List of Letterkenny people
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of notable people who were born in, lived in for a significant length of time or are buried in Letterkenny
, the largest town in County Donegal
, Ireland.
Letterkenny
Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...
, the largest town in County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland.
Politics
- Damien Blake - Former Mayor
- Niall BlaneyNiall BlaneyNiall Blaney is a former Irish politician. A member of Independent Fianna Fáil until he joined Fianna Fáil in 2006, he served as a Teachta Dála for Donegal North East from 2002 to 2011....
- Fianna FáilFianna FáilFianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
Politician - Harry BlaneyHarry BlaneyHarry Blaney is a retired Irish Independent Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the constituency of Donegal North East. He is a son of Neal Blaney, who was a TD from 1927 to 1948....
- Former T.D. - Neil T. Blaney - Former Minister
- Jimmy HarteJimmy HarteJimmy Harte is an Irish Labour Party politician.The son of former Fine Gael TD Paddy Harte, he was elected as a Fine Gael candidate to Letterkenny town council in 1994 and subsequently to Donegal County Council in 1999...
- IndependentIndependent PartyThe Independent Party is a social democratic and Christian humanist political party in Uruguay. The party is leadered by Pablo Mieres, who was presidential candidate in the 2004 national elections and in 2009.-Aims:...
Politician - Dessie LarkinDessie LarkinDessie Larkin is an Irish politician in the Fianna Fáil political party and currently a member of Donegal County Council representing the Letterkenny electoral area. Cllr. Larkin was the youngest ever chairperson elected to Donegal VEC. He is also a member of Letterkenny Town Council...
- Former Mayor - Don LydonDon LydonDonal John Lydon is a psychologist and a former Irish politician. He was a Fianna Fáil member of Seanad Éireann from 1987 to 2007, being elected on the Labour Panel.-Professional career:...
- Senator - Sean MaloneySean Maloney (Irish politician)Sean Maloney is a former Irish politician from Letterkenny, County Donegal. Formerly a member of the Labour Party, he joined Fine Gael in 2000....
- Former Fine GaelFine GaelFine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
Politician - Seán Ó Maolchallann - Green PartyGreen Party (Ireland)The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...
Politician - Jim McDaidJim McDaidJames "Jim" McDaid is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and medical doctor. He served as a Teachta Dála for the Donegal North East constituency from June 1989 until he resigned in November 2010.-Early life:...
- T.D. - Joe McHughJoe McHughJoe McHugh is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Donegal North East constituency since May 2007.-Background and personal life:...
- T.D. - Walter PattersonWalter PattersonWalter Patterson was the first British colonial Governor of Prince Edward Island.-Birth and life in the military:...
- First British colonial governor of Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population... - John P. WilsonJohn P. WilsonJohn Patrick Wilson was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was first elected as a Teachta Dála for Cavan in 1973 and served in Dáil Éireann until 1992...
- Former Tánaiste - Sorcha Cusack - Mayor of Donegal Youth Council
- Gerry Mc Monagle Town Councillor
Sport
- Eunan BlakeEunan BlakeEunan Blake is a former footballer and football manager.Blake played for Derry City, Letterkenny Rovers F.C., Sligo Rovers and also went on to manage Finn Harps.-References:...
- Former Derry City F.C.Derry City F.C.Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
Manager - Martin CarneyMartin CarneyMartin Carney is a Gaelic Athletic Association commentator for RTÉ and TV analyst with The Sunday Game. He is a former inter-county footballer for Donegal and Mayo.Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Carney was educated at St...
- Former Inter-county Footballer and RTÉ Sport commentator - Gary CrossanGary CrossanGary Crossan is a long-distance runner. He was born in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. He was educated at St. Eunan's College, Letterkenny and finished college running career at Florida Southern College. He is also a member of the Letterkenny Athletic Club...
- Athlete - Mark Crossan - Donegal GAADonegal GAAThe Donegal County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Donegal GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Donegal. The county board is also responsible for the Donegal inter-county teams.Gaelic football is strongest in the...
player - Philip DeignanPhilip DeignanPhilip Deignan is an Irish Olympian and professional road racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam . He was educated at St Eunan's College.- Career :He first set foot on a bike in 1997 during a charity cycling event organised by Paddy Delap in Letterkenny. He has been professional since 2005. Before that he...
