Maureen Toal (7 September 1930 – 24 August 2012) was an Irish stage and television actress whose professional career lasted for more than sixty years.[1][2]
Maureen Toal | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 September 1930 Fairview, Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 24 August 2012 (aged 81) Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Actress |
She was born in 1930 and was originally from Fairview, Dublin.[2] Toal began performing at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1946, when she was just sixteen years old.[1] She became a fixture at the theatre, portraying Bessie Burgess in The Plough and the Stars and the Widow Quinn in The Playboy of the Western World.[1] She also appeared in several one woman shows, including Baglady, which was written by Irish playwright Frank McGuinness.[1]
Another playwright, John B. Keane, wrote the role of Mame Fadden in his play, The Change in Mame Fadden, specifically for Toal. Hugh Leonard also penned characters in his plays A life and Great Big Blonde with the intention of casting Toal in the parts.[1] Toal was best known to Irish television audiences for her role as Teasy McDaid on RTÉ One's Glenroe during the 1990s.[1]
Honours
editThe University College Dublin awarded Toal an honorary doctorate in literature in 2010.[citation needed]
Personal life
editIn 1952, she married fellow Irish actor Milo O'Shea; they divorced in 1974 [3]
Death
editMaureen Toal died in her sleep at her home in Sandycove, Dublin, on 24 August 2012, two weeks before her 82nd birthday.[1] She was survived by her son, Colm O'Shea; two sisters, one brother, and three grandchildren.[2]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Rooney | Kathleen O'Flynn | |
| 1961 | Only the Wind | Mrs. Collins | |
| 1962 | A Guy Called Caesar | Lena | |
| 1963 | Maigret (TV series) | The Log of the Cap Fagnet - Adele Noirhomme | |
| 1967 | Ulysses | Zoe Higgins | |
| 1969 | Otley | Landlady | |
| 1970 | Paddy | Clair Kearney | |
| 1978 | On a Paving Stone Mounted | ||
| 1984 | Summer Lightning | Dolly St.Leger | |
| 1996 | Snakes and Ladders | Rose |
Partial playography
edit- Bláithín agus an Mac Rí (1953)
- A Slipper for the Moon (1954)
- A Flea in Her Ear (1979)
- A Life (1979)
- Baglady (1985)
- Yerma (1987)[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "'Greatest' actor Maureen Toal dies". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ^ a b c "Noted actress Maureen Toal dies". RTÉ News. RTÉ. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ^ "Maureen Toal: obituary". The Irish Times. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
- ^ "MAUREEN TOAL 1930 - 2012". www.irishplayography.com. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
External links
edit- Maureen Toal at IMDb