Siobhán McKenna

Siobhán McKenna

Infobox actor
name = Siobhán McKenna


imagesize = 200px
caption = Siobhán McKenna in her early acting days
birthname = Siobhán Giollamhuire Nic Cionnaith
birthdate = May 24 1923
birthplace = Belfast, Northern Ireland
deathdate = November 16, 1986 (age 63)
deathplace = Dublin, Ireland
othername =
spouse = Denis O'Dea (1956-1978)
baftaawards =
academyawards =
goldenglobeawards =
awards =

Siobhán McKenna (May 24, 1923 - November 16, 1986), was an Irish stage and screen actress.

Born Siobhán Giollamhuire Nic Cionnaith in Belfast, Northern Ireland, she grew up in Galway City and in County Monaghan, Ireland speaking fluent Irish. She was still in her teens when she became a member of an amateur Gaelic theatre group and made her stage debut at Galway's Gaelic Theatre in 1940. She is also remembered for her English-language performances at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin where she would eventually star in what many consider her finest role in the George Bernard Shaw play, "Saint Joan".

While performing at the Abbey Theatre she met actor Denis O'Dea, whom she married in 1956 and they had one child, a son: Donnacha O'Dea, who swam for Ireland at the 1968 Summer Olympics and later won a World Series of Poker bracelet in 1998.

In 1947 she debuted on the London stage and on Broadway in 1955 in "The Chalk Garden" for which she would receive a Tony Award nomination for "Best Actress in a Leading Role, Drama." In 1956, she appeared in the Cambridge Drama Festival production of "Saint Joan" at the Off-Broadway Phoenix Theatre. Theatre critic Elliot Norton called her performance the finest portrayal of Joan in memory. Siobhán McKenna's popularity earned her the cover of "Life" magazine. She received a second Tony Best Actress nomination for her role in the 1958 play, "The Rope Dancers" in which she starred with Art Carney and Joan Blondell.

Although primarily a stage actress, McKenna appeared in a number of made-for-television films and dramas plus acted in several motion pictures including 1961's "King of Kings", starring in the role of the Virgin Mary. In 1964 she performed in "Of Human Bondage" and the following year in "Doctor Zhivago".

McKenna was awarded the Gold Medal of the Éire Society of Boston, Massachusetts for having "significantly fulfilled the ideals of the Éire Society, in particular, spreading awareness of the cultural achievements of the Irish people."

Siobhán McKenna's final stage appearance came in the 1985 play "Bailegangaire" for the Druid Theatre Company. Suffering from lung cancer, despite surgery, she died the following year in Dublin, Ireland aged 63, and was interred in the Rahoon Cemetery in County Galway. The inscription on her tomb is written in Irish.

ee also

* List of people on stamps of Ireland

External links

*


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  • Siobhan McKenna — Siobhán McKenna (eigentlich: Siobhán Giollamhuire Nic Cionnaith; * 24. Mai 1923 in Belfast, Nordirland; † 16. November 1986 in Dublin, Irland) war eine irische Film und Theaterschauspielerin. Biografie McKenna wuchs in einer typischen irischen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Siobhán McKenna — (eigentlich: Siobhán Giollamhuire Nic Cionnaith; * 24. Mai 1923 in Belfast, Nordirland; † 16. November 1986 in Dublin, Irland) war eine irische Film und Theaterschauspielerin. Biografie McKenna wuchs in einer typischen irischen Familie auf, in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Siobhan McKenna — Siobhán Nic Cionnaith Siobhán Nic Cionnaith, connue aussi comme Siobhán McKenna ou Sioban McKenna était une actrice du thêatre et du cinéma irlandaise. Elle est née à Belfast le 24 mai 1923 et est morte à Dublin le 16 novembre 1986. Elle a grandi …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Siobhan — Siobhán [ʃəˈvɔːn] ist ein weiblicher irischer Vorname. Er ist ursprünglich abgeleitet aus dem Hebräischen und bedeutet „Gott ist gnädig“. Alternative Schreibweisen von Siobhán sind Siavon, Siobhan, Siobhain, Siobhann, Siobhon, Siovhan, Shivaune,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Siobhán — is a female Irish given name pronounced shi VAWN (IPAEng|ʃəˈvɔːn). It is ultimately derived from Hebrew words which meant God is gracious . Alternative spellings of Siobhán include Siavon, Siobhan, Siobhain, Siobhann, Siobhon, Siovhan, Shivaune,… …   Wikipedia

  • McKenna — McKenna, also MacKenna, is the anglicized form of the Gaelic Irish surname Mac Cionaoith , also spelt Mac Cionaodha or Mac Cionnaith, meaning son of Cionaodh . The meaning of Cionaodh can be translated, Cion being an old Irish word for respect… …   Wikipedia

  • Siobhán — (irische Aussprache [ˈʃɪwaːn̪ˠ] oder [ʃəˈvˠaːn̪ˠ], englische Aussprache [ʃəˈvɔːn)] bzw. Siobhan ist ein weiblicher irischer Vorname. Er ist ursprünglich abgeleitet aus dem Hebräischen und bedeutet „Gott ist gnädig“. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Herkunft… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Siobhan Nic Cionnaith — Siobhán Nic Cionnaith Siobhán Nic Cionnaith, connue aussi comme Siobhán McKenna ou Sioban McKenna était une actrice du thêatre et du cinéma irlandaise. Elle est née à Belfast le 24 mai 1923 et est morte à Dublin le 16 novembre 1986. Elle a grandi …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Siobhán Nic Cionnaith — Siobhán Nic Cionnaith, connue aussi comme Siobhán McKenna ou Sioban McKenna était une actrice du thêatre et du cinéma irlandaise. Elle est née à Belfast le 24 mai 1923 et est morte à Dublin le 16 novembre 1986. Elle a grandi dans le Galway et le… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • McKenna — ist der Name eines irischen Clans, siehe McKenna (Clan), und der Familienname folgender Personen: James Andrew Joseph McKenna (1862–1919), kanadischer Politiker Barney McKenna (* 1939), irischer Musiker Dave McKenna (* 1930), US amerikanischer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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