39 Notable alumni of Dublin City University
Updated: May 31, 2026 EliteDegrees
Dublin City University is ranked #679 in the world and #5 in Ireland by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 39 notable alumni from Dublin City University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Dublin City University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Donal Hughes
1974-. (aged 52)
writer
Donal Hughes is an Irish sport broadcaster, influencer, and athlete. Originally known as a sports writer, Hughes transitioned his hobby into a second career when he became the golfing "SpinDoctor" for the Irish Examiner. Later, he became head of the satirical golf website GolfCentralDaily. He curates social media and works as an influencer for sports companies involved in golf, Gaelic...
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2. Tadhg Cooke
singer
songwriter
Tadhg Cooke is an Irish musician, also known by his stage name "Tiger Cooke".
3. Paddy Burke
1955-. (aged 71)
politician
Patrick Burke is an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 1993 to 2025. He previously served as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from 2011 to 2016 and Leas-Chathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from 2002 to 2011.
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4. Caroline Conroy
1977-. (aged 49)
politician
Caroline Conroy is an Irish Green Party politician who served as Lord Mayor of Dublin from June 2022 to June 2023.
5. David Byrne
1952-. (aged 74)
record producer
composer
printmaker
writer
singer
David Byrne SC is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and barrister who served as Chancellor of Dublin City University from 2006 to 2011, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection from 1999 to 2004 and the Attorney General of Ireland from 1997 to 1999.
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6. Kathryn Reilly
1988-. (aged 38)
politician
Kathryn Reilly is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and former member of Seanad Éireann.
7. Ruairí Ó Murchú
1978-. (aged 48)
politician
Ruairí Ó Murchú is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Louth constituency since the 2020 general election.
8. Aishling Sheridan
1996-. (aged 30)
Australian rules football player
Aishling Sheridan is an Irish sportswoman who played Australian rules football for the Collingwood Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She has also played ladies' Gaelic football for Cavan in the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Australian rules football for NT Thunder in the VFL Women's (VFLW).
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9. Úna-Minh Chaomhánach
1991-. (aged 35)
writer
Úna-Minh Kavanagh is an Irish travel writer, journalist, and video game producer.
10. Cathal Gurrin
1975-. (aged 51)
researcher
Cathal Gurrin is an Irish Professor and lifelogger. He is the Head of the Adapt Centre at Dublin City University, a Funded Investigator of the Insight Centre, and the director of the Human Media Archives research group. He was previously the deputy head of the School of Computing.
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11. Alan Farrell
1977-. (aged 49)
politician
Alan Farrell is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a member of Seanad Éireann from December 2024 to January 2025. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North constituency from 2011 to 2016 and for the Dublin Fingal constituency from 2016 until 2024. He was chair of the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs from...
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12. Philip Moriarty
1968-. (aged 58)
physicist
Philip Moriarty is an Irish physicist and professor of physics at the University of Nottingham. He is known for his work on nanostructures and his collaboration with Brady Haran on the YouTube video series Sixty Symbols.
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13. Bernard Brogan
1984-. (aged 42)
Gaelic football player
Bernard Brogan is a Gaelic footballer from the St Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh club who previously played for the Dublin county team. He is originally from the Battery Heights. From a famous footballing family, he is the son of former All-Ireland winning and All Star player Bernard Brogan Snr and is the brother of former Dublin players Alan and Paul. His...
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14. Lance Daly
screenwriter
film director
film producer
actor
Lance Daly is an Irish film director, screenwriter and producer.
15. Noel Rock
1987-. (aged 39)
politician
Noel Rock is an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-West constituency from 2016 to 2020. He previously served as Chair of the Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government from 2019 to 2020.
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16. Tom Clonan
military personnel
politician
Thomas Martin Clonan is an Irish senator, security analyst, author and retired Irish Army Captain. He was elected to Seanad Éireann at the 2022 Dublin University by-election. He was re-elected at the 2025 Seanad election.
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17. Alex Barclay
1974-. (aged 52)
writer
children's writer
journalist
crime fiction writer
Yve Williams, née Morris, who writes under the name Alex Barclay, is an Irish journalist and crime writer.
18. Catherine Murphy
1953-. (aged 73)
politician
Catherine Murphy is an Irish former Social Democrats politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare North constituency from 2011 to 2024, and previously from 2005 to 2007. She served as founding joint leader of the Social Democrats from 2015 to 2023.
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19. Bernard Jackman
1976-. (aged 50)
rugby union player
Bernard Jackman is an Irish former rugby union player who played for Connacht, Leinster and Sale Sharks. At international level, he has also played for Ireland. He released his autobiography, Blue Blood in 2011. He coached at FC Grenoble from 2011 to 2017, becoming head coach in 2016. He was head coach of Welsh Pro14 side the Dragons from 2017...
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20. Donna Traynor
1965-. (aged 61)
journalist
Donna Traynor is a journalist and broadcaster in Northern Ireland. She is best known as the former main anchor of BBC Newsline.
