Acted in "Give Me a Bed of Roses", a ply by his father at Terenure College

After a three-month course in architecture, worked as a copy boy for the Evening Press in Dublin

Had early stage success in W B Yeats' "On Baile Strand", portraying the Irish mythic hero Cuchulainn

Feature acting debut as a prisoner in "The Fighting Prince of Donegal"

Enjoyed success in staging of Dion Boucicault's "The Shaughraun" at the Abbey Theatre and in London

Starred opposite Peter O'Toole in "Waiting for Godot" at the Abbey Theatre

First screen collaboration with John Huston, "Sinful Davey"

Played dual roles in the screen adaptation of Brian Friel's "Philadelphia, Here I Come!"

Cast as Jean to Helen Mirren's "Miss Julie"; production filmed for the BBC

Appeared on the London stage opposite Anthony Sher in "Prayer for My Daughter"

Played featured role of Phineas Finn in the BBC production "The Pallisers"; broadcast in the USA on PBS in 1977

Starred in the Irish television production "Strumpet City"

Returned to the Irish stage in Brian Friel's "Faith Healer"

Initial screen collaboration with Neil Jordan, "Angel"

Portrayed the title character's father in "Cal"

Had what is arguably his best screen role as Gabriel Conroy, Anjelica Huston's husband, in "The Dead", directed by John Huston from the James Joyce short story

Appeared in NYC in revival of "Juno and the Paycock"

Starred in Friel's "Translations" at the Gaiety Theatre

Reteamed with Jordan for the ill-advised "High Spirits"; first collaboration with Beverly D'Angelo

Garnered praise as one of two brothers who both fall in love with the same woman in "December Bride"

Co-starred with Beverly D'Angelo in Jordan's "The Miracle"

Supported Fiona Shaw, playing Judge Brack to her "Hedda Gabler" in a BBC production; aired in USA on PBS

Headlined the short-lived Broadway production of Friel's "Wonderful Tennessee"

Earned widespread critical praise for his performance as an elderly Irish policeman in Sebastian Barry's play "The Steward of Christendom"

Co-starred in Bernardo Bertolucci's "Stealing Beauty"

Reteamed with Beverly D'Angelo as the husband and wife operators of a turn-of-the-century theater in John Turturro's "Illuminata"; released posthumously in the USA in 1999

Was subject of Irish TV documentary "It Must Be DOne Right"