Mary McEvoy
Encyclopedia
Mary McEvoy is an Irish
actress. She is recognised by television viewers for having played the role of Biddy Byrne in Glenroe
from 1983-2000. After that she has been in numerous plays, including Big Maggie, Sive, The Field
, The Chastitute, The Vagina Monologues
, Shirley Valentine, The Matchmaker, The Year of the Hiker, Dancing at Lughnasa
, Whippy, The Life and Times of Selma Mae, Moonlight and Music and Jo Bangles. She is also noted for her washing powder advertisements on television.
Before becoming an actress McEvoy was employed at the Department of Agriculture in Dublin as a serological assistant testing for brucellosis
. She left this position to return to work on her father's farm in Delvin.
) and Semi-Private (Mary Halpin) at The Gate. She starred with Siobhan McKenna
in the original production of Bailegangaire (Tom Murphy
) and Wood of the Whispering (M. J. Molloy
) with Druid Theatre directed by Garry Hynes
, also Charlie's Aunt at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. While at Oscar Theatre School she auditioned for Biddy Byrne in Glenroe
and was given the part because she had a license to drive tractors.
From 1983 through to 2000, Byrne became one of Ireland's best known television actresses in her role as Biddy McDermott in Glenroe. Mary left the show in 2000 saying
McEvoy has appeared in the following films: How to Cheat in the Leaving Certificate
, Moll Flanders
and The Pear Bottle.
After leaving Glenroe, McEvoy has featured in the plays Big Maggie, Sive, The Field
, The Chastitute, The Vagina Monologues
, Shirley Valentine, The Matchmaker, The Year of the Hiker, Dancing at Lughnasa
, Whippy, The Life and Times of Selma Mae, Moonlight and Music and Jo Bangles.
In 2010, McEvoy became a regular guest panelist on the TV3 show Midday and also was a guest on The Late Late Show
in April 2011. In April 2011, Byrne released her autobiography How The Light Gets In.
, McEvoy revealed that she suffered many years from depression, and that she is a Buddhist. McEvoy has been in a relationship with musician Garvan Gallagher
for 23 years.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
actress. She is recognised by television viewers for having played the role of Biddy Byrne in Glenroe
Glenroe
Glenroe was an Irish television drama series broadcast between September 1983 and May 2001 on RTÉ One. The programme was a spin-off from Bracken, a short-lived RTÉ drama itself spun off from The Riordans. Glenroe was broadcast on Sunday nights at 20.30, generally from September to May. The show was...
from 1983-2000. After that she has been in numerous plays, including Big Maggie, Sive, The Field
The Field
The Field is a play written by John B. Keane, first performed in 1965. It tells the story of the hardened farmer "Bull" McCabe and his love for the land he rents. The play debuted at Dublin's Olympia Theatre in 1965, with Ray McAnally as "The Bull" and Eamon Keane as "The Bird" O'Donnell. The play...
, The Chastitute, The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
, Shirley Valentine, The Matchmaker, The Year of the Hiker, Dancing at Lughnasa
Dancing at Lughnasa
Dancing at Lughnasa is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in Ireland's County Donegal in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, the narrator...
, Whippy, The Life and Times of Selma Mae, Moonlight and Music and Jo Bangles. She is also noted for her washing powder advertisements on television.
Early life
As an only child, Mary's father Larry was a sheep and cattle farmer, while her mother Catherine was the local district nurse. The family was well off enough to have a TV, and McEvoy remembers being mesmerised by the leading ladies of the 1940s' films.Before becoming an actress McEvoy was employed at the Department of Agriculture in Dublin as a serological assistant testing for brucellosis
Brucellosis
Brucellosis, also called Bang's disease, Crimean fever, Gibraltar fever, Malta fever, Maltese fever, Mediterranean fever, rock fever, or undulant fever, is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unsterilized milk or meat from infected animals or close contact with their secretions...
. She left this position to return to work on her father's farm in Delvin.
