List of people from Belfast

This is a list of notable people born, raised or resident in Belfast.

Arts

• Derek Bell (1935–2002), harpist and composer
• Eric Bell (b. 1947), guitarist; former member of Them and Thin Lizzy
• James Bingham (b. 1925), artist
• Kenneth Branagh, actor and director
• Jake Burns, musician (Stiff Little Fingers)
• Vivian Campbell, musician (Dio, Def Leppard)
• Nathan Connolly, musician (Snow Patrol)
• Mairtín Crawford, poet
• Gerald Dillon, artist
• Laura Donnelly, actress
• Jamie Dornan, actor
• Barry Douglas, concert pianist
• Garth Ennis, comics writer
• James Galway, musician
• Stuart Graham, actor
• Karen Hassan, actress
• Paul Henry (1876–1958), painter
• John Hewitt, poet
• Ciarán Hinds, actor
• P.J. Holden, comic artist
• David Holmes, DJ
• Oliver Jeffers, artist
• Brian Keenan, hostage and writer
• Ben Kyle, musician, leader of Romantica
• Sir John Lavery, artist
• C.S. Lewis, author and scholar
• Michael Longley, poet
• Bernard MacLaverty, author and screen writer
• Ian Masterson, musician ^[1]
• Gerry McAvoy, musician
• Gerard McCarthy, actor and television presenter
• John McCrea, comic artist
• Ian McDonald, science fiction author
• Siobhán McKenna, actress
• Ali McMordie, musician (Stiff Little Fingers)
• Katie Melua, musician
• Seaneen Molloy, blogger and columnist^[2]
• Brian Moore, novelist
• Gary Moore, musician, blues and rock guitarist formerly of Thin Lizzy
• Van Morisson, musician
• Doc Neeson, musician
• Jonjo O'Neill, actor
• Patricia Quinn, actress in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Stephen Rea, actor
• Bob Shaw, science fiction author
• Duke Special, musician
• Bronágh Taggart, actress
• Rachel Tucker, actress (West End)

Business

• Thomas Andrews, shipbuilder
• William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie, shipbuilder and politician

Entertainment

Nauheed Cyrusi

Sami Yusuf

• Frank Carson, comedian
• Nauheed Cyrusi, actress, model, VJ
• Mary Gormley, beauty queen (Miss Universe Ireland 2000)
• Mickey Marley, street entertainer
• Declan Mulholland, actor
• Ruby Murray, singer
• Holly Quin-Ankrah, actress
• Omar Sani, actor
• Samir Soni, actor
• Zulfi Syed, model, actor
• Roy Walker, comedian
• Sami Yusuf, singer
• Adrian Zagoritis, songwriter

Law

• Robert James McMordie, QC, Irish barrister, politician, and Lord Mayor of Belfast
• Professor Denis Moloney OBE, solicitor

Media

• Gerry Anderson, radio and TV presenter
• Christine Bleakley, TV presenter
• Andrea Catherwood, newsreader
• Eamonn Holmes, television presenter
• Shauna Lowry, television presenter
• Colin McClelland, newspaper editor and broadcaster
• Colin Murray, radio DJ and journalist
• Denis Murray, broadcast journalist
• Stephen Nolan, radio and TV presenter dj
• Fionnuala Sweeney, CNN presenter and reporter

Military

• Bryan Budd, soldier and posthumous VC recipient
• Patrick Carlin, Victoria Cross recipient
• Colonel Tim Collins OBE, former commander, Royal Irish Regiment, British Army
• James Joseph Magennis, submariner and VC recipient
• William Frederick McFadzean, soldier and posthumous VC recipient

Politics

Chaim Herzog

David Trimble

Ardalan Shekarabi

• Gerry Adams, republican political leader
• Paddy Ashdown, former leader of the Liberal Democrats
• Tony Banks, later Lord Stratford, politician
• May Blood, Baroness Blood, Labour member of the House of Lords
• Robert Bradford (Northern Ireland politician) assassinated unionist politician
• Mairead Corrigan, Nobel Laureate (Peace)
• James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
• Reg Empey, unionist political leader
• Lord Fitt, nationalist political leader
• Chaim Herzog, sixth President of Israel
• Mary McAleese, President of Ireland
• David McCalden, far-right activist and AIDS victim
• Arlene McCarthy, politician
• Henry Joy McCracken, industrial and Irish politician
• Julia McMordie, Ulster Unionist Party politician; first female High Sheriff of Belfast
• Alexander Robinson
• Peter Robinson (Northern Ireland politician), unionist political leader and First Minister of Northern Ireland
• Bobby Sands, anti H-Block MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone; hunger striker
• Ardalan Shekarabi, politician, former chairman
• David Trimble, Nobel Peace Prize winner
• Betty Williams, Nobel Laureate (Peace)

Religious

• William Conway (cardinal), Roman Catholic Cardinal
• Henry Cooke (minister), Presbyterian Minister
• Robin Eames, Primate of All Ireland

Science

• John Bodkin Adams, doctor and suspected serial killer
• Thomas Andrews, scientist
• John Stewart Bell, physicist
• Jocelyn Bell Burnell, astronomer (discoverer of pulsars)
• John Boyd Dunlop, inventor and veterinary surgeon
• George Crawford Hyndman (1796–1867), biologist
• Charles Lanyon, architect
• William Lewis (1885–1956), Professor of Physical Chemistry, Liverpool; propounded collision theory
• William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, OM, GCVO, PC, PRS, FRSE, (1824-1907), mathematical physicist, engineer, and outstanding leader in the physical sciences of the 19th century

Sport

• George Best, football player
• Danny Blanchflower, football player
• Sammy Clingan, pro footballer
• Ray Close, boxer
• David Cullen, basketball player and 2007 winner of the Arthur Ashe for Courage Award at the ESPY awards for work with Peace Players International
• Joey Dunlop, international motorcycle champion
• Dave Finlay, professional wrestler
• Johnny Flynn, football player
• David Healy, football player
• Alex Higgins, former world snooker champion
• Damaen Kelly, former professional boxer and Olympic bronze medalist
• Jim Magilton, football player and manager
• Wayne McCullough, former world champion boxer and Olympic medalist
• Alexander McDonnell, early 19th-century chess master
• Sammy McIlroy, football player
• Eric McMordie, football player
• Rinty Monaghan, former undisputed world flyweight boxing champion
• Owen Nolan, Ice hockey player
• Andrew Patterson, cricketer
• Mark Patterson, cricketer
• Mary Peters, athlete and Olympic gold medalist
• Paul Stirling, cricketer
• John Watson, Formula One driver
• Norman Whiteside, football player

References

1. http://www.discogs.com/artist/167390-Ian-Masterson
2. "Seaneen Molloy", guardian.co.uk (London: Guardian Media Group), 17 December 2010, retrieved 13 January 2011

Coordinates: 54°35′34″N 5°55′04″W / 54.59266°N 5.91790°W