On 28 February 1998 Dermot Morgan, comedian and actor, died suddenly in London.
Dermot Morgan became an international star in his role as Father Ted Crilly in Channel 4's award-winning 'Father Ted'. After three series of the show, Dermot Morgan had decided that the latest series would be his last and had his eyes on new projects.
The Dublin born comic had written a new drama series and had an idea for a movie to be shot in Ireland. However, this was not to be as he died suddenly a day after completing filming on the final series of Father Ted at the age of forty-five. Morgan collapsed at his home in Richmond in South London while hosting a dinner party. The most probable cause of death was heart failure.
Tributes have flooded in for the comedy actor who first made his name at RTÉ on TV and radio shows like 'The Live Mike' and 'Scrap Saturday'. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who had been the brunt of many of Morgan's satirical quips on radio, paid tribute to Morgan's large body of work and particularly 'Scrap Saturday'.
He was a huge star. I mean the fact is today everybody is talking about it because everybody even though they might never have met him feel that they know him very well.
There is a poignancy about the timing of Dermot Morgan's death as billboards go up around London advertising the final series of Father Ted.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 1 March 1998. The reporter is Colm Connolly.
