Birdy Sweeney

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Birdy Sweeney

Born|

Edmund Francis Sweeney

(1931-06-14)14 June 1931

Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland

Died| 11 May 1999(1999-05-11) (aged 67)

Dublin, Ireland

Nationality| Irish
Other names| Birdy Sweeney
Occupation| Actor

Birdy Sweeney (14 June 1931 – 11 May 1999) was an Irish actor and comedian.

Born Edmund Francis Sweeney in Dungannon, County Tyrone, he was nicknamed "Birdy" from his childhood ability to imitate bird calls which he demonstrated on BBC Radio Ulster. He was a stand-up comedian on the club circuit for more than thirty years before he gained his first acting work as an extra in BBC Northern Ireland's adaptation of the play Too Late to Talk to Billy in 1982.[1]

Sweeney made minor appearances in several major films, including The Crying Game (1992), The Hanging Gale (1995), The Snapper (1993) The Butcher Boy (1997), and Angela's Ashes, and made his stage debut in the 1989 Dublin production of The Iceman Cometh at the Abbey Theatre.[1] From 1996, he played farmer Eamon Byrne in the first four series of the BBC drama series Ballykissangel.[2]

## Death

[edit]

Sweeney died on 11 May 1999 at St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, aged 67, He was survived by his wife Alice and their eight children.[2]

## Filmography

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

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1983 | Every Picture Tells a Story | Blakes Barman |
1986 | The End of the World Man | Workman |
1988 | Reefer and the Model | Instant Photo |
1991 | Murder in Eden | Crubog | BBC Miniseries
1992 | The Crying Game | Tommy | [3]
1996 | Moll Flanders | Doctor of Sorts |
1996 | Space Truckers | Mr. Zesty |
1996-1999 | Ballykissangel | Eamon Byrne | 34 episodes
1997 | The Butcher Boy | Man in Well |
1997 | Downtime | Pat |
1998 | The Nephew | Old Codger |
1998 | Divorcing Jack | Lift Attendant |
1998 | Joint Venture | Arthur | Short
1998 | Green Oranges | Tommy | Short
1999 | Angela's Ashes | Old Priest |
2011 | The Poorhouse Revisited | Gravedigger | (final film role)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Exshaw, John: Obituary: Birdy Sweeney, The Independent, 14 May 1999.
2. ^ a b Ballykissangel actor dies, BBC News, 12 May 1999
3. ^ "Birdy Sweeney". BFI London. Archived from the original on 28 May 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* Birdy Sweeney at IMDb

Authority control databases

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