Birdy Sweeney (14 June 1931 â€" 11 May 1999) was an Irish actor and
comedian.Born Edmund Francis Sweeney in Dungannon, County Tyrone, he
garnered his nickname "Birdy" from his childhood ability to imitate
bird calls which he demonstrated on BBC Radio Ulster. He was a
stand-up comedian on the club circuit for more than thirty years
before he gained his first acting work as an extra in BBC Northern
Ireland's adaptation of the play Too Late to Talk to Billy in
1982.Sweeney made minor appearances in several major films, including
The Crying Game (1992), The Hanging Gale (1995), The Snapper (1993)
The Butcher Boy (1997), and Angela's Ashes, and made his stage debut
in the 1989 Dublin production of The Iceman Cometh at the Abbey
Theatre. From 1996, he played farmer Eamon Byrne in the first four
series of the BBC drama series Ballykissangel.
comedian.Born Edmund Francis Sweeney in Dungannon, County Tyrone, he
garnered his nickname "Birdy" from his childhood ability to imitate
bird calls which he demonstrated on BBC Radio Ulster. He was a
stand-up comedian on the club circuit for more than thirty years
before he gained his first acting work as an extra in BBC Northern
Ireland's adaptation of the play Too Late to Talk to Billy in
1982.Sweeney made minor appearances in several major films, including
The Crying Game (1992), The Hanging Gale (1995), The Snapper (1993)
The Butcher Boy (1997), and Angela's Ashes, and made his stage debut
in the 1989 Dublin production of The Iceman Cometh at the Abbey
Theatre. From 1996, he played farmer Eamon Byrne in the first four
series of the BBC drama series Ballykissangel.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.