nisse of Connor (died 514), saint
Tola of Clonard (died 700s), saint
Robert Barnewall (1704–1779), religious rights activist
Thomas Hussey (1746–1803), bishop and diplomat
James Keene (1849–1919), bishop
Richard Lacy (1841–1929), Bishop of Middlesbrough
Petronilla de Meath (1300–1324), first known person in Ireland to be burned for heresy
Thomas Messingham (died 1638), hagiologist
Denis Nulty (born 1963), Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin
Thomas Nulty (1818–1898), Bishop of Meath
Eugene O'Growney (1863–1899), priest
Peter Joseph O'Reilly (1850–1923), Auxiliary bishop of Peoria
John Payne (died 1507), Bishop of Meath
Oliver Plunkett (1625–1681), Archbishop of Armagh ^[1]
Joseph Rooney (died 1857), missionary
Secundinus (died 448), Bishop of Armagh
Michael Smith (born 1940), Bishop of Meath
Paul Tighe (born 1958), prelate
Walter Wellesley (1470–1539), Bishop of Kildare
William Walsh (1512–1577), Bishop of Meath

Entertainment

Pierce Brosnan (born 1953), actor^[2]
Robin McAuley (born 1953), rock vocalist
Joe Moore (1894–1926), actor
Matt Moore (1888–1960), actor
Owen Moore (1886–1939), actor
Tom Moore (1883–1955), actor and director
Dylan Moran, comedian
Henry Mountcharles (born 1951), organiser of the Slane Concert
Daráine Mulvihill (born 1983), television personality
Sibéal Ní Chasaide (born 1998), singer
Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh (born 1970), television presenter
Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill (born 1955), singer
Sinéad Noonan (born 1987), model
Ciarán Ó Cofaigh (born 1968), director and producer
Hector Ó hEochagáin radio and television presenter
Nathan O'Toole (born 1998), actor
Angela Scanlon (born 1983), television presenter
Tommy Tiernan comedian, actor and television presenter
Sharon Horgan (born 1970), actor
Justine Stafford, comedian and Youtuber

Science and education

Francis Beaufort (1774–1857), hydrographer, creator of the Beaufort scale ^[3]
Sir Thomas Molyneux (1661–1733), physician
C. Y. O'Connor (1843–1902), engineer
Peadar Ó Gealacáin (1792–1860), scribe
Francis Porter (fl. 1650–1702), professor
Francis Webb Sheilds (1820–1906), engineer

Art and literature

Anthony Holten (1945–2020), author
Francis Ledwidge (1887–1917), poet
J.S. Anna Liddiard (1773–1819), poet
Liam Mac Cóil (born 1952), Irish language novelist
Séamas Dall Mac Cuarta (c. 1647 – 1733), poet
Seon Mac Solaidh (fl. 1720), poet and scribe
Martina Fitzgerald, journalist and author
Arthur Mathews (born 1959), writer
John Mulvany (1839–1906), artist
Aonghus Fionn Ó Dálaigh (died 1570), poet
Donnchadh Mór Ó Dálaigh (died 1244), poet
Joseph Osborne (1810–1901), author
Edward Lovett Pearce (1699–1733), architect
Richard Pigott (1835–1889), journalist
John B. Sheridan (1870–1930), sportswriter
Edward Smyth (1749–1812), sculptor
Gilla Mo Dutu Úa Caiside (fl. 1147), poet
Orla de Brí (born 1965), sculptor

Notes and references

↑ Earlier biographers gave his date of birth as 1 November four years later, but since the discovery of an ancient reference to Oliver Plunkett’s birth in the Bodleian Library, Ashmolean, MS.436 which stated: "He was born on 1st. November 1625" biographers of Plunkett since the 1930s agree on 1625. These include: Hanly, O’Fiaich, Forristal, Curtis, O'Higgins, Walsh, Bennett, Stokes, Concannon, Carty, Matthews, Murphy, Nowak, Burns, Meagher and the St. Oliver web-site.
↑ Chutkow, Paul (December 1997). "Brosnan. Pierce Brosnan". Cigaraficionado.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
↑ Mollan, R Charles (2002). Irish Innovators. Royal Irish Academy. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-874045-88-5.

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[1] Earlier biographers gave his date of birth as 1 November four years later, but since the discovery of an ancient reference to Oliver Plunkett’s birth in the Bodleian Library, Ashmolean, MS.436 which stated: "He was born on 1st. November 1625" biographers of Plunkett since the 1930s agree on 1625. These include: Hanly, O’Fiaich, Forristal, Curtis, O'Higgins, Walsh, Bennett, Stokes, Concannon, Carty, Matthews, Murphy, Nowak, Burns, Meagher and the St. Oliver web-site.

[2] Chutkow, Paul (December 1997). "Brosnan. Pierce Brosnan". Cigaraficionado.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2008.

[3] Mollan, R Charles (2002). Irish Innovators. Royal Irish Academy. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-874045-88-5.

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