Niall Tóibín (; 21 November 1929 – 13 November 2019) was an Irish comedian and actor. Born in Cork into an Irish speaking family, Tóibín grew up on the north-side of the city in Bishop's Field.
He appeared in Ryan's Daughter, Brideshead Revisited, Bracken, The Ballroom of Romance, The Irish R.M., Caught in a Free State, Ballykissangel, Far and Away, and Veronica Guerin. He was awarded honorary lifetime membership of the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) in 2011 and the Freedom of Cork in 2015.
Early life
Tóibín was born in 1929 in Cork, Ireland, the sixth of seven children, born to Siobhán (née Ní Shúileabháin) and Seán Tóibín, native Irish speakers. His parents married in 1917. His father was born in Passage West, County Cork, and his parents came from Waterford and West Cork.
Niall was born on the southside of Cork city in Friars' Walk. He was raised with Irish and used the language in his professional career, notably in the film Poitín. His siblings included Siobhán, Tomás (a poet), Déaglán, Filmin, Gobnait and Colm Tóibín.
As a child, he sang in the cathedral choir and in the Opera House in Cork.
In 1957, Tóibín married Frances Judith "Judy" Kenny (died 26 June 2002, aged 70) in Dublin. He had five children, and seven grandchildren.
Career
Working originally as a civil service clerk with the Department of External Affairs,
In 2005, he "cemented" his hands outside the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. He made a speech saying, "It will be a proud day for me. My appearances on the Gaiety stage are without doubt the highlights of my career and I am honoured to have been asked to give my prints".
He played Dr. Paul O'Callaghan in the first two series of the Irish TV programme The Clinic.
He played Judge Ballaugh, alongside Cate Blanchett, in Joel Schumacher's film Veronica Guerin.
Awards
thumb|Tóibín's handprint in front of the [[Gaiety Theatre, Dublin|Gaiety Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.]]
In 1973, Tóibín won a Jacob's Award for his performance in the RTÉ comedy series, If The Cap Fits.
On 29 October 2002, Tóibín won Best Actor at the Christian Film and Television Excellence awards ceremony in Dublin.
Tóibín received an Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from University College Cork (UCC) on 4 June 2010. The award meant Tóibín became an honorary IFTA lifetime member.
Later life and death
In May 2015, Tóibín was awarded the Freedom of Cork in recognition of his film, television and stage work.
Tóibín died in Dublin on 13 November 2019, eight days before his 90th birthday, having suffered from a form of dementia in the years before he died.
Filmography
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1969|| Guns in the Heather || Kettering ||
|-
|1970|| Ryan's Daughter || O'Keefe ||
|-
|1971|| L'iguana dalla lingua di fuoco || Doctor || Uncredited
|-
|1977|| Philadelphia, Here I Come || Con Sweeney ||
|-
|1978|| Poitín || Sleamhnan ||
|-
|1984|| Reflections || Mr. Prunty ||
|-
|1990|| Fools of Fortune || Lanigan ||
|-
|1998|| The Nephew || Sean ||