Thomas Patrick McKenna (7 September 1929 – 13 February 2011) was an Irish actor. He had an extensive stage and screen career.

Career

Early years

Thomas Patrick McKenna was born at Mullagh, County Cavan, Ireland, in 1929 and educated at Mullagh School and

St Patrick's College, Cavan Saint Patrick's College () is a Roman Catholic all-male secondary school in County Cavan, Ireland. It was founded in 1871 as a minor and major seminary for the Diocese of Kilmore. It was officially opened by the Bishop of Kilmore, Dr Nicholas ...

. Known from borth as 'T.P.', he was named for an uncle and his grandfather before him, he was the eldest of the ten surviving children of Raphael McKenna, an auctioneer and merchant, and his wife May. It was an American step-grandmother that would give him his first imterest in acting, later at boarding school he would become a protégé of Fr. Vincent Kennedy, who featured him in the annual productions of Gilbert & Sullivan operas. He was a noted treble and sang in

Cavan Cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Felim, also known as Cavan Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Cavan, Ireland. It is the Chair (official), seat of the Bishop of Kilmore, and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Dioc ...

, but later would also become a member of the school's

Gaelic Football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...

squad, representing St Patrick's in the final of the All Ireland colleges competition in 1948. Despite realising he wished to pursue a life on the stage from the age of fifteen, circumstances dictated that on leaving school in 1948, McKenna joined the

Ulster Bank Ulster Bank is one of the traditional Big Four Irish clearing banks. The Ulster Bank Group was subdivided into two separate legal entities: National Westminster Bank Plc, trading as Ulster Bank (registered in England and Wales and operating i ...

Granard Granard () is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland, and has a traceable history going back to 236 CE. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 ...

, Co Longford, where he worked for the next six years. Still, he remained set on becoming an actor and on being posted to

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, he soon made a mark on the city's amateur scene appearing with the

Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society, known as the R&R, is an amateur musical society founded in 1913 in the Rathmines and Rathgar, area of Dublin. They have hosted performances in venues such as the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin and the National Concer ...

, and the Dublin Shakespeare Society. His employers were not impressed by his extracurricular activities, and in 1954 he was posted to the remote town of

Killeshandra Killeshandra or Killashandra () is a small town or village and civil parish in County Cavan, Ireland. It is located west of Cavan Town. Killeshandra town has a long record of participation in the National Tidy Towns competition and has won ...

in County Cavan. McKenna refused to go and resigned his position.

Stage

McKenna made his stage debut at the Pike Theatre in Dublin in 1953 as John Buchanan in

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...

' ''

Summer and Smoke ''Summer and Smoke'' is a two-part, thirteen-scene play by Tennessee Williams, completed in 1948. He began working on the play in 1945 as ''Chart of Anatomy'', derived from his short stories "Oriflamme" and "Yellow Bird", the latter still a wor ...

''. He played a season at the Gaiety Theatre with

Anew McMaster Andrew "Anew" McMaster (24 December 1891 – 24 August 1962) was a British stage actor who during his nearly 45 year acting career toured the UK, Ireland, Australia and the United States. For almost 35 years he toured as actor-manager of his o ...

's Shakespearean company, and was a member of The Gas Theatre Company directed by

Godfrey Quigley Godfrey Quigley (4 May 1923 – 7 September 1994) was an Irish film, television and stage actor. He appeared in Stanley Kubrick's films ''A Clockwork Orange'' and ''Barry Lyndon''. Biography Quigley was born in Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine, ...

. Through family contacts, McKenna sought an interview with the managing director of the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre (), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland () is a theatre in Dublin, Ireland. First opening to the public on 27 December 1904, and moved from its original building after a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the p ...

Ernest Blythe Ernest William Blythe (; 13 April 1889 – 23 February 1975) was an Irish journalist, politician and managing director of the Abbey Theatre. He served as Minister for Local Government from 1922 to 1923, Minister for Finance from 1923 to 1932 ...

