Famous Screenwriters from Ireland
Aaron McCann is a film director, film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and an actor.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- Arthur Mathews (born 30 April 1959 in Castletown Kilpatrick, Navan, Co Meath, Ireland) is an Irish comedy writer and actor who, often with writing partners such as Graham Linehan, Paul Woodfull and Matt Berry, has either written or contributed to a number of television comedies, such as Father Ted, Big Train, and Toast of London. Mathews has written for other comedy series, including Harry Enfield and Chums.
- Birthplace: County Meath, Republic of Ireland
- Sir Arthur Wing Pinero (24 May 1855 – 23 November 1934) was an English playwright and, early in his career, actor. Pinero was drawn to the theatre from an early age, and became a professional actor at the age of 19. He gained experience as a supporting actor in British provincial theatres, and from 1876 to 1881 was a member of Henry Irving's company, based at the Lyceum Theatre, London. Pinero wrote his first play in 1877. Seven years later, having written 15 more, three of them highly successful, he abandoned acting and became a full-time playwright. He first became known for a series of farces, of which The Magistrate (1885) was the longest-running. During the 1890s he turned to serious subjects. The Second Mrs Tanqueray (1893), dealing with a woman with a scandalous past, was regarded as shocking, but ran well and made a large profit. His other successes included Trelawny of the "Wells" (1898), a romantic comedy celebrating the theatre, old and new, and The Gay Lord Quex, about a reformed roué and a feisty young woman. A venture into opera, with a libretto for The Beauty Stone (1898), was not a success, and Pinero thereafter generally stuck to his familiar genre of society dramas and comedies. Although he continued to write throughout the first three decades of the 20th century and into the fourth, its is Pinero's work from the 1880s and 1890s that has endured. There have been numerous revivals of many of his plays; and some have been adapted for the cinema or as musicals. By his later years, Pinero was seen as old-fashioned, and his last plays were not successful. He died in London at the age of 79.
- Birthplace: London, United Kingdom
- Barry Dignam (born March 31, 1971) is an Irish filmmaker. Some of his films are Chicken, Dream Kitchen, Stages, Bounce and A Ferret Called Mickey.
- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Bing Bailey
Bing Bailey is a film director, screenwriter, film producer, film editor and casting director.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- Brendan Francis Aidan Behan (christened Francis Behan) ( BEE-ən; Irish: Breandán Ó Beacháin; 9 February 1923 – 20 March 1964) was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist and playwright who wrote in both English and Irish. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Irish writers of all time.An Irish republican and a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army, Behan was born in Dublin into a staunchly republican family becoming a member of the IRA's youth organisation Fianna Éireann at the age of fourteen. However, there was also a strong emphasis on Irish history and culture in the home, which meant he was steeped in literature and patriotic ballads from an early age. Behan eventually joined the IRA at sixteen, which led to his serving time in a borstal youth prison in the United Kingdom and he was also imprisoned in Ireland. During this time, he took it upon himself to study and he became a fluent speaker of the Irish language. Subsequently released from prison as part of a general amnesty given by the Fianna Fáil government in 1946, Behan moved between homes in Dublin, Kerry and Connemara, and also resided in Paris for a time. In 1954, Behan's first play The Quare Fellow, was produced in Dublin. It was well received; however, it was the 1956 production at Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop in Stratford, London, that gained Behan a wider reputation. This was helped by a famous drunken interview on BBC television. In 1958, Behan's play in the Irish language An Giall had its debut at Dublin's Damer Theatre. Later, The Hostage, Behan's English-language adaptation of An Giall, met with great success internationally. Behan's autobiographical novel, Borstal Boy, was published the same year and became a worldwide best-seller and by 1955, Behan had married Beatrice ffrench Salkeld, with whom he later had a daughter Blanaid Behan in 1963. By the early 1960s, Behan reached the peak of his fame. He spent increasing amounts of time in New York, famously declaring, "To America, my new found land: The man that hates you hates the human race." By this point, Behan began spending time with people including Harpo Marx and Arthur Miller and was followed by a young Bob Dylan. He even turned down his invitation to the inauguration of John F. Kennedy. However, this newfound fame did nothing to aid his health or his work, with his medical condition continuing to deteriorate: Brendan Behan's New York and Confessions of an Irish Rebel received little praise. He briefly attempted to combat this by a sober stretch while staying at Chelsea Hotel in New York, but once again turned back to drink. Behan died on the 20th of March, 1964 after collapsing at the Harbour Lights bar in Dublin. He was given a full IRA guard of honour, which escorted his coffin. It was described by several newspapers as the biggest Irish funeral of all time after Michael Collins and Charles Stewart Parnell.
- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- Brendan McCarthy is an Irish film producer and screenwriter based in Dublin, Ireland. Together with John McDonnell, McCarthy runs the Oscar-winning production company Fantastic Films (Ireland).
Ciaran Creagh
Age: 60Ciaran Creagh is an Irish writer from Dublin who writes for the theatre and film. He has had three plays publicly performed and his first film, PARKED, starring Colm Meaney and Colin Morgan. Element Pictures Distribution released the film in Ireland and the UK in October 2011 and Olive Films will release the film in America in 2012. Fred Daly returns to Ireland with nowhere to live but his car. Then dope-smoking 21-year-old Cathal parks beside him and brightens up his lonely world. Encouraged by Cathal, Fred meets attractive music teacher Jules. Growing closer, these three outsiders are set on a course that will change their lives forever. OFFICIAL SELECTION 2011 Brussels Film Festival, Belgium 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival 2011 International Film Festival Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2011 Göteborg International Film Festival, Sweden 2011 Irish Film Festival Boston, USA 2011 Dallas International Film Festival, USA 2010 Torino Film Festival, Italy AWARDS Aer Lingus Best Feature Award - The Irish Film Festival Boston 2011 Target Narrative Feature - Honorable Mention - Dallas International Film Festival 2011- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Ciaran Davies
Ciaran Davies is an actor, film producer, film director, screenwriter and film editor.- Conor McDermottroe is an actor, screenwriter and film director.
- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Sligo
Conor Morrissey
Conor Morrissey is a film director, screenwriter, actor, film editor and film producer.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- David Noel Bourke (born December 20, 1970) is a Denmark-based, Irish-born award-winning independent filmmaker.An efficient writer, director, and editor, has made three independent feature films: LAST EXIT (2003), NO RIGHT TURN (2009), and BAKERMAN (2016). These films have been launched around the world.The latest feature film BAKERMAN was officially selected to screen at CPH:PIX, DIFF 2017, FILMFEST MUNICH 2017., Scandinavian International Film Festival , Richard Harris International Film Festival and the Lund International Fantastic Film Festival and screened exclusively in NEW YORK at the Nordic International Film Festival where Bakerman's lead actor Mikkel Vadsholt won the BEST ACTOR AWARD for the portrayal of the character Jens in the lead role. The director announced in an interview with film magazine Cinema Scandinavia that his next project will be a science fiction film.
- Birthplace: Limerick, Republic of Ireland
- Denis Leary, a prominent figure in the world of comedy, has carved out an enduring legacy through his extensive career as a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. Born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, Leary found his passion for comedy at Emerson College in Boston, where he founded the Emerson Comedy Workshop. This was a clear indication of his innate talent and dedication to the comedic arts, which would go on to shape his professional trajectory. Leary's breakthrough came in 1990 when he appeared on The Rascals Comedy Hour on MTV. His acerbic wit and signature rapid-fire delivery quickly garnered attention, leading to his own stand-up special, No Cure for Cancer, in 1993. This special solidified Leary's place in pop culture, with his satirical song Asshole becoming a runaway hit. However, Leary's talents weren't confined to the stage; he branched out into acting, starring in critically acclaimed films such as The Ref and Two If by Sea. Notably, he also lent his voice to animated characters in popular films like Ice Age and A Bug's Life. In addition to his work in front of the camera, Leary showcased his adeptness behind the scenes as well. He co-created the television series Rescue Me, where he portrayed a troubled firefighter grappling with post-9/11 trauma. The series was praised for its raw depiction of firefighters' lives, earning Leary Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Writing. Beyond his professional achievements, Leary has made significant contributions to society with the Leary Firefighters Foundation, established after the loss of his cousin and a close friend in a devastating fire. Despite his fame and success, Denis Leary remains a dedicated artist and philanthropist, continuing to influence the entertainment industry through his distinctive comedic style and unwavering commitment to his craft.
- Birthplace: USA, Massachusetts, Worcester
Dermot Tynan
Age: 63Dermot Tynan (born 20 September 1961) is an Irish film director. Most recently, he wrote and directed the film A Place in my Heart with Suki Webster and Marc Culwick. He is the owner of Claddagh Films, an independent film and television company in the west of Ireland.- Birthplace: Porthcawl, United Kingdom
Dermott Petty
Dermott Petty is an independent filmmaker from Lisdoonvarna, County Clare in Ireland.- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Lisdoonvarna
- Once you get past the intimidating-looking name (hint: it rhymes with tonal) and his impressive pedigree (his father is well-known Irish actor Brendan Gleeson), it's easy to see why the multi-talented Domhnall Gleeson has become so successful. Though he initially resisted becoming an actor, early appearances in two U.K. miniseries, "Rebel Heart" (BBC, 2001) and "The Last Furlong" (RTE, 2005), eventually gave way to roles in plays such as David Mamet's "American Buffalo" and Martin McDonagh's "The Lieutenant of Inishmore." Projects like his 2009 self-written directorial debut, the short film "What Will Survive Us," and his stint as a writer and performer on the Irish sketch-comedy series "Your Bad Self" (RTE, 2010) fueled Gleeson's creativity, while his role as Bill Weasley in the epic "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" (2010) and "Part 2" (2011), along with memorable performances in "Never Let Me Go" (2010) and "True Grit" (2010), provided international exposure. After a strong 2012 that found him in both "Shadow Dancer" and "Anna Karenina," it seemed like the once-reluctant Domhnall Gleeson finally became comfortable with being an actor. That quickly led to a string of even higher-profile roles, including a starring role in science fiction love story "Ex Machina" (2015) and the period drama "Brooklyn" (2015), as well as key supporting roles in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "The Revenant" (2015), Darren Aronofsky's "mother!" (2017), Doug Liman's "American Made" (2017) and both "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015) and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" (2017).
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Dónal Foreman
Age: 39Dónal Foreman is a film director, film producer, screenwriter, and film editor.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- Dylan Moran was a comedian, writer, and actor best known for his starring role in the cult British comedy "Black Books." He was born in 1971 in the village of Navan, Ireland. His father was a carpenter, and growing up he attended St. Patrick's Classical School before leaving at the age of 16. After leaving school, Moran spent a year of his life struggling to find his way before he began to pursue comedy. At the age of 17 Moran found himself unqualified for most work, but he was strongly attracted to the field of comedy, and he began performing stand-up comedy at a local club in 1992. Within a year of his debut, he entered Channel Four's comedy competition at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival and won the comedy newcomer's "So You Think You're Funny" award. His stand-up show "Gurgling for Money" earned him the Perrier Comedy Award in 1996; at the time, he was the youngest person to ever earn the prize. This quick success led to a nationwide tour of the UK and performances at stand-up festivals across the globe.
