From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of people from
County Donegal .
Packie Bonner , former
Glasgow Celtic and
Republic of Ireland goalkeeper
Séamus Coleman plays right back for
Everton and
Republic of Ireland
Philip Deignan , former professional cyclist
Gary Doherty , former professional
association football player
Joseph Duffy , former
UFC fighter and
professional boxer
John Dunleavy ,
Sligo Rovers F.C. centre-back
Mark English ,
middle-distance runner
Sharon Foley , international athlete
Dave Gallaher , former
New Zealand
Rugby Union player and captain
Shay Given , former
Republic of Ireland and current
Stoke City goalkeeper
Caitriona Jennings , international athlete and Olympian
Sinéad Lynch , Olympic rowing finalist
Conrad Logan ,
Rochdale A.F.C. goalkeeper
Brian McEniff , former
Gaelic Athletic Association county manager
Colm McFadden , Gaelic Football player
Jim McGuinness , Gaelic football coach and former player
Carl McHugh ,
ATK Mohun Bagan FC
association football defender
Kevin McHugh ,
Finn Harps F.C. under-15 manager
Ronan McLaughlin , former professional cyclist
Stephen McLaughlin ,
Mansfield Town F.C. winger
Larissa Muldoon ,
Ireland women's
Rugby Union
scrum-half
Michael Murphy ,
Gaelic Football player
Jason Quigley , professional boxer
Nora Stapleton ,
Ireland women's
Rugby Union
fly-half
Adomnán – also known as Saint Eunan; Abbot of
Iona 679–704.
Columba – or Saint Colmcille, one of the three
patron saints of Ireland.
Francis Alison – prominent
Presbyterian minister in the
Thirteen Colonies and a leading member of the
Synod of the Trinity . At least three of the signatories of the
United States Declaration of Independence were former students of Alison, who was born and raised in the
Parish of Leck, on the outskirts of
Letterkenny .
Stopford Brooke –
Anglican and, later,
Unitarian clergyman and literary historian. He served as chaplain to
The Crown Princess Friedrich of Prussia , 1863–1865, and later served as chaplain-in-ordinary to her mother,
Queen Victoria , 1875–1880. Was born and raised in Glendowan, just west of Letterkenny.
Michael Cardinal Logue ,
Catholic
Primate of All Ireland and
Archbishop of Armagh , 1887-1924. From
Kilmacrennan , he was the first Donegal person to be created a
cardinal .
The Rev.
Francis Makemie – founder of
Presbyterianism in what later became the United States. He was from
Ramelton .
Patrick Cardinal O'Donnell , Catholic Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh, 1924-1927. He was from Kilraine, just outside
Glenties .
George Simms –
Church of Ireland
Primate of All Ireland and
Archbishop of Armagh . A well known historian, he was from
Lifford .
Altan , folk band
Moya Brennan , Celtic folk singer
Clannad , folk band
John Doherty , fiddler
Enya , singer
Aoife Ní Fhearraigh , singer
Rory Gallagher , blues/folk guitarist and singer
Conal Gallen , singer
Mickey Joe Harte , singer/songwriter
Danny Hutton , singer/songwriter, Three Dog Night
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh , fiddler
Lee Mulhern , singer/songwriter, member Of Stateside
Daniel O'Donnell , singer
Margo O'Donnell , singer
Proinsias Ó Maonaigh , fiddler
Tommy Peoples , fiddler
The Revs , indie rock band
William Allingham , poet
E. Rentoul Esler , Late
Victorian and
Edwardian era novelist. Born in
Manorcunningham .
Patrick MacGill , writer
Neil McBride poet, author
Frank McGuinness , playwright, poet, translator
Annemarie Ní Churreáin , poet
Mícheál Ó Cléirigh , one of the
Four Masters
Séamus Ó Grianna , writer
Cathal Ó Searcaigh , poet
John Toland , philosopher, writer
Ian Anderson , prominent
Manx politician who was a long-serving member of the
Tynwald . From
Rathmullan .
Harry Blaney , former Irish politician
Neil Blaney , former Irish politician
Niall Blaney , Irish politician
Brian Brady , Irish politician
Joseph Brennan , Irish politician
Isaac Butt ,
barrister ,
Member of Parliament and founder of the
Home Rule movement . Born and raised in Glenfin, a district near
Ballybofey .