- Cyclist and 2008 Beijing Olympian2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events... - Paddy Delap - Businessman and Organiser of Sligo-Letterkenny cycling event
- Brendan Devenney - Donegal GAA player
- Anthony GormanAnthony GormanAnthony "Tony" Gorman is the former player-manager of Finn Harps F.C. and former assistant manager of Derry City F.C. He is currently playing for his hometown club Letterkenny Rovers in the Ulster Senior League.-Player:...
- Letterkenny Rovers F.C.Letterkenny Rovers F.C.Letterkenny Rovers Football Club is a football club from Ireland currently competing in the Ulster Senior League. The club is based in Letterkenny and the team play their home games at Leckview Park....
footballer - Oliver Horgan - Fanad United F.C.Fanad United F.C.Fanad United Football Club is a football club currently playing in the A Championship. The club was founded by Fr. Michael Sweeney, the current club President, in 1975 in Fanad, Co. Donegal and are one of the founding members of the league. Fanad play their home games at Tragh-a-Lough...
manager - Sinead JenningsSinead JenningsSinead Jennings is an Irish rower.-References:...
- Olympian Rower - Rory KavanaghRory KavanaghRory Kavanagh ; is an inter-county GAA player with Donegal in Ireland. He plays with St. Eunan's in Letterkenny. He also lives in the town.He played a vital part in Donegal's winning of their first National League title in 2007. Having spent much of the campaign on the bench, he came on as a...
- Donegal GAA player - Conrad LoganConrad LoganConrad Joseph Logan is an Irish football goalkeeper currently playing for Rotherham United on loan from Leicester City. He was educated at St. Eunan's College in Letterkenny, Co...
- Leicester City Goalkeeper - Paul LowryPaul LowryPaul Lowry is a Northern Irish footballer, currently playing for Droylsden in the Conference North. He moved to England in December 2010 after leaving Institute in Northern Ireland.-Youth career:...
- Institute F.C.Institute F.C.Institute F.C. is a Northern Irish intermediate football club who play in IFA Championship 1.The club, founded in 1905, are based in the Drumahoe area of Derry and play their home matches at the Riverside Stadium in the YMCA Grounds...
footballer - Tommy McCaffertyTommy McCaffertyTommy 'The Ghost" McCafferty is an Irish kickboxer. He was born in Letterkenny Co. Donegal. He is coached by former 3 time world kickboxing champion Paddy Toland at PT's Kickboxing gym in Carrigans, Co. Donegal. Tommy was the ISKA World Light middleweight & ISKA Middleweight Kickboxing Champion,...
- kickboxer - Danny McDaidDanny McDaidDanny McDaid is a 2-time Irish Olympic athlete and four times national marathon champion from Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. He is a former member of the Dublin-based athletic club Clonliffe Harriers....
- 2-time OlympianOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
- Colm McFaddenColm McFaddenColm McFadden is an inter-county GAA player with Donegal in Ireland. He plays with St. Michael's in Creeslough. He is 6 ft 2 and weighs 14st 3.He played a vital part in Donegal's winning of their first National League title in 2007....
- Donegal GAA player - Kevin McHughKevin McHughKevin McHugh ; born 19 January 1980 in Letterkenny, Ireland) is an Irish football player currently with Finn Harps.-Career:McHugh was born in Letterkenny and raised in the border-town of Killea in Co...
- Finn HarpsFinn Harps F.C.Finn Harps Football Club are a professional Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. They hail from Ballybofey, County Donegal and play their home matches at Finn Park. The club's colours are blue...
footballer - Gavin CullenGavin CullenGavin Cullen is a footballer currently playing for Coleraine.Cullen started his career at Finn Harps' reserve and youth squads, before signing with Omagh Town in 2000, where he made a name for himself in the Irish League. In 2003, Finn Harps signed him on loan and he made six appearances, keeping...
