Maria McDermottroe

Maria McDermottroe (Irish: Máire Nic Dhiarmata Ruadh; born 1952 or 1953) is an Irish actress, known for her work across screen and stage. She portrayed Molly Ivors in John Huston's 1987 film The Dead, based on the James Joyce novella of the same name, and Bridey Hannon in Alan Parker's 1999 film Angela's Ashes, based on Frank McCourt's best-selling memoir of the same name. Her other film credits include The Boxer, Trojan Eddie, Bogwoman, Saltwater, Veronica Guerin, The Blackwater Lightship, and The Winter Lake.

On television, McDermottroe is best known for playing Venetia Crosby on the long-running RTÉ drama serial Glenroe (1995-2000), and Mrs. Gilhooley on the RTÉ comedy series Killinaskully (2004-2009), for which she was nominated for the Golden Nymph Award for Best Actress at the 2009 Monte-Carlo Television Festival. Her numerous guest appearances include roles on ScreenPlay, Family, The Governor, Proof, Foreign Exchange, Mattie, Taken Down, Smother, and Nova Jones.

A veteran of the theatre, McDermottroe has appeared in over 50 professional stage productions, including 16 productions with the National Theatre of Ireland. Her stage career began with Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir at the Gate Theatre in the 1970s. It was there that she became the first Irish woman to appear nude on stage for her portrayal of Jill Mason in the Irish premiere of Equus by Peter Shaffer.

Life and career

McDermottroe was born in Sligo town in the 1950s, one of four children (including writer/director Conor) of Eddie and Nora McDermottroe. Her first theatre role was in a production of The Merchant of Venice featuring Micheál Mac Liammóir and Hilton Edwards. She married John Costigan, future Executive Director of Dublin's Gaiety Theatre, in 1979, having first met in 1977. They have two children including writer Nora Costigan and actress Gina Costigan. They live in Dún Laoghaire.

Her character in Glenroe was introduced in 1995, as Venetia, the matriarch of the Crosby family. Venetia later divorced and married divorcé Dick Moran. In Pat Shortt's rural sitcom, Killinaskully, McDermottroe portrayed Mrs. Gilhooley, known for repeatedly not being "in the habit of repeating" herself, She played crime figure John Gilligan's wife in 2003's Veronica Guerin, a film in which her daughter Gina Costigan portrayed the wife of criminal figure John Traynor. In 2010, McDermottroe's performance in an Eska Riada production of Frank McGuinness's one-woman play Baglady in the Focus Theatre, was described by Jesse Weaver of Irish Theatre Magazine as a "measured, taught, and ultimately arresting ... portrait of an identity nearly dissolving itself".

In 2017, she played Carmel in Isobel Mahon's Boom?. Her film credits include John Huston's The Dead, John Erman's The Blackwater Lightship, and The Winter Lake. She was named "Best Actress", at the 2023 Milan Gold March Awards, for her role in The Carer.

Filmography

Awards

References

External links

• Maria McDermottroe at IMDb