Discover the notable alumni of Trinity College, Dublin. The list includes people like Jawaharlal Nehru, Oscar Wilde, Aleister Crowley, Kimberly Guilfoyle & Katie McGrath. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as writers, intellectuals & academics, scientists, lawyers & judges and leaders etc.
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1
Oscar Wilde(One of the Greatest Playwrights of the 'Victorian Era')
Birthdate: October 16, 1854
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: November 30, 1900
Widely regarded as one of the most popular writers of all time, Oscar Wilde is best remembered for his plays and epigrams. He was also one of the best-known personalities during his time as he was popular for his conversational skills, flamboyant dressing sense, and biting wit. Imprisoned in 1895 for consensual homosexual acts, Oscar Wilde was pardoned posthumously in 2017.
2
Hozier(Irish Singer-Songwriter)
Birthdate: March 17, 1990
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bray, Ireland
Irish blues/rock singer Hozier is best known for his track Take Me to Church, which became a Billboard Hot 100-charter and rocked the charts of several other countries apart from Ireland, such as Belgium and Canada. His songs exhibit religious imagery. He was previously part of the choral group Anúna.
3
Jonathan Swift(Satirist & Author of 'Gulliver's Travels',' A Tale of a Tub' and 'A Modest Proposal')
Birthdate: November 30, 1667
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: October 19, 1745
Eighteenth-century essayist, poet, and pamphleteer Jonathan Swift is remembered for his iconic works such as A Tale of a Tub, A Modest Proposal, and Gulliver's Travels. One of the world’s greatest satirists, he gave rise to the deadpan Swiftian style. He had also been the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
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Katie McGrath(Irish Actress Known for Her TV Series: 'Merlin', 'Dracula' and 'Supergirl')
Birthdate: February 21, 1983
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ashford, Ireland
Katie McGrath is an Irish actress known for playing important roles in popular TV series like Merlin, Dracula, Supergirl, and Frontier. Her journey from being a wardrobe assistant on the set of a television series titled The Tudors to becoming an actress after being advised to try her hand at acting is quite inspirational.
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Ruth Kearney(Actor)
Birthdate: November 11, 1984
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
Birthdate: March 12, 1685
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: County Kilkenny, Ireland
Died: January 14, 1753
George Berkeley was an Anglo-Irish philosopher who is credited with popularizing a theory called immaterialism, which claims that material substance like tables and chairs can't exist without being perceived by the mind. Berkeley influenced several philosophers like David Hume. Also remembered for his humanitarian work, George Berkeley worked towards creating homes for abandoned children in London.
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Veronica Guerin(Irish Crime Reporter and Journalist)
Birthdate: July 5, 1959
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: June 26, 1996
Veronica Guerin wasn’t just one of the most popular crime journalists of Ireland but also represented her country in both basketball and football. Her articles revolved around Irish drug lords and criminals, and she was eventually murdered by kingpin John Gilligan’s men while driving on the outskirts of Dublin.
Birthdate: January 12, 1729
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Died: July 9, 1797
Anglo-Irish statesman and philosopher, Edmund Burke, was a member of parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of Great Britain for several years. He supported Catholic emancipation and strongly opposed the French Revolution. He felt revolution destroyed the fabric of good society and traditional institutions of state and society. He is considered the philosophical founder of modern conservatism.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: November 10, 1728
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: County Longford, Ireland
Died: April 4, 1774
Oliver Goldsmith was an Anglo-Irish novelist, poet, and playwright. Described by his contemporaries as a disorganized and impetuous person, Goldsmith is best remembered for his works, such as The Vicar of Wakefield, The Deserted Village, and She Stoops to Conquer. A respected writer, Goldsmith's statue has been erected in several places, including the Trinity College, Dublin.
10
Aisling Franciosi(Irish Actress Known for Her Role as ‘Katie Benedetto’ in TV Series ‘The Fall’)
Birthdate: June 6, 1993
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Irish actor Aisling Franciosi is best known as Katie Benedetto from the series The Fall and as Kate Crawford from the TNT series Legends. She was also seen as Lyanna Stark in Game of Thrones and as Clare Carroll in The Nightingale, and won an AACTA award for the latter.
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Sally Rooney(Novelist)
Birthdate: February 20, 1991
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland
Birthdate: February 16, 1822
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Birmingham
Died: January 17, 1911
Nineteenth-century polymath Francis Galton revolutionized science with his pathbreaking research on human intelligence and psychometrics. His books dealt with diverse topics such as correlational calculus, fingerprint analysis, and meteorology, and he also explored Africa. He left Cambridge without an honors degree, and yet ended up being knighted for his achievements.
