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.
 * 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