List of people from Belfast

This is a list of well-known people who were born, grew up, or lived in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Belfast is a busy city with a rich history, and many famous individuals have come from this place. Some have made their mark in music, sports, politics, and the arts. Learning about these people helps us understand the city's influence on the world. The list includes people from different times and backgrounds, showing the variety of talent that Belfast has produced.

Arts

• Derek Bell (1935–2002), harpist and composer
• Eric Bell (born 1947), guitarist; former member of Them and Thin Lizzy
• James Bingham (1925–2009), artist
• Doris Blair (1915–2011), artist
• Kenneth Branagh (born 1960), actor and director
• Jake Burns (born 1958), musician (Stiff Little Fingers)
• Vivian Campbell (born 1962), musician (Dio, Def Leppard)
• Ciaran Carson (1948–2019), poet and novelist
• George Cassidy (1936–2023), musician
• Catoan, band
• Nathan Connolly (born 1981), musician (Snow Patrol)
• Mairtín Crawford (1967–2004), poet
• Gerald Dawe (born 1952), poet
• Gerald Dillon (1916–1971), artist
• Laura Donnelly (born 1982), actress
• Jamie Dornan (born 1982), actor
• Barry Douglas (born 1960), concert pianist
• Garth Ennis (born 1970), comics writer
• Padraic Fiacc (1924–2019), poet
• Olga Fielden (1903–1973), playwright and novelist
• James Galway (born 1939), musician
• Joe Graham (1944–2021), writer and historian
• Stuart Graham (born 1967), actor
• Ceara Grehan, theatre and opera singer
• Karen Hassan (born 1981), actress
• Kaz Hawkins (born 1973), musician
• Paul Henry (1876–1958), painter
• John Hewitt (1907–1987), poet
• Ciarán Hinds (born 1953), actor
• P.J. Holden (born 1969), comic artist
• David Holmes (born 1969), DJ
• Brian Desmond Hurst (1895–1986), film director
• Oliver Jeffers (born 1977), artist
• Brian Keenan (born 1950), hostage and writer
• Ian Knox (born 1943) comic artist and political cartoonist
• Sam Kydd (1915–1982), actor
• Ben Kyle (born 1981), musician, leader of Romantica
• Sir John Lavery (1856–1941), artist
• C.S. Lewis (1898–1963), author and scholar
• Michael Longley (born 1939), poet
• Ian Masterson, musician
• Paul Masterson, music producer
• Gerry McAvoy (born 1951), musician
• Christopher McCafferty, DJ, club promoter
• Gerard McCarthy (born 1981), actor and television presenter
• John McCrea (born 1966), comic artist
• Ian McDonald (born 1960), science fiction author
• Siobhán McKenna (1922–1986), actress
• Ali McMordie (born 1959), musician (Stiff Little Fingers)
• Katie Melua (born 1984), musician
• Seaneen Molloy, blogger and columnist
• Brian Moore (1921–1999), novelist
• Gary Moore (1952–2011), musician, blues and rock guitarist formerly of Thin Lizzy
• Van Morrison (born 1945), musician
• Clara Mulholland (1849–1934), writer
• Ruby Murray (1935–1996), singer/actress
• Doc Neeson (1947–2014), musician
• Una O'Connor (1880–1959), actress
• Jonjo O'Neill (born 1952), actor
• Patricia Quinn (born 1944), actress in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Stephen Rea (born 1946), actor
• Bob Shaw (1931–1996), science fiction author
• Duke Special (born 1971), musician
• Bronágh Taggart, actress
• Austin Trevor (1897–1978), actor
• Rachel Tucker (born 1981), actress (West End)
• And So I Watch You From Afar (formed 2005) instrumental math rock band

Business

Belfast has been home to many successful people in business and the arts. Notable figures include Thomas Andrews, a shipbuilder, and William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, also a shipbuilder and politician. Other well-known individuals from Belfast are Frank Carson, a comedian, and Ruby Murray, a singer. The city has produced many talented people across different fields.

Law

Belfast has been home to many important people in the field of law. One example is Robert James McMordie, who was an Irish lawyer, a politician, and even served as the Lord Mayor of Belfast. Another notable figure is Professor Denis Moloney, who worked as a lawyer.

Media

Here are some well-known people from Belfast who have worked in media.

