Clongowes Wood College - Selected Alumni

Selected Alumni

• Frederick Boland, first Irish ambassador to Great Britain and to the United Nations, and father of Irish poet Eavan Boland
• John Bruton, former Taoiseach of Ireland
• Peter Conlan, Barrister at Law, volunteered as Irish Merchant Marine lieutenant during the Emergency, died at sea I945
• John Convery, Colonial Judge on the Gold Coast (Ghana).
• Joseph Dalton SJ, Jesuit who founded a number of Schools and Churches in Australia.
• Gordon D'Arcy, Irish rugby union international, British & Irish Lion, Leinster rugby player.
• Edmund Dwyer-Gray, 29th Premier of Tasmania
• Eugene Esmonde, World World II pilot and posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Rob Kearney, Irish rugby union international, British & Irish Lion, Leinster rugby player.
• Enoch Louis Lowe, 33rd Governor of the U.S. state of Maryland
• Francis Sylvester Mahony, 19th-century humorist known by the pen name "Father Prout"
• Fergus McFadden, Irish rugby union international, Leinster rugby player.
• Paul McGuinness, business manager for the Irish rock band U2
• Charles Mitchel, RTÉ's first newsreader
• Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair
• Kieran Prendiville, television writer, producer, and creator of the BBC drama Ballykissangel
• James John Skinner, first Minister of Justice of the Republic of Zambia and a former Chief Justice of Malawi
• Pat Reid, MBE, MC was a British Army officer who escaped from Colditz and noted non-fiction and historical author.
• John Ryan Artist, broadcaster, publisher, critic, editor, patron and publican.
• Brian Carney, Irish rugby league player
• James Joyce, Writer and author of Ulysses.
• Oliver St.John Gogarty, Writer, critic, and inspiration for Buck Mulligan in Joyce's Ulysses.
• Maurice Healy (writer), author of the celebrated memoir The Old Munster Circuit.
• Michael Smurfit, Businessman, former CEO of Jefferson Smurfit Group and owner of 'The K Club', County Kildare.
• Barry O'Callaghan, Chairman and CEO of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and the Chairman of Education Media and Publishing Group.
• Kevin O'Higgins, former Irish Vice-President of the Executive Council and Minister for Justice.
• Tom O'Higgins, Former Chief Justice, Former Minster for Health, Judge of the European Court of Justice.
• James FitzGerald-Kenney, O'Higgins' successor as Minister for Justice.
• John Redmond, Irish nationalist politician, barrister, MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900 to 1918.
• Thomas Kettle, Irish journalist, barrister, writer, poet, soldier, economist and Home Rule politician.
• Thomas Francis Meagher, Irish nationalist and leader of the Young Irelanders.
• Michael Joseph O'Rahilly, (The O'Rahilly), Irish Volunteer, killed in the Easter Rising.
• John Charles McQuaid, Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland between 1940-1972.
• John M. O'Sullivan, Cumann na nGaedheal politician, cabinet minister and academic.
• J. T. Walsh, US film actor with roles in Good Morning Vietnam, A Few Good Men and others
• Nick Hewer, UK television personality, PR consultant, star of The Apprentice and Countdown host.
• David McSavage, comedian, writer and producer of The Savage Eye.
• Aidan Heavey, CEO of Tullow Oil.
• Richard Bruton, Irish Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
• Simon Coveney, Irish Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food.
• Dr William Doolin, former editor of the Journal of the Irish Medical Association and President of the RCSI.
• John Joseph Sheil, Lord Justice of Appeal in Northern Ireland.
• David Kearney, Leinster rugby player.
• Patrick James Smyth, Irish politician and journalist.
• Thomas Finlay, former Irish Fine Gael politician and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
• Cornelius James Pelly MBE, Irish diplomat.
• Noel Purcell Irish Rugby Union player, Irish & GB water polo Olympian, arguably the first man to have represented two countries at the Olympics.
• Michael O'Higgins, Irish TD.
• Nial Fennelly, judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland, former Advocate General of the European Court of Justice.
• Thomas Crean, Irish rugby union player, British Army soldier and doctor.
• Niall McCarthy, Justice of the Supreme Court of Ireland.
• Micheal O'Siadhail, Irish poet.
• Francis Clery, British Army General who commanded 2nd Division during the Second Boer War.
• James Patrick Mahon, Irish nationalist journalist, barrister, parliamentarian and international mercenary.
• Gilbert Laithwaite, former British ambassador to Ireland and High Commissioner to Pakistan.
• The O'Rahilly, Irish republican who took part in the Easter Rising.
• Patrick McGilligan, former Irish Minister for Industry and Commerce.
• James Magee, Irish cricketer and rugby union player.
• Donogh O'Malley, former Irish Minster for Health and Minister for Education.
• James John Skinner, former Zambian Minister for Justice and Chief Justice of Malawi.
• Patrick Quinlan, Australian cricketer and lawyer.
• Patrick Little, Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A founder-member of the party, he served in a number of Cabinet positions, most notably as the country's longest-serving Minister for Posts and Telegraphs.
• James FitzGerald-Kenney, Irish politician, former Minister for Justice.
• James O'Mara, Irish politician who became a nationalist leader and key member of the revolutionary First Dáil.
• Tony O'Reilly, Junior, Irish businessman.
• Thomas Burke Jr., Captain of the Irish water ski Team, 1980s. Represented Ireland in Professional Tennis.