The Banshees of Inisherin actor Gary Lydon dies aged 61

Tributes are flooding in for the IFTA winner following his sudden passing.

Tributes are flooding in for the IFTA winning actor following his sudden passing.

The actor was extensively experienced in theatre, television and cinema alike, however he would recently be best known for his roles in The Banshees of Inisherin, The Clinic and Love/Hate.

Born to Irish parents in London, Lydon returned to Wexford as a child, where only in the past few weeks he appeared, alongside his son James, in a production of Billy Roche’s Of Mornington.

The staff and management at Wexford Arts Centre said they were shocked by the news.

"We are deeply shocked & saddened to hear of the sudden loss of renowned & beloved Wexford actor Gary Lydon.

Gary had only recently returned to our stage as the magnificent Phil in the terrific production of Of Mornington by Billy Roche, directed by Pete McCamley of Ad Personam Cultural Events who also co-produced the production with Gary Lydon Productions.

Gary had honed his craft as one of the finest actors in Ireland on the Wexford Arts Centre stage in many of Billy Roche's plays. He forged a stellar career performing across Ireland & the UK.

However, he will be remembered by us most fondly for his mesmerizing performances on the arts centre stage in productions of The Boker Poker Club (A Handful of Stars), One is not a Number, Lay Me Down Softly A Handful of Stars revival by Four Rivers Theatre and most recently as Phil in Of Mornington, the role he most wished to play & he embodied to perfection."

"The lights in the theatre world are dimmer due to the loss of Gary, but we will cherish the memories of his performances with reverence," they concluded.

Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.