Andrea Catherwood was born and raised in Belfast and became a newsreader. Eamonn Holmes and Stephen Nolan were both born and raised in Belfast and became television and radio presenters. John Irvine, Bill Neely, and Colin Murray were also born and raised in Belfast and became broadcast journalists or radio DJs.

Military

Belfast has been home to many brave soldiers. Bryan Budd, Patrick Carlin, James Joseph Magennis, and William Frederick McFadzean each received the Victoria Cross for their courage. Colonel Tim Collins served as a commander in the Royal Irish Regiment of the British Army.

Politics

• Gerry Adams (born 1948), a republican political leader
• Paddy Ashdown (1941–2018), former leader of the Liberal Democrats; born in New Delhi, brought up near Comber
• Tony Banks (1942–2006), later Lord Stratford, a politician; born in Belfast, grew up in London
• Sarah "Venie" Barr, a political and community activist
• May Blood, Baroness Blood (1938–2022), a Labour member of the House of Lords
• Robert Bradford (1941–1981), an assassinated unionist politician; born in Limavady
• Sir William Cairns (1826–1886), a colonial administrator and Governor of Queensland, Australia
• Mairead Corrigan (born 1944), a Nobel Laureate for Peace
• James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon (1871–1940), Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
• Reg Empey (born 1947), a unionist political leader
• Frank Gault (1826–1896), a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
• Gerry Fitt (1926–2005), later Lord Fitt, a nationalist political leader
• Chaim Herzog (1918–1997), the sixth President of Israel
• Mary McAleese (born 1951), the eighth President of Ireland
• Arlene McCarthy (born 1960), a politician; Member of the European Parliament for North West England for the Labour Party from 1994 to 2014
• Henry Joy McCracken (1765–1798), a leading member of the Society of the United Irishmen
• Adam McGibbon (born 1988), an environmentalist and writer
• Julia McMordie (1860–1942), an Ulster Unionist Party politician; the first female High Sheriff of Belfast; born in Hartlepool
• Peter Robinson (born 1948), a unionist political leader and First Minister of Northern Ireland
• David Trimble (1944–2022), a Nobel Peace Prize winner; first First Minister of Northern Ireland
• Betty Williams (1943–2020), a Nobel Laureate for Peace

Religious

Belfast has been home to many important religious leaders.

William Conway (1913–1977) served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh. Henry Cooke (1788–1868) was a Presbyterian minister. Robin Eames, born in 1936, was the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh.

Science

Belfast has been home to many important scientists and thinkers.

Notable figures include Thomas Andrews, a chemist and physicist, and John Stewart Bell, a physicist known for his work in quantum mechanics. Jocelyn Bell Burnell, an astronomer who discovered pulsars, was born in nearby Lurgan. Other key contributors are John Boyd Dunlop, the inventor of the tire, and William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, a leading mathematical physicist of the 19th century.

Sport

See also: Category:Sportspeople from Belfast

Belfast has been home to many famous athletes. Some of the well-known football players from Belfast include Tom Armstrong, George Best, Billy Bingham, Danny Blanchflower, William Clay, Sammy Clingan, Johnny Flynn, David Healy, Sammy McIlroy, Eric McMordie, and Norman Whiteside.

Other notable sports figures include boxer Ray Close, basketball player David Cullen, international motorcycle champion Joey Dunlop, professional wrestler Dave Finlay, NASCAR driver John Graham, former world snooker champion Alex Higgins, Formula One driver Eddie Irvine, former professional boxer and Olympic bronze medalist Damaen Kelly, football player and manager Jim Magilton, former world champion boxer and Olympic medalist Wayne McCullough, early 19th-century chess master Alexander McDonnell, boxer Alanna Nihell, ice hockey player Owen Nolan, and Olympic gold medalist athlete Mary Peters. Additionally, cricketers Andrew Patterson, Mark Patterson, and Paul Stirling, as well as professional wrestlers Tucker and John Watson, also hail from Belfast.

Other

This section lists some notable individuals from Belfast.

• John Bodkin Adams (1899–1982) was a doctor born and raised in Randalstown and later worked in Eastbourne.
• Hamish Kippen (1987–2008) was a Canadian fashion photographer born in Belfast who moved to Toronto in 1989.
• Alexander Robinson (c. 1901–1995) was a boxer born and raised in Belfast.