George Brent

Born: March 15th, 1904 Dublin, Ireland
Died: May 26th, 1979 California, USA (age 75)
Cause of death: unstated
Real Name: George Brendan Nolan
Marriages: Five. One briefly to an unknown actress in 1922…no children. Second to actress Ruth Chatterton ended in divorce after 2 years...no children. Third to actress Constance Worth lasted less than a year and fourth to actress Ann Sheridan ended in divorce a year later. His last marriage to an artist lasted until his death and produced two daughters and a son.

Remarks: At 16, George was a dispatch carrier for IRA leader Michael Collins. When Collins was killed, the British put a price on his head so he left for the USA. Some experience with Dublin’s Abbey Players gave George the push he needed to get into show business.

Films (88) include “Dark Victory” (1939), “The Rains Came” (1939),“The Fighting 69th” (1940), “In This Our Life” (1942) and “The Spiral Staircase” (1946).

Maureen O’Sullivan

Born: May 17th, 1911 County Roscommon, Ireland
Died: June 23rd, 1998 Arizona (age 87)
Cause of death: heart attack
Real name: Maureen Paula O’Sullivan
Marriages: Two. The first to writer/director John Farrow lasted 27 years until his death in 1963 and produced seven children including actress daughter Mia Farrow. The second to James Cushing lasted for 15 years until her death. There were no children.

Remarks: She began her career as a school girl when she tested and won a part in a Frank Borzage movie “Song O’ My Heart” filming in Dublin in 1930. Then, in 1932, she made her first film as Jane to Johnny Weissmuller’s Tarzan. After the 1940’s she made few films choosing to devote her time to her growing family.

Films (65) including “A Connecticut Yankee”(1931), “Tugboat Annie”(1933), “The Barretts of Wimpole Street” (1934), “Pride And Prejudice” (1940) and “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986).

Barry Fitzgerald

Born: March 10th, 1888 Dublin, Ireland
Died: January 14th, 1961 Dublin, Ireland (age 72)
Cause of Death: Not listed
Real Name: William Joseph Shields
Marriages: None listed

Remarks: A veteran of Dublin’s Abbey Players, he came with them to the USA in the 1920’s. He was lured to Hollywood from Broadway by director John Ford to reprise his stage role in Ford’s movie “The Plough And The Stars” (1936). Barry was the only actor ever nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for the same role (he won the latter) as Father Fitzgibbon in “ Going My Way”. While he played many Irish Catholic priests, he was a Protestant and Irish nationalist. His brother is actor Arthur Shields.

Films (44) including “Bringing Up Baby” (1938), “The Sea Wolf’ (1941),“How Green Was My Valley” (1941), “Two Years Before the Mast” (1946) and “The Quiet Man” (1952).

Born: August 21st, 1900 Belfast, Ireland
Died: July 29th, 1973 California (age 72)
Cause of Death: Cancer
Real Name: Eileen Percy
Marriages: Two. The first to Ulrich B. Bush produced one child. The second to songwriter Harry Ruby produced no children.

Remarks: Raised in Brooklyn, she began acting at the age of 11 in Broadway shows. She became a Ziegfeld girl and later climbed to stardom as Douglas Fairbanks’ leading lady in four successive hit films. Eileen’s career flourished in silents but her voice didn’t translate well to sound and her career ended abruptly. Her sister was actress Thelma Percy.

Films (67) included “Down To Earth” (1917), “Maid of the West” (1921),“Backstage” (1927), and “Wicked” (1931).

J. Carrol Naish

Born: January 21st, 1897 New York City
Died: January 24th, 1973 (age 76)
Cause of death: emphysema
Marriages: One to Gladys Heaney that produced a daughter.

Remarks: Even though Naish’s Irish heritage stems from a great-grandfather who was one of Ireland’s Lord Chancellors, he was never cast as an Irishman. He was a master of dialects and became one of the most sought after character actors in Hollywood.

Films (186) included “Good Intentions” (1930), “The Lives of A Bengal Lancer” (1935), “Beau Geste” (1939), “Humoresque” (1946), “Annie, Get Your Gun” (1950), and “Beneath the 12-Mile Reef” (1953).

Born: October 15th, 1879 Dublin, Ireland (according to SSDI records)
Died: September 13th, 1950 California (age 69)
Cause of death: Heart attack
Real name: Sara Allgood
Marriages: One to Gerald Henson that lasted two years until his death. They had one daughter who died of influenza in 1917.

Remarks: Sara made her stage debut with Dublin’s Abbey Players and her film debut in “Just Peggy” (1918). But the highlight of her career was the role of Mrs. Morgan in “How Green was My Valley” for which she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress award. Sara became an American citizen in 1945.

Films (52) included “The World, the Flesh and the Devil” (1932), “That Hamilton Woman” (1941), “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1941), “The Keys of the Kingdom” (1944) and “Challenge to Lassie” (1949).