- Birthplace: Navan, County Meath, Ireland
- Edward Byrne may refer to: Edward Byrne (police officer) (1966–1988), murdered police officer in the New York City Police Department Edward Abraham Byrne (1864–1938), Irish-American civil engineer Edward 'Doc' Byrne, journalist and newspaper editor Edward Gerald Byrne (c. 1913–2003), New Brunswick politician Edward Joseph Byrne (1872–1940), Irish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church Ed Byrne (academic) (born 1952), neuroscientist and Principal of King's College London Ed Byrne (comedian) (born 1972), Irish comedian Ed Byrne (musician), American trombonist, composer and bandleader Ed Byrne (politician) (born 1963), Canadian politician Ed Byrne (rugby union) (born 1993), Irish rugby union player Eddie Byrne (footballer) (born 1951), Irish footballer Eddie Byrne (hurler) (1905–1944), Irish hurler Eddie Byrne (1911–1981), Irish actor Ned Byrne (born 1948), Irish hurler and rugby player
- Birthplace: Swords, Dublin, Ireland
Eilis Kirwan
Age: 53Eilis Kirwan is an Irish film director and screenwriter who was nominated for the Genie Award for Best Original Screenplay for the 2010 film The Whistleblower along with Larysa Kondracki. Born in Dublin, in 1972, Kirwan also won an Ardmore Studios Award at the 2004 Kerry Film Festival and won the 2004 Galway Film Fleadh Short Film Award for Best First Short both for 2004's Nostradamus and Me. She studied English and History at University College Dublin then co-founded Doubletake Theatre Company where she wrote and produced original plays.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- Enda Walsh (born 1967) is an Irish playwright.
- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Dublin
- Eoin Macken's acting talents were showcased on the big screen many times throughout the course of his Hollywood career. Macken marked his early career with roles in "Merlin" (2008-2013) and the Michael Fassbender adventure "Centurion" (2010). Later, he acted in "Suspension of Disbelief" (2013) with Sebastian Koch, "The Night Shift" (NBC, 2013-) and "Killing Jesus" (National Geographic Channel, 2014). Macken acted in the thriller "The Forest" (2016) with Natalie Dormer before co-starring in Paul W.S. Anderson's "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" (2017).
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Fintan Connolly
Fintan Connolly is an Irish film director, screenwriter and producer living in Dublin. Most of his earlier work has been in television documentaries, where he explores social issues in Ireland through a series of interviews. He has also made films, notably Flick (2000), Trouble with Sex (2005) and Eliot & Me (2012) through his production company Fubar Films.Frank Deasy
Dec. at 50 (1959-2009)Frank Deasy (19 May 1959 – 17 September 2009) was an Irish screenwriter. He won an Emmy Award for the television series Prime Suspect and was also nominated for his works, Looking After Jo Jo and The Grass Arena. His other works included the BBC/HBO mini-series, The Passion.Preceding his death from liver cancer on 17 September 2009, Deasy spoke in public about his condition. An appearance on RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline led to a record increase in organ donor card requests in Ireland.- Birthplace: Dublin, Artane, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- Professor Frank McGuinness (born 1953) is an Irish writer. As well as his own plays, which include The Factory Girls, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me and Dolly West's Kitchen, he is recognised for a "strong record of adapting literary classics, having translated the plays of Racine, Sophocles, Ibsen, Garcia Lorca, and Strindberg to critical acclaim". He has also published four collections of poetry, and two novels. McGuinness has been Professor of Creative Writing at University College Dublin (UCD) since 2007.
- Birthplace: Buncrana, Republic of Ireland
- Gabriel Byrne is a renowned Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. Born on May 12, 1950, in Dublin, Ireland, Byrne's early life was marked by a deep interest in the arts, which he pursued despite initial challenges. His dedication saw him attending University College Dublin, where he studied archaeology and linguistics, providing a solid foundation for his later career. Byrne made his acting debut in the Irish drama series The Riordans and quickly gained recognition for his talent. This initial success opened doors to Hollywood, where he starred in films such as Miller's Crossing, The Usual Suspects, and Stigmata. Byrne's performance in these films demonstrated his chameleon-like ability to adapt to diverse roles, earning him critical acclaim and a loyal fan base. Notably, his role in In Treatment, an HBO drama series, won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. Beyond acting, Gabriel Byrne has also made significant contributions behind the scenes. He has produced several films, including the Academy Award-nominated In the Name of the Father. As a writer, he penned the memoir Walking with Ghosts, which has been praised for its introspective and evocative storytelling. Byrne's work as Ireland's Cultural Ambassador furthered his commitment to promoting Irish culture worldwide, while his narration for audiobooks showcased his versatile talents.
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
The 50+ Best Gabriel Byrne MoviesSee all
- 1Miller's Crossing40 Votes
- 2Little Women43 Votes
- 3The Usual Suspects49 Votes
- Gerard "Gerry" Stembridge (b. 1958, County Limerick, Ireland) is an Irish writer, director and actor. He was educated at CBS Sexton Street in Limerick and later at Castleknock College. While attending University College Dublin, he was auditor of the Literary and Historical Society. He taught English and drama at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Clontarf.