. Despite Blythe's concerns that "his nose was too long, and he would grow fat", he eventually became a permanent member of the company in 1954 and would remain there for the next eight years, performing over seventy roles. In 1963, McKenna secured a short leave of absence to go to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

(St. Martin's Theatre) with the

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...

's production of ''

Stephen D Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

'', an adaptation of Joyce's ''

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man ''A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'' is the second book and first novel of Irish writer James Joyce, published in 1916. A ''Künstlerroman'' written in a modernist style, it traces the religious and intellectual awakening of young Ste ...

'' by

Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard (9 November 1926 – 12 February 2009) was an Irish dramatist, television writer, and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote nearly 30 full-length plays, 10 one-act plays, three volumes of essay, two autobiograph ...

which had been a hit of the 1962 Dublin Theatre Festival. The play was well received by the London critics, leading to offers of further other stage work there including "O'Keefe" in J. P. Donleavy's ''The Ginger Man'' (Ashcroft, Croydon), Lindsay Anderson's revival of ''Julius Caesar'' (1964) for the English Stage Company and 1965 as the Burglar (Aubrey "Popsy" Bagot) in Shaw's '' Too True to be Good'' (Garrick) opposite

Alistair Sim Alastair George Bell Sim (9 October 1900 – 19 August 1976) was a Scottish actor. He began his theatrical career at the age of thirty and quickly became established as a popular West End performer, remaining so until his death in 1976. S ...

and George Cole. McKenna had not left the Irish stage behind entirely and would make regular appearances at the Dublin Theatre Festival in ''A Little Winter Love'', ''Pull Down A Horseman'', ''King of the Castle'' and ''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of middle-aged couple Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they rece ...

''. McKenna joined

Stuart Burge Stuart Burge (15 January 1918 – 24 January 2002) was an English stage and film director, actor and producer. The son of H. O. Burge, by his marriage to K. M. Haig, Burge was educated at Eagle House School, Sandhurst, and Felsted School, E ...

's company at the

Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in 1948 when it operated from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Directors during this period included Val May and F ...

in 1968 playing Trigorin in ''The Seagull'' and Sir Joseph Surface in Sheridan's ''

The School For Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...

'', both directed by

Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, comedian and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...

. In 1969, he created the role of Fitzpatrick in David Storey's ''The Contractor'' directed by

Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Gordon Anderson (17 April 1923 – 30 August 1994) was a British feature-film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading light of the Free Cinema movement and of the British New Wave. He is most widely remembered fo ...

at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

, London. The production later transferred to the Fortune Theatre and ran for over a year. In 1973, he took on the role of Andrew Wyke opposite his friend

Donal Donnelly Donal Donnelly (6 July 1931 – 4 January 2010) was an Irish theatre and film actor. Perhaps best known for his work in the plays of Brian Friel, he had a long and varied career in film, on television and in the theatre. He lived in Ireland, th ...

in the Irish premiere of Peter Shaffer's ''Sleuth''. The production played at the Opera House, Cork, and the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, where it broke box office records. Later that year McKenna joined the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

and took over the role of Robert Hand in James Joyce's only play, ''Exiles'' directed by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

. In the same season, he also appeared in a rare staging of

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; ; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels '' The Th ...

's ''

The Balcony ''The Balcony'' () is a Play (theatre), play by the French people, French dramatist Jean Genet. It is set in an unnamed city that is experiencing a revolutionary uprising in the streets; most of the action takes place in an upmarket brothel that ...

'' directed by Terry Hands. McKenna returned to the RSC in 1976 for Shaw's '' The Devil's Disciple'', directed by

Jack Gold Jacob M. Gold (28 June 1930 – 9 August 2015) was a British film and television director. He was part of the British realist tradition which followed the Free Cinema movement. Career Jacob M. Gold was born on 28 June 1930, in North Lond ...

in a production to mark the American bicentennial celebrations, as the revolutionary pastor Reverend Anthony Anderson. In the late 1980s and 1990s, McKenna returned to the Dublin stage when he was invited by director Michael Colgan to join the Gate Theatre on a number of occasions, including admired productions of ''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897, and first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstan ...

'', ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...

'' and '' No Man's Land''. It was there he created the role of Dr Rice in

Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription requ ...

's drama, ''

Molly Sweeney ''Molly Sweeney'' is a two-act play by Brian Friel. It tells the story of its title character, Molly, a woman blind since infancy who undergoes an operation to try to restore her sight. Like Friel's ''Faith Healer'', the play tells Molly's stor ...

'' (1994), and again at London's Almeida Theatre. Other Friel productions he appeared in were ''The Communication Cord'' (Hampstead Theatre, 1984) and ''Aristocrats'' (2004) at the RNT in his final stage appearance. McKenna also directed on several occasions and had to his name productions of

John Millington Synge Edmund John Millington Synge (; 16 April 1871 – 24 March 1909), popularly known as J. M. Synge, was an Irish playwright, poet, writer, essayist, and collector of folklores. As an important driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, Ir ...

's ''

The Playboy of the Western World ''The Playboy of the Western World'' is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge, first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on 26 January 1907. The work is considered a centerpiece of the Irish Literary Revival mo ...

'' (

, 1968), Thomas Kilroy's ''The Death and Resurrection of Mr Roche'' (Abbey Theatre, 1973) and

Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey ( ; born John Casey; 30 March 1880 – 18 September 1964) was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes. Early life O'Casey was ...

's ''

The Shadow of A Gunman ''The Shadow of a Gunman'' is a 1923 tragicomedy play by Seán O'Casey set during the Irish War of Independence. It centres on the mistaken identity of a building tenant who is thought to be an IRA assassin. It is the first in O'Casey's "Dubli ...

'' (

Crucible Theatre The Crucible Theatre, or simply The Crucible, is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which opened in 1971. Its name refers to crucible steel, which was developed in Sheffield in 1740 and drove the industrialisation of the city. ...

, Sheffield, 1980).

Film and television

During the 1960s and 1970s, McKenna appeared regularly in television dramas, including ''

The Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

'' (1964, 1965, 1968), ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again ...

'' (1965), ''

The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–1943), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders ...

'' (1966, 1968), ''

Adam Adamant Lives! ''Adam Adamant Lives!'' is a British adventure television series that ran from 1966 to 1967 on BBC 1, starring Gerald Harper in the title role. The series was created and produced by several alumni from ''Doctor Who''. The titular character w ...

'' (1967), '' Jason King'' (1972), two episodes of ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' (1973 and 1976), ''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a British police drama television series focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective ...

'' (1975), ''

Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four series of thirteen 50-minute episodes were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first series, prod ...

'' (1978), ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

'' (1984) and ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

''. McKenna played Richmond in the

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

series ''

Callan Callan is a given name and surname of Irish and Scottish origin. It can derive from Ó Cathaláin, meaning ''descendant of Cathalán''. Callan can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Allin or Mac Callin. Notable people with the name includ ...

'' (1972) and made ten appearances in ''

Crown Court The Crown Court is the criminal trial court, court of first instance in England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals of the decisions of magistrates' courts. It is ...

'' (1974–1982), mainly as barrister Patrick Canty, while also appearing in the ATV anthology drama series ''Love Story'' (1965–1968). He also made appearances in other television dramas including ''

The Duchess of Malfi ''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theat ...

'' (1972), '' Napoleon and Love'' (1974), '' The Changeling'' (1974), '' Fathers and Families (1977)'', ''

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

'' (1978),''The Manions of America'' (1981), ''

To the Lighthouse ''To the Lighthouse'' is a 1927 novel by Virginia Woolf. The novel centres on the Ramsay family and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920. Following and extending the tradition of modernist novelists like Marcel P ...

'' (1983), ''

The Scarlet and the Black ''The Scarlet and the Black'' is a 1983 Italian-American international co-production made-for-television historical war drama film directed by Jerry London, and starring Gregory Peck and Christopher Plummer. Based on J. P. Gallagher's book ''Th ...

