Notable People of Waterville

An early Irish saint and a pupil of St Brendan, credited by tradition with founding the monastery on Church Island in Lough Currane. St Finian's Bay and the village church carry his name.

Born at Scariff, Waterville, he taught at the parish national school and died in the village. He was a Fianna Fáil TD for Kerry from 1927 to 1933.

From 1920 he worked as a telegraphist at the Commercial Cable Company station in Waterville, where he ran the staff mess buying and a small shop and saved his first capital. He went on to found Littlewoods and chair Everton F.C.

The film star first holidayed in Waterville with his family in 1959 and returned every year for more than a decade, usually staying at the Butler Arms. His statue stands on the seafront and a comedy film festival has been held in his name since 2011.

Born in Waterville, he played club football for the village for about three decades and later managed the club. He won four All-Irelands as a Kerry player and managed Kerry to eight titles between 1975 and 1989; his statue stands in the village.

A Waterville golfer whose home club is Waterville Golf Links. He won the 1977 Kerrygold International Classic there on the European Tour, set a long-drive record in 1984 and later won on the European Seniors Tour.

The Irish-born American diplomat and Pulitzer Prize-winning author married Cass Sunstein at the Church of Mary Immaculate, Lohar, Waterville, in 2008. She served as US Ambassador to the United Nations and later led USAID.

Son of Liam Higgins, he lives in Waterville and is a club professional at Waterville Golf Links. He won three Challenge Tour events in 2000 and the Irish PGA Championship in 2012, 2021 and 2023.

A son of Mick O'Dwyer, he captained Waterville to the 1993 Kerry Intermediate title. He played for Kerry and later Kildare, winning Leinster titles and a 1998 All Star.

Born in Waterville and a Waterville GAA club player, he captained Kerry minor teams to Munster titles in 2004 and 2006 and won an All-Ireland Under-21 title in 2008.