- Birthplace: Limerick, Republic of Ireland
Gerard Beirne
Age: 62Gerard Beirne is an Irish author currently living in Canada. Beirne was the writer in residence for the 2008-2009 academical year at the University of New Brunswick, where he currently works at the English Department. He is a Fiction Editor of The Fiddlehead Literary Magazine - Canada's longest surviving literary magazine. He also curates the on-line magazines The Irish Literary Times and The New Brunswick Literary Times.His most recent collection of poems, Games of Chance - A Gambler's Manual, was published by Oberon Press, Fall 2011. His novel The Eskimo in the Net was published by Marion Boyars in 2003 and was short-listed for the 2004 Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award. It was selected by the Daily Express as Book of the Year. His collection of poetry, Digging My Own Grave (published by Dedalus Press) was runner-up for the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award. His story, "Sightings of Bono", was adapted for Irish film and featured Bono (of U2), it is now available as an eBook. Beirne's CD of spoken word poetry - If it's words you're after - was released in 2006. He is a past winner of two Sunday Tribune/Hennessey Literary Awards including as New Irish Writer of the Year 1996. His collaboration with classical composer Siobhán Cleary (Hum), was called "a theatrical tour de force" by The Irish Times. In 2009, Oberon Press published his second novel, Turtle. His first short story collection, In a Time of Drought and Hunger, was published in 2015 and was a shortlisted nominee for the 2016 Danuta Gleed Literary Award.- Birthplace: County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland
Gísli Örn Gardarsson
Age: 51Gísli Örn Gardarsson is an actor.- Birthplace: Iceland
Glenn McQuaid
Age: 51Glenn McQuaid is a film director, producer, editor and screenwriter.- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Dublin
- Graham Linehan (, born 22 May 1968) is an Irish comedian who, in collaboration with Arthur Mathews, has written or co-written a string of television comedies. He created or co-created the sitcoms Father Ted, Black Books and The IT Crowd. He has also written for Count Arthur Strong, Brass Eye and The Fast Show.
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
- Herbert Brenon was an Irish director and writer who was best known for directing "Sorrell and Son" and "Laugh, Clown, Laugh." Brenon was nominated for an Academy Award in 1928 for the first project.
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
- Hugh Leonard (9 November 1926 – 12 February 2009) was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote nearly 30 full-length plays, 10 one-act plays, three volumes of essays, two autobiographies, three novels and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
- A young dramatic actor of film and TV who has appeared in several dark big-screen dramas, the Irish-born O'Conor (not to be confused with the late American actor Hugh O'Connor) began acting at the age of eight in the TV show "The Irish RM" (RTE). He went on to appear in "Rawhead Rex" and "Fear of the Dark" as well as radio dramas and stage shows like "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Ian FitzGibbon
Age: 63Ian Fitzgibbon is an Irish film and television actor/director. He is perhaps best known for directing Spin the Bottle, A Film with Me in It and the Comedy Central UK show Threesome, and for the role of Fr. Jessup in Father Ted. In 2014, he won an IFTA for director television drama for the Sky sitcom Moone Boy.- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Dublin
Jack Henley
Dec. at 61 (1896-1958)Jack Henley was a writer who was known for writing "A Thousand and One Nights," "Reveille With Beverly," and "A Night to Remember."- Birthplace: Ireland
- Jim Sheridan (born 6 February 1949) is an Irish playwright, screenwriter, film director, and film producer. In the few years from 1989 to 1993, Sheridan directed two critically acclaimed films set in Ireland (My Left Foot and In the Name of the Father) that between them received 13 Academy Award nominations. Sheridan has personally received six Academy Award nominations. In addition to the above-mentioned films, he is also known for the films The Boxer and In America.
- Birthplace: Wicklow, Republic of Ireland
- Jimmy Carr is an an actor who began his entertainment career at the young age of 13. He also appeared in the TV movie "Liberty" (NBC, 1985-86). During the early stages of his acting career, Carr worked in films like the Penn Jillette comedy adventure "Penn & Teller Get Killed" (1989). He then appeared in the Alex Pettyfer thrilling adaptation "Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker" (2006), the comedy "Alien Autopsy" (2006) with Anthony McPartlin and the comedy "Confetti" (2006) with Martin Freeman. He also appeared in the Tom Riley foreign "I Want Candy" (2007). Additionally, he appeared on the television special "History of the Joke" (History, 2007-08). He also worked in television during these years, including a part on "The Green Room With Paul Provenza" (Showtime, 2009-2011). Carr most recently worked on "Concert for the Queen: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration with Katie Couric" (ABC, 2011-12).
- Birthplace: Isleworth, West London, England, UK
- John Carney (born 1972) is an Irish film director, producer, screenwriter, and lyricist who specialises in low-budget musical drama films. He is best known for his 2007 movie Once and the film Sing Street. He is also a co-creator of the Irish TV drama series Bachelors Walk.
- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Dublin
- John Moore (born 1970) is an Irish film director and producer best known for action war film Behind Enemy Lines and for the most recent entry in the long-running Die Hard franchise, A Good Day to Die Hard.
- Birthplace: Dundalk, Republic of Ireland
John Morton
Age: 41John Morton is an actor, screenwriter and film director.- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Kilkenny
- Arthur Joyce Lunel Cary (7 December 1888 – 29 March 1957) was an Anglo-Irish novelist.
- Birthplace: Londonderry, United Kingdom
- Karl John Geary (born 31 May 1972) is an Irish-born American actor and author.
- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Dublin
Kealan O'Rourke
Kealan O'Rourke is a film director, screenwriter and cinematographer.Kevin Lehane
Kevin Lehane is an Irish screenwriter. In 2009, his speculative screenplay Grabbers was listed on the Brit List and in late 2010 it began production marking his feature film debut. In 2013, he was nominated for a Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best First Feature and an IFTA Award for his script to Grabbers at the 10th Annual Irish Film and Television Academy awards.- Kirsten Sheridan was an Irish-born writer and director who rose to prominence in 2002 after co-writing, along with her father Jim and sister Naomi, the Oscar-nominated drama, "In America." Born in Dublin in 1976, Sheridan moved with her family to New York City in the early '80s. It was there that the Sheridans endured a life of relative poverty, as her father worked tirelessly to jumpstart his career as a theater actor and director. In the late '80s, her father moved the family back to Ireland so that he could direct Daniel Day-Lewis in the biographical drama "My Left Foot" (1989). Sheridan played a small role as Lewis's sister in the film, which went on to earn two Academy Awards, including a Best Director nod for Jim Sheridan. Following in her father's footsteps, Sheridan enrolled in various film schools throughout the early 90s, before graduating with a film degree from Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dublin in 1998. Her thesis short film during college, "Patterns" (1998), also racked up several international film awards, and thus signaled the emergence of a new filmmaking talent in the Sheridan clan. Sheridan helmed her debut feature, "Disco Pigs," in 2001. The film was well-received by critics but little seen outside of her native Ireland. Then the following year Sheridan co-wrote "In America" along with her father and sister, Naomi Sheridan. The film, about the Sheridan family's early years of poverty and struggle in New York City, was an unexpected hit, and earned Kirsten Sheridan an Oscar nod for Best Screenplay. Inspired by the unprecedented success of "In America," Sheridan made two more features over the next 10 years, "August Rush" (2007) and "Dollhouse" (2010), neither of which garnered the positive attention of "In America." In 2015 it was announced that Sheridan would be adapting a popular series of Scandinavian detective novels called The Boy in the Suitcase for Amazon Studios, her first television project.
- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Dublin
Lorcan Finnegan
Lorcan Finnegan is a film director, screenwriter and a film editor.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Louis Marcus
Age: 89Louis Marcus is a film director, film producer and screenwriter.- Birthplace: Cork, Republic of Ireland
Macdara Vallely
Macdara Vallely is a screenwriter, film director, and film editor.- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland
- Margo Harkin (born October 1951 in Derry) is an Irish filmmaker. Best known for the drama Hush-a-Bye Baby and the documentary Bloody Sunday: A Derry Diary, Harkin produced the surfing documentary Waveriders in 2008.
- Birthplace: Londonderry, United Kingdom
Mark Cousins
Age: 59Mark Cousins (born 3 May 1965) is a director and occasional presenter/critic on film. A prolific producer and director, he is best known for his 15-hour 2011 documentary The Story of Film: An Odyssey.- Birthplace: Belfast, United Kingdom
- Mark O'Halloran is an Irish scriptwriter and actor. He is a native of Ennis, County Clare. He has written award-winning screenplays for the films Adam & Paul (in which he co-starred) and Garage and the RTÉ mini-series Prosperity. In 2019 he starred with Stephen Graham in the Channel 4 miniseries The Virtues, written and directed by Shane Meadows.
- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Ennis
Mark O'Rowe
Age: 55Mark O'Rowe is an Irish playwright and screenwriter.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- One of the most acclaimed European playwrights of the late 20th and early 21st century, Martin McDonagh was the author of several Tony-nominated plays, including "The Beauty Queen of Leenane" (1996) and "The Cripple of Inishmaan" (1996) before segueing into a successful second career as a film writer and director. McDonagh's plays, which bristled with nationalist anger and dark humor as they addressed the emotional and political state of Ireland, earned him the praise of critics and theatergoers alike on both sides of the Atlantic. Both were undoubtedly dismayed by his abandonment of theater for film in 2006, but his efforts in that field - the Oscar-winning short "Six Shooter" (2006) and the Oscar-nominated "In Bruges" (2008) - established him as one of the most talented voices in international film. As an author, he returned to the stage with "A Behanding in Spokane" in 2010, his first piece to be set in America. The Broadway production starred Christopher Walken, who worked for McDonagh again in "Seven Psychopaths" (2012), a bloody black comedy co-starring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson. A truly unique voice in both film and theater, McDonagh continued to build his impressive body of work with projects that deftly displayed his humor and ink-black view of humanity.
- Birthplace: Camberwell, London, England, UK
Martin Meenan
Martin Meenan is a screenwriter.- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland
- Michael McElhatton (born 12 September 1963) is an Irish actor and writer best known for playing the role of Roose Bolton in the HBO series Game of Thrones. He joined the series as a guest star in the second season, and continued to play this role until season 6, promoted to a regular cast member from the fifth season onwards.
- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland
Monckton Hoffe
Dec. at 70 (1880-1951)Monckton Hoffe was a writer who was best known for writing "The Lady Eve" and "Street Angel." Hoffe was nominated for an Academy Award in 1942 for the first project.- Birthplace: Connemara, Ireland
Montgomery Tully
Dec. at 83 (1904-1988)Montgomery Tully (1904–1988) was an Irish film director and writer.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- Neil Patrick Jordan (born 25 February 1950) is an Irish film director, screenwriter, novelist and short-story writer. His first book, Night in Tunisia, won a Somerset Maugham Award and the Guardian Fiction Prize in 1979. He won an Academy Award (Best Original Screenplay) for The Crying Game (1992). He has also won three Irish Film and Television Awards, as well as the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival for The Butcher Boy (1997).Jordan also created The Borgias (2011 TV series) for Showtime.
