Thomas Patrick McKenna (7 September 1929 – 13 February 2011) was an Irish actor, born in

Mullagh, County Cavan Mullagh (; ) is a town, civil parish and townland in County Cavan, Ireland. , the town's population was 1,348. It lies in the south-east of the county, at the junction of the R191 and the R194 regional roads near the towns of Virginia and Bai ...

. He had an extensive stage and screen career.

Career

Early years

Thomas Patrick McKenna was born at Mullagh, County Cavan, Ireland, in 1929 and educated at Mullagh School and

St Patrick's College, Cavan Saint Patrick's College ( ga, Coláiste Padraig) is a Roman Catholic all-male secondary school. Located in County Cavan, Ireland. It was founded in 1871 as a minor and major seminary for the Diocese of Kilmore. It was officially opened by the B ...

. He was the eldest of ten children of Raphael McKenna, an auctioneer and merchant, and his wife Mae. There he became a protégé of Fr. Vincent Kennedy who featured him in the annual productions of Gilbert & Sullivan operas. He was a noted treble and sang in

Cavan Cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Felim, also known as Cavan Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Cavan, Ireland. It is the seat of the Bishop of Kilmore, and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kilmore. Hi ...

, but later would also become a keen member of the school's

Gaelic Football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

squad representing St Patrick's in the final of the All Ireland colleges competition in 1948. After leaving school he joined the

Ulster Bank Ulster Bank ( ga, Banc Uladh) is a large retail bank, and one of the traditional Big Four Irish clearing banks. The Ulster Bank Group is subdivided into two separate legal entities: National Westminster Bank, trading as Ulster Bank (registere ...

Granard Granard () is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland, and has a traceable history going back to AD 236. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 nationa ...

, Co Longford, and worked in banking for the next five years. However, he remained set on becoming an actor and when he received a posting to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

he soon made a mark on the city's amateur scene appearing with the

Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society, known as the R&R, is an amateur musical society founded in 1913 in the Rathmines and Rathgar, area of Dublin. They have hosted performances in venues such as the Gaiety Theatre, ...

, and the Dublin Shakespeare Society. His employers were not impressed by his extracurricular activities and in 1953 he was posted to the remote town of

Killeshandra Killeshandra or Killashandra (), is a village in County Cavan, Ireland. It is northwest of Cavan Town in the centre of County Cavan's lakeland and geopark region and the Erne catchment environment of rivers, lakes, wetlands and woodland. Toge ...

in County Cavan. McKenna refused to go and resigned his position.

Stage

McKenna made his stage debut at the

Pike Theatre The Pike Theatre was a theatre located in Herbert Lane, Dublin, Ireland.The building was the Mews for No 6 Herbert Place (now No 43 Herbert Lane and is now occupied as offices) History Established in 1953 by Alan Simpson and Carolyn Swift, the P ...

in Dublin in 1953 as John Buchanan in

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

' ''Summer and Smoke''. He played a season at the Gaiety Theatre with

Anew McMaster Anew McMaster (24 December 1891 – 24 August 1962) was a British stage actor who during his nearly 45 year acting career toured the UK, Ireland, Australia and the United States. For almost 35 years he toured as actor-manager of his own theatri ...

's Shakespearean company, and was a member of The Gas Theatre Company directed by

Godfrey Quigley Godfrey Quigley (4 May 1923 – 7 September 1994) was an Irish film, television and stage actor. He appeared in Stanley Kubrick's films ''A Clockwork Orange'' and ''Barry Lyndon''. Biography Quigley was born in Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine, ...

. Through family contacts he sought an interview with the managing director of the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...

Ernest Blythe Ernest Blythe (; 13 April 1889 – 23 February 1975) was an Irish journalist, managing director of the Abbey Theatre, and politician who served as Minister for Finance from 1923 to 1932, Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and Vice-President of t ...

. Despite Blythe's concerns that "his nose was too long and he would grow fat". he eventually become a permanent member of the company in 1954 and would remain there for the next eight years performing over seventy roles. In 1963 he secured a short leave of absence to go to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

(St. Martin's Theatre) with the

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a Theater (structure), theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Ge ...

's production of ''

Stephen D Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

'', an adaptation of Joyce's ''

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man ''A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'' is the first novel of Irish writer James Joyce. A ''Künstlerroman'' written in a modernist style, it traces the religious and intellectual awakening of young Stephen Dedalus, Joyce's fictional alter ...

