Richard Hayward (24 October 1892 – 13 October 1964) was a British

film actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

and

musician A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...

Life and career

Born in

Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, his family moved to Ireland when he was a baby. Hayward was an enthusiast for all Ulster regional popular culture. He was a member of the

Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants. It also has lodges in England, Grand Orange Lodge of ...

, to which he dedicated much time. After a period working at the

Gaiety Theatre, Dublin The Gaiety Theatre is a theatre on South King Street in Dublin, Ireland, off Grafton Street and close to St. Stephen's Green. It specialises in operatic and musical productions, with occasional dramatic shows. History In April 1871, the broth ...

he helped form the Belfast Repertory Theatre Company. He was a popular singer in the forties and fifties. His career meant he lived a typical theatrical lifestyle being constantly on the move. Hayward wrote a number of travel books about Ireland, exploring every county. He was closely associated with the

Belfast Naturalists' Field Club The Belfast Naturalists' Field Club is a club of naturalists based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1863, the club was an important part of the education system for Victorian naturalists and worked largely through first-hand field studies ...

, serving as its president in 1951.

Death

He died after a road accident outside

Ballymena Ballymena ( ; from , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 31,205 people at the 2021 United Kingdom census, making it the List of localities in Northern Ireland by population, seven ...

, in October 1964.

Selected filmography

* '' Flame in the Heather'' (1935) – Fassiefern * ''The Voice of Ireland'' (1936) * ''

The Early Bird ''The Early Bird'' is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher (director), Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom, Edward Chapman (actor), Edward Chapman, Bryan Pringle, Richard Vernon, John Le Mesurier and Jerry Desmonde. It was t ...

'' (1936) – Daniel Duff * '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1936) – Sam Mulhern * ''

Shipmates o' Mine ''Shipmates o' Mine'' is a 1936 British musical drama film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring John Garrick, Derek Blomfield and Richard Hayward. It was shot at Cricklewood Studios and was released by Butcher's Film Service.Wood p.92 Synop ...

'' (1936) – Mike Dooley * ''Devil's Rock'' (1938) – Sam Mulhern * '' Irish and Proud of It'' (1938) – Donogh O'Connor * '' A Night to Remember'' (1958) – Victualling Officer (final film role) Hayward also wrote the screenplay of the musical drama ''Devil's Rock''.

Selected books

He wrote a number of books, mostly topographical, about Ireland, including: *''In praise of Ulster'' (Arthur Barker, 1938) *''Where the Shannon flows'' (1940) *''Corrib Country'' (Dundalgan Press, 1943) *''In the Kingdom of Kerry'' (Dundalgan Press, 1946) *''Leinster and the city of Dublin'' (Arthur Barker, 1949) *''Ulster and the City of Belfast'' (Arthur Barker, 1950) *''Belfast through the ages'' (Dundalgan Press, 1952) *''Connacht and the city of Galway'' (Arthur Barker, 1952) *''Story of the Irish Harp'' (Arthur Guinness, Son & Co., 1954) *''Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim & Roscommon'' (Arthur Barker, 1955) *''Munster and the city of Cork'' (Phoenix House, 1964)

References

External links

Remembering Richard Hayward
at NIDirect.
Remembering Richard Hayward: An evening of music, story and film
at antrimhistory.net
Richard Hayward (1892-1964): Actor And Writer
at Dictionary of Ulster Biography
An Irishman’s Diary on the celebrated Richard Hayward

Actor and writer who helped define the Ireland of his time: Romancing Ireland

at ''

Belfast Telegraph The ''Belfast Telegraph'' is a daily newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Independent News & Media, which also publishes the Irish Independent, the Sunday Independent and various other newspapers and magazines in Ireland. Its e ...

''
Richard Hayward: Exploring the life of a pivotal cultural figure
at

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...