- Finn Harps F.C. footballer - Denis McLaughlinDenis McLaughlinDenis McLaughlin is an Irish professional association football player currently playing for Arthurlie.He previously played for Hearts, Berwick Rangers, Cowdenbeath, Raith Rovers and Spanish club Gimnástica.-Career:...
- Dumbarton F.C.Dumbarton F.C.Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
footballer - Charlie Mulgrew - Former Donegal GAA player
- Tommy RyanTommy Ryan (Gaelic footballer)Tommy Ryan, a Gaelic footballer, was born in 1967 in Termon, Donegal, Ireland, where he still lives today.Ryan was Donegal's top scorer in the 1992 Ulster Championship. He made his championship debut against Armagh GAA in 1988. He won two trench cups with Sligo GAA...
- Former Donegal GAA player - Jeremy Worth - Letterkenny RFCLetterkenny RFCLetterkenny RFC is an Irish rugby union club based in Letterkenny, County Donegal. The team plays its home games at Dave Gallaher Memorial Park in Letterkenny.- History :...
player
Media
- Chris Ashmore - Sportsreader and Letterkenny PostLetterkenny PostThe Letterkenny Post is a freesheet newspaper published by River Media in Letterkenny, County Donegal. It was the first paper from River Media. The newspaper specialises in property, motoring, entertainment, farming and fashion. Its offices are located at the Dry Arch Business Park, Bonagee...
editor - John BreslinJohn BreslinJohn Breslin is an Irish engineer and lecturer at the National University of Ireland, Galway. His research publications have focused on the Social Semantic Web, and he co-authored a book on this topic in 2009....
- Highland RadioHighland RadioHighland Radio is an Irish radio station operating under a licence from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, and is the licenced local radio service for the County Donegal franchise. It began broadcasting on March 15, 1990, and is currently franchised until 2014. Highland's headquarters are...
Broadcaster - Charlie CollinsCharlie CollinsCharlie Collins is a footballer of Irish descent playing as a striker for Milton Keynes Dons.He made his debut for MK Dons on 1 May 2010 in the Football League One clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Stadium:mk which ended in 0–0 draw.On 8 November 2011, Collins featured as a trialis in a...
- Highland Radio sportsreader - Tom Comack - Highland Radio Sportsreader and journalist
- Richard CrowleyRichard Crowley (Irish journalist)Richard Crowley is an Irish journalist and broadcaster. He formerly worked as Middle East Correspondent for RTÉ News and Current Affairs. He currently works on the This Week radio programme and began presenting the Prime Time television programme with Miriam O'Callaghan from 14 January 2010.-...
- RTÉ reporter - Diarmaid Doherty - Highland Radio Sportsreader and journalist
- Shaun DohertyShaun DohertyShaun Doherty is a radio presenter with Highland Radio based in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. He is Ireland's most popular radio presenter, according to analysts, and is considered an institution in the north-west. He is also the promotions manager of Highland Radio...
- Highland Radio Broadcaster - Cathy GrieveCathy GrieveCathy Grieve is an Irish journalist from Letterkenny, County Donegal. She now owns Red Diamond Media, an Irish based digital media group. Previously she was a senior editor with the BBC, the last post she held being Interactive Newsgathering Editor for BBC News. Cathy also worked for the BBC in...
- BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
reporter - Greg Hughes - Highland Radio head of news
- Jerome HughesJerome HughesJerome Hughes is an Irish television reporter from Laghey in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. He currently works as a senior reporter for TV3 where he signs off each report with the line: "Jerome Hughes, TV3 News"...
- TV3TV3 IrelandTV3 is a free-to-air commercial television network in the Republic of Ireland. Launched on 20 September 1998 it was Ireland's first commercial broadcaster. The channel is owned by TV3 Group a subsidiary of Doughty Hanson & Co.-The TV3 Group:...
reporter - Donal KavanaghDonal KavanaghDonal Kavanagh is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Dr. Crokes and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1972 until 1973.-References:...
