Dermott Dolan

Dermott Dolan

Father Dermott Dolan a.k.a. Luke Slater is played by Oisín Stack. In flashback, young Dermott is played by Eoin Daly. In EastEnders episodes broadcast in January 2016, Kathleen discovers she gave birth to a son, Luke, after she passed out during the birth of her daughter Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan). A nun, Sister Ruth (June Whitfield), explains that Kat's family, fearing that the child would turn out like his paedophile father, Kat's uncle, Harry Slater (Michael Elphick), handed him to the nuns in the convent where he was born. The nuns named him Luke and arranged for him to be adopted into an Irish family. In Redwater's first episode, Dermott is seen in a flashback scene, where he is involved in the Redwater Tragedy that kills his mother, Iris. 21 years later, Kathleen and Alfie arrive in Redwater, where Kat is attempting to find her son. Kathleen quickly befriends Dermott, the local Catholic priest, and Lance. Dermott is angry at being delivered orange juice by the local dairy farm when he has not requested it. After Kathleen confides in Lance that she is searching for her son, he tells his wife, Agnes, this, and they both know the true identity of her son. Agnes insists that nothing is said, but Lance tells Dermott that Iris and Peter are not his parents and that Iris lost her baby while staying in London, so brought back Kathleen's son as her own, and Peter does not know the truth. Lance offers to mediate between Dermott and Kathleen, so Dermott decides to think about it and speak to Lance the next morning. The next day, after finding more orange juice has been delivered, Dermott meets Lance while Lance is swimming in the sea and makes him eat a sacramental wafer and then drowns him in the sea while flashing back to the tragedy, where he lets go of Iris's hand, allowing her to die. Dermott prays for Lance's soul, and then forgives him before leaving the scene.