'' by

Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard (9 November 1926 – 12 February 2009) was an Irish dramatist, television writer, and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote nearly 30 full-length plays, 10 one-act plays, three volumes of essay, two autobiograph ...

which had been a hit of the 1962 Dublin Theatre Festival. The play was well received by the London critics, leading to offers of further other stage work there including "O'Keefe" in

J. P. Donleavy James Patrick Donleavy (23 April 1926 – 11 September 2017) was an American-Irish novelist, short story writer and playwright. His best-known work is the novel ''The Ginger Man'', which was initially banned for obscenity. Early life Donleavy ...

's ''The Ginger Man'' (Ashcroft, Croydon), Lindsay Anderson's revival of ''Julius Caesar'' (1964) for the English Stage Company and 1965 as the Burglar (Aubrey "Popsy" Bagot) in Shaw's '' Too True to be Good'' (Garrick) opposite

Alistair Sim Alastair George Bell Sim, CBE (9 October 1900 – 19 August 1976) was a Scottish character actor who began his theatrical career at the age of thirty and quickly became established as a popular West End performer, remaining so until his d ...

and George Cole. He had not left the Irish stage behind entirely however and would make regular appearances at the Dublin Theatre Festival in ''A Little Winter Love'', ''Pull Down A Horseman'', ''King of the Castle'' and ''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receiv ...

''. He joined

Stuart Burge Stuart Burge (15 January 1918 – 24 January 2002) was an English stage and film director, actor and producer. The son of H. O. Burge, by his marriage to K. M. Haig, Burge was educated at Eagle House School, Sandhurst, and Felsted School, Essex ...

's company at the

Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in 1948 when it operated from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Directors during this period included Val May and Fr ...

in 1968 playing Trigorin in ''The Seagull'' and Sir Joseph Surface in Sheridan's ''

The School For Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sna ...

'', both directed by

Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, humourist and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...

. In 1969 he created the role of Fitzpatrick in David Storey's ''The Contractor'' directed by

Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Gordon Anderson (17 April 1923 – 30 August 1994) was a British feature-film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading-light of the Free Cinema movement and of the British New Wave. He is most widely remembered for h ...

at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

, London. The production later transferred to the Fortune Theatre and ran for over a year. In 1973 he took on the role of Andrew Wyke opposite his friend

Donal Donnelly Donal Donnelly (6 July 1931 – 4 January 2010) was an Irish theatre and film actor. Perhaps best known for his work in the plays of Brian Friel, he had a long and varied career in film, on television and in the theatre. He lived in Ireland, th ...

in the Irish premiere of Peter Shaffer's ''Sleuth''. The production played to acclaim at the Opera House, Cork, and at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin where it broke box office records. Later that year he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and took over the role of Robert Hand in James Joyce's only play, ''Exiles'' directed by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...

. In the same season he also appeared in a rare staging of

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...

's ''

The Balcony ''The Balcony'' (french: Le Balcon) is a play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. It is set in an unnamed city that is experiencing a revolutionary uprising in the streets; most of the action takes place in an upmarket brothel that functions as a ...

'' directed by Terry Hands. He returned to the RSC in 1976 for

Shaw Shaw may refer to: Places Australia *Shaw, Queensland Canada *Shaw Street, a street in Toronto England *Shaw, Berkshire, a village *Shaw, Greater Manchester, a location in the parish of Shaw and Crompton *Shaw, Swindon, a List of United Kingdom ...

's '' The Devil's Disciple'', directed by

Jack Gold Jacob M. "Jack" Gold (28 June 1930 – 9 August 2015) was a British film and television director. He was part of the Kitchen sink realism, British realist tradition which followed the Free Cinema movement. Career Jacob M. Gold was born in ...

in a production to mark the American bicentennial celebrations, as the revolutionary pastor Reverend Anthony Anderson. In the late 1980s and 1990s he returned to the Dublin stage when he was invited by director Michael Colgan to join the Gate Theatre on a number of occasions including admired productions of ''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the direct ...

'', ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...

'' and ''

No Man's Land No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...

''. It was there he created the role of Dr Rice in

Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription req ...