- Highland Radio newsreader - Lisa McKelvey - Newsreader and Donegal Democrat columnist
- Annette O'Donnell - Journalist and former RTÉ reporter
- Ciaran O'Donnell - Donegal Democrat editor
- Noel SlevinNoel SlevinNoel Slevin is an Irish journalist and columnist working in Letterkenny, County Donegal. He currently writes "Slevin on Sunday" for local newspaper Donegal on Sunday as well as contributing to the Donegal Democrat...
- Donegal Democrat journalist & Donegal on Sunday columnist - Paddy Walsh - Donegal Democrat editor
Arts
- Stopford Augustus Brooke - Author
- Redmond HerrityRedmond HerrityRedmond Herrity is an Irish sculptor from Letterkenny, County Donegal.Herrity was inspired by street sculptors in India during a visit there in 1997. He later visited Australia where he got to work with stone for the first time. He returned from his tour of the world in 1999. He completed a one...
- Sculptor - Gerard Lough - Film maker
- Steve Mc Collum - Film maker - various awards
- John NeeJohn NeeJohn Nee is an Irish storyteller, actor, musician and playwright who is more commonly known by his stage name Little John Nee.John is also famous for playing the part of Postie in TG4 silent comedy Fear an Phoist.-Biography:...
- Actor - Paul RooneyPaul RooneyPaul Rooney was born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.He started playing guitar at age 17 and was initially a self-taught musician influenced by punk rock....
- Contemporary artist - Paddy TunneyPaddy TunneyPaddy Tunney was an Irish traditional singer, poet, writer, raconteur, lilter and songwriter. He was affectionately known as the Man of Songs.-Early life:...
- Singer and songwriter
Ecclesiastical
- Philip BoycePhilip BoyceThe Most Reverend Dr. Philip Boyce , D.D., O.C.D., is the Catholic Lord Bishop of Raphoe. He presides over the Diocese of Raphoe in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland.- Early life :...
- Bishop of RaphoeBishop of RaphoeThe Bishop of Raphoe is an episcopal title which takes its name after the town of Raphoe in County Donegal, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:...
- Father Michael Carney - Former President of St Eunan's College
- Séamus Hegarty - Former Bishop of Raphoe
- Eamonn Kelly - The Cathedral of St. Eunan and St Columba Priest and administrator
- Patrick O'Donnell - Former Irish Cardinal and Bishop of Raphoe
- James WhyteJames Whyte (bishop)James Whyte was the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin .-Early life:Whyte was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland in 1868. He spent six years in ecclesiastical training for the priesthood at St Kieran's College, Kilkenny...
(1868–1957) - the third Roman Catholic Bishop of DunedinRoman Catholic Diocese of DunedinThe Latin Rite Catholic Diocese of Dunedin is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington. It was formed on 26 November 1869 from a portion of the territory in the Diocese of Wellington, before it was elevated to an archdiocese....
, New Zealand (1920-1957).
Crime
- James Pius Clarke - Former IRA, Maze Prison escapeMaze Prison escapeThe Maze Prison escape took place on 25 September 1983 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. HM Prison Maze was a maximum security prison considered to be one of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe, and held prisoners convicted of taking part in armed paramilitary campaigns during the Troubles...
e member who served an 18-year prison sentence for the attempted murder of a member of a Protestant paramilitary group. - James Moore - Great grandfather of Elizabeth KennyElizabeth KennyElizabeth Kenny was an unqualified Australian nurse who promoted a controversial new approach to the treatment of poliomyelitis in the era before mass vaccination eradicated the disease in most countries.-Youth:...
- Redmond O'HanlonRedmond O'Hanlon (outlaw)Redmond O'Hanlon was a 17th-century Irish tóraidhe or rapparee , and an important figure in the Irish Rebellion of 1641.- Early life :...
- Outlaw
Other
- Conrad GallagherConrad GallagherConrad Gallagher is an award-winning Irish chef from Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. He was educated at Scoil Colmcille and St. Eunan's College.-Early life:...
- Irish chef - Tony O'DonnellTony O'DonnellTony O'Donnell, N.D. is an Irish naturopath certified in neurolinguistic programming. He is also a certified hypnotherapist and nutritionist. O'Donnell is the only naturopathic doctor in America who actually shows, on television, the therapeutic benefits of raw herbs...
- Health expert