To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we pay tribute to some of the most significant Irish men and women in Hollywood and beyond, because for such a small country, so many legends have been created there. Here’s a look at some of the singers, actors and presenters that make Ireland proud.
10 of Ireland’s greatest superstars:
Michael Fassbender is half-Irish, half-German
1. Michael Fassbender – The ‘Song to Song’ star is half-Irish, having been born in West Germany to a German father and raised in County Kerry in the Republic of Ireland. One of the most famous actors from the country in the world, he has starred in a number of classics including ‘300’, ‘Inglourious Basterds’, ‘Prometheus’, ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Steve Jobs’.
Colin Farrell was born and bred in Dublin
2. Colin Farrell – Born and bred in Dublin, Colin’s first major role was in the Irish BBC classic ‘Ballykissangel’ which ran from 1996 to 2001. Since then he’s become internationally renowned, appearing in the Hollywood blockbusters ‘Daredevil’, ‘Miami Vice’ and ‘Horrible Bosses’. He also starred in the critically acclaimed Irish indie film ‘The Lobster’, before going on to do the second season of ‘True Detective’ and, most recently, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’.
Liam Neeson is best known for starring in ‘Taken’
3. Liam Neeson – This OBE appointed superstar is from Northern Ireland and rose to fame after starring in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Schindler’s List’. He has since appeared in ‘Star Wars’, ‘Love Actually’ and is now best known for playing the protective father in the ‘Taken’ film series.
Bono is one of the world’s biggest rockstars and humanitarians
4. Bono – U2 frontman and one of the world’s most famous humanitarian, Bono was knighted by the Queen in in 2007. His band helmed some landmark work including 1987’s ‘The Joshua Tree’, while Bono himself has work extensively with fellow Irishman Sir Bob Geldof on Band Aid and the ONE campaign.
Sinéad O’Connor found fame with her 90s classic ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’
5. Sinéad O’Connor – While being perhaps one of the more controversial figures on this list, the Grammy winning star born in Dublin is still no doubt an incredible singer. She landed a sweeping number one with her 1990 single ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, written by Prince, and she’s an outspoken figure on many issues particularly women’s rights.
Singer-songwriter Damien Rice tries to keep out of the spotlight
6. Damien Rice – The 43-year-old singer-songwriter from Kildare has without doubt one hell of a beautiful voice. Best known for songs like ‘Cannonball’ and ‘9 Crimes’ kept us waiting eight years for ‘My Favourite Faded Fantasy’ – the 2014 follow-up to his number one second album ‘9’. As popular as his first three albums have been though, he’s remarkably good at staying out of the spotlight.
Ruth Negga landed an Academy Award nomination this year
7. Ruth Negga – Born in Addis Ababa to an Ethiopian father and an Irish mother, Ruth was raised in Limerick from the age of 4. She studied acting in Dublin before moving to London, and was nominated for her first Academy Award this year for starring in the interracial romance biopic ‘Loving’ directed by Jeff Nichols. She has also appeared in ‘World War Z’, ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ and ‘Warcraft: The Beginning’.
More: Read our review of ‘Loving’
Dublin born Saoirse Ronan moved to New York last year
8. Saoirse Ronan – 22-year-old Saoirse was born and still lives in New York, though she spent most of her childhood in County Carlow and then Dublin. Her 2015 movie ‘Brooklyn’ was an uncanny reflection of Saoirse’s life, as she would move to Manhattan the following year. She has also starred in Wes Anderson’s ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut ‘Lost River’.
Aidan Turner is best known for starring in ‘Poldark’
9. Aidan Turner – Another Dublin native, Aidan is best known for starring in the British TV series ‘Being Human’, ‘The Hobbit’ trilogy and period drama ‘Poldark’. He trained at the Gaiety School of Acting and he has two forthcoming movies coming this year entitled ‘Loving Vincent’ and ‘Look Away’.
Graham Norton is one of the UK’s most watched presenters
10. Graham Norton – Probably the UK’s favourite talk-show host, who somehow manages to bring together the most unlikely celebrities on his sofa and get them to say and do hilarious things, Graham has won no less than five BAFTA TV Awards. He’s another Dublin star, who now lives in London, and he won the Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards this year.