Career
After returning to Dublin in the early 1980s, McEvoy got a job as a runner at the Dublin Theatre Festival and studied acting at the Oscar Theatre School. Byrne's earlier theatre work includes The Philanderer (George Bernard ShawGeorge Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
) and Semi-Private (Mary Halpin) at The Gate. She starred with Siobhan McKenna
Siobhán McKenna
Siobhán McKenna was an Irish stage and screen actress.-Background:Born Siobhán Giollamhuire Nic Cionnaith in Belfast, Northern Ireland into a Catholic and nationalist family, she grew up in Galway City and in County Monaghan, Ireland speaking fluent Irish...
in the original production of Bailegangaire (Tom Murphy
Tom Murphy (playwright)
Tom Murphy is an Irish dramatist who has worked closely with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and with Druid Theatre, Galway. He was born in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland...
) and Wood of the Whispering (M. J. Molloy
M. J. Molloy
Michael Joseph Molloy was an Irish playwright. He was born and died in Miltown, County Galway.Molloy originally intended to become a priest, but contracted tuberculosis as a young man. He began writing plays during his long hospital stays. His first play, Old Road, was produced at the Abbey...
) with Druid Theatre directed by Garry Hynes
Garry Hynes
Garry Hynes is an Irish theatre director. She holds the distinction of being the first female to win the prestigious Tony Award for direction of a play.Hynes was born in Ballaghadereen, Roscommon County and educated at St...
, also Charlie's Aunt at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. While at Oscar Theatre School she auditioned for Biddy Byrne in Glenroe
Glenroe
Glenroe was an Irish television drama series broadcast between September 1983 and May 2001 on RTÉ One. The programme was a spin-off from Bracken, a short-lived RTÉ drama itself spun off from The Riordans. Glenroe was broadcast on Sunday nights at 20.30, generally from September to May. The show was...
and was given the part because she had a license to drive tractors.
From 1983 through to 2000, Byrne became one of Ireland's best known television actresses in her role as Biddy McDermott in Glenroe. Mary left the show in 2000 saying
McEvoy has appeared in the following films: How to Cheat in the Leaving Certificate
How to Cheat in the Leaving Certificate
How To Cheat In The Leaving Certificate is an independent film directed by Graham Jones, in which six teens devise a plan to cheat on their Leaving Certificate. The film was shot in black and white on Super 16mm. After being hailed by critics it was blown up to 35mm for theatrical distribution...
, Moll Flanders
Moll Flanders (1996 film)
Moll Flanders is a 1996 film starring Robin Wright and Morgan Freeman. The film was directed by Pen Densham. The original music score was composed by Mark Mancina...
and The Pear Bottle.
After leaving Glenroe, McEvoy has featured in the plays Big Maggie, Sive, The Field
The Field
The Field is a play written by John B. Keane, first performed in 1965. It tells the story of the hardened farmer "Bull" McCabe and his love for the land he rents. The play debuted at Dublin's Olympia Theatre in 1965, with Ray McAnally as "The Bull" and Eamon Keane as "The Bird" O'Donnell. The play...
, The Chastitute, The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
, Shirley Valentine, The Matchmaker, The Year of the Hiker, Dancing at Lughnasa
Dancing at Lughnasa
Dancing at Lughnasa is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in Ireland's County Donegal in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, the narrator...
, Whippy, The Life and Times of Selma Mae, Moonlight and Music and Jo Bangles.
In 2010, McEvoy became a regular guest panelist on the TV3 show Midday and also was a guest on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
in April 2011. In April 2011, Byrne released her autobiography How The Light Gets In.
Personal life
In 2009, on the documentary Would You BelieveWould You Believe (TV series)
Would You Believe is an Irish religious television series broadcast on RTÉ One. It currently airs on Sunday nights at 22:40. A new series of 12 films began airing on September 21, 2008.-Archive:- 2009 - 2010 :...
, McEvoy revealed that she suffered many years from depression, and that she is a Buddhist. McEvoy has been in a relationship with musician Garvan Gallagher
Garvan Gallagher
Garvan Gallagher is an Irish musician, best known as a Bass Guitar and Double-Bass player.He was also the Musical Director of the popular RTE children's puppet series Bosco, writing and recording over 200 songs for the series between 1981 and 1987...
for 23 years.
External links
- RTÉ Podcast of actors Mick Lally and Mary McEvoy - 7 March 2010 on Miriam Meets...Miriam Meets...Miriam Meets... is an Irish radio talk show. The programme began initially in July 2009, as a summer filler, presented by Prime Time and Saturday Night with Miriam presenter Miriam O'Callaghan. The show is broadcast on a Saturday morning....