List of people from Derry

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

Contents 1 Actors 2 Artists 3 Authors 4 Musicians 5 Politicians 6 Scientists 7 Sportspeople 8 Other

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
• Roma Downey - Actress best known for her role as Monica, the main character of the religious TV series Touched by an Angel
• George Farquhar - Restoration dramatist
• Bronagh Gallagher - Actress/singer whose films include Pulp Fiction and The Commitments

Artists

• Willie Doherty - Visual artist twice nominated for the Turner Prize

Authors

• 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 - Irish poet, writer and lecturer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995
• Nell McCafferty - Journalist, playwright, civil rights campaigner and feminist
• Eamonn McCann - Journalist, civil rights campaigner and socialist

Musicians

• 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 - Won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1970, later became a politician
• Neil Hannon - Lead singer of The Divine Comedy
• Keith Harkin - Singer and songwriter from Celtic Thunder, which Phil Coulter writes for and conducts
• Josef Locke - Tenor singer, popular in the 1940s and 1950s
• Johnny McCauley - Singer/songwriter, founder of the "Country & Irish" sound who penned "Pretty Little Girl From Omagh", "Hometown On The Foyle" and many more
• Damian McGinty - Singer in the musical group called Celtic Thunder, which Phil Coulter writes for and conducts
• Cahir O'Doherty - Musician in bands Fighting with Wire, Jetplane Landing and Seafood
• Feargal Sharkey - Lead singer of The Undertones and current chairman of the Live Music Forum
• Cara Dillon - singer
• John Peppard - Grammy nominated songwriter of Grammy winning song "In Another's Eyes" for Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood

Politicians

• Gregory Campbell - Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament for East Londonderry
• Nigel Dodds - Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament for Belfast North
• Mark Durkan - Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Member of Parliament for Foyle (the Derry area)
• 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 former MP for Foyle 1983-2005
• Martin McGuinness - Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin MP for Mid Ulster
• Mitchel McLaughlin - General Secretary of Sinn Féin and & MLA for South Antrim

Scientists

• William Taylor Whan - Botanist

Sportspeople

• Liam Ball - Olympic swimmer
• John Duddy - Boxer, current holder of the IBA World Middleweight Title and the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title
• Darron Gibson - Footballer, Republic of Ireland international and Manchester United player, currently on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.. Also, first man from Derry to represent the Republic of Ireland national football team.
• Billy "Spider" Kelly - Boxer, former Commonwealth (British Empire) featherweight and British featherweight champion.
• Dwayne McGerrigle - Cricketer
• 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.
• John "Jobby" Crossan - footballer, capped 24 times by Northern Ireland, scoring 10 goals
• 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.
• Noel Henderson - Rugby Union footballer, born August 10, 1928, Drumahoe, Londonderry, died August 27, 1997, Belfast (aged 69 years 17 days) represented Ireland (securing forty caps and captained the side for two seasons) and the British Lions.
• Paddy McCourt - Celtic F.C. midfielder, Messi with a beard, the Derry Pelé
• James McClean - Sunderland F.C. midfielder, former Derry City F.C. player and Irish First Division winner.

Other

• John Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence - Soldier and administrator in 19th century India and Viceroy of India
• Mark McFadden - Television journalist