Achill Island - Notable People

Notable People

• Manus Sweeney from Achill was hanged in Newport for his part in the 1798 rebellion. There is a monument to him at the eastern end of Keel beach
• Charles Boycott (1832–1897) - Unpopular landowner from whom the formerly slang term 'Boycott' arose
• The artist Paul Henry stayed on the island for a number of years in the early 1900s and some of his most famous paintings are of the dramatic landscape of the island. Not long after arriving, he threw his return train ticket into the sea near Purteen Harbour
• The Nobel Prize winning author, Heinrich Böll, visited the island and wrote of his experience in his "Irish Journal" (Irisches Tagebuch). The Bölls later bought a cottage near Dugort and lived in it periodically until 2001 when they donated it to be used as an artists' residence
• Novelist Graham Greene, visited and stayed on Achill Island a number of times in the late 1940s. He wrote parts of the novels The Heart of the Matter (subsequently banned in Ireland) and The Fallen Idol in Dooagh, and Achill Island is also said to have inspired Greene to write some of his best poetry. He retained a special affection for Achill Island, which he mentioned frequently in his letters and notes, although this was largely due to the circumstances of his visits, as he was introduced to Achill by his mistress, Catherine Walston. She rented a cottage in Dooagh, with no electricity, one outside tap for water, and a corrugated iron roof on the traditional stone cottage, now since demolished.
• Artist Robert Henri came to Achill on a regular basis in the early decades of the 20th century. It was during his early trips to Achill prior to the outbreak of World War I that Henri painted extensively and is reputed to have done portraits of almost all the children in Dooagh village. He bought Corrymore House on the hill above Dooagh in 1924. He died in America in 1929.
• Thomas Patten from Dooega died fighting Francisco Franco's fascist forces during the Siege of Madrid in December 1936. There is a monument to him in his native village.
• English writer Honor Tracy lived there until her death in 1989
• Darren Fletcher - (Manchester United and Scottish FA)
• Kevin Kilbane - (Hull City AFC and Football Association Of Ireland)
• John-Joe O'Toole (Colchester United F.C. and ex Republic of Ireland U21s
• FAI U19 player) and Manchester United defender Sean McGinty's parents hail from Achill
• In the centre of Dooagh is a commemoration plaque to Don Allum, the first man to row across the Atlantic Ocean in both directions. He landed close to the memorial on Dooagh beach on 4 September 1987, completing the second leg of his voyage.
• Mid West Radio DJ Tim Norton comes from the Currane Peninsula
• Singer James Kilbane, also known for his research on traditional Achill watercraft, lives on the island.
• MankaBros recording artist/balladeer Seamus ("The Wreck of Kalliopi") lives in a castle near Dooach.