Joseph Tomelty | |
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| Born | (1911-03-05)5 March 1911 Portaferry,County Down, Ireland |
| Died | 7 June 1995(1995-06-07) (aged 84) Belfast, Northern Ireland |
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| Years active | 1947–1964 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, includingFrances Tomelty |
| Family | Joe Sumner (grandson) |
Joseph “Joe” Tomelty (5 March 1911 – 7 June 1995)[1] was an Irish actor, playwright, novelist, short-story writer and theatre manager. He worked in film, television, radio and on the stage,[2] starring inSam Thompson's 1960 playOver the Bridge.
Born inPortaferry in 1911, he was the son of James Tomelty, a skilled fiddler who was nicknamed "Rollicking"; and the brother of Peter Tomelty, atenor and recording artist.[1] Tomelty's exposure to music at a young age influenced his work as a playwright, with several of his stage works being named after songs, includingThe Singing Bird (1948),Down the Heather Glen (1953) andThe Drunken Sailor (1954).[1]
Tomelty was a co-founder, in 1940, of the Group Theatre in Belfast, and served as its general manager until 1951.[3]
He married Lena Milligan in 1942.[4]They had two daughters together:Frances Tomelty is an actress and the first wife of singer and musicianSting; while Roma Tomelty (d. 22 April 2020) was also an actress.[2]
Tomelty's family-based radio sitcomThe McCooeys was first broadcast on theBBC Home Service in Northern Ireland on 14 May 1949, becoming the region's most listened-to programme over the next six years. Centre Stage Theatre Company, co-founded by his daughter Roma and her husband Colin Carnegie, revived four of the episodes in a stage version, directed by Michael Quinn and performed in the refurbishedGrand Opera House Studio Theatre in February 2022.
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