On Saturday, 9th July 2022 Noel C., Thomas Duggan and I attended the Funeral Mass in Eyeries, West Cork of the late Brian Dennehy, true Gentleman and Actor supreme who went to his Eternal Heavenly Reward on 15th April 2020. It was Brian’s wish that some of his ashes be placed in Ardgroom Harbour. This wish was fulfilled after the celebration of Mass. On Sunday, 10th July we shall welcome some 18 of Brian’s relations to Millstreet arriving at Millstreet Museum at 1pm. Following a brief talk at the Museum Centre in Carnegie Hall we shall proceed on a Tour of Millstreet Town with special focus on the locations with which Brian was associated and which he admired. Please feel welcome to join us on that Town Tour which is likely to last about one hour. On completion of our Tour we then continue to the home of the Duggan Family in Killarney Road. Visits to Green Glens and Drishane are envisaged. Tap on the images to enlarge. (S.R.)
Brian’s Funeral Mass in Eyeries on Saturday.Brian and Elizabeth visiting the house in Church Street, Millstreet 1992 from where Brian’s grandfather emigrated to the USA in early 1900s.Brian Dennehy pictured at Millstreet’s Carnegie Hall in 1992.
During the Lockdown, Brendan has been doing some video editing and movie reviews. By coincidence, he was just finishing editing a review of the 1982 classic “ First Blood “ when the news came that the great Brian Dennehy has passed away. Here is that review:
We thank Gena, Maurice and Con for alerting us to this very sad news of the passing to his Eternal Reward of Gentleman supreme who was so very proud of his Millstreet roots – Brian Dennehy, R.I.P. (His grandfather was Denis Dennehy, born in 1888 at Green’s Lane, and later of Church Street, across from the Star Ballroom, and emigrated in 1906). When Brian arrived in Millstreet in the early 1990s Noel C. Duggan arranged a magnificent get together with all of Brian’s Millstreet relatives. Brian invited us later to his performance of Eugene O’Neill’s “The Iceman Cometh” at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre where in the Theatre Bar after the Show he accorded us a royal welcome and when he met Seán Cronin (to whom he was related) for the very first time he could not believe the close family resemblance he witnessed. Brian and members of his wonderful Family stayed at Mallow Castle when he visited Millstreet for that complete Bank Holiday Monday in the early 1990s and wrote in Millstreet Museum’s Visitors Book having spent some 90 minutes there – “The Wild Geese have returned!” We, here in Millstreet, extend heartfelt sympathy to the Dennehy Family at this very sad time. Brian was always so very welcoming, approachable, supremely talented …. and so very proud of his Millstreet roots. We were privileged to have known Brian. May he rest in peace. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. (S.R.) Sincere thanks to Michael for lots of additional material adding greatly to our Tribute to Brian.
Veteran actor Brian Dennehy, known for roles on stage and on screen, has died aged 81.
“It is with heavy hearts we announce that our father, Brian passed away last night from natural causes, not Covid-related,” his daughterElizabeth tweeted. “Larger than life, generous to a fault, a proud and devoted father and grandfather, he will be missed by his wife Jennifer, family and many friends.”
Dennehy was known on the big screen for roles in films such as Cocoon, Presumed Innocent, Tommy Boy, Romeo + Juliet and Gorky Park. His breakthrough role was opposite Sylvester Stallone in First Blood.
He was also a celebrated stage presence, winning two Tony awards for Death of a Salesman in 1999 and Long Day’s Journey Into Night in 2003. Dennehy also won a Golden Globe for the miniseries of Death of a Salesman. He was long associated with the Goodman Theatre in Chicago for his many performances in adapted works of Eugene O’Neill. His last appearance on stage was in 2016’s White Rabbit Red Rabbit.
“Theatre is something that I’ve always enjoyed and that I care about,” Dennehy said in 2016. “But as you get older, it is harder and harder to do, but it’s always worthwhile.”
Mary Keane, wife of the late John B. and Brian Dennehy, Actor Supreme with Seán Radley following the opening night of “The Field” at the INEC Killarney where a capacity audience witnessed a magnificent production of John B. Keane’s world famous play.
Brian Dennehy’s appearance on the Late Late on Friday evening is available on RTE’s website until January 28th. He refers to Millstreet where his grandfather came from twice in the interview and also to Noel C Duggan.
Irish-American Acting legend Brian Dennehy whose grandfather originally came from Church Street in Millstreet, will be appearing on the Late Late Show on RTE 1 this evening at 9:30pm.
He is currently in Ireland as he is playing The Bull McCabe in Field at the Olympia Theatre Dublin until Feb 12th. If you’re unable to see the interview tonight, you’ll still be able to see it on RTE Player for the next two weeks.
Irish American stage and screen giant Brian Dennehy is set to be honored with the 2010 Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award by the Irish American Writers and Artists (IAW&A) association. He will receive the award at a special ceremony to be held at The Manhattan Club (upstairs at Rosie O’Grady’s, 800 7th Ave. at W. 52nd St.) on Monday October 18th.
Dennehy, whose grandfather hailed from Millstreet, Co. Cork, will be forever associated with Sheriff Will Teasle in 1982’s Rambo: First Blood, but has excelled in many more feature films including Gorky Park, Cocoon, Legal Eagles, Presumed Innocent, Tommy Boy, Baz Luhrman’s Romeo and Juliet and Peter Greenaway’s The Belly of an Architect, for which he received the Chicago Film Festival Award for Best Actor.
He has been nominated for Emmy Awards six times for his television movie roles, including for his performance as John Wayne Gacy in To Catch a Killer (1992) and for Our Fathers (2005), which focused on [read more …] “Brian Dennehy to get Lifetime Achievement Award”