'' (1983), ''

Bleak House ''Bleak House'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode Serial (literature), serial between 12 March 1852 and 12 September 1853. The novel has many characters and several subplots, and is told partly by th ...

'' (1985), ''

Strong Medicine ''Strong Medicine'' is an American medical drama with a focus on feminist politics, health issues and class conflict that aired on the Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It was created and produced in part by Whoopi Goldberg, who made cam ...

'' (1986), ''

The Play on One ''The Play on One'' (''Play on One'' in the final series) is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC Nations and Regions in its studios outside London, and transmitted on BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air publ ...

: Unreported Incident'' (1988), ''

Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer who was active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer was also ...

'' (1988), '' Shoot to Kill'' (1990), TV series ''Lovejoy -

Irish Stew Irish stew () or Stobhach is a stew from Ireland that is traditionally made with root vegetables and lamb or mutton, but also commonly with beef. As in all traditional folk dishes, the exact recipe is not consistent from time to time or place to ...

'' (1993), and the final episode of '' Inspector Morse - The Remorseful Day'' (2000). McKenna had prominent film roles in ''

Ulysses Ulysses is the Latin name for Odysseus, a legendary Greek hero recognized for his intelligence and cunning. He is famous for his long, adventurous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, as narrated in Homer's Odyssey. Ulysses may also refer ...

'' (1967), and ''

A Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man ''A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'' is the second book and first novel of Irish writer James Joyce, published in 1916. A ''Künstlerroman'' written in a modernist style, it traces the religious and intellectual awakening of young Ste ...

'' (1977). Other film credits include ''

The Charge of the Light Brigade The Charge of the Light Brigade was a military action undertaken by British light cavalry against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War, resulting in many casualties to the cavalry. On 25 October 1854, the Light Br ...

'' (1968), ''

Anne of the Thousand Days ''Anne of the Thousand Days'' is a 1969 British historical drama film based on the life of Anne Boleyn, directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The screenplay by Bridget Boland and John Hale is an adaptation of the 1948 pl ...

'' (1969), ''

Perfect Friday ''Perfect Friday'' is a 1970 British heist comedy film directed by Peter Hall from a screenplay by Anthony Greville-Bell and C. Scott Forbes, and starring Ursula Andress, Stanley Baker and David Warner. In the film, an audacious plan to r ...

'' (1970), ''

Villain A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...

'' (1971), '' Straw Dogs'' (1971), '' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1975), ''

Memed, My Hawk ''Memed, My Hawk'' () is a 1955 novel by Yaşar Kemal. It was Kemal's debut novel and the first novel in his İnce Memed tetralogy. The novel won the Varlık Prize for that year (Turkey's highest literary prize), and earned Kemal a national reput ...

'' (1984), '' Pascali's Island'' (1988), ''

A Caribbean Mystery ''A Caribbean Mystery'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 16 November 1964 and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edi ...

'' (1989), ''

Monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...

'' (2000) and '' The Libertine'' (2004). McKenna's performance as

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

in the film ''Monarch'' was re-released in cinemas in 2014.

Radio and Audiobooks

T.P. McKenna’s voice was first heard on Ireland’s Radio Eireann as Brian, the eldest son of Mrs. Kennedy

Marie Kean Marie Kean (27 June 1918 – 29 December 1993) was an Irish stage and screen actress, with a career spanning over 40 years, ''The Stage'' called her one of Ireland's most impressive actresses, and "an artist of considerable emotional depth and ...

