Pauline McLynn facts for kids

Pauline McLynn (born 11 July 1962) is an Irish actress and author. She is famous for playing funny and interesting characters. Many people know her as the tea-loving housekeeper Mrs. Doyle in the comedy show Father Ted. She also played Libby Croker in Shameless and Yvonne Cotton in the popular soap opera EastEnders.

Early Life and Education

Pauline McLynn was born in Sligo, Ireland, and grew up in Galway with her two younger brothers. She went to Trinity College Dublin, a famous university in Ireland. There, she studied History of Art and Modern English.

Even though she was studying these subjects, she spent a lot of time in the university's drama society. Acting was her real passion. She later earned a Master of Arts degree.

Acting Career

Pauline McLynn has had a long and successful career in television, movies, and theatre. She is known for being a character actress, which means she is great at playing a wide variety of different people.

Her Famous Role as Mrs. Doyle

One of McLynn's most famous roles was Mrs. Doyle in the TV show Father Ted. The show was a sitcom, which is a funny show about a group of characters. Mrs. Doyle was an elderly housekeeper who was always trying to serve tea.

Interestingly, McLynn was only in her early thirties when she played Mrs. Doyle. She wore special makeup to make her look much older for the part. Her performance was so good that she won a British Comedy Award in 1996. The award was given to her by Tony Blair, who was a major political figure at the time.

Other Television Roles

After Father Ted, McLynn appeared in many other TV shows. She often played older characters and showed her talent for comedy.

• Jam & Jerusalem: She played Tip Haddem in this BBC comedy series.
• Shameless: She joined the cast of this popular Channel 4 show as Libby Croker.
• EastEnders: In 2014, McLynn joined the famous BBC soap opera EastEnders. She played Yvonne Cotton, the mother of a new character named Charlie Cotton. She appeared in the show for about a year.
• Doctor Who: In 2022, she appeared in a special New Year's Day episode of Doctor Who called "Eve of the Daleks".

She has also been a guest on comedy panel shows like Have I Got News for You.

Movie Roles

McLynn has also acted in many movies. In 1999, she played Aunt Aggie in the movie version of the famous book Angela's Ashes. She was praised by critics for her role in the 2005 film Gypo and was nominated for an award.

More recently, you might have seen her in the 2018 spy comedy Johnny English Strikes Again or heard her voice in the animated movie Riverdance: The Animated Adventure (2021). In 2021, she also appeared in the film Last Night in Soho.

Personal Life

Pauline McLynn is married to Richard Cook, who works as a theatrical agent.

She is very involved with charities. She is a patron for World Vision Ireland, which helps children around the world. She is also passionate about animal welfare, especially for greyhounds. She supports charities like Birmingham Greyhound Protection and Littlehill Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in Ireland.

McLynn is a fan of the Aston Villa football team. She once said her best moment as a fan was watching them win the Football League Cup final in 1996. She watched the game with her Father Ted co-star Ardal O'Hanlon, who is a fan of the team they beat.

Selected Film and TV Roles

Pauline McLynn has been in dozens of movies and television shows. Here are some of her well-known roles.

Film

• Far and Away (1992)
• Angela's Ashes (1999) - as Aunt Aggie
• Gypo (2005) - as Helen
• Johnny English Strikes Again (2018) - as Mrs. Trattner
• Riverdance: The Animated Adventure (2021) - as Grandma (voice)
• Last Night in Soho (2021) - as Carol

Television

• Father Ted (1995–1998) - as Mrs. Doyle
• Jam & Jerusalem (2006–2009) - as Tippi Haddem
• Shameless (2010–2011) - as Libby Croker
• EastEnders (2014–2015) - as Yvonne Cotton
• GameFace (2017–2019) - as Mum
• Doctor Who (2022) - as Mary in the episode "Eve of the Daleks"
• Holding (2022) - as Eileen O'Driscoll