# 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
* 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