Kieron Moore (Irish actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kieron Moore
Kieron Moore in 1956
Born	Ciarán Ó hAnnracháin (1924-10-05)5 October 1924 Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
Died	15 July 2007(2007-07-15) (aged 82) Charente-Maritime, France
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1946–1974
Spouse(s)	Barbara White ​ (m. 1947)​
Children	Theresa (Soeur Miriame-Therese), Casey, Colm, Seán

Kieron Moore (born Ciarán Ó hAnnracháin) was an Irish actor. He was born on October 5, 1924, and passed away on July 15, 2007. Kieron was famous for his roles in movies and TV shows, especially during the 1950s and 1960s. Many people remember him as Count Vronsky in the 1948 film Anna Karenina, where he acted alongside Vivien Leigh.

Early Life and Family

Kieron Moore grew up in County Cork, Ireland. His family spoke Irish at home. His father, Peadar Ó hAnnracháin, was a writer and poet. He strongly supported the Irish language. Peadar also wrote for and edited the Southern Star newspaper for many years.

Kieron's mother was Máire Ní Dheasmhumhnaigh. Many people in Kieron's family were involved in the arts. His sister, Neasa Ní Annracháin, was a well-known actress for Radio Éireann Players. His brother, Fachtna, was the music director at the same station. Another sister, Bláithín Ní Annracháin, played the harp with the National Symphony Orchestra.

After his family moved to Dublin, Kieron went to Coláiste Mhuire, a school where classes were taught in Irish. He started studying medicine at University College Dublin. However, he soon left his studies to join the actors at the Abbey Theatre. In 1947, Kieron married Barbara White. They had four children together.

Acting Career Highlights

Kieron Moore in Custer of the West (1967)

Kieron Moore began his acting journey at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. When he was just 19, he made his first appearance on a British stage. He played Heathcliff in a play called Wuthering Heights. In 1945, he was in a play called Desert Rats in London's West End.

His first movie role was in The Voice Within (1945). He played a member of the IRA. At this time, he was known as "Keiron O'Hanrahan."

Kieron also acted in a play called Red Roses for Me. A famous film producer, Alexander Korda, saw his performance. Korda was very impressed and signed Kieron to a long-term contract. Korda believed Kieron would become a huge star. He said Kieron had great talent, a strong build, and could play many different types of characters.

Kieron started using the stage name Kieron Moore. His first big role under this name was in A Man About the House (1947). The director, Leslie Arliss, thought Kieron was amazing. Next, he starred in the thriller Mine Own Executioner (1947).

Korda then gave Kieron the important role of Count Vronsky in Anna Karenina (1948). Even though the movie didn't do well at the box office, Kieron continued to act. He also played Heathcliff again in a BBC TV show of Wuthering Heights in 1948.

Kieron made another film with Korda, a comedy set in Ireland called Saints and Sinners (1949). He then went to France to star in Maria Chapdelaine (1950).

Hollywood and British Films

In 1951, Kieron went to Hollywood. He appeared in two movies there. He played Uriah in the big biblical movie David and Bathsheba, which starred Gregory Peck. He was also a corporal in Ten Tall Men with Burt Lancaster. These were supporting roles.

After Hollywood, Kieron worked in Italy and France. He starred in the Italian-English comedy Honeymoon Deferred (1951). He also had a small part in a French film, La demoiselle et son revenant (1952).

Back in Britain, Kieron acted in several "B films" (lower-budget movies). These included Mantrap (1953) and Recoil (1953). He also had lead roles in Conflict of Wings (1954) and The Blue Peter (1954). He supported Michael Redgrave in The Green Scarf (1954). Kieron hoped this film would help him become a top actor again.

He continued to get lead roles in films like Satellite in the Sky (1956) and The Steel Bayonet (1957). He even directed some episodes of a TV show called The Vise.

Later Roles and Television

Kieron took on supporting roles in bigger movies. These included The Key (1958) and The Angry Hills (1959). He had a memorable part as Pony Sugrue in Walt Disney's Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959). In this movie, he had a fight scene with a young Sean Connery.

He gave a strong performance in the comedy-thriller The League of Gentlemen (1960). He played a former army officer who joins a big robbery. He also appeared with Patrick McGoohan in an episode of Danger Man.

More film roles followed, such as The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960) and The Siege of Sidney Street (1960). He had the main role in Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961). He also had supporting parts in The 300 Spartans (1962), The Day of the Triffids (1962), and Arabesque (1966). His final film was Custer of the West (1967), where he played Chief Dull Knife.

Kieron also made many appearances on television shows. These included Sir Francis Drake, Department S, and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). He even created his own TV series called Ryan International (1970), where he starred and wrote some episodes. His last acting role was in an episode of The Zoo Gang (1974).

Life After Acting

In 1974, Kieron Moore decided to stop acting. He became a social activist, working to help people in developing countries, often called the Third World. He joined CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) and worked with them for nine years.

During this time, he made two documentary films: Progress of Peoples (about Peru) and The Parched Earth (about Senegal). Later, he traveled to the Middle East and India as a projects manager. He then became an editor for The Universe, a Catholic newspaper.

Kieron's last work for television was providing voice-overs for documentaries about the Aran Islands and the Blaskets.

In 1994, Kieron retired to Charente-Maritime in France. There, he joined the church choir, visited people in the hospital, and enjoyed reading books in French, Spanish, English, and Irish. He passed away in 2007. He was survived by his wife, Barbara White, and their four children: Theresa, Casey, Colm, and Seán.

Selected Filmography