Gary Lydon dies aged 61: Tributes pour in for The Banshees of Inisherin and War Horse actor following his sudden passing

It was announced that Irish actor Gary Lydon passed away suddenly at the age of 61.

Praise has poured in for the star, who has appeared in three Oscar-nominated films as well as stage and film roles throughout his long and distinguished career.

He may be best known outside Ireland for his role as Garda Peadar Kearney, the father of Barry Keoghan’s character, in 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin.

After news of Gary’s untimely death broke, colleagues and fans were quick to pay tribute and brand him ‘one of Ireland’s greatest players’.

They went to X and said: ‘It’s so sad, he’s so young’; ‘We offer our condolences to his family. Great actor. ‘Rest in peace’; ‘This is sad news, it was very reliable and appeared frequently’; ‘Oh that’s so sad to hear. We offer our condolences to his family. God rest him’; ‘This is very sad. I’m sorry to hear this. Rest in peace Gary’.

As well as starring roles opposite Saoirse Ronan in Steven Spielberg’s War Horse and Brooklyn, Gary played Patrick Murray in RTE’s medical drama The Clinic, which earned him the Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor.

The star, who has appeared in three Oscar-nominated films, has also been praised for her stage and small screen roles (pictured in 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin).

Born in London in 1964, he moved to his father Jimmy O’Brien’s hometown of Wexford when he was nine, and later appeared in many of the works of Wexford playwright Billy Roche.

In a statement, the Wexford Film Society said: ‘Shocking news this morning that actor Gary Lydon has died suddenly at the age of 61. Gary, who starred in three films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, The Banshees of Inisherin, Brooklyn and Spielberg’s War Horse, received our Fellowship award in 2014.

‘We’ve screened many of his films over the years, the latest being 2024’s Lakelands. Just a few weeks ago he told us about a few films he had completed; ‘He starred as an aging Elvis impersonator in The Sandy Banks and One Sweet Hour.’

Before adding: ‘At least we’ll have something to look forward to. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and many friends. Rest in peace Gary’.

This comes after Keoghan’s fans slammed Benny Blanco after his ‘tone deaf’ interview with the Irish actor.

Barry, 33, opened up about his struggles with drugs, his mother’s fatal overdose and his own near-death experience during a candid chat on Benny’s podcast: Friends Keep Secrets.

He may be best known for his role as Garda Peadar Kearney, the father of Barry Keoghan’s character, in 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin (in Calvary opposite Brendan Gleeson).

After news of Gary’s untimely death broke, colleagues and fans were quick to pay tribute and brand him ‘one of Ireland’s greatest players’ (Gary, right, on stage, 2000)

They took him to Great actor. Rest in peace’: ‘This is sad news, it was very reliable and appears frequently’: ‘Oh, so sad to hear that’.

In a statement, the Wexford Film Society said: ‘Shocking news this morning that actor Gary Lydon, who starred in three films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, has died suddenly at the age of 61.

However, an Instagram video promoting the episode was quickly put together, with Barry’s voice distorted for comic effect and a cheerful Benny laughingly saying ‘wow, let’s go out and talk about something fun!’ It ended with saying:

The clip ends with Selena Gomez’s husband Benny asking, ‘Were you using drugs?’ It started with him asking the question. To which Barry replied: ‘Yes, yes, that’s why I’ve been clean now… for 2.5 years.

‘On paper, my mother died at the age of 32′ [heroin] and my father passed away. But the curiosity of still wanting to do this for me took me three attempts at rehabilitation.’

The clip then cuts to Barry saying: “Technically I was dead for a few seconds.” Co-host Lil Dicky asked: “Did you have a vision of, like, a post-mortem moment?”

At this point, the clip breaks down and dream sequence music begins playing as Barry explains that he saw a blonde woman walking away from him as she tried to catch up with him.

Then Barry’s voice broke and he continued: ‘And there were a bunch of lads this way stabbing me. I was holding on to them, they were trying to push me this way, and I was begging them to stay.

‘I said please let me stay and they said ‘ok, let them stay’.’

At this point the music stopped and the camera panned to Benny saying “wow, let’s go out and talk about something fun” before laughing with Lil Dicky.

Fans who took to the comments section were left in shock, writing: ‘This clip really does damage to the story Barry tells in the episode. It’s really a bit depressing that everything is “made happen” for the sake of “content”.’;

‘Let’s not try to change the subject when things get personal. What he’s talking about is much bigger than any joke or quick laugh. ‘I love this show, but you have to let people go deep when they want to, because the number of people it will help in the world is far more important than the entertainment.’;

‘maybe next time let’s validate someone when they choose to be vulnerable… especially when men choose to be vulnerable.’;

‘Just a dash of toxic positivity to keep the mood right’; ‘I thought I could never hate Benny, but it was so hard.’;

‘Pffs. Deaf voice. Some people really have no idea how difficult picking up is to handle. And moments like these shouldn’t be ignored for the sake of a laugh or shock value. Addiction is a true epidemic in this country.’