Tributes to comedian Jon Kenny who starred in Father Ted

The taoiseach has paid tribute to the Irish writer, comedian and histrion Jon Kenny pursuing his death.

He was champion known for his enactment other Pat Shortt successful the drama duo D'Unbelievables.

The 66-year-old had been receiving attraction for crab and bosom failure.

The County Limerick-born prima besides had galore surface credits to his sanction including Father Ted, The Van, Les Misérables (1998), Angela's Ashes, and The Banshees of Inisherin, successful which helium reunited with Pat Shortt.

Taoiseach (Irish premier minister) Simon Harris said helium learnt of Jon's decease with "utmost sadness" and said helium had the "ability, that precise fewer radical possess, to marque his audiences ace up laughing with a glimpse oregon a azygous word".

"Behind that seemingly effortless endowment to joke, determination was a talented performer and an highly heavy thinker," Harris said successful a statement.

"Jon was an absorbing and thoughtful person, helium had immoderate stunning melodramatic performances connected signifier and connected surface and the state is inactive successful stitches from the magic that was D'Unbelievables."

Kenny was besides an acclaimed singer, poet, and solo stand-up performer.

In a tribute, Tánaiste (deputy premier minister) Micheál Martin described Kenny arsenic "one of our astir iconic actors and comedians".

"Deeply saddened astatine the passing of Jon Kenny," Mr Martin said successful a statement.

"Through the D'Unbelievables, and his appearances connected signifier & connected screen, Jon made america smile. He was an entertainer to his core."

Jon, on with his drama soulmate Pat Shortt, formed D'Unbelievables successful the precocious 1980s successful Limerick.

Their sketches featured day-to-day beingness successful the Republic of Ireland.

Perhaps their astir memorable featured the brace arsenic 2 bumbling Garda (Irish police) officers appealing for the public's assistance connected Crimebusters.

Pat played Garda Tom Walsh and Jon played Garda PJ Moloney.

The histrion besides had a memorable cameo arsenic a blustering tv big successful the Eurovision occurrence of Channel 4′s Father Ted, which introduced him to an planetary audience.

Jon was diagnosed successful his 40s with Non-Hodgkin's Disease successful 2000, which brought to an extremity the duo's clip unneurotic successful the D'Unbelievables.

Speaking connected The Oliver Callan Show connected RTÉ Radio 1 successful April, helium said the diagnosis had near him with nary prime but to "not bash anything".

"Over the abstraction of 2 years I was connected antithetic forms of treatment," helium said.

"That went connected for 2 years, and I got a stem compartment transplant, acknowledgment beryllium to God, successful James's (hospital), and they sorted maine out, and I motored connected for different while."

However, helium told Oliver Callan that his crab had returned.

"I had it determination again; it came backmost again astir 3 years ago, 4 years ago," helium said.

"So I had immoderate cognition to region immoderate of my near lung, and that was bully - bully luck to that.

"I've been fortunate present due to the fact that my chemo is working, truthful I've been grand, you know?

"But conscionable successful the mediate of it all, conscionable for the craic of it - you cognize erstwhile you're getting connected with things? - and aft I had my 2nd chemo, I had bosom failure.

"Throw that successful the mix, like. A bully small cocktail of things determination to beryllium getting connected with."

As good arsenic his vocation connected tv and successful films, Jon besides was highly regarded arsenic a signifier actor.

He appeared successful John B Keane's The Matchmaker, Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer astatine The Abbey Theatre, and Katie Holly's acheronian drama Crowman, a one-man amusement successful which helium portrayed 10 characters.