 |
| Ray Collins |
One of the few acting appearances made by the
late TV chatshow host, Gay Byrne was achieved with Athlone actor, Ray Collins,
in the Abbey Theatre.
The performance took place in a unique 1991 production of JM Synge’s ‘The Playboy of the Western World’, which was broadcast simultaneously on the Gay Byrne morning radio show on RTE Radio 1 and the Abbey, before a packed audience. Ray played the comic role of Seanie Keogh in the humorous production, in which Gay Byrne and Mike Murphy (another RTE personality from yesteryear) also had roles, in the play which was directed by Gary Hynes.
The play was on the Leaving Certificate curriculum that year, and auditions for the play took place all over the country, including the Prince of Wales Hotel, Athlone. Ray won his part and spent six weeks rehearsing in Dublin with the production, and Gay Byrne and Mike Murphy joined the actors and crew for the final three weeks, writes David Flynn.
“Gay and Mike played Philly and Jimmy in the play and Gay was a pure gent to work with,” said Ray. “He was very kind to all us amateurs who were working in the professional production. He treated everyone very well. It was a privilege to have worked with him.”
Ray also fondly remembers first seeing Gay Byrne in Athlone in November 1974, when the latter opened Athlone Shopping Centre.
“I always had a great time for Gay, he was part of our mornings and our Saturday nights, and he was like an uncle to us all,” said Ray. “He was the biggest star in Ireland, and a pure pro.”
Gay Byrne, who presented the Late Late Show on RTE from 1962 to 1999 died on Monday, November 4th after a long illness, aged 85 years.
