Real life people Fr Ted characters were based on.

Hangdogroad · 03-12-2020 9:23am #1

Not so much the main regular four, Ted, Dougal, Jack and Mrs Doyle but a lot of the one off guests and recurring supporting characters. Bishop Brennan is clearly inspired by Eamon Casey. Niamh Connolly the feminist singer is based on Sinead O Connor and Eoin Maclove is clearly Wee Daniel. I'm curious about who Harry Sellers was based on.

weldoninhio · 03-12-2020 9:24am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Not so much the main regular four, Ted, Dougal, Jack and Mrs Doyle but a lot of the one off guests and recurring supporting characters. Bishop Brennan is clearly inspired by Eamon Casey. Niamh Connolly the feminist singer is based on Sinead O Connor and Eoin Maclove is clearly Wee Daniel. I'm curious about who Harry Sellers was based on.

Henry Kelly

Bob Harris · 03-12-2020 9:29am

Graham Norton pretty much played himself as Noel Furlong.

Hangdogroad · 03-12-2020 9:31am

weldoninhio wrote: »

Henry Kelly

He must have been fond of the sauce.

Gregor Samsa · 03-12-2020 11:19am

Richard Wilson from the episode "The Mainland" is based on Victor Meldrew.

There is only one appropriate response to this comment.

Bob Harris · 03-12-2020 11:24am

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

Richard Wilson from the episode "The Mainland" is based on Victor Meldrew.
There is only one appropriate response to this comment.

I cannot accept that to be true.

Snotty · 03-12-2020 11:27am

Father Billy O'Dwyer a.k.a. The SpinMaster = Brian D'Arcy??

E mac · 03-12-2020 11:29am

Mrs Doyle is pretty much every rural housewife born in the 40/50's.

Hulk Hands · 03-12-2020 11:50am

Many of the real side characters are the best ones imo, reflecting often seen characters in Ireland. Such as the overtly racist oul one, or Fr. Stones father who viewed his priest son as a complete disappointment, or the rich farmers in the sheep episode. Loved the bit about the priest with Larry Duff held up because he was running guns for the IRA

The John and Mary couple was a simple stereotype for pre divorce Ireland but worked well too

Bikerman2019 · 03-12-2020 11:54am

We willl never see the genius of this again.

the purple tin · 03-12-2020 11:56am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Not so much the main regular four, Ted, Dougal, Jack and Mrs Doyle but a lot of the one off guests and recurring supporting characters. Bishop Brennan is clearly inspired by Eamon Casey. Niamh Connolly the feminist singer is based on Sinead O Connor and Eoin Maclove is clearly Wee Daniel. I'm curious about who Harry Sellers was based on.

Niamh connolly was also partly based on Dolores O'Riordan I always thought.
Was the female writer who Ted fell in love with based on anybody i wonder?

whisky_galore · 03-12-2020 11:59am

Bishop Brennan is an Eamonn Casey/Archbishop John Charles McQuaid mash up.

Dermot Morgans pre Ted Fr Trendy was a thinly disguised parody of Fr Bryan Darcy.

Philipx · 03-12-2020 12:24pm

Two I wonder about:

Fr. Fintan Stack, (Brendan Grace)

And of course, Pat Mustard.

I did the visit the house a few years ago & had the tea....which was served by a girl who was one of the Hairy Babies

Mad_maxx · 03-12-2020 12:25pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Not so much the main regular four, Ted, Dougal, Jack and Mrs Doyle but a lot of the one off guests and recurring supporting characters. Bishop Brennan is clearly inspired by Eamon Casey. Niamh Connolly the feminist singer is based on Sinead O Connor and Eoin Maclove is clearly Wee Daniel. I'm curious about who Harry Sellers was based on.

bishop brennan isnt based on eamon casey , he could be based on any hypocritical man of the cloth

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 03-12-2020 12:49pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

bishop brennan isnt based on eamon casey , he could be based on any hypocritical man of the cloth

He is overtly based on Casey. The videotape of him and his girlfriend (not at there was a tape of Casey). The voice, which is exactly what Casey sounded like.

