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Statement from President Michael D. Higgins and Sabina Higgins on the death of Tom Hickey

Date: Sat 1st May, 2021 | 22:28

“It is with great sadness that Sabina and I learned of the death of Tom Hickey, one of the greatest actors of his generation, giving over six decades to his profession. He leaves an indelible imprint on Irish theatre.

Having trained with Deirdre O’Connell at the Stanislavski Studio while working as a cameraman at RTÉ, Tom Hickey became one of the founding members of the innovative Dublin Focus Theatre, playing in a number of ground-breaking productions, including Miss Julie, Antigone, Uncle Vanya and The Night of the Iguana.

He made memorable contributions as an actor to productions in the Project Arts Centre in Dublin, working in collaborations of original work with directors and playwrights including Tom MacIntyre, Patrick Mason, Tom Murphy, Marina Carr and Garry Hynes.

Besides starring in Ireland’s major theatres, Tom will also be remembered for his role as Benjy in The Riordans and his other roles in television, in theatres in the UK and in many films, including Breakfast on PlutoInside I’m Dancing, Neil Jordan’s The Butcher Boy and Raining Stones.

Among his colleagues in the acting community he was regarded as an artist of total commitment to performance, to his art and to his community.

He will be so missed. It was a privilege to know him as a friend.”