Joe Lynch
Encyclopedia
Joseph Laurence 'Joe' Lynch (16 July 1925 – 1 August 2001) was an Irish
actor who enjoyed a long career in both serious drama and light comedy. He also did voice work for children's animated series, in particular Chorlton and the Wheelies
for which he performed the theme tune. He had a fine singing voice and composed songs, such as for the movie Johnny Nobody
(1961). He also recorded the work of other songwriters, including Leo Maguire
's "The Whistling Gypsy
" and Dick Farrelly
's "Cottage by the Lee
", one of Joe's biggest 1950s recordings.
Joe Lynch attended the North Monastery CBS
and first came to fame in Ireland in the 1950s when his radio show Living with Lynch was broadcast on Sunday nights on Radio Éireann. He was also a founding member of the Radio Éireann Players
. Lynch appeared in the ABC
/Thames TV sitcom Never Mind the Quality Feel the Width
between 1968 and 1970. Later in the 1970s Lynch made regular guest appearances as Elsie Tanner
's boyfriend in the long-running Granada TV soap Coronation Street
.
In 1962, and again in 1977, Lynch won a Jacob's Award for his acting on RTÉ
television.
By 1979 Lynch was back in Ireland and made his first appearances as Dinny Byrne in the RTÉ
soap Bracken
. Later the Dinny Byrne character would feature in the long-running RTÉ soap Glenroe
– along with his catchphrase "Is there an'thin' stirrin?". Lynch quit Glenroe after being "shamefully treated" and offered "small potatoes" when he asked for a pay rise and by Mick Lally (Miley) opted to split his schedule between RTÉ and the BBC show, Ballykissangel
.
Lynch criticised RTÉ for preventing him from doing other acting work alongside Glenroe.
``I was terrible restricted in RTÉ they wouldn't let me off for anything, even commercials.``
He was also upset that he was not to get a pension.
Lynch was also the voice of the main antagonist Grundel the Toad of the Don Bluth film Thumbelina
, his final audio work before his death seven years later.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
actor who enjoyed a long career in both serious drama and light comedy. He also did voice work for children's animated series, in particular Chorlton and the Wheelies
Chorlton and the Wheelies
Chorlton and the Wheelies was an animated children's television series that ran from September 1976 until June 1979 on British Television Channel...
for which he performed the theme tune. He had a fine singing voice and composed songs, such as for the movie Johnny Nobody
Johnny Nobody
Johnny Nobody is a 1961 UK drama film brought to the screen by Viceroy Films Limited under the production of John R. Sloan with executive production from Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli. The original story was by Albert Z. Carr with the screenplay by Patrick Kirwan. It was directed by the...
(1961). He also recorded the work of other songwriters, including Leo Maguire
Leo Maguire
Patrick Leo Maguire, was an Irish singer, songwriter, and radio broadcaster.Born in Dublin's inner city, Maguire trained as a baritone under Vincent O'Brien, John McCormack's voice teacher. For many years he performed with the Dublin Operatic Society.Maguire was a prolific composer, writing over...
's "The Whistling Gypsy
The Whistling Gypsy
The Whistling Gypsy, sometimes known simply as The Gypsy Rover, is a well-known ballad composed and copyrighted by Dublin songwriter Leo Maguire about 1950....
" and Dick Farrelly
Dick Farrelly
Dick Farrelly born Richard Farrelly was an Irish songwriter, policeman and poet, composer of "The Isle of Innisfree", the song for which he is best remembered. His parents were publicans and when Dick was twenty-three he left Kells, County Meath for Dublin to join the Irish Police Force...
's "Cottage by the Lee
Cottage by the Lee
Cottage by the Lee is a song written by Irish songwriter Dick Farrelly. It was composed in the early 1950s and is published by Waltons Music Publishing in Dublin, Ireland....
", one of Joe's biggest 1950s recordings.
Joe Lynch attended the North Monastery CBS
The North Monastery
The North Monastery is a collection of primary, secondary and a Gaelcholáiste schools located at Our Lady's Mount, Cork City, Republic of Ireland.-History:...
and first came to fame in Ireland in the 1950s when his radio show Living with Lynch was broadcast on Sunday nights on Radio Éireann. He was also a founding member of the Radio Éireann Players
Radio Éireann Players
The Radio Éireann Players were a repertory company for radio in Ireland, formed in 1947, which performed in regular drama productions for Irish broadcaster, Radio Éireann. After the depredations of the war-time years and a devastating fire in the Abbey Theatre in 1951, the Radio Éireann Players'...
. Lynch appeared in the ABC
Associated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation was one of a number of commercial television companies established in the United Kingdom during the 1950s by cinema chain companies in an attempt to safeguard their business by becoming involved with television which was taking away their cinema audiences.In this...
/Thames TV sitcom Never Mind the Quality Feel the Width
Never Mind The Quality Feel The Width
Never Mind The Quality, Feel The Width was a British television sitcom first broadcast in 1967 as a single play in the Armchair Theatre anthology series, later becoming a series of half-hour episodes, which ran until 1971...
between 1968 and 1970. Later in the 1970s Lynch made regular guest appearances as Elsie Tanner
Elsie Tanner
Elsie Tanner is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Patricia Phoenix from 1960 to 1973 and from 1976 until 1984. Elsie Tanner was one of the original core characters on Coronation Street and appeared in the very first episode...
's boyfriend in the long-running Granada TV soap Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
.
In 1962, and again in 1977, Lynch won a Jacob's Award for his acting on RTÉ
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
television.
By 1979 Lynch was back in Ireland and made his first appearances as Dinny Byrne in the RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
soap Bracken
Bracken (TV series)
Bracken was an Irish television soap opera broadcast from 1978 to 1982 on RTÉ One in Ireland. It mainly centred about rural life in and around County Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland. The main stars of the show were Gabriel Byrne and Niall Tóibín...
. Later the Dinny Byrne character would feature in the long-running RTÉ soap Glenroe
Glenroe
Glenroe was an Irish television drama series broadcast between September 1983 and May 2001 on RTÉ One. The programme was a spin-off from Bracken, a short-lived RTÉ drama itself spun off from The Riordans. Glenroe was broadcast on Sunday nights at 20.30, generally from September to May. The show was...
– along with his catchphrase "Is there an'thin' stirrin?". Lynch quit Glenroe after being "shamefully treated" and offered "small potatoes" when he asked for a pay rise and by Mick Lally (Miley) opted to split his schedule between RTÉ and the BBC show, Ballykissangel
Ballykissangel
Ballykissangel is a BBC television drama set in Ireland, produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest as he became part of a rural community. It ran for six series, which were first broadcast on BBC One in the UK from 1996 to 2001...
.
Lynch criticised RTÉ for preventing him from doing other acting work alongside Glenroe.
``I was terrible restricted in RTÉ they wouldn't let me off for anything, even commercials.``
He was also upset that he was not to get a pension.
Lynch was also the voice of the main antagonist Grundel the Toad of the Don Bluth film Thumbelina
Thumbelina (1994 film)
Thumbelina is a 1994 American animated film directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman from a screenplay by Bluth based on Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina. The film was produced by Don Bluth Entertainment and was released to movie theaters by Warner Bros...
, his final audio work before his death seven years later.
External links
- An audio clip from Radio Éireann's Living with Lynch
- Obituary in The Independent