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Liz Bonnin(Presented morning show RI:SE and music show Top of the Pops in the early 2000s)
Birthdate: September 16, 1976
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Paris, France
14
Thomas Moore(Irish Poet and Singer Known for His Lyrics to the Popular Song ‘The Last Rose of Summer’)
Birthdate: May 28, 1779
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: March 25, 1852
Irish author Thomas Moore was chiefly branded a Whig ally. It is believed he had a role in burning the memoirs of his friend Lord Byron, an act now considered a literary crime. His iconic Irish Melodies contained his most popular works, such as The Last Rose of Summer.
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Maeve Kennedy McKean(Lawyer)
Birthdate: November 1, 1979
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Died: April 2, 2020
16
Jack Gleeson(Irish Actor Best Known for His Role as Joffrey Baratheon on the HBO TV Series ‘Game of Thrones’)
Birthdate: May 20, 1992
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Cork, Ireland
Irish actor Jack Gleeson soared to fame with his portrayal of Joffrey Baratheon in the iconic series Game of Thrones. He later switched to independent theater and appeared in the BBC miniseries Out of Her Mind. The Trinity College alumnus later also co-established the Collapsing Horse Theatre Company.
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Nikolai Tolstoy(Historian, Non-fiction writer)
Birthdate: June 23, 1935
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: London
18
Robert Nairac(Soldier)
Birthdate: August 31, 1948
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Mauritius
Died: May 15, 1977
A distinguished Military Intelligence Liaison Officer of the British Army, Captain Robert Nairac is one of three IRA victims whose grave has not yet been found. Abducted from a pub in North Ireland, where he had gone in the guise of a motor mechanic, he refused to reveal his identity in spite of physical abuse and was finally shot dead.
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Robert Emmet(Revolutionary Leader)
Birthdate: March 4, 1778
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: September 20, 1803
20
Jason Barry(Actor)
Birthdate: December 14, 1972
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Artane, Dublin, Ireland
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
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Richard Montgomery(Soldier)
Birthdate: December 2, 1738
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Swords, Ireland
Died: December 31, 1775
22
Mary McAleese(8th President of Ireland (1997 - 2011))
Birthdate: June 27, 1951
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Ardoyne, Ireland
Apart from being a qualified barrister, Mary McAleese also taught criminal law at the Trinity College and also worked as a journalist. She later joined Fianna Fáil and soon became Ireland’s second female president. She has also written several books, including an autobiography. She is known as a prominent LGBT activist.
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William Trevor(Novelist)
Birthdate: May 24, 1928
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Mitchelstown, Ireland
Died: November 20, 2016
24
Thomas Langlois Lefroy(MP for the constituency of Dublin University in 1830–1841, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland in 1852–1866)
Birthdate: January 8, 1776
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Limerick, Ireland
Died: May 4, 1869
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Charles Algernon Parsons(Anglo-Irish Engineer Best Known for His Invention of the 'Compound Steam Turbine')
Birthdate: June 13, 1854
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London, England
Died: February 11, 1931
Copley Medal-winning engineer Charles Algernon Parsons revolutionized marine transport with his invention of a multi-stage steam turbine. His other inventions include a mechanical reducing gear. Apart from being named a Fellow of the Royal Society, he was also knighted and awarded an Order of Merit for his contributions.
26
Lisa Lambe(Irish Singer, Actress and Songwriter)
Birthdate: August 1, 1983
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
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Michael Dillon(British Physician and the First Trans Man to Undergo Phalloplasty)
Birthdate: May 1, 1915
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: England
Died: May 15, 1962
Born Laura Dillon, a girl, in Britain, Michael Dillon later became the first trans man to undergo a female-to-male sex-change operation by phalloplasty. A qualified doctor, he also served as a naval surgeon, penned books such as Self: A Study in Ethics and Endocrinology, and later deviated to Buddhism.
