List of people from Derry

This is a list of notable people who were born or have lived in Derry, Northern Ireland.

Actors

• Amanda Burton – actress, best known for her role as forensic pathologist Doctor (later Professor) "Sam Ryan" in the BBC crime drama series Silent Witness
• Antonia Campbell-Hughes – actress whose films and shows include Kelly + Victor and Lead Balloon
• Roma Downey – actress, film producer and author, best known for her role as Monica, the main character of the religious TV series Touched by an Angel
• Michelle Fairley – actress, best known for her role as Catelyn Stark in the TV series Game of Thrones
• George Farquhar – Restoration dramatist
• Bronagh Gallagher – actress/singer whose films include Pulp Fiction and The Commitments
• Saoirse-Monica Jackson – actress whose work includes Derry Girls
• Jamie-Lee O'Donnell – actress whose work includes Derry Girls

Artists

• Willie Doherty – visual artist twice nominated for the Turner Prize
• Eilis O'Connell – sculptor
• Pádraig Timoney – visual artist

Authors

• James Burke – Science Historian and TV figure
• Willie Carson – photo journalist and author
• Joyce Cary – author; two of his novels were made into films: The Horse's Mouth (1958) starring Sir Alec Guinness and Mister Johnson (1990)
• Seamus Deane – writer
• Richard Doherty – Catholic Unionist/Royal Ulster Constabulary reservist, writer, military historian
• Seamus Heaney – poet, writer and lecturer; awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995
• Nell McCafferty – journalist, playwright, civil rights campaigner and feminist
• Eamonn McCann – journalist, civil rights campaigner, socialist and former MLA for the city
• Aoife Moore – journalist, political correspondent with the Irish Examiner

Military

• John Lawrence, soldier and Viceroy of India
• Edward Leach, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• John Park, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Miles Ryan, recipient of the Victoria Cross

Musicians

• Máiréad Carlin – member of Celtic Woman
• Phil Coulter – songwriter who wrote The Town I Loved So Well
• Nadine Coyle – singer from Girls Aloud
• Peter Cunnah – lead singer with 1990s pop outfit D Ream
• Dana – winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1970
• Neil Hannon – lead singer of The Divine Comedy
• Keith Harkin – singer and songwriter from Celtic Thunder
• Josef Locke – tenor singer, popular in the 1940s and 1950s
• Damian McGinty – tenor singer in Celtic Thunder
• Paul McLoone- Former Today FM DJ and current frontman of The Undertones
• Jimmy McShane of Baltimora
• Cahir O'Doherty – member of Fighting with Wire, Jetplane Landing and Seafood
• Feargal Sharkey – lead singer of The Undertones
• SOAK – singer/songwriter

Politicians

• Martina Anderson – Sinn Féin Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Foyle
• David Baird Sr. – United States Senator from New Jersey who was born in Derry before emigrating to the U.S.
• Samuel Bell – United States Senator from New Hampshire and Governor of New Hampshire who was born in Derry before emigrating to the U.S.
• Gregory Campbell – Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament for East Londonderry
• Nigel Dodds – Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament for Belfast North
• Brendan Duddy – Local business man and key figure in the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
• Mark Durkan – Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and former Member of Parliament for Foyle
• Colum Eastwood – Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Leader and Member of Parliament for Foyle and Former Mayor of Derry City and former MLA for Foyle.
• William Hay – Democratic Unionist Party, Speaker of the Northern Assembly & MLA for Foyle
• John Hume – Nobel Peace Prize and Gandhi Peace Prize recipient, former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and MP for Foyle 1983–2005
• Elisha McCallion – Sinn Féin Senator for the Industrial and Commercial Panel
• Martin McGuinness – Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin MP for Mid Ulster

Scientists

• Raphael Armattoe – runner up of the 1948 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine – physiologist
• William C. Campbell – winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine – biologist and parasitologist ^{[1] [2]}
• J. A. Scott Kelso – neuroscientist
• William Taylor Whan – botanist

Sportspeople

• Liam Ball – Olympic swimmer
• Trevor Britton – cricketer
• John "Jobby" Crossan – footballer, capped 24 times by Northern Ireland, scoring 10 goals
• John Duddy – retired boxer, former holder of the IBA World Middleweight Title and the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title
• Darron Gibson – retired footballer, former Republic of Ireland international and Everton F.C. midfielder; first man from Derry to represent the Republic of Ireland national football team
• Ken Goodall – rugby union and league player, capped 19 times by Ireland; was selected as a replacement for the 1968 Lions tour to South Africa; changed codes and joined rugby league side Workington
• Billy "Spider" Kelly – boxer, former Commonwealth (British Empire) featherweight and British featherweight champion.
• Jude McAtamney — American football placekicker
• James McClean – Wigan Athletic F.C. midfielder
• Paddy McCourt – Former Celtic F.C. midfielder
• Gerry McElhinney – former gaelic footballer with Derry and association football with Bolton Wanderers, Plymouth Argyle, Peterborough United and Northern Ireland.
• Dwayne McGerrigle – cricketer
• Fred McMullan – former professional darts player
• Charlie Nash – boxer, former European and British lightweight champion
• Martin O'Neill – OBE recipient, former manager of Celtic Football Club, and Aston Villa F.C.
• Daryl Gurney – Professional Dart Player. 2 Times PDC Major Winner

Other

• Eileen O'Donnell, model and beauty pageant winner
• Lisa McGee, stage and screenwriter
• Mark McFadden, television journalist
• William Sampson, Lawyer

References

1. "Londonderry scientist receives Nobel Prize for Medicine". BBC News. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
2. "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015". Nobel Foundation. Retrieved 13 December 2015.