List of people from County Meath
This is a list of notable people who were either born in County Meath, have lived there for a significant portion of their lives or are otherwise generally associated with the county.
Aristocracy
- Nicholas St Lawrence (c. 1550 – 1607), 9th Baron Howth
 - Egidia de Lacy (1205-?), Lady of Connacht
 - Hugh de Lacy (c. 1176 – 1242), Earl of Ulster
 - Hugh de Lacy (c. 1135 – 1186), First Lord of Meath, built Trim Castle
 - Walter de Lacy (1172–1241), Lord of Meath
 - Garret Wesley (1735–1781), 1st Earl of Mornington
 - John Netterville (1603–1659), 2nd Viscount Netterville
 - Nicholas Netterville (1581–1654), 1st Viscount Netterville
 - Elizabeth Darcy (1332–1390), Countess of Ormond
 - Jenet Sarsfield (1528–1598), noblewoman
 - Simon Fleming (died 1370), 1st Baron Slane
 - Lady Anne Culling Smith (1775–1844), sister of the Duke of Wellington
 - John Barnewall (died 1538), 3rd Baron Trimlestown
 
Politics
- Yemi Adenuga (born 1971), first black woman to be elected to local government in Ireland
 - Thomas Brennan (1853–1912), co-founder of the Irish National Land League
 - John Bruton (born 1947), Taoiseach 1994–1997
 - Christopher Fleming (1669–1726), Member of Parliament
 - Thomas Fleming (1358–1435), Member of Parliament
 - Thomas Fleming (died 1601), Member of Parliament
 - Thomas Hussey (1749–1824), MP for Aylesbury
 - Sir William Johnson (c. 1715 – 1774), diplomat
 - Frank McLoughlin (born 1946), TD for Meath
 - Matthew O'Reilly (1880–1962), TD for Meath
 - William Wellesley-Pole (1763–1845), Chief Secretary for Ireland
 - Nicholas Plunkett (1602–1680), Member of Parliament
 - John Reilly (1646–1717), Member of Parliament
 - Francis Singleton (1812–1887), member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
 
Law
- John Lowth (1822–1877), lawyer
 - Peter Metge (1740–1809), judge
 - Luke Netterville (1510–1560), judge
 - Richard Netterville (1540–1607), barrister
 - Nicholas Nugent (1525–1582), Solicitor-General for Ireland
 - Thomas Plunket (1440–1519), Chief Justice of the Common Pleas for Ireland
 - Thomas Fitz-Christopher Plunket (1407–1471), Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
 - Richard Plunkett (1340–1393), judge and statesman
 - Richard Rede (fl. 1416), statesman
 - Edward George Ryan (1810–1880), 3rd chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
 - Patrick Segrave (died 1610), judge
 - Richard Segrave (1540–1598), judge
 - James Alleyn (died 1457), Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
 - William Skrene (1350–1421), Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer
 - Barnaby Skurloke (1520–1587), lawyer
 - Richard Sydgrave (died 1425), Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer
 - Richard White (died 1367), Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
 - Patrick White (1480–1561), Baron of the Court of Exchequer
 
Military
- Guy Johnson (c. 1740 – 1788), British officer in the American Revolutionary War
 - Patrick James Leonard (1847–1899), United States Army sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient
 - Tony Magan (1910–1981), Chief of Staff of the IRA
 - Simon Mangan (died 1906), Lord Lieutenant of Meath
 - Thomas Meredyth (died 1719), officer
 - John Nangle (died 1508), soldier
 - Richard Ridgeway (1848–1924), Victoria Cross recipient
 - Frederick Augustus Smith (1826–1887), Victoria Cross recipient
 - Thomas Sullivan (1859–1940), soldier and US Medal of Honor recipient
 - Thomas Preston (1585–1655), soldier and mercenary
 - Peter Warren (1703–1752), Royal Navy officer
 - Arthur Wellesley (1769–1852), defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo
 
Royalty
- Máel Dóid mac Suibni (died 653), King of Uisneach
 - Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid (died 862), High King of Ireland
 - Rose Ní Conchobair (fl. 1180), Lady of Meath
 - Cormac mac Art Ó Melaghlain (1182–1239), King of Meath
 - Órlaith íngen Cennétig (died 941), Queen of Ireland
 - Tigernach mac Fócartai (died 865), King of Loch Gabhair
 - Túathal Máelgarb (died 540s), High King of Ireland
 - Donnell Mor Mideach Ua Conchobair (1144–1176), Prince of Connacht
 
Sports
- Darragh Burns (born 2002), footballer
 - Sam Curtis (born 2005), footballer
 - Dawson Devoy (born 2001), footballer
 - Luke Heeney (born 1999), footballer
 - Evan Ferguson (born 2004), footballer
 - James Finnerty (born 1999), footballer
 - Conor Keeley (born 1997), footballer
 - Josh Keeley (born 2003), footballer
 - Darragh Lenihan (born 1994), footballer
 - Tommy Lonergan (born 2004), footballer
 - Adrian Maguire (born 1971), trainer and jockey
 - Dónal McDermott (born 1989), footballer
 - Séamus McDonagh (born 1962), boxer
 - Jamie McGrath (born 1996), footballer
 - Luke McNally (born 1999), footballer
 - Brendan Murphy (born 1975), footballer
 - Éamonn O'Brien (born 1960), footballer and manager of Meath
 - Georgie Poynton (born 1997), footballer
 - Andrew Quinn (born 2002), footballer
 - Ger Robinson (born 1982), footballer
 - Gary Rogers (born 1981), football goalkeeper
 - Edward Rooney (1880–1950), cricketer
 - Tom Sheridan (born 1969), handball player
 - Brian Smyth (1924–2016), footballer
 - Kevin Toner (born 1996), footballer
 - Emre Topçu (born 2005), footballer
 - Adderley Wilkinson (1887–1978), cricketer
 
