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 SMALL SCREENINTRODUCED BY MARK O’HALLORAN, THIS IS A SELECTION OF TOM’S TELEVISION WORK, BEGINNING WITH A SHORT COLLECTION OF TELEVISION CAREER HIGHLIGHTS COMPILED BY LENNY ABRAHAMSON. This will be followed by The Lost Hour (1982), adapted by Carlo Gebler from John McGahern’s novel, The Leavetaking. Tom, at 13, stars opposite Donal McCann in this beautifully evocative study of a child coping with the loss of his mother and his relationship with his harsh and distant father. This programe will end with an episode of Eugene O’Brien’s landmark TV series, Pure Mule (2005), for which Tom won his IFTA award as the sexually repressed Seamie.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