Francis Campbell , former American politician
Sir Bob Cooper , former Deputy Leader of the
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and formerly the long-serving head of the
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland . Born and raised in East Donegal.
Mary Coughlan , former
Tánaiste and former
TD for
Donegal South-West . First woman to be appointed as
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the Irish Government.
Pat "the Cope" Gallagher , Irish politician
Tommy Gallagher ,
SDLP politician who was formerly an
MLA for
Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Paddy Harte , retired Irish politician
The Baron Hay of Ballyore , served as
Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly , 2007–2014. Lord Hay of Ballyore also served as an
MLA for
Foyle up until 2014.
Samuel Hays (1783–1868), American politician
Cahir Healy , journalist who was a very prominent
Irish nationalist politician and who was a long-serving Member of Parliament for
County Fermanagh . Born and raised near
Mountcharles
The 4th Viscount Lifford ,
peer who once served as the Deputy Lieutenant of County Donegal. He also served as
High Sheriff of Donegal , 1841–1845. Lord Lifford was also a prominent businessman in the county, serving as Chairman of the
Finn Valley Railway c. 1860.
[1] He also served as Chairman of the
West Donegal Railway . He sat as an
Irish representative peers in the
House of Lords , 1856-1887
Colonel
Sir Michael McCorkell ,
British Army soldier who became a prominent
Ulster Unionist Party politician in
Derry . He served as
Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry , 1975–2000. Born in
Buncrana .
Basil McCrea , formerly a prominent
Unionist politician in the
Northern Ireland Assembly . He was the leader of
NI21 from 2013 to 2016, and was previously a member of the
UUP . He was born in
Ramelton .
Jim McDaid , Irish politician
Dinny McGinley , Irish politician
Joe McHugh , Irish politician
James McNulty , Irish political activist
Charles James O'Donnell , politician
Peadar O'Donnell , Irish Republican
Alexander Porter , U.S. Senator in the
United States Senate .
Bríd Rodgers , former
MLA who formerly served as
SDLP Deputy Leader and was formerly Northern Irish
Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development . Born and raised in
Gweedore .
Patrick Stone , Member of the
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Sir Alexander Armstrong , explorer, was educated at
Trinity College, Dublin , and at the
University of Edinburgh . He entered the Medical Department of the
Royal Navy in 1842 and became its Director-General in 1869.
Sir George Bowen , colonial governor in the
British Empire and author. He was born and raised at Bogay House, near
Newtowncunningham .
William C. Campbell , winner of 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, born in
Ramelton
Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll , mafia enforcer in the United States of America
Columba , one of three patron saints of Ireland
Sir Jamie Flanagan , Chief Constable of the
Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), 1973–1976. Sir Jamie was born in
Derry but was raised near
Killygordon in East Donegal.
Professor
John Kells Ingram , economist, Irish patriot and poet who was based at
Trinity College, Dublin
Major-General
Sir James Murray Irwin , senior-ranking doctor in the
British Army . From
Manorcunningham
Robert Johnston , recipient of the
Victoria Cross ; rugby union international
Andrew Lewis , soldier
Michael Malloy , was known for surviving multiple murder attempts
Hugh McLaughlin , inventor
Sir Robert Montgomery , colonial administrator in
British India . Grandfather of
Field Marshal
The 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein , British military commander during the
Second World War . Sir Robert was from
Moville in
Inishowen .
Henry Musgrave ,
DL , was an East Ulster businessman and philanthropist. Involved with many business concerns including the
Donegal Railway Company .
[2]
[3] In 1913, Henry Musgrave paid for a tower to be built on the
Church of Ireland parish church at
Glencolumbkille , near the family's country estate. He also left bequests to this church and
Kilcar Parish Church in his will. On 1 March 1917, Musgrave was made an honorary burgess of the City of Belfast. He was also grand juror and
High Sheriff of Donegal for 1909–10 and was made
Deputy Lieutenant of both the City of Belfast and of Donegal.
Hugh Roe O'Donnell , nobleman and soldier
Walter Patterson , first British colonial governor of
Prince Edward Island
Sir Gerry Robinson , businessman and former head of
Granada Television
Pauric Sweeney , fashion designer
Frederick Young , from Culdaff was the founder of the Sirmoor Battalion later
2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) , the first
Gurkha regiment to fight for the British.
[4]