Arthur O'Sullivan facts for kids

Arthur O'Sullivan (born in 1912, died on 17 February 1981), also known as Archie O'Sullivan, was a famous Irish actor. He performed in plays on stage, in movies, and on the radio. He was a very busy and talented performer!

What was Arthur O'Sullivan's Radio Career Like?

Arthur O'Sullivan joined the Radio Éireann Players in 1948. This was a special group of actors who worked for Radio Éireann, which is Ireland's national radio station. They started in 1947 and performed in many radio plays every week.

This group was very important for Irish drama. After World War II and a big fire at the Abbey Theatre in 1951, the Radio Éireann Players helped keep theatre alive. Their weekly shows made many people across Ireland interested in plays and acting.

Having a full-time acting group just for a radio station was quite new. All the actors were from Ireland, and many of them spoke Irish. Micheál Ó hAodha was the first producer, and Ria Mooney helped find actors.

O'Sullivan acted alongside other well-known actors like Éamonn Kelly and Joe Lynch. They performed plays by famous writers such as Frank O'Connor and Seán Ó Faoláin. Even Brendan Behan, a famous Irish writer, wrote some of his first plays for this radio group. When they weren't doing plays, the actors also performed in radio variety shows and read stories.

In 1961, O'Sullivan acted in a radio play called The Weaver's Grave. This play, written by Seamus O'Kelly, won a big award called the Prix Italia for Radio Drama. The Radio Éireann Players also won this award again in 1964.

Later, he was part of Radio Éireann's "Rambling House" program. In this show, musicians like Ceoltóirí Chualann, singers like Seán Ó Sé, and storytellers like Éamon Kelly brought back the old Irish tradition of "Rambling Houses." These were places where people gathered to share songs, music, and stories.

Arthur O'Sullivan on Stage and Screen

In April 1966, Arthur O'Sullivan appeared on RTÉ television in a play called The Singer. This show was part of a series marking 50 years since the 1916 Insurrection in Ireland. He also appeared in another RTÉ series called Teems of Times in 1978, where he played a character named Sailor Clancy.

O'Sullivan was a very active stage actor. He performed in the very first shows of plays by famous Irish writers like John B. Keane and Brian Friel.

He also had smaller roles in several important movies filmed in Ireland. These included Girl with Green Eyes (1964), Ryan's Daughter (1970), and Barry Lyndon (1975). In Barry Lyndon, he played a polite highwayman named Captain Feeny.

Arthur O'Sullivan passed away at Our Lady's Hospice in Harolds Cross, Dublin, when he was 69 years old.

Filmography