Deirdre Donnelly

Deirdre Donnelly is an Irish actress of stage and screen. Best known for her work on television, from 1975 to 1979 she portrayed Kathy Peters on the long-running RTÉ drama serial The Riordans. From 1996-2001 she starred as Siobhan Mehigan on the BBC comedy-drama series Ballykissangel. She has had recurring roles on Vikings: Valhalla, Fair City, Brassic, The Virtues, Striking Out, The Frankenstein Chronicles, The Clinic, The Irish R.M., and Last of the Summer Wine.

Donnelly made her film debut in Academy Award winner Joseph Strick’s 1977 film A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, adapted from the James Joyce novel of the same name. She would go on to have supporting roles in Attracta, The Fantasist, The Lilac Bus, Cracks, Rialto, and Barber. Also a veteran stage actress, Donnelly has appeared in numerous plays, including more than 50 productions with the National Theatre of Ireland.

Early life Donnelly is the third of four daughters. Her father was from Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin, and her mother from Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan. Her sister Terry Donnelly is also an actress.

Donnelly grew up in Cullenswood House, Ranelagh, and was educated at Mount St. Anne's School in Milltown, South Dublin. She studied for two years at the Brendan Smith Theatre Academy and a further two years at the Abbey Theatre School of Acting.

In 2004, Donnelly completed postgraduate studies at UCD, receiving a first-class master's degree in Modern Drama Studies.

Today The Bullfinch Ensemble Jack White Abbey Theatre Hall of Healing Old Woman Sean O'Casey Abbey Theatre The Shadow of a Gunman Stage Manager Sean O'Casey Abbey Theatre The Blue Demon Squinch Lin Ford Abbey Theatre

Arrah-na-Pogue Ensemble Dion Boucicault Abbey Theatre The Silver Tassie The Sister of the Ward Sean O'Casey Abbey Theatre The Blue Demon Squinch Lin Ford Abbey Theatre Picnic on a Battlefield Ensemble Fernando Arrabal Abbey Theatre

The Silver Tassie The Sister of the Ward Sean O'Casey Abbey Theatre The Importance of Being Earnest Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax Oscar Wilde Abbey Theatre The Scatterin|Sue Raftery James McKenna Abbey Theatre Sceal ScealaiíEile Ensemble Tomás Mac Anna & Eamon Kelly Abbey Theatre The Doll In The Gap Ellen Helen Cahill Abbey Theatre Rites Woman Maureen Duffy Abbey Theatre In the Shadow of the Glen Nora Burke John Millington Synge Abbey Theatre

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Ensemble Bertolt Brecht & George Tabori Abbey Theatre The Whiteheaded Boy Jane Lennox Robinson Abbey Theatre Blood Wedding The Bride Federico García Lorca Abbey Theatre The Whiteheaded Boy Jane Lennox Robinson Abbey Theatre The Gathering Carmel Edna O'Brien Abbey Theatre The Vicar of Wakefield Miss Wilmot Oliver Goldsmith & Thomas Murphy Abbey Theatre Struensee Lady/Whore John MacKendrick Abbey Theatre

Tarry Flynn Mary/Birdie P. J. O'Connor & Patrick Kavanagh Abbey Theatre The Vicar of Wakefield Miss Wilmot Oliver Goldsmith & Thomas Murphy Abbey Theatre Tarry Flynn Mary P. J. O'Connor & Patrick Kavanagh Abbey Theatre Twelfth Night Olivia William Shakespeare Abbey Theatre A Short Walk to the Sea Toni O'Mahoney Desmond Hogan Abbey Theatre Witches Brew Princess Red Lin Ford Abbey Theatre 1976 The J. Arthur Maginnis Story Chrissie Daftigan Tom Murphy Irish Theatre Company

Too Late For Logic Monica Tom Murphy Abbey Theatre You Can't Take It With You Gay Wellington George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart Abbey Theatre 1994 Down Onto Blue Julie Fox Pom Boyd Project Arts Centre 1995 She Stoops to Conquer Kate Hardcastle Oliver Goldsmith Gate Theatre 1996 She Stoops To Folly Mrs. Primrose Tom Murphy Abbey Theatre 2002 Da Mrs. Prynne Hugh Leonard Abbey Theatre 2005 Nuts and Bolts Marie Fiona Looney Bewley’s Cafe Theatre

