• It was the birthplace of
Sir Hans Sloane, 1st
Bt. He began collecting plants and
birds' eggs on the shores of
Strangford Lough and his accumulation grew into a priceless collection that formed the nucleus of the
British Museum. He was also personal physician to
King George II and a slave owner. • Reverend
Edward Hincks, a renowned
Assyriologist and
Egyptologist, was appointed
Church of Ireland rector of Killyleagh in 1825, an office he was to hold for the remaining forty-one years of his life. •
Henry Cooke was the minister of 1st
Presbyterian Church, who went on to become Moderator of the
General Assembly and a leading exponent of orthodox Presbyterianism in
Belfast in the mid-19th century. His statue in Belfast, standing outside the
Royal Belfast Academical Institution, is known as "The Black Man". • Killyleagh is the home town of
David Healy, the retired
Northern Ireland football player. Healy is Northern Ireland's record goalscorer by a considerable distance, with 36 goals. The second-highest total is 20 goals. He also holds the record for most goals scored in a European Championship Qualifying Phase, with 13 goals during the country's failed bid to reach
Euro 2008. Healy's former
Bury teammate
Trevor Carson is also from Killyleagh. •
Robert Lowry (1824–1904), born in Killyleagh, emigrated to the
United States and became a judge and
U.S. Representative from
Indiana. •
Thomas L. Young (1832–1888), born in Killyleagh, served as
Governor of Ohio from 1877 to 1878. •
Vice Admiral Sir Henry Blackwood (1781–1830), born and buried in Killyleagh; senior-ranking officer in the
Royal Navy. ==Twin town==