- Birthplace: Sligo, Ireland
Niall Maher
Age: 38Niall Maher is a screenwriter.- Birthplace: Clonmel, Republic of Ireland
- Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the circumstances of his criminal conviction for "gross indecency", imprisonment, and early death at age 46. Wilde's parents were successful Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. Their son became fluent in French and German early in life. At university, Wilde read Greats; he proved himself to be an outstanding classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Oxford. He became known for his involvement in the rising philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles. As a spokesman for aestheticism, he tried his hand at various literary activities: he published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on the new "English Renaissance in Art" and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he worked prolifically as a journalist. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). The opportunity to construct aesthetic details precisely, and combine them with larger social themes, drew Wilde to write drama. He wrote Salome (1891) in French while in Paris but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Unperturbed, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London. At the height of his fame and success, while The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) was still being performed in London, Wilde had the Marquess of Queensberry prosecuted for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel trial unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and trial for gross indecency with men. After two more trials he was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison, he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in 1905), a long letter which discusses his spiritual journey through his trials, forming a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On his release, he left immediately for France, never to return to Ireland or Britain. There he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
The Best Oscar Wilde QuotesSee all
1The difference between literature and journalism is that journalism is unreadable and literature is not read.13 Votes- 2I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works.11 Votes
- 3It is only the modern that ever becomes old-fashioned.9 Votes
- Irish actor Owen Moore captivated audiences with his incredible performances on the big screen. Moore started his acting career landing roles in films, such as "A Divorce of Convenience" (1921), "Her Temporary Husband" (1923) and "Hollywood" (1923). He also appeared in "The Black Bird" (1926) and "The Road to Mandalay" (1926) with Lon Chaney. He continued to act in productions like "The Skyrocket" (1926), "Husbands For Rent" (1927) and "The Red Mill" (1927). He also appeared in the dramatic adaptation "The Actress" (1928) with Norma Shearer and the Carole Lombard drama "High Voltage" (1929). In the latter part of his career, he continued to act in "Stolen Love" (1929), the Mary Nolan crime feature "Outside the Law" (1930) and "What a Widow!" (1930). He also appeared in "As You Desire Me" (1932) and the Mae West dramatic adaptation "She Done Him Wrong" (1933). Moore last acted in the drama "A Star Is Born" (1937) with Janet Gaynor. Moore was married to Katherine Perry. Moore passed away in June 1939 at the age of 53.
- Birthplace: County Meath, Ireland
- Pat Shortt is an actor who appeared in "Life's a Breeze," "The Banshees of Inisherin," and "Song of the Sea."
- Birthplace: County Tipperary, Ireland
Patrick Campbell, 3rd Baron Glenavy
Dec. at 67 (1913-1980)Patrick Gordon Campbell, 3rd Baron Glenavy (6 June 1913 – 10 November 1980), known as Patrick Campbell, was an Irish journalist, humorist and television personality.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Patrick Chapman
Age: 57- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland
- This tall, blond, blue-eyed and charismatic leading man of the British stage, TV and films could have been one of the Western world's biggest movie stars. However McGoohan seemed unsuited for this role by both disposition and conviction. Back in the late 1950s/early 60s when he was a rising young actor on the West End London stage, McGoohan was offered the potentially star-making role of James Bond, Agent 007 on Her Majesty's Secret Service. He rejected the part on moral grounds fearing that Bond would be an unhealthy image for his daughters to see. The producers made do with a handsome young Scot named Sean Connery while McGoohan went on to gain some measure of international stardom playing a very different secret agent on British TV.
- Birthplace: Astoria, New York, USA
Patrick Whyte
Dec. at 77 (1907-1984)Patrick Whyte was an actor and screenwriter.- Birthplace: Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Paul Rowley
Age: 54Paul Rowley is a film director, film editor, cinematographer, actor, screenwriter and film producer.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- Paul Tylak is an Irish writer, actor and comedian.
- Paul Woodfull (born 1957 in Dublin) is an Irish writer, actor, comedian and musician. He has written two television series, a CD and the comedy musical play I, Keano. He is a graduate of the National College of Art and Design in Dublin.
- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- Raymond Khoury (Arabic: ريمون خوري) (born in Beirut, Lebanon) is a screenwriter and novelist, best known as the author of the 2006 New York Times Bestseller The Last Templar.
- Birthplace: Beirut, Lebanon
- Rex Ingram (15 January 1892 – 21 July 1950) was an Irish film director, producer, writer and actor. Director Erich von Stroheim once called him "the world's greatest director".
- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, Dublin
Robert McKenzie
Dec. at 68 (1880-1949)Robert McKenzie was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. McKenzie began his acting career with roles in such films as the western "A Six Shootin' Romance" (1926) with Jack Hoxie, the western "Bad Man's Bluff" (1926) with Buffalo Bill Jr and the adaptation "Cimarron" (1930) with Richard Dix. He also appeared in the Buck Jones western "Ridin' For Justice" (1932), the Lupe Velez comedy "Half Naked Truth" (1932) and "Inside Information" (1934). He kept working in film throughout the thirties, starring in the W C Fields comedy "You're Telling Me" (1934), the Tim McCoy western "The Man From Guntown" (1935) and the western "Lawless Riders" (1935) with Ken Maynard. He also appeared in "Heart of the West" (1936). Film continued to be his passion as he played roles in "The Cowboy and the Kid" (1936) with Buck Jones, "God's Country and the Man" (1937) with Tom Keene and "Smoke Tree Range" (1937). He also appeared in the musical "Sing, Cowboy, Sing" (1937) with Tex Ritter and the Robert Allen western "Reckless Ranger" (1937). McKenzie more recently acted in the Dickie Moore musical "Jive Junction" (1943). McKenzie passed away in July 1949 at the age of 69.- Birthplace: Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland
Ronan Bennett
Age: 69Ronan Bennett (born 14 January 1956) is a Northern Irish novelist and screenwriter.- Birthplace: Newtownabbey, United Kingdom
- Sean Martin (born in Weston-super-Mare, England, in 1966) is an Anglo-Irish writer and film director. He has written popular books on the Knights Templar and the Cathars, and appeared on History Channel documentaries such as Decoding the Past: The Templar Code and in Channel 5's Secrets of the Cross: The Trial of the Knights Templar. Martin studied film and history in Plymouth, and later lived in London. He is also a poet, and has had a number of poems published in various magazines in the UK and Ireland, and also won the 2011 Wigtown Poetry Prize. His book The Gnostics: The First Christian Heretics, was on the early Christian Gnostics.[1] He wrote a book on new wave cinema, published in 2013.
