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