Joan Brosnan Walsh

Joan Brosnan Walsh (29 June 1938 – 20 December 2009) was a veteran Irish actress, best known for her long-running role as the character Mags Kelly on the Irish soap opera Fair City, a role she had played for almost twenty years, from 18 September 1989[1] until her final screen appearance, 11 January 2009.

Joan Brosnan Walsh
Born(1938-06-29)29 June 1938
Greystones, County Wicklow
Died20 December 2009(2009-12-20) (aged 71)
Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland
Other namesJoan Brosnan-Walsh
OccupationActress
Years active1989–2009 (her death)
Spouse(s)Willie Walsh; 3 daughters

Brosnan Walsh appeared in a number of films such as The Boxer and Fatal Inheritance. She also worked as a costume designer.[2] She first worked for ACNielsen and Aer Lingus, the latter providing her with her first experience of acting. After nearly twenty years she announced her departure from Fair City in January 2009 after declaring that she had contracted motor neurone disease the previous year.[3]

Early life and career

Brosnan Walsh was born in 1938 in Greystones, County Wicklow. She had two other siblings but her mother died when she was young. An aunt raised her in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin.

Brosnan Walsh attended the Dominican Convent on Eccles Street before pursuing a career with market researcher ACNielsen. In 1956, she moved to Aer Lingus where she first experienced acting alongside the Metro Players, an amateur group of players which included her colleagues.

Brosnan Walsh designed costumes for The Secret Marriage produced by the Irish National Opera in 1976. She acted with Mobile Theatre and Team Theatre Company throughout the 1970s and 1980s, appearing on stage in The Puppeteer from Lodz (1986), The Year of the Hiker at the Gaiety (1990) and The Mother (1997). She was member of the Backlane Painters, with whom she exhibited and sold her work.[4]

Family

She married Willie Walsh. The couple had three daughters, Helen, Ruth and Ingrid.[4]

Fair City
Main article: Fair City

Brosnan Walsh played the character of Mags Kelly in Fair City for nearly twenty years before her January 2009 departure. Her colleague Dave Duffy, who portrays Leo Dowling, said she got a "terrific send-off" with "champagne and flowers for her and a bit of a party in McCoy's Pub".

Health and death

Brosnan Walsh departed Fair City due to declining health as a result of her motor neurone disease (known as Lou Gehrig's disease or (ALS) in North America). The "hardest thing" was her loss of singing voice.[4]

She appeared on The Late Late Show with husband Willie Walsh, 23 January 2009, to discuss her condition, saying she discovered it whilst on holiday with her neighbour in South France in October 2007.[5] She was then diagnosed the following Spring.[6]

Brosnan Walsh also spoke her character and time in Fair City:

I loved the character of Mags, foil to Charlie's shenanigans and I particularly enjoyed her strong relationship with, for example, Dolores, Rita, Dermot and Jo. I really enjoyed playing her.[4]

She had painted since the 1970s but her illness forced her to revert from landscape painting to abstract painting.[7] The audience presented her with a standing ovation at the end.[2] In February 2009, she launched Rare Diseases Week.[4]

After Brosnan Walsh's death 20 December 2009 at age 71,[8] the cast of Fair City released the following tribute: "She was warm and lovely in person, a consummate professional and a delight to work with. A talented actress, singer and artist who bore her illness with incredible dignity, she will be very much missed around Carrigstown".[2]

Jane Gogan, RTÉ's drama recruiter, said "She has been at the heart of Fair City for the last 20 years and was without doubt one of its most popular characters. She was also one of the most warmly regarded colleagues in RTÉ and will be greatly missed by the Fair City cast and crew and all who worked with her in RTÉ, as well as her host of fans throughout the country".[2][9][10]

Selected filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleOther notes
1993Fatal InheritanceMrs. O'Toole
1997The BoxerMrs. Orr

Awards

In 1969 she was a cast member of The Caucasian Chalk Circle Strand Players production and they won the Esso Trophy at the all-Ireland drama festival held in Athlone, County Westmeath.[4]

In 1970 Brosnan Walsh won best actress at Templetuohy's one-act drama festival in County Tipperary.[4]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1969Esso Trophyall-Ireland drama festivalWon
1970Best ActressTempletuohyWon

See also

References
  1. "RTÉ pays tribute to actress Joan Brosnan Walsh RIP" (Press release). RTÉ. 22 December 2009.
  2. Healy, Alison (22 December 2009). "'Fair City' actor Joan Brosnan Walsh dies". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
  3. "Mags bows out of Fair City due to illness". Evening Herald. Dublin. 9 January 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  4. "Talented 'Fair City' actress who dealt with motor neuron disease bravely". The Irish Times. 23 January 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  5. "Late Late show pays tribute to Fair City's Mags". Evening Herald. 23 January 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  6. "Friday 23 January 2009". The Late Late Show. 23 January 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  7. "Joan Brosnan Walsh". Irish Independent. 27 December 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  8. "Fair City's Joan Brosnan Walsh dies". RTÉ. 21 December 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  9. "Tributes paid to late Fair City star". RTÉ. 22 December 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
  10. O'Brien, Jason (22 December 2009). "Fair City actress Brosnan-Walsh dies". Irish Independent. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
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