Peter Caffrey
Encyclopedia
Peter Caffrey was an Irish
actor best known for playing Padraig O'Kelly on Series 1-4 of Ballykissangel
, but also well regarded for his role as a transvestite in the film Night Train, and I Went Down.
He was also known for playing the role of the judge in the Irish comedy Father Ted
on the episode A Song For Europe
.
He was born in Dublin and he studied at a seminary for two years before switching to an English degree. He worked for a year as a primary school teacher, before becoming involved with Dublin's Project Theatre. He appeared in nearly thirty television and film roles, and also had a solid theatre career in both Dublin and London
. After moving to London in 1983 became a familiar face on UK television., with minor roles in Casualty
, The Bill
and Peak Practice
. His success in Ballykissangel
came after overcoming cancer of the mouth
for which he was diagnosed in 1990, and despite suffering a stroke
in 2000 which left him paralysed on the right side, he managed to play a similarly afflicted character in Sweet Dancer in 2005 (film unreleased).
He never fully recovered from this stroke, and died aged 58, on January 1, 2008 in Shrewsbury
.
His body was returned to Ireland for cremation in Mount Jerome Cemetery
, Dublin, on January 8, 2008. Caffrey was survived by three sisters, Linda, Carol, and Sheila. His brother David pre-deceased him in July 2007.
He married Brenda Banks in 1980, the marriage ending in divorce in 1990.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
actor best known for playing Padraig O'Kelly on Series 1-4 of Ballykissangel
Ballykissangel
Ballykissangel is a BBC television drama set in Ireland, produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest as he became part of a rural community. It ran for six series, which were first broadcast on BBC One in the UK from 1996 to 2001...
, but also well regarded for his role as a transvestite in the film Night Train, and I Went Down.
He was also known for playing the role of the judge in the Irish comedy Father Ted
Father Ted
Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
on the episode A Song For Europe
A Song for Europe
A Song for Europe may refer to:*A Song for Europe, former name of British pre-selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, now known as Eurovision: Your Country Needs You...
.
He was born in Dublin and he studied at a seminary for two years before switching to an English degree. He worked for a year as a primary school teacher, before becoming involved with Dublin's Project Theatre. He appeared in nearly thirty television and film roles, and also had a solid theatre career in both Dublin and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. After moving to London in 1983 became a familiar face on UK television., with minor roles in Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
and Peak Practice
Peak Practice
Peak Practice is a British drama series about a GP surgery in Cardale — a small fictional town in the Derbyshire Peak District — and the doctors who worked there. It ran on ITV from 10 May 1993 to 30 January 2002 and was one of their most successful series at the time...
. His success in Ballykissangel
Ballykissangel
Ballykissangel is a BBC television drama set in Ireland, produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest as he became part of a rural community. It ran for six series, which were first broadcast on BBC One in the UK from 1996 to 2001...
came after overcoming cancer of the mouth
Oral cancer
Oral cancer is a subtype of head and neck cancer, is any cancerous tissue growth located in the oral cavity. It may arise as a primary lesion originating in any of the oral tissues, by metastasis from a distant site of origin, or by extension from a neighboring anatomic structure, such as the...
for which he was diagnosed in 1990, and despite suffering a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in 2000 which left him paralysed on the right side, he managed to play a similarly afflicted character in Sweet Dancer in 2005 (film unreleased).
He never fully recovered from this stroke, and died aged 58, on January 1, 2008 in Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
.
His body was returned to Ireland for cremation in Mount Jerome Cemetery
Mount Jerome Cemetery
Mount Jerome Cemetery is situated in Harold's Cross on the south side of Dublin, Ireland. Since its foundation in 1836, it has witnessed over 300,000 burials...
, Dublin, on January 8, 2008. Caffrey was survived by three sisters, Linda, Carol, and Sheila. His brother David pre-deceased him in July 2007.
He married Brenda Banks in 1980, the marriage ending in divorce in 1990.