Dermot O’Leary and Danny Boyle among UK’s most influential Irish Catholics

The 100 most powerful Catholics in Britain have been named, and there are a number of Irish on the list.

Dermot O'Leary, Danny Boyle and Carey Mulligan are all of Irish descent and all feature in the list compiled by The Tablet, with Irish Canadian Mark Carney - the Governor of the Bank of Ireland - top of the pile. Catherine Pepinster, Editor of The Tablet, explained: “The Tablet’s Top 100 lay people of 2015 reflects the enormous contribution of Catholics to this country and beyond, in leadership positions in every sector from banking to the arts to sport and to running major charities.” The list was compiled based on “influence and standing in British society, covers laity only and refers to Catholics currently living in this country, rather than those born (in Britain)." The Irish on the list... 1. Mark Carney – Governor of the Bank of England 3. Robert Hannigan – Director of GCHQ 14. Sir Peter Sutherland – Chairman of Goldman Sachs International 20. Sir Peter Fahy – Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police 52. Eamon Duffy – Historian 57. Jon Cruddas – Labour MP 63. Danny Boyle – Film director 78. Declan Donnelly – Television presenter 80. Dermot O’Leary – Television presenter 81. Frances O’Grady – General Secretary TUC 86. Carey Mulligan – Actress The Top Ten... 1. Mark Carney – Governor of the Bank of England 2. Sir Michael Winshaw – Chief Inspector of Schools 3. Robert Hannigan – Director of GCHQ 4. Dame Helen Ghosh – Director-General of the National Trust 5. Dame Colette Bowe – Chairman of the Banking Standards Board 6. Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow – Founder of Mary’s Meals 7. Sir Tom Devine – Scottish Historian 8. Paul Polman – CEO of Unilever 9. Francis Campbell – Vice Chancellor of St Mary’s University, Twickenham 10. John Studzinski – Financier and Philanthropist Hat-tip: The Irish Post