Michael O’Shea

Born: St. Patrick’s Day, 1906 Hartford, Connecticut
Died: December 4th, 1973 Texas (age 67)
Cause of death: sudden heart attack
Real name: Edward Francis Michael O’Shea
Marriages: Two. The first to Grace Watts ended in divorce in 1947 but produced two children. The second to actress Virginia Mayo lasted 26 years until his death and produced one daughter.

Remarks: In Irish-American families, there are either cops or priests. Michael’s five brothers were all cops. But Michael wanted to be in show business. Vaudeville got him first where he entertained in a comedy act. In Hollywood, his first two pictures were his best…”Lady of Burlesque” (1943) with Barbara Stanwyck and “Jack London” (1944) with Virginia Mayo. Ironically, when he retired after a short career, O’Shea became a law officer with the Ventura County Sheriff’s office.

Films (21) included “Something for the Boys” (1944), “Parole, Inc.” 1948), “The Underworld Story” (1950) and “It Should Happen to You” (1954).

Born: May 24th, 1923 Belfast, Ireland
Died: November 16th, 1986 Dublin, Ireland (age 63)
Cause of death: complications after lung cancer surgery
Real name: Siobhan Giollamhuire MacCionaith
Marriages: One to Denis O’Dea from 1956 until his death in 1978. They had one son.

Remarks: She once planned to be a nun but her French teacher recommended her to Dublin’s Abbey Theatre. Her name is pronounced “Shi-vaun” and by the 1950’s she was known more for her appearances on Hallmark Hall of Fame than for her films. In 1959, Siobhan actually turned down the lead in a Broadway play because her dog was dying and needed her.

Films (10) included “Hungry Hill” (1947), “The Lost People” (1949), “King of Kings” (1961) and “Dr. Zhivago” (1965).

Francis L. Sullivan

Born: January 6th, 1903 London, England (to Irish parents)
Died: November 19th, 1956 New York (age 53)
Cause of death: emphysema
Real Name: Francis Loftus Sullivan
Marriages: none listed

Remarks: This portly Shakespearean actor filled every scene he played. He began his career in England but came to the USA to do “Great Expectations” and the role of Jaggers once in 1934 and again 12 years later. He appeared on live television with the “Ford Theater Hour”, Suspense” and many other live productions.

Films (64) included “ When London Sleeps” (1932), “The Citadel” (1938), “Caesar and Cleopatra” (1945), “Joan of Arc” (1948) and “My Favorite Spy” (1951).

Una O’Connor

Born: October 23rd, 1880 Belfast, Ireland
Died: February 4th, 1959 New York (age 78)
Cause of death: heart ailment
Real name: Agnes Teresa McGlade
Marriages: None noted.

Remarks: Another veteran of Dublin’s Abbey Players, Una came to Hollywood to reprise her London role in Noel Coward’s “Cavalcade” for Fox Films in 1924. One of her best roles was that of the waspish housekeeper in “Witness for the Prosecution” (1957). It was her last picture.

Films (66) included “The Barretts of Wimpole Street” (1934), “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935), “Rose Marie” (1936), “The Sea Hawk” (1940), “The Bells of St. Mary” (1945) and “The Corpse Came C.O.D” (1947).

Born: January 12th, 1910 Brooklyn, New York
Died: September 24th, 1981 California (age 71)
Cause of death: cancer
Real name: Bridget Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly
Marriages: None

Remarks: Patsy was never given star billing, or ever put on the cover of a fan magazine but she had more fans than many of the big stars of her time. She came to Hollywood to replace Zazu Pitts in a popular series of two-reel comedies co-starring Thelma Todd. Thelma died under mysterious circumstances in 1935 and the series died a slow death. But Patsy kept working in comedy roles. She won a Tony for her performance in the 1971 Broadway revival of “No. No. Nanette” with Ruby Keeler.

Films (66) included “Going Hollywood” (1933), “Every Night At Eight” (1935), “Private Number” (1936), “The Cowboy and the Lady” (1938), “Please Don’t Eat The Daisies” (1960) and “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968).

Born: August 2nd, 1924 New York
Died: June 21st, 2001 California (age 76)
Cause of death: Heart attack/diabetes
Real Name: Carroll O’Connor
Marriages: One to Nancy Fields from 1951 until his death. Their adopted son, actor Hugh O’Connor, unable to beat a drug habit, committed suicide in 1995.

Remarks: After 4 years in the Merchant Marines and 4 years at the University of Montana as an English major, Carroll, with his new wife Gladys, moved to Ireland to study theater. He returned 1954 first to Broadway and then later to films. But it was on television that Carroll became a success.

Films (24) included “Parrish” (1961), “Lad: A Dog” (1962), ‘Cleopatra” (1963), “Hawaii” (1966), “Kelly’s Heroes” (1970) and “Return To Me” (2000).