Dame Fionnuala Mary Jay-O’Boyle, DBEDStJ, a British lobbyist, charity trustee, and public official, is born in Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on March 22, 1960. She is the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast since 2014, and a member of the House of Lords Appointments Commission since 2019. Prior to her public career, she trains as a singer and works in marketing and communications.

Jay-O’Boyle founds the Belfast Buildings Trust in 1996, of which she remains a patron. She is appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to the community in Northern Ireland. She is also appointed a Dame of the Order of Saint John (DStJ) on April 22, 2021. She is presented an Honorary Doctorate of Laws for Distinction in Public Service at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) on December 12, 2022.

Jay-O’Boyle is a trustee of The Prince’s Regeneration Trust from 2003 and of The Prince’s Foundation for Building Community from 2016 until they are merged into The Prince’s Foundation in 2018. She founds the Belfast Buildings Trust in 1996, of which she remains a patron. She is a deputy lieutenant for Belfast from 2009 until her elevation in 2014. She is the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast since 2014, and a member of the House of Lords Appointments Commission since 2019.