Ardal O'Hanlon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ardal O'Hanlon
O'Hanlon as Fr. Dougal McGuire
Born	(1965-10-08) 8 October 1965 (age 59) Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, Ireland
Education	Blackrock College
Alma mater	NIHE, Dublin
Occupation	Actor comedian
Years active	1991–present
Spouse(s)	Melanie O'Hanlon
Children	3
Parent(s)	Rory O'Hanlon (father)
Relatives	Peter Fenelon Collier

Ardal O'Hanlon (born October 8, 1965) is a well-known Irish comedian, actor, and writer. He is famous for playing funny characters like Father Dougal McGuire in the TV show Father Ted. He also starred as George Sunday, a superhero, in My Hero. Later, he played DI Jack Mooney in the detective series Death in Paradise. Ardal O'Hanlon has also written a book called The Talk of the Town.

Early Life and Education

Ardal O'Hanlon was born in Carrickmacross, a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. His father, Rory O'Hanlon, was a doctor and also a politician. Ardal was one of six children in his family.

He went to school at Blackrock College in Dublin. After that, he studied communications at the National Institute for Higher Education in Dublin. This school is now known as Dublin City University. He finished his studies in 1987.

Starting a Comedy Career

Ardal O'Hanlon helped start a comedy club called the International Comedy Cellar. He created it with two other comedians, Kevin Gildea and Barry Murphy. At that time, Dublin did not have many places for stand-up comedy.

As a stand-up comedian, Ardal won an award in 1994. It was called the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year competition. For a while, he even hosted a TV show called The Stand Up Show.

Famous TV Roles

Ardal O'Hanlon became very famous when he was chosen to play Father Dougal McGuire in the TV show Father Ted. This show ran from 1995 to 1998. Father Dougal was a very funny and often confused priest. Once, while filming, Ardal went to buy shoes while still in his priest costume. The shop assistant thought he was a real priest and offered him the shoes for free! In 1995, he won an award for this role, called the Top TV Comedy Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards.

After Father Ted, Ardal O'Hanlon starred in another comedy series called My Hero starting in 2000. In this show, he played George Sunday, a superhero from another planet. George tried to save the world while also living a normal life in the suburbs. Ardal played this role for many years.

He also provided the voice for the main character in three Christmas cartoon specials called Robbie the Reindeer. In 2007, he appeared in an episode of Doctor Who called "Gridlock". In this episode, he played a cat-like creature named Thomas Kincade Brannigan.

From 2017 to 2020, Ardal O'Hanlon took on a new lead role. He played DI Jack Mooney, a detective, in the BBC crime drama Death in Paradise. He later decided to leave the show in 2020.

Other Projects

Ardal O'Hanlon has also written a novel. It is called The Talk of the Town and was published in 1998. The book is about a teenage boy and his friends.

In 2006, he hosted a TV series called Leagues Apart. In this show, he explored big football rivalries in different European countries. He also presented another show in 2007 called So You Want To Be Taoiseach?, which gave funny advice on how to become the leader of Ireland.

In 2021, Ardal O'Hanlon was a contestant on Taskmaster, a popular comedy game show. He finished in fourth place. In 2023, he acted in a play called Dancing at Lughnasa at the Royal National Theatre. In 2024, he presented his first show in the Irish language, Inis na nIontas, exploring islands around Ireland.

Personal Life

Ardal O'Hanlon met his wife, Melanie, when they were teenagers. They are married and have three children together. He is a big fan of the football team Leeds United.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards

See Also

• Father Ted
• My Hero
• Death in Paradise