in the twice-weekly sponsored saga, ''The Kennedys of Castleross'' (1955-1973), his on-again, off-again romance with local beauty, Pat, enthralling the nation in its first taste of a radio soap. His British radio debut would come in 1964, reading a short story by Edna O’Brien (''Are You Cracked or Are You Mad?)'' on the BBC Home Service, though it wouldn’t be until the 70s, once fully domiciled in London, that he would become a more regular presence on BBC Radio featuring in over forty original plays and literary adaptations, and as a reader of short stories, mostly for BBC Radio 4, but featuring also on the World Service and Radio 3 in productions directed by Piers Plowright, David Hitchinson, Cherry Cookson, Peter Kavanagh, Eoin O’Callaghan, Fanyia Williams, Ned Chaillet, Ann Mann and R.D. Smith. These included readings for ''Woman’s Hour'' of ''Brown Lord of the Mountain'' (Walter Macken), ''Home Before Night'' (Hugh Leonard) and ''Three Short Stories'' (Sean O’Faolin); literary adaptations of ''The Destruction Factor'' (Kenneth Follett), ''The Seagull'' (Chekov trans. Kilroy), ''The Sea, The Sea'' (Iris Murdoch), Cock-a-doodle Dandy (Sean O’Casey), ''Miracle at Tubbernanog'' (Frederic Mullaly) and ''A Painful Case'' (James Joyce); and historical dramas and reconstructions - ''Amritsar'' (Colin Haydn Evans), ''The Putney Debates'' (Jack Emery), ''The Marches of Wales'' (George Baker), ''That Man Bracken'' (Thomas Kilroy) and ''The Music of W.B. Yeats'' (Ann Mann). Among the original plays in which he featured, the work of Irish writers dominated including Maurice Leitch (''Introducing Mr. Fagan'', ''Where the Boys Are'', ''All the Uncrowned Heads of Europe'' & ''A Shout in the Distance''), William Trevor (''Mr. McNamara'', ''Events at Drimaghleen''), Patrick Galvin (''The Class of ’39'') and Tom MacIntyre (''Fine Day for a Hunt'', ''Rise Up Lovely Sweeney''). SERIALS He featured as Phonsie Doherty in the Christopher Fitz‑Simon comedy series, ''Ballylenon'' (1994-1999) and as Fr. Troy opposite David Threlfall in the radio drama ''Baldi'' (2000-2007), both for BBC Radio 4. They continue to be heard on Radio 4Extra. NARRATION ''Bird’s Eye View: Inis Fail, Isle of Destiny'' (BBC, 1971), ''Scope: An Oxford Elegy: Vaughan Williams/Arnold'' (RTE 1973), ''The Chester Beatty Library - where east meets west'' (BAC Films Ltd, 1979), Brian Friel and Field Day (RTE, 1983), ''Is There One Who Understands Me?: The World of James Joyce'' (RTE, 1983). ''Dear Boy: The Story of Michael Mac Liammoir'' (Poolbeg Productions, 1999). AUDIOBOOK On CD and download he has recorded the

audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...

s poetry of

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the ...

, Joyce's short story collection ''

Dubliners ''Dubliners'' is a collection of fifteen short stories by James Joyce, first published in 1914. It presents a naturalistic depiction of Irish middle class life in and around Dublin in the early years of the 20th century. The stories were writ ...

'' and

Somerville and Ross Somerville and Ross ( Edith Somerville and Violet Florence Martin, writing under the name Martin Ross) were an Anglo-Irish writing team, perhaps most famous for their series of books that were made into the TV series '' The Irish R.M.''. The te ...

's '' Tales of an Irish R.M.''

AWARD AND HONOURS

Honorary Life Member of the Abbey Theatre Company (1966) Actor of the Year, Evening Herald: ''Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf'' (George), Olympia Theatre, 1966 First Prize Short Fiction Category - Chicago International Film Festival 1978 ''A Child's Voice'' (Ainsley Rupert MacReadie), BAC Films Ltd Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series: ''Holocaust'' (Paul Blobel), NBC, 1978 'Irish Post' Community Award 1978 International Emmy Awards, Best Documentary: ''The World of James Joyce: Is there one who understands me?'' (Narrator), RTE 1982 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards 1990, Best Single Drama / Royal Television Society Awards, Best Single Drama (1991):''Shoot to Kill'' (Sir John Hermon), YTV 1990

Personal life

McKenna was married to May White from 1956 until her death in 2007. They had five children. His sons, Kilian McKenna and Breffni McKenna followed him into the profession.

