Dermot Morgan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dermot Morgan
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Morgan in February 1993
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| Born | 31 March 1952 Dublin, Ireland
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| Died | 28 February 1998 (aged 45) Richmond, London, England
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| Resting place | Deans Grange Cemetery |
| Occupation | Comedian, actor |
| Years active | 1979–1998 |
| Spouse(s) | Susanne Garmatz |
| Partner(s) | Fiona Clarke |
| Children | 3 |
Dermot John Morgan (born March 31, 1952 – died February 28, 1998) was a famous Irish comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Father Ted Crilly in the popular TV show Father Ted. This show was shown on RTÉ in Ireland and Channel 4 in the UK.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Dermot Morgan was born in Dublin, Ireland. His mother was Hilda "Holly" Stokes, and his father was Donnchadh Morgan, an artist. Sadly, his father passed away when Dermot was young. Dermot had three siblings: Paul, Denise, and Ruth. Ruth died when she was a child.
Dermot went to Oatlands College in Stillorgan. Later, he studied English and philosophy at University College Dublin (UCD). While at UCD, he became very good at comedy. He even led a country music band called Big Gom and the Imbeciles. After college, he worked as an English teacher for a while. Soon, he decided to become a full-time performer.
Comedy Career Highlights
Starting with The Live Mike
Dermot Morgan first appeared on radio on the Morning Ireland show. This helped him get into radio and then television. He became well-known on the RTÉ television show The Live Mike, which ran from 1979 to 1982.
On The Live Mike, Dermot played many funny characters. One of his most famous was Father Trendy. This character made fun of some modern changes in the Catholic Church. Father Trendy was a priest who tried too hard to be cool. He often wore an Elvis-style haircut and sometimes a leather jacket. He would give short, funny "sermons" that compared religious life to everyday hobbies.
Dermot also made fun of Irish rebel songs. He said these songs often had "lots of blood and guts." He sang his own parody song about a dog named Fido. In the song, Fido saves his owner by eating a hand grenade. The song ended with the funny line: "I hope that I shall live to see Fido an Alsatian once again."
Comedy Music: Mr Eastwood
In December 1985, Dermot released a comedy song called "Thank You Very Very Much, Mr. Eastwood." This song was a parody of how Irish boxer Barry McGuigan always praised his manager, Barney Eastwood. The song included funny voices of famous people like Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II. It became the number one Christmas song in Ireland in 1985.
Radio Success: Scrap Saturday
One of Dermot's biggest successes in Ireland was the radio comedy show Scrap Saturday. This show aired on Saturday mornings in the late 1980s. Dermot, along with other actors, made fun of important people in Irish politics, business, and media.
A very popular part of the show was their comedy about Charles Haughey, who was the leader of Ireland (Taoiseach), and his press secretary, P. J. Mara. The show made fun of Haughey's bossy attitude and Mara's overly admiring behavior. Dermot also joked about Haughey's habit of claiming family connections everywhere he went.
Scrap Saturday was very popular with listeners. When RTÉ decided to stop the show in the early 1990s, many people were upset. Dermot called the decision "a shameless act of broadcasting cowardice." In 1991, Dermot won a Jacob's Award for his work on Scrap Saturday.
Father Ted Television Show
Dermot Morgan was already famous in Ireland, but he became well-known in Britain with the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted. The show ran for three seasons from 1995 to 1998. The writers, Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, chose Dermot for the main role because of his great energy.
Father Ted is about three Irish Catholic priests who are sent to a fictional place called Craggy Island. They are sent there because of their past mistakes. The show follows their funny and often strange adventures.
Awards for Father Ted
Father Ted won a BAFTA award for Best Comedy in 1996. That same year, Dermot won a British Comedy Award for Top TV Comedy Actor. In 1999, after Dermot's passing, Father Ted won another BAFTA for Best Comedy. Dermot also won Best Comedy Performance posthumously (after his death).
Other Projects
Dermot Morgan had other projects planned after Father Ted. He was writing a movie script called Miracle of the Magyars. This movie was based on a real event from the 1950s. At that time, the Archbishop of Dublin told Catholics not to go to a football match between Ireland and Yugoslavia. Dermot had finished the script before he passed away, but the movie was never made.
He was also planning a sitcom called Re-united. This show would be about two retired football players sharing a flat in London. Dermot was going to play one of the main characters. He was also asked to write a drama series for the BBC.
Personal Life
Dermot Morgan was married to Susanne Garmatz, who was from Germany. They had two sons together. Later, he had another son with Fiona Clarke.
Dermot grew up Catholic and even thought about becoming a priest when he was a child. However, later in his life, he had different beliefs and was critical of the Catholic Church. He was a fan of two football clubs: UCD FC in Ireland and Chelsea FC in England.
Passing Away
Before filming the last season of Father Ted, Dermot had a health check-up. Doctors found he had high blood pressure and gave him medicine. One day after finishing the very last episode of Father Ted, Dermot had a heart attack. This happened while he was hosting a dinner party at his home in London. He was rushed to the hospital but passed away soon after. He was 45 years old.
His sister, Denise, shared what happened. She said he wasn't feeling well during the meal. She went to the bedroom with him, but she didn't realize he was having a heart attack. She thought he was okay, and they went back to the table. Then, he collapsed. They tried to help him, but it was too late. Frank Kelly, who acted with Dermot in Father Ted, said Dermot was like "a kind of comedic meteor. He burned himself out."
Even though Dermot had different beliefs later in life, a Catholic funeral mass was held for him in Dublin. Many important people attended, including Irish President Mary McAleese. His body was cremated, and his ashes were buried in his family's plot at Deans Grange Cemetery.
Legacy
In December 2013, a documentary about Dermot Morgan called Dermot Morgan – Fearless Funnyman was shown on RTÉ One. His sons also had a wax statue of him made. It is now in the national wax museum in Dublin.
Appearances
Television
- The Live Mike (1979–1982)
- Father Ted (1995–1998)
- Have I Got News for You (1996–97; two episodes)
- Shooting Stars (one episode, 1996)
- That's Showbusiness (one episode, 1996)
Radio
- Scrap Saturday (1989–1991)
Film
- Taffin (1988)
- The First Snow of Winter (1998, voice in UK version)