- Birthplace: Weston-super-Mare, United Kingdom
- Shane Connaughton (born 4 April 1941 in Kingscourt County Cavan ) is an Irish writer and actor, probably best known as co-writer of the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for My Left Foot. He also co-wrote the screenplays for the Academy Award-winning 1980 short film The Dollar Bottom and 1992 film The Playboys, as well as other screenplays and plays. He won the Hennessy Award in 1985.Connaughton is the author of the books A Border Station (1989), The Run of the Country (1991), and Big Parts (2009). He adapted The Run of the Country for the screen in 1995 and published a book about its filming, A Border Diary, the same year. A Border Station, a short story collection, was a bestseller in Ireland and was shortlisted for the Guinness Peat Award. His first two books are both set in the County Cavan village of Redhills, where he grew up, and The Playboys and The Run of the Country were filmed there.Connaughton attended Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and has worked as a theatre and film actor, appearing in Coronation Street, Mike Leigh's Four Days in July, Neil Jordan's The Miracle, and The Playboys, among other roles. Connaughton is married and has two children. He lives in London much of the time.
- Birthplace: Kingscourt, Republic of Ireland
Shane O'Sullivan
Age: 56Shane O'Sullivan (born 1969) is an Irish writer and filmmaker, based in London. He is best known for his work on the assassination of Robert Kennedy. His feature documentary RFK Must Die is the first theatrical documentary on the case since Ted Charach's The Second Gun twenty-five years ago. His book on the case, Who Killed Bobby? The Unsolved Murder of Robert F. Kennedy was published by Union Square Press to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of the assassination on 5 June 2008.His most recent film Children of the Revolution is a feature documentary about Ulrike Meinhof and Fusako Shigenobu, leaders of the German Red Army Faction and the Japanese Red Army.- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland
- Sharon Horgan is a multi-talented Irish TV writer and actress, best known for creating the widely-acclaimed TV shows "Pulling" (BBC Three, 2006-09), "Catastrophe" (Channel 4, 2015-19) and "Divorce" (HBO, 2016-2019). Horgan was born in Hackney, London in 1970. Her mother was of Irish descent, while her father was from New Zealand. When Horgan was four-years-old, her parents relocated the family to a farm in Ireland. Horgan's Mom and Dad bought the farm and planned to raise turkeys on it. Horgan had fond memories of this period of her childhood. Seeing as the entire family was asked to help out on the farm, it was Horgan's job to pluck the turkeys-a job she eventually became quite good at. Although Horgan would not start acting professionally until years later, she made her TV debut when she was 18 as a backup dancer on the Irish entertainment show for teenagers "Jo Maxi" (RTE Two/Network 2, 1988-1993). By her early 20s, Sharon Horgan's desire to act grew to be incredibly strong. She was still living in Ireland, however, which meant that her choice of professional screen acting opportunities was minimal at best. Thus, to embark on a career in the field, Horgan decided to leave the turkey farm behind and move to London. Upon her arrival in England, Horgan attempted to gain acceptance into one of London's numerous acting school, only to be rejected every time. Horgan's persistence was dogged, however. Rather than pack up and move back to Ireland, she decided to stay in London, taking whatever odd jobs she could find to pay the bills. Horgan would eventually go on to earn a degree from West London's Brunei University in English and American studies at the age of 30. It was also around this period during college that Horgan met the writer Dennis Kelly. Both Kelly and Horgan were working in youth theater at the time, and found that they had similar comedic sensibilities. They soon began writing comedic sketches together, and sending them along to the BBC. As it turned out, one of those sketches won the BBC's 2001 New Comedy Award for Sketch Writing. It was the biggest break in Horgan's fledgling entertainment up until that point. Fresh off the high of winning the award, Horgan's career began taking off. In the early 2000s she appeared in on the TV shows "Comedy Lab" (Channel 4/E4, 1998-2011) and "The Pilot Show" (E4, 2003), and also wrote episodes for and starred in the pitch-black British comedy series "Monkey Dust" (BBC Three, 2003-05). Horgan continued building up her acting resume throughout the early to mid-2000s, before landing her first big TV break in 2006 when she co-created the British comedy series "Pulling" (BBC Three, 2006-09). The series, which she co-created with her longtime writing partner Dennis Kelly, was lauded by both critics and fans. Despite good ratings, however, "Pulling" was cancelled after two seasons. Undeterred, Horgan continued writing and acting at a furious pace. By the early 2010s she began appearing in films also, including "Death of a Superhero" (2011), "Run & Jump" (2013), and "Man Up" (2015). She also co-created and starred in the prison sitcom "Dead Boss" (BBC Three, 2012). That series, however, ran for only one season. In 2015 Horgan had another breakout hit with "Catastrophe," which she co-created with Rob Delaney, and starred in. The show ran for four seasons on Channel 4, and would go on to earn numerous award nominations, including two Primetime Emmy nods. During the run of "Catastrophe," the ever inexhaustible Horgan also found the time to create the critically acclaimed HBO comedy-series "Divorce." That series, which starred Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church, ran for three season on the premium cable network. Both "Catastrophe" and "Divorce" ended their runs in 2019, but once again, Sharon Horgan showed no signs of slowing down. In addition to executive producing the TV shows "Frayed" (Sky TV/ABC, 2019) and "This Way Up" (Channel 4, 2019), the latter of which she also starred in, Horgan also wrote and directed an episode of "Modern Love" (Amazon, 2019- ). Despite having a vast amount of experience writing, producing and starring in TV shows, it was only the second time Horgan had directed for television.