Death

McKenna died on 13 February 2011 at the

Royal Free Hospital The Royal Free Hospital (also known as the Royal Free) is a major teaching hospital in the Hampstead area of the London Borough of Camden. The hospital is part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, which also runs services at Barnet Ho ...

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

, London, at the age of 81 following a long period of illness. He was buried alongside his wife at Cemetery in his native County Cavan. Following McKenna's death, tributes were paid by President of Ireland

Mary McAleese Mary Patricia McAleese ( ; ; ; born 27 June 1951) is an Irish activist lawyer, academic, author, and former politician who served as the president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. McAleese was first elected as president in 1997, ...

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

, and Ireland's Culture Minister

Mary Hanafin Mary Hanafin (born 1 June 1959) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport from 2010 to 2011, Deputy leader of Fianna Fáil from January 2011 to March 2011, Minister for Enterprise, Trade ...

, who said that McKenna was "one of a great generation whose talents on the screen and stage both at home and abroad gave us all great pride in his accomplishments". In County Cavan, he is commemorated by the T. P. McKenna Drama Scholarships (VEC) and the T. P. McKenna Perpetual Trophy presented as part of the Millrace Annual Drama Festival.T. P. McKenna site
/ref>

Selected filmography

* 1959 ''

Broth of a Boy ''Broth of a Boy'' is a 1959 Irish comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring Barry Fitzgerald, Harry Brogan and June Thorburn. It was written by Blanaid Irvine and Patrick Kirwan and adapted from the 1956 play ''The Big Birthday'' by ...

'' as Holmes * 1959 ''

Home Is the Hero ''Home Is the Hero'' is a 1959 Irish drama film directed by Fielder Cook. It was entered into the 9th Berlin International Film Festival. Cast * Walter Macken – Paddo O'Reilly * Eileen Crowe – Daylia O'Reilly * Arthur Kennedy – Willie O'R ...

'' as Young Man At Dance * 1959 '' Shake Hands with the Devil'' as Unknown (uncredited) * 1960 '' A Terrible Beauty'' as A McIntyre Boy (uncredited) * 1960 ''

The Siege of Sidney Street ''The Siege of Sidney Street'', also known as ''The Siege of Hell Street'', is a 1960 British historical drama film co-directed by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman, and starring Donald Sinden, Nicole Berger, Kieron Moore and Peter Wyngarde. I ...

'' as Lapidos * 1960 '' Das schwarze Schaf'' as (uncredited) * 1961 ''

Freedom to Die ''Freedom to Die'' is a 1961 British second feature crime thriller film directed by Francis Searle, starring Paul Maxwell and Felicity Young. It was written by Arthur La Bern. Plot Craig Owen is an incarcerated criminal whose cellmate Felix kno ...

'' as Mike * 1961 ''

Johnny Nobody ''Johnny Nobody'' is a 1961 British drama film made in Ireland and directed by Nigel Patrick, starring Yvonne Mitchell, William Bendix and Aldo Ray. It was written by Patrick Kirwan based on the story ''The Trial of Johnny Nobody'' by Albert ...

'' as Officer Garda * 1964 ''

Girl with Green Eyes ''Girl with Green Eyes'' is a 1964 British romantic drama film directed by Desmond Davis and starring Peter Finch, Rita Tushingham, Lynn Redgrave and Julian Glover. Adapted by Edna O'Brien from her novel ''The Lonely Girl'', the film tells the s ...

'' as The Priest * 1964 ''

Ferry Cross the Mersey "Ferry Cross the Mersey" is a song written by Gerry Marsden. It was first recorded by his band Gerry and the Pacemakers and released in late 1964 in the UK and in 1965 in the United States. It was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching ...