's drama, ''

Molly Sweeney ''Molly Sweeney'' is a two-act play by Brian Friel. It tells the story of its title character, Molly, a woman blind since infancy, who undergoes an operation to try to restore her sight. Like Friel's '' Faith Healer'', the play tells Molly's sto ...

'' (1994), and again at London's Almeida Theatre. Other Friel productions he appeared in were ''The Communication Cord'' (Hampstead Theatre, 1984) and ''Aristocrats'' (2004) at the RNT in his final stage appearance. McKenna directed on occasion, and had to his name productions of

John Millington Synge Edmund John Millington Synge (; 16 April 1871 – 24 March 1909) was an Irish playwright, poet, writer, collector of folklore, and a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival. His best known play ''The Playboy of the Western World'' was poorly r ...

's ''

The Playboy of the Western World ''The Playboy of the Western World'' is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge and first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on 26 January 1907. It is set in Michael James Flaherty's public house in County Mayo (o ...

'' (

, 1968),

Thomas Kilroy Thomas F. Kilroy (born 23 September 1934) is an Irish playwright and novelist. He was born in Green Street, Callan, County Kilkenny. He attended St Kieran's College and played hurling for the school team, captaining the senior team in 1952. He ...

's ''The Death and Resurrection of Mr Roche'' (Abbey Theatre, 1973) and

Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey ( ga, Seán Ó Cathasaigh ; born John Casey; 30 March 1880 – 18 September 1964) was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes. ...

's ''

The Shadow of A Gunman ''The Shadow of a Gunman'' is a 1923 tragicomedy play by Seán O'Casey set during the Irish War of Independence. It centres on the mistaken identity of a building tenant who is thought to be an IRA assassin. It is the first in O'Casey's "Dublin ...

'' (

Crucible Theatre The Crucible Theatre (often referred to simply as "The Crucible") is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England which opened in 1971. Although it hosts regular theatrical performances, it is best known for hosting professional snooker's m ...

, Sheffield, 1980).

Film and television

During the 1960s and 1970s, McKenna appeared regularly in popular television dramas, including '' The Avengers'' (1964, 1965, 1968), ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...

'' (1965), ''

The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...

'' (1966, 1968), ''

Adam Adamant Lives! ''Adam Adamant Lives!'' is a British adventure television series that ran from 1966 to 1967 on BBC 1, starring Gerald Harper in the title role. The series was created and produced by several alumni from ''Doctor Who''. Proposing that an adventur ...

'' (1967), '' Jason King'' (1972), two episodes of '' Thriller'' (1973 and 1976), ''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective Ins ...

'' (1975), ''

Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' (sometimes styled ''Blakes7'') is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four 13-episode series were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first ...

'' (1978), ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

'' (1984) and ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' (the serial ''

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy ''The Greatest Show in the Galaxy'' is the fourth and final serial of the 25th season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 14 December 1988 to 4 January 198 ...

'' (1988–89)). He played Richmond in the

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...

series ''

Callan Callan is a given name and surname of Irish and Scottish origin. It can derive from Ó Cathaláin, meaning ''descendant of Cathalán''. Callan can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Allin or Mac Callin. Notable people with the name includ ...

'' (1972) and made ten appearances in ''

Crown Court The Crown Court is the court of first instance of England and Wales responsible for hearing all Indictable offence, indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals lied to it by the Magistrates' court, magistrates' court ...

'' (1974–1982), mainly as barrister Patrick Canty, while also appearing in the popular ATV anthology drama series ''Love Story'' (1965–1968). He also featured prominently in other television dramas including ''

The Duchess of Malfi ''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theatre, ...

'' (1972), ''

Napoleon and Love ''Napoleon and Love'' is a 1974 British television series originally aired on ITV and lasting for 9 episodes from 5 March to 30 April 1974. The series stars Ian Holm in the title role as Napoleon and depicts his relationships with the women who f ...

'' (1974), '' The Changeling'' (1974), '' Fathers and Families (1977)'', ''

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

'' (1978), the ''

'' episode "Bounty" (1978), ''The Manions of America'' (1981), ''

To the Lighthouse ''To the Lighthouse'' is a 1927 novel by Virginia Woolf. The novel centres on the Ramsay family and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920. Following and extending the tradition of modernist novelists like Marcel ...

