Peadar Lamb (1930 – 1 September 2017) was an Irish actor. He was known for his roles in numerous Irish-language stage productions, including playing King Fin Varra in the television series ''

Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog ''Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog'' is a fantasy-adventure television series set in a fantasy version of ancient Ireland, created by Saban Entertainment. It was loosely based on actual Irish mythology. The name is derived from Tír na nÓg, one of ...

,'' and lending his voice to Old Piggley Winks on the children's television series '' Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks''.

Early life

Lamb grew up in An Cheathrú Rua,

Carraroe Carraroe (in Irish, and officially, , meaning 'the red quarter') is a village in County Galway, Ireland, in the Irish-speaking region (Gaeltacht) of Connemara. It is known for its traditional fishing boats, the Galway Hookers. Its population i ...

. His father, Charles Lamb, was a well-known painter. Peadar Lamb trained at 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 ...

and first appeared on stage in 1954.

Career

Theatre

Lamb had a theatrical career lasting over 60 years. Over the course of this time, he played diverse characters and appeared in a number of plays by famous playwrights including

Brendan Behan Brendan Francis Aidan Behan (christened Francis Behan) ( ; ga, Breandán Ó Beacháin; 9 February 1923 – 20 March 1964) was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, and Irish Republican activist who wrote in both English an ...

Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...

and Seán O'Casey: *Estragon in

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

's '' Waiting for Godot'' *Dunlavin and Warder Regan in '' The Quare Fellow'' (Behan's first play) *Monsewer in '' The Hostage and An Giall'' *Police informer Harvey Duff in '' The Shaughraun'' *Myles na Coppaleen in ''

The Colleen Bawn ''The Colleen Bawn, or The Brides of Garryowen'' is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, on 27 March 1860 with Laura Keene playing Anne Chute and Boucicault p ...

'' *Brennan o' the Moor in ''

Red Roses For Me ''Red Roses for Me'' is the debut studio album by the London-based band the Pogues, released on 15 October 1984. It was produced by Stan Brennan, who had managed the Nipple Erectors/The Nips and Rocks Off Records shop in London. Overview ''Red ...

'' *Mr. Gallogher in ''

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 ...

'' Other stage performances include a role as Curly in John Murphy's '' The Country Boy'' and as the blind man in

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 ...

' ''

On Baile's Strand ''On Baile's Strand'' is a play written by W. B. Yeats and first printed in ''In the Seven Woods'' published by Dun Emer Press in 1903. The play was first performed at the grand opening of the Abbey Theatre on 27 December 1904. The play is based ...

''. Lamb toured America and Canada in 1990 with

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''. In June 2002, Peadar Lamb and his wife Geraldine Plunkett played leading roles in a production of Tony Guerin's play ''Hummin','' performed by the Waterford-based Red Kettle Company.

Television

Lamb appeared on many series broadcasts on

RTÉ One RTÉ One ( ga, RTÉ a hAon) is an Irish free-to-air flagship television channel owned and operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). It is the most-popular and most-watched television channel in the country and was launched as ''Telefís � ...

, including television soap operas '' Fair City'' and ''

Ros na Rún () is an Irish soap opera produced for the Irish-language television channel TG4. The series is set in a fictional village called Ros Na Rún, located near to An Spidéal, and focuses on the domestic and professional lives of its residents. ' ...

''. He appeared in a 1998 episode of the sitcom ''

Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews (writer), Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4. It aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until ...

'' and played Mr. Hasson in the British drama film ''

The Railway Station Man ''The Railway Station Man'' is a 1992 British drama film directed by Michael Whyte, and starring Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland and John Lynch. It was based on the 1984 novel of the same name by Irish writer Jennifer Johnston. It was filme ...

'', opposite Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie. He also played fairy King Fin Varra in the television series ''

'', loosely based on Irish mythology and voiced Old Piggley Winks on the children's television series '' Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks''.

Teaching

Lamb qualified as a primary school teacher before becoming an actor full time and later taught young actors at his alma mater, Abbey School of Acting.

Personal life

Lamb was married to actress

Geraldine Plunkett Geraldine Plunkett is an Irish actress known for her part as Mary McDermott-Moran in the Irish television series '' Glenroe''. Geraldine Plunkett has recently taken up another new soap role playing Rose O’Brien, mother to Eoghan O’Brien on R ...

from 1965. They had seven children. Lamb died in his sleep at his home in

Glenageary Glenageary ( ga, Gleann na gCaorach , meaning "Glen of the Sheep") is an area in the suburbs of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. While there is no officially defined boundary, it is surrounded by the areas of Dalkey, Dún Laoghaire, Glasthule ...

, Ireland, on 1 September 2017 at the age of 87.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lamb, Peadar 1930 births 2017 deaths Actors from County Galway Irish male actors Irish male voice actors Irish male television actors Irish male stage actors 20th-century Irish male actors 21st-century Irish male actors