- Birthplace: Hackney, London, England, UK
Shirley Weir
Age: 45Shirley Weir is a screenwriter, film producer and editor.- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland
- Siobhan Máire Deirdre Fahey ( shə-VAWN FAH-hee; born 10 September 1958) is an Irish singer and musician, whose vocal range is a light contralto. She was a founding member of the 1980s British girl group Bananarama, who had several top 10 hits including the US number one hit single "Venus". She later formed the Brit Award and Ivor Novello Award-winning musical act Shakespears Sister, who had a UK number one hit with the 1992 single "Stay". Fahey joined the other original members of Bananarama for a 2017 UK Tour, and later in 2018, a North America and European Tour.
- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- Terence Alan Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002), known as Spike Milligan, was a British-Irish comedian, writer, poet, playwright and actor. The son of an Irish father and an English mother, Milligan was born in India where he spent his childhood, relocating to live and work the majority of his life in the United Kingdom. Disliking his first name, he began to call himself "Spike" after hearing the band Spike Jones and his City Slickers on Radio Luxembourg.Milligan was the co-creator, main writer and a principal cast member of the British radio programme The Goon Show, performing a range of roles including the Eccles and Minnie Bannister characters. He was the earliest-born, longest-lived and last surviving member of the Goons. Milligan parlayed success with the Goon Show into television with Q5, a surreal sketch show credited as a major influence on the members of Monty Python's Flying Circus. Milligan wrote and edited many books, including Puckoon (1963) and a seven-volume autobiographical account of his time serving during the Second World War, beginning with Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1971). He also wrote comical verse, with much of his poetry written for children, including Silly Verse for Kids (1959). When the Commonwealth Immigrants Act removed Indian-born Milligan's automatic right to British citizenship in 1962, he became an Irish citizen, exercising a right conferred through his Irish-born father.
- Birthplace: India, Ahmednagar
Stanley Price
Age: 93Stanley Price is a screenwriter.- Birthplace: London, England, UK
Teresa Hubbard
Age: 60Teresa Hubbard is a film director, film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and production designer.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Thaddeus O'Sullivan
Age: 77Thaddeus O'Sullivan worked on a variety of projects during his entertainment career. O'Sullivan worked on a variety of projects during his early entertainment career, including "Anne Devlin" (1984), "Das Innere Bloss" (1981) starring Claudia Boulton and "Elizabeth Maconchy" (1984). He also contributed to "On a Paving Stone Mounted" (1978), "Pigs" with Jimmy Brennan (1984) and "Traveller" (1982) starring Judy Donovan. O'Sullivan was nominated for a Short Film BAFTA Award for "The Woman Who Married Clark Gable" in 1985 as well as for an Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special Primetime Emmy Award for "Into the Storm" in 2009. In the eighties, O'Sullivan devoted his time to various credits, such as "Rocinante" (1986) starring John Hurt, "The Love Child" (1988) and "The Return" (1988). He also worked on "The Road to God Knows Where" (1988). More recently, O'Sullivan directed the dramatic adaptation "Nothing Personal" (1997) with Ian Hart, "Ordinary Decent Criminal" (2000) and the dramatic adaptation "The Heart of Me" (2003) with Paul Bettany. He also appeared in the drama "Stella Days" (2012) with Martin Sheen. Most recently, O'Sullivan directed "The Crimson Field" (PBS, 2014-15).- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Thomas Hefferon
Age: 43Thomas Hefferon (born 3 January 1982 in London, United Kingdom) is an Irish filmmaker and music video director based in Dublin, Ireland. Since 2004 he has worked on a variety of film projects as a co-writer, producer and camera person. He also writes and develops his own scripts, the latest of which has been selected for state funding (see The Pool, below). In January 2009 he shot the music video for JJ Daly's Playing The Game,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ayydp7q_yA which was followed by the nationwide release of the single, also available on iTunes.- Birthplace: London, United Kingdom
- Thomas Nöla (born December 31, 1979) is an Irish and American artist from Boston, responsible for several low-budget films and experimental pop albums. His musical acts have toured the US and Europe and released recordings on the Portland-based Soleilmoon/Caciocavallo label, Punch Records in Italy and on his own Disques de Lapin.
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Tommy Collins
Tommy Collins may refer to: Tommy Collins (filmmaker), Irish filmmaker Tommy Collins (country music) (1930–2000), American country music singer and songwriter- Birthplace: Republic of Ireland, County Donegal
Tommy Duggan
Dec. at 89 (1909-1998)Tommy Duggan was an actor who appeared in "The Omen," "The Summer House," and "The Adding Machine."- Birthplace: Barnet, Middlesex, England, UK
Trish McAdam
Age: 69Trish McAdam is a cinematographer, film director and screenwriter.- Birthplace: Dublin, Republic of Ireland
- Willis Harold O'Brien (March 2, 1886 – November 8, 1962) was an American motion picture special effects and stop-motion animation pioneer, who according to ASIFA-Hollywood "was responsible for some of the best-known images in cinema history," and is best remembered for his work on The Lost World (1925), King Kong (1933) and Mighty Joe Young (1949), for which he won the 1950 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
- Birthplace: Oakland, USA, California