'' (1983), '' The Scarlet and the Black'' (1983), ''

Bleak House ''Bleak House'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode serial between March 1852 and September 1853. The novel has many characters and several sub-plots, and is told partly by the novel's heroine, Esther Summerson, and ...

'' (1985), ''

Strong Medicine ''Strong Medicine'' is an American medical drama with a focus on feminism, feminist politics, health issues and class conflict that aired on the Lifetime Television, Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It was created and produced in part by Who ...

'' (1986), ''

The Play on One ''The Play on One'' (''Play on One'' in the final series) is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC Nations and Regions in its studios outside London, and transmitted on BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air pub ...

: Unreported Incident'' (1988), ''

Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...

'' (1988), '' Shoot to Kill'' (1990), TV series ''Lovejoy -

Irish Stew Irish stew ( ga, stobhach/Stobhach Gaelach) is a stew native to Ireland that is traditionally made with root vegetables and lamb or mutton, but also commonly with beef. As in all traditional folk dishes, the exact recipe is not consistent from t ...

'' (1993), and the final episode of '' Inspector Morse - The Remorseful Day'' (2000). He had prominent film roles in ''

Ulysses Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature. Ulysses may also refer to: People * Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name Places in the United States * Ulysses, Kansas * Ulysse ...

'' (1967), and ''

A Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man ''A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'' is the first novel of Irish writer James Joyce. A ''Künstlerroman'' written in a modernist style, it traces the religious and intellectual awakening of young Stephen Dedalus, Joyce's fictional alter ...

'' (1977). Other film credits include ''

The Charge of the Light Brigade The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan had intended to s ...

'' (1968), ''

Anne of the Thousand Days ''Anne of the Thousand Days'' is a 1969 British period historical drama film based on the life of Anne Boleyn, directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The screenplay by Bridget Boland and John Hale is an adaptation of the 194 ...

'' (1969), ''

Perfect Friday ''Perfect Friday'' is a British bank heist film released in 1970, directed by Peter Hall. It stars Ursula Andress as Lady Britt Dorset, Stanley Baker as Mr Graham, David Warner as Lord Nicholas Dorset and T. P. McKenna as Smith. Plot Mr. Graha ...

'' (1970), ''

Villain A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...

'' (1971), '' Straw Dogs'' (1971), '' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1975), ''

Memed, My Hawk ''Memed, My Hawk'' ( tr, İnce Memed, meaning "Memed, the Slim") is a 1955 novel by Yaşar Kemal. It was Kemal's debut novel and is the first novel in his İnce Memed tetralogy. The novel won the Varlık Prize for that year (Turkey's highest lit ...

'' (1984), '' Pascali's Island'' (1988), ''

A Caribbean Mystery ''A Caribbean Mystery'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 16 November 1964 and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edi ...

'' (1989), ''

Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

'' (2000) and '' The Libertine'' (2004). He narrated the Emmy award-winning documentary on the life of James Joyce ''

Is There One Who Understands Me In linguistics, a copula (plural: copulas or copulae; list of glossing abbreviations, abbreviated ) is a word or phrase that links the subject (grammar), subject of a sentence (linguistics), sentence to a subject complement, such as the word '' ...

'' (

RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...

). His performance as

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

in the film ''Monarch'' was re-released in cinemas in 2014.

Radio and Audiobooks

McKenna's wonderfully rich voice featured in over thirty original drama productions for the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

and the

World Service The BBC World Service is an international broadcasting, international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom, British Government through the Foreign Secretary, Foreign Secretary's o ...

along with readings of short stories and poetry for a variety of programmes. He took the role of Phonsie Doherty in Christopher FitzSimon's Radio 4 comedy series, ''

Ballylenon ''Ballylenon'' is a radio situation comedy set in a small village in County Donegal in Ireland in the 1950s. The six series totalling 30 half-hour episodes were originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio s ...

'', and later appeared opposite

David Threlfall David John Threlfall (born 12 October 1953) is an English stage, film and television actor and director. He is best known for playing Frank Gallagher in Channel 4's series '' Shameless''. He has also directed several episodes of the show. In Ap ...

in the

radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

'' Baldi''. On CD and download he has recorded the

audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sc ...

s poetry of

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

, Joyce's short story collection ''

Dubliners ''Dubliners'' is a collection of fifteen short stories by James Joyce, first published in 1914. It presents a naturalistic depiction of Irish middle class life in and around Dublin in the early years of the 20th century. The stories were writt ...

