Nora O'Mahoney (1912–1989) was an Irish actress and lay

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

, known for Molly Malloy in ''

Darby O'Gill and the Little People ''Darby O'Gill and the Little People'' is a 1959 American fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions, adapted from the ''Darby O'Gill'' stories of Herminie Templeton Kavanagh. Directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Lawrence ...

'' (1959) and as Godmother in ''

Wanderly Wagon ''Wanderly Wagon'' is an Irish children's television series which aired on RTÉ from Saturday 30 September 1967Hourihane, Anne Marie''Sunday Tribune'' 11 August 2002. until 1982. Plot ''Wanderly Wagon'' followed human and puppet characters as t ...

'' (1967–1982).

Early life and career

Born in Dublin in 1912, O'Mahoney started in theatre, and worked extensively in the 1930s and 1940s, including plays such as '' Drama at Inish'' (1933), ''

Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme ''Le Bourgeois gentilhomme'' (, translated as ''The Bourgeois Gentleman'', ''The Middle-Class Aristocrat'', or ''The Would-Be Noble'') is a five-act ''comédie-ballet'' – a play intermingled with music, dance and singing – written by Molière ...

'' (1941), and ''The United Brothers'' (1942). She started her film career with some uncredited appearances in movies such as '' Captain Boycott'' (1947) and '' Daughter of Darkness'' (1948). She emigrated to America in the early 1950s, where she continued to work in theatre, and was in a number a television episodes in anthology shows such as '' The 20th Century-Fox Hour'' (1955), ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vid ...

'' (1955), '' Front Row Center'' (1956), ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS progra ...

'' (1956), and '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1957). In 1959 she played a character named Molly Malloy in two productions, ''

'' (1959) and in ''

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The pr ...

'' (1959). Soon after these two roles she gave up acting for a time, working as a lay missionary in Rhodesia, where she was Bishop Lamont's secretary for several years until she became ill, and was invalided home to Ireland. She returned to acting in Ireland, first doing voice work on shows like ''

Newsbeat ''Newsbeat'' is the BBC's radio news programme broadcast on Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network. ''Newsbeat'' is produced by BBC News but differs from the BBC's other news programmes in its remit to provide news tailored for a specifically yo ...

'' (1964–71), and then won the role of Godmother in ''

'' (1967–1982). Her last television role was as Mrs. Hodnott in an episode of ''

The Irish R.M. ''The Irish R.M.'' is a trilogy of books by the Anglo-Irish novelists Somerville and Ross and a 1983 television comedy-drama series based on them. They are set in the turn-of-the-twentieth-century west of Ireland. Books The television series ...

''.

Death

She died in December 1989 in Dublin, Ireland, aged 77.

Filmography

Film

* '' Captain Boycott'' (1947) – Irish Villager (uncredited) * '' Daughter of Darkness'' (1948) – Miss Hegarty (uncredited) * '' Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!'' (1958) – Town Meeting Speaker (uncredited) * '' The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker'' (1959) – Mrs. McNair (uncredited) * ''

'' (1959) – Molly Malloy * '' Holiday for Lovers'' (1959) – Mrs. Murphy

Television

* '' The 20th Century-Fox Hour'' (1955) – Ellen Bridges * ''

'' (1955) – Martha * '' Front Row Center'' (1956) – Aggie * '' The Millionaire'' (1956) – Mother Superior * ''

'' (1956) * ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' (1956) * '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1957) – Flower Lady * '' Little Moon of Alban'' (1958, TV Movie) – Shelagh Mangan * '' The Californians'' (1958) – Mrs. Hayes / Molly McDonald * '' Playhouse 90'' (1958) – Abbey * ''

The Third Man ''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten ...

'' (1959) – The Maid * ''

'' (1959) – Molly Malloy * ''

The Ann Sothern Show ''The Ann Sothern Show'' is an American sitcom starring Ann Sothern that aired on CBS for three seasons from October 6, 1958, to March 30, 1961. Created by Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf, the series was the second starring vehicle for Sothern, who ...

'' (1959) – Mrs. Riley / Brianie * '' The Detectives'' (1960) – Irene * ''

'' (1967–1982) – Godmother * ''

'' (1984) – Mrs. Hodnott (final appearance)

References

External links

* *
IrishPlayography: Nora O'Mahoney

The Hitchcock Zone: Nora O'Mahoney

Images of Nora O'Mahoney in the Museum of the City of New York

Clip of Wanderly Wagon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Omahoney, Nora 1912 births 1989 deaths Actresses from Dublin (city) 20th-century Irish actresses Irish emigrants to the United States Irish film actresses Irish television actresses