03-12-2020 12:52pm

Philipx wrote: »

I did the visit the house a few years ago & had the tea....which was served by a girl who was one of the Hairy Babies

Thats what she told you and you believed her?

Hyperbollix · 03-12-2020 1:02pm

the purple tin wrote: »

Niamh connolly was also partly based on Dolores O'Riordan I always thought.
Was the female writer who Ted fell in love with based on anybody i wonder?

Yeah, she had the look of Dolores and the attitude of Sinead O'Connor.

As for the writer, Marian Keyes maybe?

Muahahaha · 03-12-2020 1:17pm

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

He is overtly based on Casey. The videotape of him and his girlfriend (not at there was a tape of Casey). The voice, which is exactly what Casey sounded like.

yeah plus the video tape shows the secret son in America which was exactly based on Bishop Casey

I wonder was Father Jesop based on anyone, he was a kind of bishops enforcer

Cant think that Pat Mustard was based on anyone apart from the milkman sleeping around stereotype.

DellyBelly · 03-12-2020 1:24pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

yeah plus the video tape shows the secret son in America which was exactly based on Bishop Casey

I wonder was Father Jesop based on anyone, he was a kind of bishops enforcer

Cant think that Pat Mustard was based on anyone apart from the milkman sleeping around stereotype.

Think Pat Mustard was based on Sony Knowles. He looked like him even...

KevRossi · 03-12-2020 1:30pm

DellyBelly wrote: »

Think Pat Mustard was based on Sony Knowles. He looked like him even...

Graham Linehan based him on a fella Roddy Doyle knew from Darndale called George Burgess.

DellyBelly · 03-12-2020 1:38pm

KevRossi wrote: »

Graham Linehan based him on a fella Roddy Doyle knew from Darndale called George Burgess.

George Burgess was a character in the Commitments as well...

The Mulk · 03-12-2020 1:44pm

DellyBelly wrote: »

George Burgess was a character in the Commitments as well...

Jimmy Rabbitte was in the Commitments too, and rabbits followed Fr. Jack....

Hector Savage · 03-12-2020 1:48pm

Philipx wrote: »

Two I wonder about:

Fr. Fintan Stack, (Brendan Grace)

And of course, Pat Mustard.

I did the visit the house a few years ago & had the tea....which was served by a girl who was one of the Hairy Babies

You can visit the house and have tea !! ?

I went there around 2005/06 and took a photo at the gate, but it was a private residence.

Gruffalux · 03-12-2020 1:50pm

Who is Father Stone based on?
My favourite scene...:pac:

''I'm having a ba-ath''...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCzebM-zZzY

dan1895 · 03-12-2020 2:06pm

Hector Savage wrote: »

You can visit the house and have tea !! ?

I went there around 2005/06 and took a photo at the gate, but it was a private residence.

It's open during Ted Fest. Took a visit last year. Heart dropped when I walked in the door and it was completely different to what you see in the show. Then I realised that I knew that already and that I'm a feckin eejit.

Muahahaha · 03-12-2020 3:14pm

Yeah the owners of the house do tea and cakes during tourist season. They opened it up for that Father Ted documentary Small, Far Away screened a couple of years ago and yeah of course its nothing like the set that was in a studio in London anyway

Penfailed · 03-12-2020 3:17pm

Hector Savage wrote: »

You can visit the house and have tea !! ?

I went there around 2005/06 and took a photo at the gate, but it was a private residence.

If you ring to make an appointment, you can call in for tea. I had coffee.

cml387 · 03-12-2020 3:20pm

I've never seen this confirmed, but the upstairs of the parochial house bears a remarkable resemblance to the upstairs of Fawlty Towers. Have a look sometime.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 03-12-2020 6:49pm

I don’t enjoy Clare Grogan in the Sinead/Dolores role. Her Irish accent is shockin’ and that’s especially a problem in a show filled with natural Irish accents. I think Linehan wanted her on the show because she was a teenage crush of his but he should have gone with a different actress. It’s a shame because the character is really well-written.

