User:Norton3600/sandbox/Patrick J. Donnelly

Patrick J. Donnelly is an film and theater actor born in Dublin, Ireland in 1956, and is of Irish and scottish ancestry. He left school at 13yrs and worked for a couple of years as a child worker. At the age of 17, he joined the Irish army and served overseas on a number of occasions from 1985 to 1990, in Lebanon, nearly losing his life twice; once when his patrol was ambushed outside the port town of Qana and another time when an Isreali tank round hit the road afew feet ahead of the foot patrol he was on. He was slightly shell shocked but was able to report back for duty afew days later.During his military service in the 1970s he served on the Irish Border to prevent Pro and Anti British terrorist operating inside the Republic. He also at one time was a member of the 2nd Motor Cavalery unit that escorts all irish president on cerimonial occasions.Although, he along with his unit was invite to sign the visitors book in the Aras the official residence of the Republic,s president--a high honour,normally reserved for visiting heads of state, he had mixed emotions as the president at that time was Eamon De Valera one of the people who took part in the Easter Rising 1916 and a friend of Michael Mallin and the Countess Markievicz, The Countess was depised on his mother's side of the family,as she had shot his great grand uncle,an unarmed police constable Michael Lahiff of the Dublin Metropolitan Police outside the gates of St Stephen's Green on that fateful Easter Monday morning 24th April 1916 ,Michael Lahiff was a supporter of Irish Home Rule and knew the great irish nationalist leader John Redmond and like Redmond he was opposed to violence,and more likely knew the Countess Markievicz to speak to.She knew him for she's alledged to have said,pointing a gun at him:Mick,give me the keys to Stephen's Green or i will shot you! He's said to have replied softly:Countess.Act your age,like a good lady    The Countess did not ask a second time,she shot him in the face with her revolver and stole the keys for St Stephen's Green from him,he died of horrible wounds to his head shortly after. The Rising lasted six days and both Mallin and Markievicz were court-martial for their part in the rebellion.The Officer who prosecuted both,was later in the 1990s used as a character in a hit british comedy Blackadder. He signed the book but carefully avoided shakeing hands with De Valera,for his family believed that a Nationalist who kills a brother Nationalist shall never be forgiven,no matter who they are.He was married when he was 20. He got interested in acting after he was asked to help out at a concert party for orphan kids in Tibnin,South Lebanon on his last tour to the middle-east.

Career
On his return home in 1990, Patrick J. attained higher educational grades,then attended an acting academy in Dublin and took a degree in Acting, Radio and TV production in Maynooth College. He started to get acting work almost immediately and has worked in theatre, film, television, and radio over the last 19 years. He is a full member of both Equity and the Irish Film and Television Academy, and has appeared in all the major theatres in Dublin, including The playboy of the western world, in the Abbey Theatre, The Irish National Theatre (Tosca the Opera), The Gaiety Theatre, , and others. He has a appeared on local tv and has worked on many major films that have shot on location in Ireland over the last decade, including Braveheart and Michael Collins.

He operates as a free-lance actor, but is listed in IMDb.com, The Spotlight , Irish Actors Equity and is a full member of the Irish Film TV Academy. ,when times got bad in the acting profession,he's had to work as a Cabbie,a Bus Driver and also as a Park Ranger.

Theatre

 * The Playboy of the western world,The Abbey,Irish National Theatre as an Irish peasent
 * Tosca (the Opera), Gaiety Theatre,Dublin, as Soldier in Firing Squad
 * Liffey Lane, Merchants' quay Theatre, Dublin, as Wise old Billy
 * Abigale's Party, An Beal Bocht, Dublin, as Tony.

Films

 * Braveheart as Scottish Soldier
 * Michael Collins as IRA Gunman
 *  Nothing Personal as a Loyalist
 * Into the West as uncredited
 * Ordinary Decent Criminal as Dublin Hood
 * Mad About Mambo as Stand-in Double

Television

 * Glenroe, Irish TV Soap, as Dublin Thug
 * Crimeline, Irish Crime programme, as Witness

Radio
Leinster Community Radio,Voice-Over,Commericals.

Munster/Kerry Radio,Voice-Over Commericals.