28
George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore(Politician)
Birthdate: 1580 AD
Birthplace: Kiplin, England
Died: April 15, 1632
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William Congreve(Playwright, Poet, Writer, Translator)
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Birthdate: January 24, 1670
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Leeds
Died: January 19, 1729
30
George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville(Soldier)
Birthdate: January 26, 1716
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London, England
Died: August 26, 1785
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Henry Grattan(Politician)
Birthdate: July 3, 1746
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: June 6, 1820
32
Edward Carson(Former Attorney General for England and Wales)
Birthdate: February 9, 1854
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: October 22, 1935
Widely known as the uncrowned king of Ulster, Scottish-Irish unionist Edward Carson is best remembered for spearheading the resistance against the British government’s imposition of the Home Rule for Ireland. As a barrister, he was responsible for noted author Oscar Wilde’s conviction for homosexuality, which was illegal back then.
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John Redmond(Politician)
Birthdate: September 1, 1856
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: County Wexford
Died: March 6, 1918
Birthdate: 1618 AD
Birthplace: London, England
Died: July 28, 1667
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Brian Lenihan Jnr(Politician)
Birthdate: May 21, 1959
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: June 10, 2011
36
George Johnstone Stoney(Physicist)
Birthdate: February 15, 1826
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: County Offaly
Died: July 5, 1911
Irish physicist George Johnstone Stoney made important contributions in the areas of cosmic physics and the theory of gases. Most significant scientific work of Stoney was the conception and calculation of the magnitude of the atom or particle of electricity. He is noted for introducing the term electron to elucidate the fundamental unit of electrical charge.
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Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo(Viceroy)
Birthdate: February 21, 1822
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: February 8, 1872
38
Eímear Noone(Irish Conductor and Composer)
Birthplace: Ireland
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Nahum Tate(Poet)
Birthdate: 1652 AD
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: July 30, 1715
40
George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney(Statesman)
Birthdate: May 14, 1737
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lissanoure, Loughguile, Ballymoney, County Antrim Ireland
Died: May 31, 1806
Remembered as the first British envoy to China, George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney had also been the governor of Grenada, Madras and Cape Colony. However, he hardly succeeded in furthering British trade interests in China, which considered itself self-sufficient. He termed the British empire as one on which the sun never sets.
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John Dillon(Irish leader)
Birthdate: September 4, 1851
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Blackrock, Ireland
Died: August 4, 1927
42
Edward Stafford(Prime minister)
Birthdate: April 23, 1819
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: February 14, 1901
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Dara Quigley(Journalist)
Birthdate: November 9, 1980
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: April 12, 2017
44
Robert Anderson(Irish Intelligence Officer, Author, and Theologian)
Birthdate: May 29, 1841
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: November 15, 1918
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John O'Mahony(Scholar)
Birthdate: 1815 AD
Birthplace: Kilbeheny, Ireland
Died: February 7, 1877
46
George Salmon(Irish Mathematician and Anglican Theologian)
Birthdate: September 25, 1819
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: January 22, 1904
George Salmon initially gained fame as a remarkable mathematician only to switch to theology in his later years. A linen merchant’s son, he graduated from Trinity College on a scholarship and then taught at Trinity and made developments in the study of algebraic geometry. He was later ordained a priest.
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Walter Terence Stace(Civil Servant)
Birthdate: November 17, 1886
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom
Died: August 2, 1967
48
Thomas Osborne Davis(Irish author)
Birthdate: October 14, 1814
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Mallow, Ireland
Died: September 16, 1845
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John Philpot Curran(Orator)
Birthdate: July 24, 1750
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Newmarket, Ireland
Died: October 14, 1817
50
Jennifer Johnston(Novelist)
Birthdate: January 12, 1930
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Recommended Lists:Trinity College is a research university situated in Dublin, Ireland. Having been established as early as 1592, it is one of the seven ancient universities of Ireland and Britain; it is in fact Ireland’s oldest university. It has also been deemed as the most productive globally recognized research center in Ireland. Trinity College offers degree and diploma courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and is classified into three faculties that comprise of 25 institutions. The three departments are Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Engineering, Marketing and Sciences and lastly Health Sciences, which sprawl over a beautiful 51 acre property. As per the 2015-2016 edition of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the university has bagged the 77th place in Europe and the 1st place in Ireland. The QS World University Rankings of 2016-17 has also ranked it 1st in Europe and 36th in the world. With a diverse and inclusive culture, the university supports its teaching, research and ground-breaking innovation while providing an ideal learning atmosphere for its 17,000 students hailing from numerous countries across the world. Many Nobel Laureates, political thinkers, artists, performers and academics have been born out of Trinity College. Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, Edmund Burke, William Rowan Hamilton and so many other distinguished high-fliers have attended Trinity College. The alumni’s of Trinity College are truly inspirational; here is a list of some prominent individuals who pursued their education here.