Buddy Bubs · 03-12-2020 6:54pm

The female solicitor that slapped Ted for being sexist and condescending is based on every woman that has had the good fortune to work alongside me

the purple tin · 03-12-2020 8:40pm

The WW2 mad priest with the nazi war criminal hidden in his house was a sly nod to the Vatican's support for the nazi regime during the war.

Muahahaha · 03-12-2020 9:32pm

the purple tin wrote: »

The WW2 mad priest with the nazi war criminal hidden in his house was a sly nod to the Vatican's support for the nazi regime during the war.

yeah definitely. In a similar vein I thought Ted and Dougal fixing the raffle for the Ford Cortina was a nod to the Irish Sweepstakes scandal. The line Ted said to the crowd about him being at a raffle where the people who ran the raffle actually won it seemed to be a reference to what happened with the Irish Sweepstakes

Anyone know who was the Dancing Priest referencing? Was it that priest in Ballyfermot who ran concerts but later turned out to be a serial sex abuser?

Snickers Man · 03-12-2020 9:36pm

the purple tin wrote: »

Niamh connolly was also partly based on Dolores O'Riordan I always thought.

Looked like Dolores O'Riordan; behaved like Sinead O'Connor

AndyBoBandy · 03-12-2020 9:45pm

Fr Jose Fernandez (who drives a Porsche)

Pretty much every priest who got into it for the riches (so probably everyone at the Vatican)

Demonique · 03-12-2020 10:07pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

Anyone know who was the Dancing Priest referencing? Was it that priest in Ballyfermot who ran concerts but later turned out to be a serial sex abuser?

Pretty sure the Dancing Priest referred to this muppet - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Horan

Joe Don Dante · 03-12-2020 10:09pm

Pat Mustard / Fred West

AndyBoBandy · 03-12-2020 10:14pm

Demonique wrote: »

Pretty sure the Dancing Priest referred to this muppet - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Horan

What an odd man;

“ In 2004 he was found not guilty of indecent assault against a seven-year-old girl. Though he did admit that he was naked while the girl tickled him and while they played hide-and-seek, during the court case he also claimed to own only one pair of tight-fitting green satin underpants that have never been washed as he needs them to 'always be ready for use', at one point Horan produced the pants from his pocket to show the jury.”

KungPao · 03-12-2020 10:19pm

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

What an odd man;

“ In 2004 he was found not guilty of indecent assault against a seven-year-old girl. Though he did admit that he was naked while the girl tickled him and while they played hide-and-seek, during the court case he also claimed to own only one pair of tight-fitting green satin underpants that have never been washed as he needs them to 'always be ready for use', at one point Horan produced the pants from his pocket to show the jury.”

Did well for himself afterwards though, with One Direction.

He really got his life back on track.

.anon. · 03-12-2020 10:26pm

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

What an odd man;

“ In 2004 he was found not guilty of indecent assault against a seven-year-old girl. Though he did admit that he was naked while the girl tickled him and while they played hide-and-seek, during the court case he also claimed to own only one pair of tight-fitting green satin underpants that have never been washed as he needs them to 'always be ready for use', at one point Horan produced the pants from his pocket to show the jury.”

A truly horrible man, seems to go out of his way to be as disgusting as possible. Worse than Hitler. You wouldn't find Hitler doing a cringeworthy 'Irish jig' on Britain's Got Talent.

