Belfast is the proud home and birthplace of many celebs. Here are the ten most famous people from Belfast of all time.
Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is not only famous as being the city where the Titanic was built, or for Queen’s University, but it is a truly diverse city when it comes to talent.
There are many poets, authors, actors, artists, and sportspeople who have come from Belfast and gone on to share their talents with the world. Thanks to these people, Belfast has often been put at the forefront of the world stage.
We’re counting down the most famous people to have come out of this bustling city, so let’s take a look at the ten most famous people from Belfast of all time.
- Belfast is the proud home and birthplace of many celebs. Here are the ten most famous people from Belfast of all time.
- Meanwhile in Ireland’s top facts about the most famous people from Belfast of all time
- 10. Ciarán Hinds – one of Belfast’s most versatile actors
- 9. Nathan Connolly – a member of alternative rock band Snow Patrol
- 8. Eamonn Holmes – Belfast’s morning man
- 7. Mary McAleese – Ireland’s eighth president
- 6. Bobby Sands – an inspiring activist
- 5. Kenneth Brannagh – Belfast’s Hollywood star
- 4. Jamie Dornan – Belfast’s very own heartthrob
- 3. George Best – a footballing legend
- 2. Van Morrison – Belfast born singer
- 1. C. S. Lewis – a world-famous author
- Your questions answered about the most famous people from Belfast of all time
Meanwhile in Ireland’s top facts about the most famous people from Belfast of all time
- Eamonn Holmes is the owner of one obscure fact, in that he holds the Guinness World Record for the longest individual television presenting marathon when hosting a show for 24-hours straight.
- Kenneth Branagh has been the recipient of five Academy Award Nominations! One of the most notable films would be “Henry V”.
- Perhaps unsurprisingly, Jamie Dornan had a successful career as a model before he became an actor! He worked for top brands such as Calvin Klein.
- George Best is widely regarded as one of the best football players of all time, having hailed from East Belfast and becoming a Manchester United Legend.
- Ciarán Hinds is an Irish actor from Belfast who is starred in many incredible films, such as “Munich”. He also performed expertly as Mance Rayder in “Game of Thrones”.
10. Ciarán Hinds – one of Belfast’s most versatile actors
Ciarán Hinds is an actor from Belfast who has appeared in many different movies and television series.
His notable work includes Road to Perdition, Frozen, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two, and, most notably, Game of Thrones seasons three to five.
9. Nathan Connolly – a member of alternative rock band Snow Patrol
Known for his part as lead guitarist and backing vocalist in the band Snow Patrol, Connolly has gone on to gain worldwide fame.
He joined the successful band when it was still new and unrecognized as a composer of their new material in 2002.
Alongside frontman Gary Lightbody, we have Connolly to thank as one of the reasons they landed their record deal and became such a success.
8. Eamonn Holmes – Belfast’s morning man
Eamonn Holmes has been in the broadcasting industry for some time now and has become a much-loved face of Northern Irish and Great British TV screens.
He previously worked as a presenter on GMTV, Sky News, and ITV’s This Morning with his wife, Ruth Langsford.
7. Mary McAleese – Ireland’s eighth president
McAleese was Ireland’s eighth president from 1997 to 2011 and was also the second-ever female president of the country after her predecessor Mary Robinson.
This means that McAleese is the only woman ever to succeed another woman as president.
6. Bobby Sands – an inspiring activist
Famous for his hunger strike during the Troubles, the non-violent activism of Bobby Sands has become heroic around the world, and has served as the inspiration for many other non-violent protests.
He is remembered in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and around the world, and you’ll see a mural of him in Belfast City keeping his memory alive.
5. Kenneth Brannagh – Belfast’s Hollywood star
A Belfast born actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, Branagh has directed and starred in many films and television series.
Some of his notable work includes adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays including Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, and As You Like It.
He has also been nominated for five Academy Awards and was the first man to be nominated in five separate categories.
4. Jamie Dornan – Belfast’s very own heartthrob
Jamie Dornan was born in Holywood, Co. Down, but grew up in Belfast.
He is best known for his role as Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades of Grey film series but has starred in other notable titles such as The Fall.
He has also modelled for big brands such as Armani, Hugo Boss, and Calvin Klein amongst others, and was labelled ‘The Golden Torso’ by The New York Times.
3. George Best – a footballing legend
Regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Best played as a winger for Man United and is considered to be one of the greatest players never to have played at a World Cup.
He became one of the first celebrity footballers in 1966, which earned him the nickname El Beatle.
Read: See where Chat GPT and AI but the great George Best in the greatest-ever All-Ireland football XI
2. Van Morrison – Belfast born singer
Belfast native Van Morrison is a singer that we all know and love.
His hit song, ‘Brown Eyed Girl’, is considered the song that put him on the world stage – and it is a song that has never gone out of fashion.
1. C. S. Lewis – a world-famous author
Author of The Chronicles of Narnia, one of the world’s best-loved book series, C. S. Lewis was born in Belfast and got a lot of inspiration from his surrounding areas including the Mourne Mountains.
So who knew that Belfast had such a variety of talent?
As we can see from our top ten famous people from Belfast list, the city has produced some skilful people who have made an impact on the world in many ways.
It may not be one of the biggest cities in the world, but it has undoubtedly had a lot of opportunities for these men and women to become successful and well known.
Thank you, Belfast for giving us some of the world’s greatest footballers, super talented actors, and incredible musicians. We’re excited to see what comes out of this wonderful city in the future.
Your questions answered about the most famous people from Belfast of all time
Having read our article on the most famous people from Belfast of all time, you may still have some questions left over! Not to worry, as we have you covered. In this section, we have put together the most frequently asked questions about this topic.
What celebrities have visited Belfast?
Celebrities that have visited Belfast in 2022 include Kevin Hart, Pierce Brosnan, Jacob Batalan, Jamie Dornan and Will Poulter. Oscar-winner Chrisoph Waltz visited in 2023.
Who is the most famous Northern Irish man?
Liam Neeson would arguably be the most famous Northern Irish man. Jamie Dornan could also now stake a claim, as would Rory McIlroy.
What famous people came from Northern Ireland?
Aside from this list, others include Liam Neeson, Rory McIlroy, Gary Lightbody, Michelle Fairly, James Nesbitt, Seamus Heaney, and Michael Fassbender.
What is Belfast most known for?
Belfast is most known for the Titanic, with the Titanic Museum a big attraction. Belfast is also known for being the epicentre of the Troubles between 1969 and 1998.
