Sheila O’Kelly fondly remembers the famous comedian and actor who was born and died in the month of November

 

Niall Tóibín was born on the 21st November 1929 in Friar’s Walk on the South side of Cork City, and was one of seven children born to Síobhán and Seán Tóibín. The family moved to the Northside of the city and Niall was educated at North Monastery Christian Brothers School.

In his teens he played hurling, took part in school plays, sang in the Cathedral Choir and in Cork Opera House. In 1946, he commenced work as a Civil Service Clerk in the Department of External Affairs in Dublin.

In 1953, Niall joined the Radio Éireann Players and acted alongside Peg Monaghan, Daphne Carroll, Chris Curran, Frank O’Dwyer and Joe Lynch. The Radío Éireann Players were well known for their Sunday night plays that were broadcasted live and covered a range of material.

In 1957, Niall married Frances Judy Kenny. They had five children and resided in Dublin. Niall was a member of the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. He was a lifelong member of Irish Actors Equity, the trade union that represents professionals in the live performance and theatre sector. He was a committed campaigner for actor’s rights and was instrumental in fighting for better conditions for the Abbey Players.

In 1967, Niall left the Radió Éireann Players and his first role as a freelance actor was in Brian Friels’ play ‘Lovers’ staged at the Gate Theatre, Dublin. When Brendan Behan’s play, ‘Borstal Boy’ (the story of the author’s incarceration when he was 16yrs old in an English borstal or reformatory) premiered at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin in 1967, Frank Grimes played the role of young Brendan Behan and Niall Tóibín played the role of the older Behan.

The play was very successful in Ireland and in New York. Niall won a Tony Award for his performance in ‘Borstal Boy’ in New York where the play opened in 1970.

Niall wrote scripts for RTÉ and for his own stage and television shows. In 1973, he won a Jacob’s Award for his performance in the RTÉ Comedy sketch show ‘If the Cap Fits’. He wrote and starred in the RTÉ television comedy show ‘Time Now, Mr T.’

The show was broadcasted in eight parts and met with a storm of protests because of its content. Aggrieved by RTÉ’s decision not to defend the show, Niall turned to England for work. He worked three seasons at the National Theatre in London starring in several plays including ‘The Iceman Cometh’ and ‘The Long Voyage Home’.

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own