Michael “Mick†Lally (10 November 1945 â€" 31 August 2010) was an
Irish stage, film and television actor. He departed from a teaching
career for acting during the 1970s. Though best known in Ireland for
his role as Miley in the television soap Glenroe, Lally's stage career
spanned several decades, and he was involved in feature films such as
Alexander and the Academy Award-nominated The Secret of Kells. He died
in August 2010 after a battle with emphysema. Many reports cited him
as one of Ireland's finest and most recognisable actors.Born in
November 1945 and reared in the Gaeltacht village of Tourmakeady,
County Mayo, Mick (Michael) Lally was the eldest of a family of seven
children; five sisters and one brother. He went to the local national
school in Tourmakeady and then to St. Mary's College, Galway. After
studying at University College Galway he taught history and Irish for
six years in Archbishop McHale College, Tuam from 1969 to 1975, but
quit teaching to pursue his career as a stage actor.Mick began his
acting career with Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe (Ireland's national Irish
language theatre), and was a founding member of the Druid Theatre
Company. Lally received an Irish Times/ESB Theatre Award Nomination
for Best Actor for his role in Druid's production of The Dead School.
Lally also became a member of the Field Day Theatre Company, and
starred in the company's 1980 premiere of Brian Friel's play
Translations. He first played at the Abbey Theatre in 1977 in a
production of Wild Oats and went on to perform in many other Abbey
productions.
Irish stage, film and television actor. He departed from a teaching
career for acting during the 1970s. Though best known in Ireland for
his role as Miley in the television soap Glenroe, Lally's stage career
spanned several decades, and he was involved in feature films such as
Alexander and the Academy Award-nominated The Secret of Kells. He died
in August 2010 after a battle with emphysema. Many reports cited him
as one of Ireland's finest and most recognisable actors.Born in
November 1945 and reared in the Gaeltacht village of Tourmakeady,
County Mayo, Mick (Michael) Lally was the eldest of a family of seven
children; five sisters and one brother. He went to the local national
school in Tourmakeady and then to St. Mary's College, Galway. After
studying at University College Galway he taught history and Irish for
six years in Archbishop McHale College, Tuam from 1969 to 1975, but
quit teaching to pursue his career as a stage actor.Mick began his
acting career with Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe (Ireland's national Irish
language theatre), and was a founding member of the Druid Theatre
Company. Lally received an Irish Times/ESB Theatre Award Nomination
for Best Actor for his role in Druid's production of The Dead School.
Lally also became a member of the Field Day Theatre Company, and
starred in the company's 1980 premiere of Brian Friel's play
Translations. He first played at the Abbey Theatre in 1977 in a
production of Wild Oats and went on to perform in many other Abbey
productions.
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