'' and

Somerville and Ross Somerville and Ross (Edith Somerville and Violet Florence Martin, writing under the name Martin Ross) were an Anglo-Irish writing team, perhaps most famous for their series of books that were made into the TV series ''The Irish R.M.''. The tel ...

's '' Tales of an Irish R.M.''

Personal life

McKenna was married to May White, literally the girl next door, from 1956 until her death in 2007. They had five children.

Death

McKenna died on 13 February 2011 at the

Royal Free Hospital The Royal Free Hospital (also known simply as the Royal Free) is a major teaching hospital in the Hampstead area of the London Borough of Camden. The hospital is part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, which also runs services at Barn ...

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...

, London, at the age of 81 following a long period of illness. He was buried alongside his wife at Cemetery in his native County Cavan. Following his death, tributes were paid by President of Ireland

Mary McAleese Mary Patricia McAleese ( ; ga, Máire Pádraigín Mhic Ghiolla Íosa; ; born 27 June 1951) is an Irish activist lawyer and former politician who served as the eighth president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. She is an academic ...

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

, and Ireland's Culture Minister

Mary Hanafin Mary Hanafin (born 1 June 1959) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport from 2010 to 2011, Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil from January 2011 to March 2011, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Inn ...

, who said that McKenna was "one of a great generation whose talents on the screen and stage both at home and abroad gave us all great pride in his accomplishments". In County Cavan, he is commemorated by the T. P. McKenna Drama Scholarships (VEC) and the T. P. McKenna Perpetual Trophy presented as part of the Millrace Annual Drama Festival.T. P. McKenna site
/ref>

Selected filmography

* 1959 ''

Broth of a Boy ''Broth of a Boy'' is a 1959 Irish comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring Barry Fitzgerald, Harry Brogan and June Thorburn. It is an adaptation of the 1956 play ''The Big Birthday'' by Hugh Leonard. The film involves the efforts of ...

'' as Holmes * 1959 ''

Home Is the Hero ''Home Is the Hero'' is a 1959 Irish drama film directed by Fielder Cook. It was entered into the 9th Berlin International Film Festival. Cast * Walter Macken – Paddo O'Reilly * Eileen Crowe – Daylia O'Reilly * Arthur Kennedy – Willie O ...

'' as Young Man At Dance * 1959 '' Shake Hands with the Devil'' as Unknown (uncredited) * 1960 '' A Terrible Beauty'' as A McIntyre Boy (uncredited) * 1960 ''

The Siege of Sidney Street ''The Siege of Sidney Street'' is a 1960 British historical drama film co-directed by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman. It stars Donald Sinden, Nicole Berger and Kieron Moore. The film dramatises the 1909 Tottenham Outrage - a bungled wages-s ...

'' as Lapidos * 1960 '' Das schwarze Schaf'' as (uncredited) * 1961 ''

Freedom to Die ''Freedom to Die'' is a 1961 British second feature crime thriller film directed by Francis Searle, starring Paul Maxwell and Felicity Young. Plot Craig Owen is an incarcerated criminal whose cellmate Felix knows about a safety deposit box with ...

'' as Mike * 1961 ''

Johnny Nobody ''Johnny Nobody'' is a 1961 British drama film made by Viceroy Films Limited, with John R. Sloan as producer, and Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli as executive producers. It was directed by the British film and stage actor Nigel Patrick, who ...

'' as Officer Garda * 1964 ''

Girl with Green Eyes ''Girl with Green Eyes'' is a 1964 British film, which Edna O'Brien adapted from her novel ''The Lonely Girl''. It tells the story of a young, naive country girl's romance with a sophisticated older man. Directed by Desmond Davis Desmond St ...

'' as The Priest * 1964 ''

Ferry Cross the Mersey "Ferry Cross the Mersey" is a song written by Gerry Marsden. It was first recorded by his band Gerry and the Pacemakers and released in late 1964 in the UK and in 1965 in the United States. It was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching ...

'' as Jack Hanson * 1965 ''

Young Cassidy ''Young Cassidy'' is a 1965 British biography drama film directed by Jack Cardiff and starring Rod Taylor, Julie Christie, and Maggie Smith. It is a biographical drama based upon the life of the playwright Seán O'Casey. Plot Set in 1911 and th ...

