Father Ted star Jon Kenny has died at the age of 66 after a two-year battle with cancer.
Kenny’s wife, Margie, confirmed he had passed away yesterday evening at a clinic in Galway.
The 66-year-old was best known for playing multiple roles in the Channel 4 comedy Father Ted.
He was also one half of comedy duo, the D’Unbelievables, with Pat Shortt,
Jon Kenny in Father Ted
Hat Trick Comedy
The comedian had previously recovered from non-Hodgkins lymphoma in his 40s but announced in 2020 that his cancer had returned.
“I was diagnosed… the cancer came back. I had it there again. I had it about three years ago, four years ago so I had some operation to remove some of my left lung and that was good. Good luck to that,” he revealed on RTÉ’s Oliver Callan show.
Continuing, the comedian reflected: “I’ve been very lucky. I’m sure some people would say I’ve had bad luck, but I think when you come out the other end of anything, I think I’ve had a lot of good luck as well, everything has worked for me.”
“I had a double bypass which kind of brilliantly mended me, fixed me up and got me back on the road and then, my cancer came back again about three years ago.”
Kenny had a long and successful comedic career outside of Father Ted
Getty
Her concluded: “I was diagnosed with lung cancer and they removed the lower part of my left lung. That kept me going again for another while, but it came back again now last year, so, I’m just on treatment for that at the moment. But it’s good the treatment is working. It’s all going well, I’m very lucky.”
Despite his diagnosis, Kenny had continued to work: “Some shows I’m doing is just to see how my body is going to hold up doing some travel, some work and some live performances.”
The 66-year-old’s commitment to his craft continued right up until his death.
Kenny was due to perform Ships In The Dawn at the Schoolyard Theatre, Charleville in County Cork this evening, the event now being cancelled.
Outside of Father Ted and the D’Unbelievables, Kenny had a glittering career on stage and on screen.
In 2022, he and Shortt appeared as pub goers Gerry and Jonjo in the celebrated Banshees of Inisherin.
Kenny was much-beloved in his home of Limerick and beyond
PA
Kenny got his big break in comedy writing and performing on Davis At Large on RTE, which ran between 1984 and 96.
He turned that start into a number of hugely successful solo shows – with Have A Nice Day and Its My Shout becoming the highest selling videos in Irish history.
The actor also enjoyed success on the boards, acting in countless stage shows and plays during his career.
