Tom Murphy was one of the greatest actors of his generation. Equally comfortable on screen and stage, his talent and integrity saw him produce some extraordinary work in the short time we had him with us. It is hard to pinpoint exactly where Tom’s strengths as an actor lay. He was never one to let apparent lack of technique, aversion to props or inability to hit a mark stand in his way; instead, he used them to his advantage. His was not acting by rote but rather a sort of hypnosis he worked on us. He was able to deliver even the most tired old gags to an audience and surprise them with it each time. Probably because he was surprised himself. He lulled us with the most left field of deliveries and hit us with the punchline when we’d forgotten it was coming. In his comic roles, he was a riot. He was, however, the most beautiful of straight actors also. He had empathy, intelligence and just the right amount of madness. His performances were not in the least egotistical but rather masterclasses in understanding, intuition and truth. Tom passed away on the 6th October 2007 after a short illness. And so today, on his birthday, we present a small sample of Tom’s outstanding screen and television work as a celebration of his talent and as a reminder of all that we have lost. – Mark O’HalloranTOM MURPHY ON THE BIG SCREENTHE SECOND PROGRAMME WILL BEGIN WITH A SPECIALLY CUT OVERVIEW OF TOM’S FILM CAREER, FOLLOWED BY A SCREENING OF ADAM & PAUL (2004). The role of Paul is arguably Tom’s finest achievement on screen and one of the greatest performances ever seen in an Irish film. A performance that is both deeply funny and hugely sad, it marked him out as a truly outstanding world talent. PLEASE NOTE: there will be a reception for all ticket-holders at 8.00pm in the IFI.The staff and board of the Irish Film Institute were greatly saddened by the news of Tom Murphy’s untimely passing. We are pleased to celebrate his career through these films and television programmes from the Irish Film Archive. TICKETS €11TICKETS COVERING BOTH PROGRAMMES €20 AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE BOX OFFICE ON (01) 679 3477ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS EVENT WILL GO TOWARDS IRISH CANCER RESEARCH.MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED – DAILY MEMBERSHIP AVAILABLE