'' as Jack Hanson * 1964 '' Downfall'' as Martin Somers * 1965 '' Young Cassidy'' as Tom * 1967 ''

'' as Buck Mulligan * 1968 ''

'' as William Russell * 1969 ''

'' as Sir Henry Norris * 1970 ''

The Beast in the Cellar ''The Beast in the Cellar'' is a 1971 British horror film written and directed by James Kelly and starring Beryl Reid and Flora Robson. The film was produced by Leander Films and Tigon British Film Productions. Plot Soldiers stationed at a r ...

'' Chief Superintendent Paddick * 1970 '' The Fifth Day of Peace'' as Nick * 1970 ''

'' as Smith * 1971 '' Straw Dogs'' Major John Scott * 1971 ''

'' as Frank Fletcher * 1971 '' Percy'' as Meet The People Compere * 1973 '' A Warm December'' as Minor Role (uncredited) * 1974 ''

Percy's Progress ''Percy's Progress'' (US title: ''It's Not the Size That Counts'') is a 1974 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Leigh Lawson, Elke Sommer, Denholm Elliott, Judy Geeson and Harry H. Corbett. It was written by Sid Colin, ...

'' as London News Editor * 1975 '' All Creatures Great and Small'' as Soames * 1975 ''

Looking For Clancy Looking for Clancy was a 1975 television serial broadcast on BBC2. Based on Frederic Mullally's 1971 novel ''Clancy'', it was dramatised in five parts by Jack Pulman and starred Robert Powell, Keith Drinkel and T. P. McKenna. Produced by Ric ...

'' as Marcus Selby * 1977 ''

'' as Simon Dedalus * 1980 '' The Outsider'' as John Russell * 1980 '' Silver Dream Racer'' as Bank Manager * 1982 ''

Britannia Hospital ''Britannia Hospital'' is a 1982 British black comedy film, directed by Lindsay Anderson, which targets the National Health Service and contemporary British society. It was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival and Fantasporto. ''Britannia ...

'' as Theatre Surgeon * 1984 '' Kurtuluş, TRT'' as Lloyd George * 1984 ''

'' as Dursan * 1985 ''

The Doctor and the Devils ''The Doctor and The Devils'' is a 1985 gothic horror film directed by Freddie Francis and starring Timothy Dalton, Jonathan Pryce, Stephen Rea, Julian Sands, Patrick Stewart and Twiggy. It is based upon the true story of William Burke and ...

'' as O'Connor * 1988 ''

: Unreported Incident'' as Michael Flynn * 1988 '' Pascali's Island'' as Dr. Hogan * 1988 ''

'' as O'Connor * 1988 ''

Red Scorpion ''Red Scorpion'' is a 1988 American action film starring Dolph Lundgren and directed by Joseph Zito. Lundgren appears as a Soviet special forces ("Spetsnaz") operative sent to assassinate an anti-communist rebel leader in Africa, only to side ...

'' as General Oleg Vortek * 1989 '' Valmont'' as Baron * 2000 '' ''Monarch'''' as

* 2000 '' ''Longitude'''' as

Edmund Burke Edmund Burke (; 12 January ew Style, NS1729 – 9 July 1797) was an Anglo-Irish Politician, statesman, journalist, writer, literary critic, philosopher, and parliamentary orator who is regarded as the founder of the Social philosophy, soc ...

* 2002 ''

The Boys from County Clare ''The Boys from County Clare'' is a 2003 Irish comedy/drama film about a céilí band from Liverpool that travels to Ireland to compete in a céilí competition in County Clare. Directed by John Irvin, the film was released in Canada on September ...

'' as The Announcer * 2004 '' The Libertine'' as Black Rod

References

External links

*
'T. P. McKenna – Official website'

''The Guardian'' obituary

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, T. P. 1929 births 2011 deaths Actors from County Cavan Irish male film actors Irish male radio actors Irish male stage actors Irish male television actors People educated at St Patrick's College, Cavan People from Mullagh, County Cavan Royal Shakespeare Company members