TRIBUTES have been paid to Irish actor and director Dónall Farmer, who has died at the age of 81.
Farmer established himself at RTÉ as a director and producer, working on popular Irish soap opera The Riordans.
He also served as Head of Drama at the national broadcaster, however it was as priest Fr Tim Devereux in Glenroe that he was best remembered for.
He also appeared in TV shows Ballykissangel and Remington Steele.
A former member of the Abbey Theatre, Farmer also helped found the Everyman Theatre in his native Cork.
In a statement, Denis McSweeney, chair of the Everyman, described Farmer as ‘a powerful actor who commanded the stage with a fire and an intensity’.
“In many ways, we, in Everyman and our audiences, enjoy the legacy of the pioneering foundational work lovingly done by our predecessors, like Dónall, in setting this project on its path over 50 years ago,” said McSweeney.
Farmer is survived by his wife Eileen and children Orla, Catherine and Dónall.
Tributes have also been paid to Farmer on social media.
We are saddened to hear of the passing of our talented colleague, Abbey Company member and friend, Dónall Farmer. Dónall was synonymous with the Abbey Theatre in the 1980s as an actor and director. He is pictured (below centre) on our 1988 tour to Russia. pic.twitter.com/gLKTKTTyyU
— Abbey Theatre (@AbbeyTheatre) 6 December 2018
R.I.P. Donal Farmer .A fine actor and terribly nice man. #Glenroe #everymantheatre pic.twitter.com/AYErwXv0bb
— Mario Rosenstock (@GiftGrubMario) 6 December 2018
"I loved Glenroe... and Fr Devereux, the iconic parish priest who used to go around on his bike, giving advice but not too pushy..." Ivan is paying tribute to actor Donall Farmer, who has died aged 81. pic.twitter.com/96C8D3r6ad
— IvanYatesNT (@IvanYatesNT) 6 December 2018
Very sad to read. Dónall Farmer - who played Fr Tim Devereux on Glenroe - dies aged 81 (via @thejournal_ie) https://t.co/0IxwxKma1N
— Jerry Buttimer (@jerrybuttimer) 6 December 2018
