Peter Caffrey

Peter Caffrey (18 April 1949 – 1 January 2008) was an Irish actor best known for playing Padraig O'Kelly on Series 1-4 of Ballykissangel and Bracken and also well regarded for his role as a transvestite in the film Night Train, and for his role as an unlikely protagonist in I Went Down.[1]

Peter Caffrey
Born(1949-04-18)18 April 1949
Dublin, Ireland
Died1 January 2008(2008-01-01) (aged 58)
Shrewsbury, England
OccupationActor
Known forPortraying Padraig O'Kelly on Series 1-4 of Ballykissangel
Spouse(s)
Brenda Banks
(
m. 1980⁠–⁠1990)

He was also known for playing the role of the judge in the Irish comedy Father Ted on the episode A Song For Europe and for voicing a popular Christmas radio advertisement for Barry's Tea in 1994.

He was born in Dublin on the day the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 came into effect to create the Republic of Ireland, and he studied at a seminary for two years before switching to an English degree, in University College Dublin. He worked for a year as a primary school teacher, before becoming involved with Dublin's Project Theatre.[2] He appeared in nearly thirty television and film roles, and also had a solid theatre career in both Dublin and London. After moving to London in 1983 he became a familiar face on UK television.,[3] with minor roles in Casualty, The Bill and Peak Practice. His success in Ballykissangel came after overcoming cancer of the mouth for which he was diagnosed in 1990, and, despite suffering a stroke in 2000 which left him paralysed on the right side, he managed to play a similarly afflicted character in Sweet Dancer in 2005 (film unreleased).

He never fully recovered from this stroke, and died, aged 58, on January 1, 2008 in Shrewsbury.[4] His body was returned to Ireland for cremation in Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin, on January 8, 2008. Caffrey was survived by three sisters, Linda, Carol, and Sheila. His brother David pre-deceased him in July 2007.

He was married to Brenda Banks in 1980, the marriage ended with a divorce in 1990.

References
  1. Veteran Irish actor Peter Caffrey (58) dies - News & Gossip, Entertainment - Independent.ie
  2. Peter Caffrey: Padraig in 'Ballykissangel' - Obituaries, News - Independent.co.uk Archived 2008-01-05 at the Wayback Machine
  3. RTÉ News: Actor Peter Caffrey dies at 58
  4. Death notice, page 29, The Irish Times, 8 January 2008
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