1. Grant McCann (1980)

Footballer

Midfielder who made his senior career debut in 1998 for West Ham United, and his international debut in 2001 for Northern Ireland.

2. William Mulholland (1855)

British Sailor

Oversaw the building of water routes that turned Los Angeles from a small town to a world-class metropolis.

3. Ciarán Hinds (1953)

Irish Actor

Actor who is known for his roles in the television series, Game of Thrones and Rome. He is also famous for film roles in 2004's The Phantom of the Opera, Road...

4. Gareth Maybin (1980)

Professional Golfer

In 2008, this professional golfer won the Challenge Tour's Qingdao Golf Open. A year earlier, he had finished twenty-fourth in the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.

5. Conor MacNeill (1980)

Photographer

Photographer who uses his iPhone to captures photos around the world, which he posts on his Instagram. He won honorable mention for two iPhone Photography Awards in July 2016. He...

6. Warren Lewis (1895)

British Soldier And Writer

Irish officer in the British Army and historian best known for being the older brother of C.S. Lewis, writer of the Chronicles of Narnia book series.

7. Rachel Tucker (1981)

Northern Irish Actor

Northern Irish stage actress and singer who starred as Elphaba in the London West End production of Wicked. She made her Broadway debut in 2014 in The Last Ship, a...

8. Louis MacNeice (1907)

Poets

Irish poet and dramatist known for such poetry collections as Autumn Journal, The Earth Compels, and Prayers Before Birth. His popular radio plays include Persons from Porlock and Christopher Columbus.

9. Chaim Herzog (1918)

Israeli Diplomat

Following his service in both the British and Israeli Armies, he took office as Israel's sixth President. Also an author, he published such historical nonfiction works as Heroes of Israel:...

10. Louise Julie (1996)

Twitch Star

Popular gaming personality who rose to fame streaming gameplay frequently on the livestreaming site Twitch, where she is a partnered streamer. She is part of the EA Game Changer Network....

11. Billy McComb (1922)

British Magician

Famous entertainer remembered as one of the UK's most popular magicians during the '50s and '60s.

12. Joel Beckett (1973)

Soap Opera Actor

Famous for his role as Jake Moon on the popular English soap opera EastEnders, he is also notable for his recurring role as Lee on the BBC2 mockumentary series The...

13. Melissa Hamilton (1989)

Dancer

Northern Irish ballet dancer who rose to fame in 2013 as a First Soloist of the London Royal Ballet. She is also an award-winning dancer and a cultural brand ambassador...

14. Danny Blanchflower (1926)

Footballer

Between 1946 and 1964, this soccer midfielder played for Northern Ireland's Glentoran Football Club and England's Barnsley, Aston Villa, and Tottenham Hotspur clubs. He scored twenty-nine goals over the course...

15. John Graham (1966)

Race Car Driver

Canadian race car driver born in Ireland who has competed in NASCAR and ARCA races as well as many others.

16. James Ellis (1931)

Actor

Irish actor and director who had his breakout role as Inspector Bert Lynch on the English series Z-Cars. His other credits include Birds of a Feather, Lovejoy, and Boon.

17. Billy Bingham (1931)

Footballer And Football Manager

Former soccer player and manager who played for the Northern Ireland national team from 1951–1963 and went on to manage the team from 1980-1993.

18. Declan Mulholland (1932)

Actor

Notable for his character roles in numerous films and television series of the 1960s, '70s, '80s, and '90s, he is perhaps best remembered for his work in the 1975 feature...

19. Sammy Miller (1933)

British Motorcycle Racer

Professional motorcycle racer known for his numerous races on Ariel brand motorbikes. He was an eleven-time British Trials champion and a two-time European Trials champion.

20. Ronnie Carroll (1934)

Irish Singer

Remembered for his hit songs "Roses Are Red" (1962) and "Say Wonderful Things" (1963), this Northern Irish-born vocalist is also famous for having represented the United Kingdom at two successive...

21. Tracey Magee (1969)

Journalist

She is notable as a Senior Reporter, political correspondent, and news presenter for Northern Ireland's UTV channel. 

22. Paul Loughran (1969)

British Actor

Famous for his role as Butch Dingle on the popular British soap opera Emmerdale this BAFTA Soap Award-winning actor is also notable for his portrayal of Ian Butchers on the ITV series...

23. Kate Thompson (1959)

Novelist

Famous for her bestselling romance novel It Means Mischief (1999) and for her Parker Romantic Novel of the Year-nominated work The Blue Hour (2002), she is also notable for her...

24. Danny Morrison (1953)

Actor

Prominent Irish political activist and writer who is known for his role in the Northern Irish conflict known as The Troubles. His best-known literary works include The Wrong Man, Then...

