Kenny Ireland

Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, Ireland was prominent in Scottish theatre and spent ten years as director of the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. When he left the post in 2003 he criticised the Scottish arts establishment for providing "theatre on the cheap" and the Scottish Executive for putting plans for a National Theatre of Scotland on "the back burner".{{cite news|url=http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=211802002 |title=Scots getting theatre 'on the cheap' |work=The Scotsman |location=Edinburgh |date=24 February 2002 |access-date=31 July 2014}} The National Theatre of Scotland was finally launched in 2006. He also appeared in an episode of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet as journalist Sid Payne. In some early TV appearances (e.g. the BBC's Five Red Herrings) he was credited as "Ian Ireland".

Ireland's directing credits include Guys & Dolls, A View from the Bridge, Romeo and Juliet, Phaedra, Macbeth, Lovers, The Anatomist, Clay Bull, Mother Courage, Much Ado About Nothing, Of Mice and Men, Private Lives, Oleanna, Sunset Song, The Silver Darlings, The Gowk Storm, Waiting for Godot, Dancing at Lughnasa, Oedipus Tyrannos and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

He also appeared in Acorn Antiques, the STV series Taggart, the 1983 film Local Hero, Dempsey and Makepeace episode "In the Dark", Series 2 of Auf Wiedersehen Pet, the 1990 series House of Cards as media tycoon Benjamin Landless starring alongside Ian Richardson as Francis Urquhart, and the David Leland film The Big Man with Liam Neeson. He was also in Heartbeat and made a brief appearance in the promo video for Tracey Ullman's "Sunglasses".

He appeared in the television series Benidorm as swinger Donald Stewart from 2007 until the end of series 6, that aired in early 2014. In June 2014, it was announced that he had brain cancer. His character did not appear in the seventh series of Benidorm in person but the character's voice was heard on a telephone call, with the voice over being provided by impressionist Alistair McGowan.{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/23/benidorm-kenny-ireland-cancer_n_5520692.html |title='Benidorm' Star Kenny Ireland Fighting Cancer |work=Huffington Post |date=23 June 2014 |access-date=31 July 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a579695/benidorm-star-kenny-ireland-battling-cancer.html#~oKXNqP9ctzsbaG |title=Benidorm star Kenny Ireland battling cancer |work=Digital Spy |date=23 June 2014 |access-date=31 July 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://uk.tv.yahoo.com/benidorm-star-kenny-ireland-is--battling-cancer-110654303.html |title=Benidorm Star Kenny Ireland is 'battling cancer' |work=uk.tv.yahoo.com |date=23 June 2014 |access-date=31 July 2014}}

Ireland died of cancer on 31 July 2014, aged 68.{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-28587475 |title=Benidorm actor Kenny Ireland dies from cancer aged 68 |work=BBC News |year=2014 |access-date=31 July 2014}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/jul/31/kenny-ireland|title=Kenny Ireland obituary|work=The Guardian|date=31 July 2014|access-date=13 August 2014}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|0409874}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ireland, Kenny}}

Category:1945 births

Category:2014 deaths

Category:Theatre in Scotland

Category:20th-century Scottish male actors

Category:Scottish theatre directors

Category:People from Paisley, Renfrewshire

Category:Deaths from brain cancer in the United Kingdom

Category:21st-century Scottish male actors

Category:Scottish male television actors