List of people from Sligo

Sligo, a town in the north-west of Ireland and county town of County Sligo, has produced noted artists, authors, entertainers, politicians and business-people.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

Music

• Perry Blake, singer and songwriter
• Tabby Callaghan, musician, The X Factor finalist
• Michael Coleman, musician
• Thomas Connellan, harper/composer
• William Connellan, harper/composer
• Kian Egan, member of Westlife
• Mark Feehily, member of Westlife
• Shane Filan, member of Westlife
• Tommy Fleming, singer
• Carmel Gunning, traditional Irish musician and singer
• Paddy Killoran, musician
• Naisse Mac Cithruadh, musician
• Maisie McDaniel, Irish country and showband singer
• James Morrison, musician
• Seamie O'Dowd, multi-instrumentalist and former member of Dervish
• Mary O'Hara, singer and harpist
• Lisa Stanley, Irish country singer/songwriter and daughter of Maisie McDaniel

Arts and literature

• Leland Bardwell, poet, novelist and playwright
• Mary Colum, literary critic and author
• Owen Connellan, scholar, RIA
• Thady Connellan, scholar, published Irish-English dictionary 1814
• Neil Jordan, filmmaker and novelist; won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Crying Game
• Brian Leyden, short story writer and novelist
• Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh, Irish scribe, author of the Great Book of Irish Genealogies
• Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Fir Bhisigh, historian, scribe compiler of the Yellow Book of Lecan, Great Book of Lecan
• Joe McGowan, author and historian
• Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh, Ollamh of poetry at Lissadell and crusader
• Tadhg Dall Ó hUiginn, file/poet, author of many poems in classical Dán Díreach style
• Jack Butler Yeats, painter and cartoonist
• William Butler Yeats, poet

Historical and political figures

• St. Attracta of Killaraght, Irish ecclesiastic, 5th century, Saint
• Declan Bree, politician and social campaigner, former Labour TD for Sligo/Leitrim
• John J. Burns, mayor of Burlington, Vermont ^[1]
• Frank Carty, Sligo IRA leader during the War of Independence and Irish Civil War; elected a TD for Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil
• William Bourke Cockran, U.S. congressman
• Brigadier General Michael Corcoran, Union army general, American civil war
• Luke Duffy, trade unionist and politician
• Féchín of Fore, Irish ecclesiastic
• Michael Fenton, first Speaker of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. ^[2]
• Patrick J. Hamrock, Colorado National Guardsman, participant in Sioux Wars and Ludlow Massacre
• John Jinks, politician
• Tuathal Mac Cormac Maelgarbh ua Cairbre, King of Ireland?, conqueror of Brega
• Chris MacManus, Sinn Féin MEP for Midlands–North-West Constituency
• Seán MacManus, ^[3] former Sinn Féin Mayor of Sligo
• Cairbre Mac Néill, Irish king and warrior, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages
• Ray MacSharry, former government minister and EU Commissioner
• Linda Kearns MacWhinney Nurse, revolutionary and Fianna Fáil politician
• Constance Markievicz (née Gore-Booth), revolutionary; first elected female MP in the UK Parliament; first Irish female cabinet minister
• Alexander McCabe, revolutionary and Sinn Féin TD, later a member of Cumann na nGaedheal
• Martin Moffat, soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Nath í of Achad an Rí, 6th century Irish ecclesiastic
• Fearghal Ó Gadhra, Chief of Coolavin, patron of the Annals of the Four Masters
• Ambrosio O'Higgins, 1st Marquess of Osorno, Governor of Chile and Viceroy of Peru during the Spanish domination of the Americas
• Bernardo O'Higgins, Liberator of Chile
• William Partridge, trade unionist, revolutionary, leader of Irish Citizen Army, fought during Easter Rising
• Liam Pilkington, IRA commander, 3rd western division, 1921-23. Anti-treaty IRA
• Martin Savage, Irish Republican
• Brian Luighnech Ua Conchobhair, King of Cairbre Drom Cliabh, ancestor of the Ó Conchobar Sligigh, son of Toirdealbhach Mór Ó Conchobar, High King of Ireland 1106-1156

Medicine and science

• William Cunningham Blest, creator of the first Chilean School of Medicine
• Sir George Stokes, 1st Baronet, mathematician and physicist

Sports

• Jonathan Dolan, Irish badminton player ^[4]
• Sean Fallon, former Republic of Ireland and Celtic F.C. footballer
• Mickey Kearins GAA
• Paul McGee, Sligo Rovers F.C. and Ireland international soccer player
• Mona McSharry swimmer
• Barnes Murphy GAA
• Christopher O'Donnell, Ireland International track and field sprinter
• Eamonn O'Hara GAA
• Mark Scanlon, cyclist
• Brother Walfrid (aka Andrew Kerins), Marist Brother, and founder of Celtic F.C. in Glasgow

Film and entertainment

• Roger Clark, voice actor, portrayed Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 ^[5]
• Pauline Flanagan, film and television actress
• Scott Fredericks, film and television actor, radio producer
• Neil Jordan, director of The Crying Game , Interview with the Vampire , Michael Collins
• Eugene Lambert, puppeteer and children's entertainer
• Pauline McLynn, actress, Mrs Doyle in the sitcom Father Ted
• Noelle Middleton, film and television actress
• Lola Montez, actress, exotic dancer, courtesan and the mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria
• Joan O'Hara, film and television actress
• Dearbhla Walsh, film and TV director
• Olga Wehrly, actor

Business

• Niall FitzGerald, chairman of Reuters Group plc; former chairman and CEO of Unilever plc
• Dermot Mannion, CEO of Aer Lingus

See also

• Category:People from County Sligo

References

1. "Death Notice, John J. Burns Sr". The Burlington Free Press . Burlington, VT. 3 March 1984. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Fenton, Michael". Members of the Parliament of Tasmania . Retrieved 26 July 2022.
3. "Sinn Féin mayor for Sligo". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2006. Sligo Weekender, 24 June 2003.
4. "Players: Jonathan Dolan". bwfbadminton.com. Badminton World Federation . Retrieved 4 June 2021.
5. David Gorman (15 April 2019). "Red Dead Redemption 2: Roger Clark plays his best game yet". The Irish Times . Retrieved 19 December 2025.