Irish sitcom only aired for three years but it’s fair to say the sitcom has cemented itself into the comedy hall of fame.
The TV show came to an end in 1998 and scopped up several BAFTAs throughout its years on the airwaves. But despite coming to an end after three series, the beloved show regularly returns to our screens every Christmas.
Written by Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews, the festive special is always a family favourite and often leads to questions of where the cast are now.
There were plenty of famous faces who made cameos on Father Ted, many of them in the role of various priests and worshippers.
As the TV show celebrates 30 years on its airwaves, let’s a look at some of the actors who had small roles in Father Ted and where they ended up.
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Father Ted came to an end in 1998 after three series (Image: Channel 4)
Father Noel Furlong
The brilliant Father Noel Furlong was, of course, played by chat show host Graham Norton. He starred in just three episodes of the show, but has certainly gone on to bigger and better things since his minor role.
Graham is one of the ’s biggest names with his Saturday night slot for The Graham Norton Show as well as his 2 radio show.
Father Fintan Stack
On , one fan branded Father Stack as “obnoxious, rude and destructive priest” when he arrived as Father Jack’s replacement for just one episode before Jack reclaimed his throne.
The actor was played by Brendan Grace, one of Ireland’s greatest ever comedians who sadly passed away in 2019.
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Graham Norton played Father Noel Furlong on the Channel 4 show (Image: Channel 4)
Sister Assumpta
Another fan favourite, known for her infamous nun status, her job being to cater for those with addictions.
Played by Rosemary Henderson, she has since gone on to have many roles on the small screen including her stint as Val in Fair City and having a small part in Penny Dreadful as a nun.
Father Kevin
Loyal fans will remember a young-looking Father Kevin was a bit down in the dumps as he listened to Radiohead all alone in a bus on Craggy Island.
Thankfully, Father Ted stopped him from jumping to his death at the ‘It’s great being a priest’ conference. That slightly depressed character was played by Tommy Tiernan who has since catapulted to fame.
He now has his own RTE chat show, titled The Tommy Tiernan Show, which brought him back into the spotlight in a major way while he continues to perform comedy gigs.
Jim Norton had a decorated career before he played Bishop Len Brennan (Image: Channel 4)
Bishop Len Brennan
The short-tempered boss of Father Ted and the rest, Bishop Brennan is one of the most iconic characters in the TV show. The Bishop – played by Jim Norton – had utter contempt for most priests despite his position and fans of the show soon fell in love with him.
He already had a decorated career before he landed the famous role. He played Mr Mason in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, David Dusniak in The Walking Dead and even had a role in Elementary.
Father Larry Duff
Poor old Larry Duff, the unfortunate character who drove off a cliff, was famously mauled by a pack of dogs and lost thousands on a game show. He was played by Tony Guilfoyle who had many a role since, including two long roles in Casualty and Holby City.
Father Billy O’Dwyer landed a role in Pirates of the Caribbean (Image: Channel 4)
Father Billy O’Dwyer
Father O’Dwyer was a DJ and prier who played a raffle organised by Ted and Dougal to raise funds for a new roof. The brilliant character was also addicted to gambling and pretty hilarious addition to the show.
He was played by Gerry O’Brien, who might not have been the biggest name since, but has remained very active in his television work over the past few years.
The actor went on to star in one episode of Game of Thrones as Jonos Bracken, and even made an appearance in the 2004 RTE comedy Killinaskully where he played the role of Dirty Mick. He even made it on to the big screen when he landed a role in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
Father Todd Unctious
After hours of guessing on the show, Mrs Doyle found out the name of Todd Unctious and it became one the lived long in the memory. Todd was after teh Golden Cleric award after the character almost got away with it in the end.
The priest was played by actor Gerad McSorley who most recently made the news after appearing in court for public order offences in 2019.