Dermot John Morgan (31 March 1952 – 28 February 1998) was an Irish comedian and actor, best known for his role as the title character on the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted. Morgan died one day after filming was completed of the third and final series of Father Ted, and in 1999 he was posthumously awarded the British Academy Television Award for Best Comedy Performance.
Early life
Dermot John Morgan was born on 31 March 1952 in Dublin, the son of Hilda "Holly" (née Stokes) and Donnchadh Morgan, a civil servant and gifted amateur artist and sculptor. His father died young of an aneurysm, leaving Holly with three children: Dermot, Paul, and Denise. A fourth child, Ruth, died in childhood in 1956.
Morgan was educated at Oatlands College in Stillorgan and University College Dublin (UCD), where he studied English literature and philosophy. During his time there, he honed his comic skills; he also fronted a country and Irish band named Big Gom and the Imbeciles, a kind of 'tribute' act to Big Tom and The Mainliners, a major Irish band of the era. According to Morgan in a January 1986 article, "Everybody slagged country and western at some stage".
As a singer: "Thank You Very Much, Mr. Eastwood"
Morgan released a comedy single, "Thank You Very Much, Mr. Eastwood", in December 1985 on Dolphin Records. It was a take on the fawning praise that internationally successful Irish boxer Barry McGuigan gave his manager, Barney Eastwood, at the end of successive bouts. The single 'featured' impressions of McGuigan, Ronald Reagan, Bob Geldof and Pope John Paul II, and was the Christmas number one in the Irish Singles Chart for 1985. Morgan spoke later to the press that he was "a bit worried" that his "take off" of the Pope during the song could have been received badly by the public, especially in Northern Ireland due to tensions there at the time.
Barry Devlin, the former Horslips lead singer produced the single, whilst Paul McGuinness, the U2 manager, "struck a deal" for its release in Britain, with Morgan clarifying "I don't think he particularly wants to get involved with comedians. I think he just liked the idea and looked after some of the business for me."
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Scrap Saturday
Morgan's biggest Irish broadcasting success occurred in the late 1980s on the Saturday morning radio comedy show Scrap Saturday,
Morgan had been commissioned to write a drama series for the BBC.
Personal life
Morgan was married to Susanne Garmatz, a German woman, with whom he had two sons. He later began a relationship with Fiona Clarke, with whom he had another son.
He supported Irish football clubs Shamrock Rovers F.C. and UCD, as well as English football club Chelsea.
Death
thumb|right|upright|The "Joker's Chair", a memorial to Morgan in Merrion Square, Dublin
thumb|Morgan's Grave in [[Dean's Grange Cemetery, south County Dublin]]
Before location filming on the third and final series of Father Ted, Morgan underwent a mandatory medical examination in which he was found to have hypertension, and was prescribed medication. On 28 February 1998, one day after recording the series' final episode, Morgan suffered a heart attack while hosting a dinner party at his home in London's St Margarets area, at which the Scottish musician Jim Diamond was present. He was 45 years old.
Morgan's sister Denise said "He wasn't feeling great at the end of the meal and I went to the bedroom with him. He had a heart attack, and I didn't recognise it. From my limited training in first aid, I wasn't sure exactly what was happening. The symptoms didn't match what the books said. I said to him 'I think you are okay' and we went back to the table. He apologised for having left the room and the next thing he just collapsed. We tried to resuscitate him but it didn't work." Father Ted co-star Frank Kelly said "Dermot's mind was mercurial. I think he was a kind of comedic meteor. He burned himself out."
Despite Morgan's atheism, a Catholic requiem Mass was offered for him at St Therese's Church in the South Dublin suburb of Mount Merrion. The Mass was attended by Irish President Mary McAleese, her predecessor Mary Robinson, and many of the Irish political and religious leaders who had been the targets of his satire in Scrap Saturday. His body was cremated at Glasnevin Cemetery, and his ashes were buried in the family plot at Dean's Grange Cemetery.
Legacy
"The Joker's Chair", a bronze throne by sculptor Catherine Green, was unveiled by then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Merrion Square, Dublin. It bears his name, date of birth, and date of death.
In December 2013, the documentary Dermot Morgan – Fearless Funnyman aired on RTÉ One.
A plaque outside McGuire's shop in Mount Merrion was unveiled in 2016.
A wax statue of Morgan stands in the national wax museum in Dublin as part of a "Father Ted's Room" display.
Appearances
Television
- The Live Mike (1979–1982)
- Father Ted (1995–1998)
- Have I Got News for You (1996–97; episodes 11.02 and 14.03)
- Shooting Stars (1 episode, 1996)
- That's Showbusiness (1 episode, 1996)
Radio
- Scrap Saturday (1989–1991)
Film
- Taffin (1988)
- The First Snow of Winter (1998, voice in UK version)