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MICK LALLY’S familiar, croaky voice was among the most distinctive in Irish theatre and on our television screens. As a voiceover artist that voice – recently heard to good effect and delighting a new generation in the Irish animation success, The Secret of Kells– became his trademark. It had a touch of geniality and an instantly recognisable quality that contributed to the actor’s place in the affections of the general public.

His enduring popularity must be attributed also to his long-running character, the seemingly innocent Miley Byrne, on RTÉ’s soap opera, Glenroe; those years of domestic and farmyard drama in Co Wicklow established him as a household name. Although that role also bestowed on him the alter ego which he found difficult to shake off, he will be more properly remembered for stage performances that challenged his talents and earned him the recognition he deserved as an actor of versatility.