Blondini · 03-12-2020 10:43pm

Fintan Stack was based on James Reilly

Joe Don Dante · 03-12-2020 10:51pm

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

What an odd man;

“ In 2004 he was found not guilty of indecent assault against a seven-year-old girl. Though he did admit that he was naked while the girl tickled him and while they played hide-and-seek, during the court case he also claimed to own only one pair of tight-fitting green satin underpants that have never been washed as he needs them to 'always be ready for use', at one point Horan produced the pants from his pocket to show the jury.”

didn't he pull some stunt during the 2014 Olympics? shoved the leader of The Marathon into the crowd or something to that affect

KungPao · 03-12-2020 10:56pm

Joe Don Dante wrote: »

didn't he pull some stunt during the 2014 Olympics? shoved the leader of The Marathon into the crowd or something to that affect

And ran out onto a live race track, Silverstone, during the British GP. Feckin' eejit.

.anon. · 03-12-2020 11:12pm

Joe Don Dante wrote: »

didn't he pull some stunt during the 2014 Olympics? shoved the leader of The Marathon into the crowd or something to that affect

Athens 2004 - he deprived a Brazilian runner of a gold medal in the marathon.

With the benefit of hindsight, nothing of any worth would have been lost if he had been taken out by an F1 car at Silverstone the previous year.

dan1895 · 03-12-2020 11:15pm

.anon. wrote: »

Athens 2004 - he deprived a Brazilian runner of a gold medal in the marathon.

With the benefit of hindsight, nothing of any worth would have been lost if he had been taken out by an F1 car at Silverstone the previous year.

Ah now those F1 cars are very expensive.

Sardonicat · 03-12-2020 11:16pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Thats what she told you and you believed her?

Did the moustache not give it away?

Muahahaha · 03-12-2020 11:20pm

Yeah his F1 stunt was one thing but he was only ever going to hurt himself. Him attacking the Brazilian runner was far worse, he was leading the race for a gold medal but the Dancing Priest put him completely off his rhythm and he got over taken. Imagine training for four years to try win a gold medal at the Olympics and you're leading the race until this fruitcake dressed in the tricolour jumps out of the crowd and attacks you.

galvo_clare · 03-12-2020 11:25pm

We've organised a couple of 'Tea and scones at Fr Ted's' fundraisers in aid of the RNLI. Had some great crowds there.

Muahahaha wrote: »

Yeah the owners of the house do tea and cakes during tourist season. They opened it up for that Father Ted documentary Small, Far Away screened a couple of years ago and yeah of course its nothing like the set that was in a studio in London anyway

galvo_clare · 03-12-2020 11:30pm

The raffle was for a Rover 200 series. Ted drove the Cortina.

Muahahaha wrote: »

yeah definitely. In a similar vein I thought Ted and Dougal fixing the raffle for the Ford Cortina was a nod to the Irish Sweepstakes scandal. The line Ted said to the crowd about him being at a raffle where the people who ran the raffle actually won it seemed to be a reference to what happened with the Irish Sweepstakes

Anyone know who was the Dancing Priest referencing? Was it that priest in Ballyfermot who ran concerts but later turned out to be a serial sex abuser?

Demonique · 04-12-2020 12:38am

Muahahaha wrote: »

Yeah his F1 stunt was one thing but he was only ever going to hurt himself. Him attacking the Brazilian runner was far worse, he was leading the race for a gold medal but the Dancing Priest put him completely off his rhythm and he got over taken. Imagine training for four years to try win a gold medal at the Olympics and you're leading the race until this fruitcake dressed in the tricolour jumps out of the crowd and attacks you.

The F1 stunt was worse imo, if one of the cars hit him it could have resulted in the driver being seriously injured

Hector Savage · 04-12-2020 10:58am

Demonique wrote: »

The F1 stunt was worse imo, if one of the cars hit him it could have resulted in the driver being seriously injured

And a further pile up ...

Hangdogroad · 04-12-2020 11:16am

I'm not so sure the dancing priest in Ted was based on Horan, I dont think he was that well known in 1995, his real notoriety came later in the early 00s. Its possible though that he might been carrying on his dancing priest schtick much earlier, dont know much about his back story.

Real life people Fr Ted characters were based on.

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