25. Connor White (2002)

YouTube Star

Popular on both TikTok and YouTube, he is a content creator who makes lip-sync, comedy and vlog videos on the former platform. His YouTube channel boasts to more than 240,000...

26. James Galway (1939)

British Musician

Irish flute player of both classical and popular music who has released more than forty albums since 1979.

27. Michael Longley (1939)

Poet

Northern Irish poet known for Gorse Fires, An Exploded View, Man Lying on a Wall, and other works. He received both the Hawthornden Prize and the T.S. Eliot Prize for...

28. Derek Mahon (1941)

Poet

Notable for his Irish Times Poetry Now Award-winning collections Harbour Lights (2005) and Life on Earth (2008), Mahon is also recognized for his translations of the work of Moliere, Jean Racine,...

29. Martin Waddell (1941)

Children's Writer

Northern Irish-born children's author best known for his Little Bear books. He is also known for a 1973 novel entitled In a Blue Velvet Dress.

30. Jake Burns (1958)

British Musician

Singer and guitarist who was the frontman for the classic punk band, Stiff Little Fingers, the group known for hits like "Suspect Device."

31. Bernard MacLaverty (1942)

British Writer

Irish novelist and screenwriter known for his novels Lamb, Cal, and Grace Notes.

32. Terry Neill (1942)

Northern Irish Footballer And Ma

From 1959 until 1970, this Northern Irish-born centre back played for England's Arsenal F.C. He went on to play three seasons for the Hull City A.F.C. and to subsequently manage...

33. Gordon Burns (1942)

Game Show Host

Known as the host of the Granadan TV game show The Krypton Factor for eighteen years.

34. Betty Williams (1943)

Film Producer

Irish human right's activist and nobel laureate who worked to promote peaceful resolutions to the troubles in Northern Ireland.

35. Finlay (1958)

Wrestler

British Heavyweight Champion, 6-time British Heavy Middleweight Champion, and a 2-time British Light Heavyweight Champion who's also performed in the WWE.

36. Pamela Ballantine (1958)

TV Show Host

Famous for her three-decade-long career with Northern Ireland's UTV channel, she presented the programs UTV Live, UTV Life, and RPM, and also hosted the game shows Hot Pursuits and Ulster...

37. Patricia Quinn (1944)

Northern Irish Actress And Singe

Irish actress best known for her role as Magenta in the 1975 cult classic film The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

38. Mairead Maguire (1944)

Social Activist

For co-founding and leading Women for Peace, a Northern Irish activist organization that was later re-named the Community for Peace People, Maguire was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

39. Van Morrison (1945)

Musician Singer And Songwriter

Irish musician best known to American audiences for his hits "Brown-Eyed Girl" and "Moondance." He released his 36th studio album, Keep Me Singing, in 2016.

40. George Best (1946)

Northern Irish Footballer

1968 European Soccer Player of the year who unexpectedly retired in the prime of his career at the age of 27; scored 137 goals in 361 appearances for Manchester United between 1963...

41. Naomi Long (1971)

Politician

Alliance Party politician from Northern Ireland and a House of Commons representative of the Belfast East constituency. From 2009 to 2010, she also served as Lord Mayor of Belfast.

42. Bryan Hamilton (1946)

Northern Irish Footballer And Ma

Midfielder who played for such teams as Ipswich Town FC and the Tranmere Rovers during the 1970s and '80s. He was also a member of the Northern Ireland national team.

43. Stephen Rea (1946)

British Actor

Irish film and television actor who became known to American audiences for playing Finch in the 2005 hit film, V for Vendetta. In 1993, he was nominated for an Academy...

44. Ciaran Carson (1948)

Northern Irish Writer

Poet and novelist who became one of the most respected Irish writers of his era with poetry collections like 1987's The Irish for No and novels like 1999's Fishing for...

45. Frances Tomelty (1948)

TV Actress

Television and film actress who is best recognized for her work on the series' Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, Midsomer Murders, and Coronation Street. In 2009 she co-starred in the romantic comedy Chéri. 

46. Alex Higgins (1949)

Snooker Player

Professional Snooker player who was the World Champion in 1972 and 1982.

47. Pat Rice (1949)

Northern Irish Footballer And Ma

Longtime defender for Arsenal who made over 400 appearances with the club as a player, then joined the coaching staff after retirement. He was a member of the Northern Ireland...

48. Dawn Foster (1987)

Journalist

Journalist who earned acclaim as a regular columnist for The Guardian. She also contributed regularly to The Independent, The Nation, and Jacobin as a staff writer. 

49. Carl Frampton (1987)

Irish Professional Boxer

Orthodox super-bantamweight who became the Commonwealth Super-Bantamweight champion in September 2011, defeating Mark Quon by TKO in round four.

50. Paddy Barnes (1987)

Boxer

Bronze medal winning boxer in the light flyweight division at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games.