'' as Tom * 1967 ''

'' as Buck Mulligan * 1968 ''

'' as William Russell * 1969 ''

'' as Sir Henry Norris * 1970 ''

The Beast in the Cellar ''The Beast in the Cellar'' is a 1970 British horror film written and directed by James Kelley. The film was produced by Leander Films and Tigon British Film Productions, and starred Beryl Reid. Plot Soldiers stationed at a rural army base i ...

'' Chief Superintendent Paddick * 1970 ''

The Fifth Day of Peace ''The Fifth day of Peace'', Italian title: ''Gott mit uns'' (written in German), is an Italo-Yugoslavian movie from 1970 about the 13 May 1945 German deserter execution in a Canadian-run POW camp in Amsterdam. Synopsis Two German deserters, '' ...

'' as Nick * 1970 ''

'' as Smith * 1971 '' Straw Dogs'' Major John Scott * 1971 ''

'' as Frank Fletcher * 1971 ''

Percy The English surname Percy is of Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came into use ...

'' as Meet The People Compere * 1973 ''

A Warm December ''A Warm December'' is a 1973 American romantic drama film directed by Sidney Poitier and starring him in the lead role as Dr. Matt Younger. It also stars Jamaican actress Esther Anderson as Catherine, Matt's love interest. Anderson's performanc ...

'' as Minor Role (uncredited) * 1974 ''

Percy's Progress ''Percy's Progress'' is a 1974 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas. It was written by Sid Colin, Harry H. Corbett and Ian La Frenais. It was released in the United States under the title ''It's Not the Size That Counts''. The US ve ...

'' as London News Editor * 1975 '' All Creatures Great and Small'' as Soames * 1975 '' Looking For Clancy'' as Marcus Selby * 1977 ''

'' as Simon Dedalus * 1980 '' The Outsider'' as John Russell * 1980 ''

Silver Dream Racer ''Silver Dream Racer'' is a 1980 motor-racing film starring British pop star David Essex and Beau Bridges. The film was produced, written and directed by David Wickes. It was the last film to be made by the Rank Organisation. Plot Nick Freeman ...

'' as Bank Manager * 1982 ''

Britannia Hospital ''Britannia Hospital'' is a 1982 British black comedy film, directed by Lindsay Anderson, which targets the National Health Service and contemporary British society. It was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival and Fantasporto. ''Britannia ...

'' as Theatre Surgeon * 1984 ''

'' as Dursan * 1985 ''

The Doctor and the Devils ''The Doctor and The Devils'' is a 1985 British gothic horror film directed by Freddie Francis, and produced by Mel Brooks, through his production company Brooksfilms. It is based upon the true story of Burke and Hare, who in 1828 Edinburgh, ...

'' as O'Connor * 1988 ''

: Unreported Incident'' as Michael Flynn * 1988 '' Pascali's Island'' as Dr. Hogan * 1988 ''

'' as O'Connor * 1988 ''

Red Scorpion ''Red Scorpion'' is a 1988 American action film starring Dolph Lundgren and directed by Joseph Zito. Lundgren appears as a Soviet special forces operative sent to assassinate an anti-communist rebel leader in Africa, only to side with the rebe ...

'' as General Oleg Vortek * 1989 '' Valmont'' as Baron * 2000 '' ''Monarch'''' as

* 2000 '' ''Longitude'''' as

Edmund Burke Edmund Burke (; 12 January NS.html"_;"title="New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style">NS">New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style">NS/nowiki>_1729_–_9_July_1797)_was_an_ NS.html"_;"title="New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style"> ...

* 2002 ''

The Boys from County Clare ''The Boys from County Clare'' is a 2003 Irish comedy/drama film about a céilí band from Liverpool that travels to Ireland to compete in a céilí competition in County Clare. Directed by John Irvin, the film was released in Canada on September ...

'' as The Announcer * 2004 '' The Libertine'' as Black Rod

References

External links

*
'T. P. McKenna – Official website'

''The Guardian'' obituary

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, T. P. 1929 births 2011 deaths Irish male film actors Irish male radio actors Irish male stage actors Irish male television actors People from County Cavan People educated at St Patrick's College, Cavan