A Month in the Country Anna Semyonovna Islayeva Ivan Turgenev & Brian Friel Abbey Theatre Dream of Autumn Mother Jon Fosse Project Arts Centre

The Crucible Rebecca Nurse Arthur Miller Abbey Theatre The Big House Mrs. Alcock Lennox Robinson Abbey Theatre 2008 An Ideal Husband Lady Markby Oscar Wilde Abbey Theatre 2009 Moment Teresa Deirdre Kinahan Solstice Arts Centre

Bookworms Dorothy Bernard Farrell Abbey Theatre Death of a Salesman Linda Loman Arthur Miller Gate Theatre 2011 Little Women Aunt March Louisa May Alcott & Anne-Marie Casey Gate Theatre 2012 Bookworms Dorothy Bernard Farrell Abbey Theatre

Sush Breda Elaine Murphy Abbey Theatre Sush Breda Elaine Murphy Abbey Theatre, National Tour

Of This Brave Time Performer Jimmy Murphy Abbey Theatre Conservatory She Michael West Abbey Theatre Owners Alec's Mother Caryl Churchill Abbey Theatre 2015 Pride and Prejudice Lady Catherine de Bourgh Jane Austen Gate Theatre / Hong Kong Arts Festival

Donegal - A Musical Play Magdalene Carolan Frank McGuinness Abbey Theatre The Importance of Being Earnest Lady Bracknell Oscar Wilde Gate Theatre / Spoleto Festival USA 2019 Evening Train Kathleen Mick Flannery Everyman Palace Theatre 2020 A Letter To The Manager Performer Sonya Kelly Abbey Theatre 2022 Joyce's Women May Joyce Edna O'Brien Abbey Theatre

Film and television roles

The Riordans (1974 - TV Series - RTE) as Cathy. The Last of Summer (1978 - TV Series - RTE) as Jo. Farmers (1978 - TV Drama - RTE) as Nuala. Miracles and Miss Langan (1979 - TV Drama - RTE) as Miss Langan. Criminal Conversation (1981 - Feature Film - BAC Films) as Margaret. Painted Out (1982 - TV Drama - RTE) as Maura Doyle. Attracta (1983 - Feature Film - BAC Films) as Geraldine Carey. The Irish RM (1984-85 - TV Series - RTE/Channel 4) as Miss Fraser. The Fantasist (1986 - Feature Film - ITC Films) as Fionnuala O'Sullivan. Molloy (1989 - TV Series - RTE) as Mrs. Molloy. Connemara (aka La Rouge) (1990 - Feature Film - Lapaca Films) as La Reine. The Hamster Wheel (1993 - TV Drama - BBC NI) as Jeanette. Runway One (1995 - V Drama - BBC) as Mrs. Connaughton. Ballykissangel (1996-2001 - TV Series - World Productions/BBC) as Siobhan. Legend (2006 - TV Series - RTE) as Bernie Molloy. The Clinic (2006-07 - TV Series - RTE) as Carol O'Dwyer. Cracks (2009 - Feature Film - Scott Free/Element Pictures) as Miss Lacey. Homemade (2012 - Short Film - Park Films) as Joan. Quirke (2014 - TV Series - BBC/RTE) as Sister Dominic. Amber (2015 - TV Series - RTE) as Maureen O'Donoghue. The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015 - TV Series - ITV) as Mrs. Townsend. Goodbye, Darling (2016 - Short Film - Fantastic Films) as Kathleen. Striking Out (2017 - TV Series - Blinder Films/RTE) - as Judge O'Sullivan. The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid (2018 - Feature Film - Park Films) as Supreme Court Judge. The Virtues (2019 - TV Series - Warp Films/Channel 4) as Susan. Rialto (2019 - TV Series - Marcie Films) as Miriam. The Ferry (2019 - Short Film - Media Factory) as Bertha. Brassic (2019 - TV Series - Calamity Films/ Sky 1) as Mo Dennings. The Lady on the Hill (aka The Bog Lady) (2019 - Short Film - Red Spider Films) as The Mother. Fair City (2023 - RTE Soap Opera) as Jacinta Boyle.