Religion
- Felim of Kilmore (6th century), saint
 - Ia of Cornwall (died 5th century), saint
 - Lommán of Trim (died 6th century), saint
 - Mac Nisse of Connor (died 514), saint
 - Tola of Clonard (died 700s), saint
 - Robert Barnewall (1704–1779), religious rights activist
 - Thomas Hussey (1746–1803), bishop and diplomat
 - James Keene (1849–1919), bishop
 - Richard Lacy (1841–1929), Bishop of Middlesbrough
 - Petronilla de Meath (1300–1324), first known person in Ireland to be burned for heresy
 - Thomas Messingham (died 1638), hagiologist
 - Denis Nulty (born 1963), Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin
 - Thomas Nulty (1818–1898), Bishop of Meath
 - Eugene O'Growney (1863–1899), priest
 - Peter Joseph O'Reilly (1850–1923), Auxiliary bishop of Peoria
 - John Payne (died 1507), Bishop of Meath
 - Oliver Plunkett (1625–1681), Archbishop of Armagh[1]
 - Joseph Rooney (died 1857), missionary
 - Secundinus (died 448), Bishop of Armagh
 - Michael Smith (born 1940), Bishop of Meath
 - Paul Tighe (born 1958), prelate
 - Walter Wellesley (1470–1539), Bishop of Kildare
 - William Walsh (1512–1577), Bishop of Meath
 
Entertainment
- Pierce Brosnan (born 1953), actor[2]
 - Robin McAuley (born 1953), rock vocalist
 - Joe Moore (1894–1926), actor
 - Matt Moore (1888–1960), actor
 - Owen Moore (1886–1939), actor
 - Tom Moore (1883–1955), actor and director
 - Dylan Moran, comedian
 - Henry Mountcharles (born 1951), organiser of the Slane Concert
 - Daráine Mulvihill (born 1983), television personality
 - Sibéal Ní Chasaide (born 1998), singer
 - Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh (born 1970), television presenter
 - Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill (born 1955), singer
 - Sinéad Noonan (born 1987), model
 - Ciarán Ó Cofaigh (born 1968), director and producer
 - Hector Ó hEochagáin radio and television presenter
 - Nathan O'Toole (born 1998), actor
 - Angela Scanlon (born 1983), television presenter
 - Tommy Tiernan comedian, actor and television presenter
 - Sharon Horgan (born 1970), actor
 - Justine Stafford, comedian and Youtuber
 
Science and education
- Francis Beaufort (1774–1857), hydrographer, creator of the Beaufort scale[3]
 - Sir Thomas Molyneux (1661–1733), physician
 - C. Y. O'Connor (1843–1902), engineer
 - Peadar Ó Gealacáin (1792–1860), scribe
 - Francis Porter (fl. 1650–1702), professor
 - Francis Webb Sheilds (1820–1906), engineer
 
Art and literature
- Anthony Holten (1945–2020), author
 - Francis Ledwidge (1887–1917), poet
 - J.S. Anna Liddiard (1773–1819), poet
 - Liam Mac Cóil (born 1952), Irish language novelist
 - Séamas Dall Mac Cuarta (c. 1647 – 1733), poet
 - Seon Mac Solaidh (fl. 1720), poet and scribe
 - Martina Fitzgerald, journalist and author
 - Arthur Mathews (born 1959), writer
 - John Mulvany (1839–1906), artist
 - Aonghus Fionn Ó Dálaigh (died 1570), poet
 - Donnchadh Mór Ó Dálaigh (died 1244), poet
 - Joseph Osborne (1810–1901), author
 - Edward Lovett Pearce (1699–1733), architect
 - Richard Pigott (1835–1889), journalist
 - John B. Sheridan (1870–1930), sportswriter
 - Edward Smyth (1749–1812), sculptor
 - Gilla Mo Dutu Úa Caiside (fl. 1147), poet
 - Orla de Brí (born 1965), sculptor
 
See also
Notes and references
- ^ Earlier biographers gave his date of birth as 1 November four years later, but since the discovery of an ancient reference to Oliver Plunkett’s birth in the Bodleian Library, Ashmolean, MS.436 which stated: "He was born on 1st. November 1625" biographers of Plunkett since the 1930s agree on 1625. These include: Hanly, O’Fiaich, Forristal, Curtis, O'Higgins, Walsh, Bennett, Stokes, Concannon, Carty, Matthews, Murphy, Nowak, Burns, Meagher and the St. Oliver web-site.
 - ^ Chutkow, Paul (December 1997). "Brosnan. Pierce Brosnan". Cigaraficionado.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
 - ^ Mollan, R Charles (2002). Irish Innovators. Royal Irish Academy. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-874045-88-5.