21. Samantha Barry
1982-. (aged 44)
journalist
Samantha Barry is the Irish current editor-in-chief for Glamour magazine.
22. Noel Curran
1967-. (aged 59)
television producer
Noel Curran is a former Irish television producer and journalist who has been the director-general of the European Broadcasting Union since October 2017. Curran also previously served as Chairman of Eurovision Services, the former satellite distribution commercial subsidiary of EBU, and the director-general of Ireland's national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) from 2011 to 2016. He has worked in the...
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23. Mary Banotti
1939-2024 (aged 85)
nurse
politician
Mary Elizabeth Banotti was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Dublin constituency from 1984 to 2004.
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24. David Robert Grimes
1985-. (aged 41)
physicist
David Robert Grimes is an Irish science writer with professional training in physics and cancer biology, who contributes to several media outlets on questions of science and society. He has a diverse range of research interests and is a vocal advocate for increased public understanding of science. He was the 2014 recipient of the Sense about Science/Nature Maddox Prize for...
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25. Lorraine Twohill
Lorraine Twohill is an Irish business executive, based in the U.S. state of California. She is the chief marketing officer of Google and has been a board member of Palo Alto Networks, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., and Telegraph Media Group. Prior to joining Google in 2003, she worked for Burns Philp, the Government of Ireland's Bord Fáilte, and Opodo.
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26. Neil Delamere
1980-. (aged 46)
comedian
Neil Delamere is an Irish comedian. He is a regular on the BBC Northern Ireland television show The Blame Game, and was the BBC Fighting Talk Champion of Champions in 2022.
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27. Joanne Cantwell
sports journalist
Gaelic football player
Joanne Cantwell is an Irish sports presenter.
28. Seán Ó Fearghaíl
1960-. (aged 66)
farmer
politician
Seán Ó Fearghaíl is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare South constituency since 2002. He served as the Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from March 2016 to December 2024. He was a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 2000 to 2002.
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29. Seán Óg Ó hAilpín
1977-. (aged 49)
hurler
Gaelic football player
Seán Óg Ó hAilpín is a Fijian-Irish hurler and Gaelic footballer.
30. Sarah Rowe
1995-. (aged 31)
Australian rules football player
association football player
Sarah Linda Rowe is a triple code sportswoman. She currently plays association football for Central Coast Mariners and Australian rules football for Collingwood in the AFLW.
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31. Stephen Cluxton
1981-. (aged 45)
Gaelic football player
teacher
association football player
Stephen Cluxton is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays as a goalkeeper at senior level for the Dublin county team.
32. Angela Nagle
1984-. (aged 42)
opinion journalist
writer
journalist
Angela Nagle is an Irish academic and non-fiction writer who has written for The Baffler, Jacobin, and others. She is the author of the book Kill All Normies, published by Zero Books in 2017, which discusses the role of the internet in the rise of the alt-right and incel movements. Nagle describes the alt-right as a dangerous movement but also...
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33. Michael Murphy
1938-. (aged 88)
television actor
character actor
film producer
actor
film actor
Michael Murphy is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays as a full forward for Glenswilly and for the Donegal county team, which he captained from December 2010 until his initial retirement from inter-county football in November 2022. His predecessors as Donegal players, such as Manus Boyle, Brendan Devenney and Anthony Molloy, regard Murphy as the county's greatest ever footballer. Outside...
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34. Laura Whitmore
1985-. (aged 41)
model
television presenter
actor
radio personality
Laura Whitmore is an Irish media personality, model, and actress based in London. She was a video jockey for MTV in 2008, and has since presented television shows, such as This Morning (2014), Survival of the Fittest (2018), and Love Island (2020–2022). In 2020, Whitmore became a team captain on the comedy panel show Celebrity Juice. In 2023, Whitmore hosted...
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35. John Connolly
1968-. (aged 58)
screenwriter
novelist
writer
journalist
playwright
John Connolly is an Irish writer who is best known for his series of novels starring private detective Charlie Parker.
36. Clare Daly
1968-. (aged 58)
peace activist
politician
Clare Daly is an Irish politician who was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Dublin constituency from July 2019 to July 2024. She is a member of Independents 4 Change, affiliated to The Left in the European Parliament.
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37. Tadhg Furlong
1992-. (aged 34)
rugby union player
Tadhg Vincent Anthony Furlong is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as tighthead prop for United Rugby Championship club Leinster, the Ireland national team and the British & Irish Lions. He has started all three test matches on three British & Irish lions tours.
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38. Helen McEntee
1986-. (aged 40)
politician
Helen McEntee is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence since November 2025 and deputy leader of Fine Gael since October 2024. A Teachta Dála (TD) for the Meath East constituency since 2013, she previously served as Minister for Education and Youth from January to November 2025, as...
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39. Jamie Heaslip
1983-. (aged 43)
rugby union player
James Heaslip is an Irish former rugby union player who represented Leinster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions. He played as a number 8. Heaslip earned 95 caps for Ireland during his international career from 2006 to 2017, making him one of the most capped players in Irish national team history.
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