Donal Donnelly

• Name — Donal Donnelly • Born — 6 July 1931 • Birthplace — Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom • Occupation — Actor • Died — 4 January 2010 • Place of death — Chicago, Illinois, United States • Years Active — 1957–1999 • Spouse — Patricia "Patsy" Porter

Donal Donnelly was born to Irish parents in Bradford, Yorkshire, England. His father James was a doctor from County Tyrone, and his mother Nora O'Connor was a teacher from County Kerry. He was raised in Dublin where he attended school at Synge Street Christian Brothers School in Dublin where he acted in school plays with Milo O'Shea, Eamonn Andrews, Jack MacGowran, Bernard Frawley (Seattle Repertory Co.) and Jimmy Fitzsimons (brother of Maureen O'Hara), under the direction of elocution teacher, Ena Burke.

Donnelly got his start in an amateur group calling itself the Globe theatre Players. It was organised and run by Jim Fitzgerald and Monica Brophy. He then later toured with Anew McMaster's Irish repertory company before moving to England where he starred with Rita Tushingham in the film The Knack...and How to Get It. His breakthrough role came when he was cast as Gar Private in the world premiere of Brian Friel's Philadelphia, Here I Come! directed by Hilton Edwards for the Gate Theatre at the Dublin Theatre Festival in 1964. The production subsequently transferred to Broadway where it played for over 300 performances and established Donnelly and Patrick Bedford – who played his alter-ego Gar Public – as formidable new talents to be reckoned with. They were jointly nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play in 1966. Donnelly returned to Broadway a number of times, replacing Albert Finney in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg in 1968, playing Milo Tindle in Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth and appearing as Frederick Treves opposite David Bowie as The Elephant Man. He also renewed his relationship with Brian Friel, appearing in the world premieres of Volunteers at the Abbey Theatre in 1975 and Faith Healer with James Mason (Longacre Theatre, NYC) in 1979 as well as the Broadway premieres of Dancing at Lughnasa in 1991 and Translations in 1995. • Illustration — Poster for his double role in Nekrassov by Jean-Paul Sartre. Gate Theatre, Dublin. 1956. For many years, he toured a one-man performance of the writings of George Bernard Shaw, adapted and directed by Michael Voysey and entitled My Astonishing Self.

He was an acclaimed audiobook reader whose catalogue includes Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary, and several audio versions of the works of James Joyce. In 1968, he recorded an album of Irish songs Take the Name of Donnelly, which was arranged, produced and conducted by Tony Meehan formerly of the Shadows.

He died in Chicago, Illinois, on 4 January 2010 from cancer, aged 78, and is survived by his wife, Patricia 'Patsy' Porter – a former dancer he met working on Finian's Rainbow, and two sons, Jonathan and Damian. His daughter Maryanne predeceased him.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1957 — The Rising of the Moon — Prisoner Sean Curran "Jimmy Walsh" • 1958 — Gideon's Day — Feeney • 1959 — Shake Hands with the Devil — Willie Lafferty • 1959 — I'm All Right Jack — Perce Carter • 1963 — The Informers — Tommy the Trotter — Uncredited • 1965 — Young Cassidy — 1st Hearseman • 1965 — The Knack...and How to Get It — Tom • 1965 — Up Jumped a Swagman — Bockeye • 1970 — The Mind of Mr. Soames — Joe Allan • 1970 — Waterloo — O'Connor • 1987 — The Dead — Freddy Malins • 1989 — Twister — Doctor • 1990 — The Godfather Part III — Archbishop Gilday • 1994 — Mesmer — Doctor • 1994 — Squanto: A Warrior's Tale — Brother Paul • 1994 — Words Upon the Window Pane — Cornelius Patterson • 1995 — Korea — John Doyle • 1998 — This Is My Father — John Maney • 1998 — Love and Rage — Sweeney