NIALL TOIBIN plays F a t h e r  M a c A n a l l y.
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"Despite all that is happening in the world around him, Father Mac is still an important figure in Ballykissangel," says Niall Toibin. "He provides a certain kind of contrast to the attitudes of everyone else. Just like the many parish priests of that era, he stands for certain aspects of Irish life."

While Father Mac seems caught between a past that's fast changing and a future he's at pains to understand, he still has a set of values that matter - according to him.

Looking back to the early days of the series, Niall says that, had things worked out differently, Father Mac might never have become the man he is today.

"I remember a debate at one point over whether I might play the character of Quigley and Tony Doyle play Father Mac - there was quite a bit of hovering around that decision. In the end, Tony, being the younger man, was correctly cast as Quigley.

"But I did like Father Mac from the beginning. I liked the lines that Kieran Prendiville had given him, that sarcastic tone, that feeling of superiority to all those around him - the typical parish priest of two generations ago. He's never an uproariously funny man, but he does have that little twist of humour every now and then that fits well into the canvas of Ballyk."

For Niall Toibin, the success of Ballykissangel grew from the deftly written scripts of those early days. "The scripts were truly wonderful in that they didn't strive to be funny, it was all based on the characters. Kieran managed to avoid all the usual excesses of soaps - violence, extreme behaviour, foul language - and yet held the audience's attention throughout. Ballyk was never a pale imitation of life."

One of Ireland's most experienced actors, with a career that has spanned over 30 years of stage, television and film work, Niall believes that the return of Kieran Prendiville has come not a moment too soon. "The return of Kieran has been wonderful for us all, especially those of us who've been here since the beginning. The scripts are stunning, as far as I can see they are as good as or better than the original ones."

Golf has become one of Niall's personal passions over the years, both in the show and off-screen. "I'd love the scripts to have Father Mac on the golf course more - but perhaps that wouldn't be quite the right image for a shepherd and his flock," he laughs. "I do love the game, though, it keeps me healthy ... though my handicap would appear to have been stuck on a certain high number for far too long!"

Niall returns to the stage during the seasonal breaks from Ballykissangel. His one-man show last year revealed his comedic talents to be as vibrant as ever. "I keep working as much as I can - that's one of the wonderful things about this acting profession. I may not work quite as energetically as I once did, but I continue to love acting as much as I ever did."


 		 

 
 

THE CAST
Here you can find synopses of your favourite Ballyk episodes, brush up on your Ballyk "History" (useful for our quiz), research at your leisure etc.
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