Award-winning actor Gary Lydon has died suddenly at the age of 61, his representatives have confirmed. The British-Irish stage and screen star was best known for his role as Garda Peadar Kearney in the 2022 black tragicomedy The Banshees of Inisherin, directed by Martin McDonagh and starring Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan. The film earned nine Academy Award nominations.
A Storied Career on Stage and Screen
Lydon portrayed the father of Keoghan's troubled character Dominic Kearney in the film. His other notable credits include a long-running role as Patrick Murray, the counsellor on RTÉ One's The Clinic from 2003 to 2009, a performance that won him an Irish Film and Television Award (IFTA) for Best Supporting Actor. He also played Inspector Stanton in the 2014 film Calvary and a Chief Superintendent in the acclaimed Irish television series Love/Hate.
Community in Shock
Lydon's death was announced today and is believed to have occurred suddenly, leaving the community in Wexford, Ireland, in shock. Born in London, he moved to the town in southeast Ireland at the age of nine and remained deeply connected to its cultural scene.
The Wexford Arts Centre paid tribute to the late performer, recalling that he had recently returned to their stage in the production Of Mornington. In a statement, the centre noted: 'Gary had honed his craft as one of the finest actors in Ireland on the Wexford Arts Centre stage in many of Billy Roche's plays.'
They added: 'He forged a stellar career performing across Ireland and the UK. Gary had also supported development of new plays in our Wexford Playwrights Studio, taking part in a stage reading of Lights Out by Hannan McNiven, produced by Four River Theatre behind closed doors during Covid.'
The tribute concluded: 'The lights in the theatre world are dimmer due to the loss of Gary, but we will cherish the memories of his performances with reverence. Deepest sympathies to his family, friends, stage and screen colleagues, and to Billy Roche, his creative collaborator for over forty years.'
