‘Another light has gone out’
Tributes have poured in for beloved Cork-born performer Niall Tóibín who died yesterday at the age of 89.
The ‘Bracken’ and ‘Ballykissangel’ star passed away in the early hours of yesterday morning in Dublin following a long-term illness.
Born in Cork in 1929, Tóibín’s long career spanned radio, television, film and theatre, starring in major films like ‘Far and Away’ and ‘Veronica Guerin’.
Actor and author Gavin O’Connor spoke to the Cork Independent of his experiences with Tóibín as a young actor in Cork.
He said: “He had the ability to become the everyman - the normal working people of Ireland, from all counties. At the drop of a hat, he could assume a new character flawlessly. It was effortless and it was sheer magic to watch.
“His popularity was never bigger than the 1980s. Ireland was in the middle of a recession and Niall mined deep for rich material.
“There’s no better example of that than around the closure of the Ford Motor factory when he found a way to make people, including my own father, who had lost their livelihoods, smile again.”
Jean Kearney, who has worked with Cork’s Everyman Theatre, described him as a man who was “extremely proud of his roots”.
Ms Kearney continued: “He often came back to Cork and did charity gigs. He appeared on the Everyman stage many, many times with his one-man show, always playing to packed houses.
“He was such a good listener. He was a mimic. If you listen to his humour, he was always very close to the bone and people recognised themselves in his characters. Another light has gone out,” she added.
Producer, director and former CEO of the Everyman Theatre, Patrick Talbot, described Tóibín as a “giant of an actor”.
“He was a great Cork man. Though best known for TV and film, he was first and foremost a stage actor. His Bull McCabe in the Abbey production of John B Keane’s ‘The Field’, which toured Russia, was magnificent,” said Mr Talbot.
“He adored acting for radio and his versatility in the medium, in both English and Irish, was hugely respected. He adored his native city and he was a walking, talking advertisement for it,” he added.
Speaking after Tóibín’s passing, President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to the “unique” actor.
He said: “It’s with great sadness that I have learned of the death of Niall Tóibín. The depth of interpretation that he brought to a wide variety of characters showed a very deep intellectual understanding and, above all, sensitivity to the nuance of Irish life.”
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr John Sheehan, said: “There is a palpable sense of sadness in Cork that one of our much loved sons, a proud Freeman of the City, has passed on. His love of Cork, Ireland and the Irish language and culture was renowned; that rich, resonant voice beloved by generations on both sides of the Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean.”