Ardal O'Hanlon

Acting

Ardal O'Hanlon

Born 1965-10-08 · Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, Ireland

Ardal O'Hanlon was born in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, Ireland. He is an actor and writer, known for Father Ted (1995), My Hero (2000) and Val Falvey TD (2009). He is married to Melanie. They have three children.

Acting credits

British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves poster
5.7

Documentary celebrating the British sitcom and taking a look at the social and political context from which our favourite sitcoms grew. We enjoy a trip through the comedy archive in the company of the people who made some of the very best British sitcoms. From The Likely Lads to I'm Alan Partridge, we find out the inspiration behind some of the most-loved characters and how they reflect the times they were living in.

British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves

2016

Handsome Devil poster
7.0

A music-mad 16-year-old outcast at a rugby-mad boarding school forms an unlikely friendship with his dashing new roommate.

Handsome Devil

2017

My Freaky Family poster
7.0

On the cusp of her 13th birthday, Betty Flood – budding musician and magical being – just wants to be like the rest of her fabulous, but very different family, so why is her magical Mum so against it? As Betty wrestles with this, she also learns the amazing truth about her family and discovers that the not so normal, the magical and the musical are all a part of her fabulously freaky family. It's very freaky, so be freaked freaky ahh deaky peaky neaky seaky peaky poo.

My Freaky Family

2024

Fran the Man poster
5.8

When non-league St Peter's Celtic are drawn to play titans Shamrock Rovers in the first round of the FAI Cup, assistant manager Fran Costello hopes his team will pull off one of the greatest shocks in football history. But it isn't long before the shit really hits the Fran…

Fran the Man

2025

The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby poster
5.7

This is the true story of a little dog that refused to leave his master's graveside in Edinburgh. The dog visited the grave for years.

The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby

2005

The Butcher Boy poster
6.8

Francie and Joe live the usual playful, fantasy filled childhoods of normal boys. However, with a violent, alcoholic father and a manic depressive, suicidal mother the pressure on Francie to grow up are immense. When Francie's world turns to madness, he tries to counter it with further insanity, with dire consequences.

The Butcher Boy

1998

The Ghastly Ghoul poster
8.0

Every year, the monsters from Halloween Town come to Earth to trick or treat for one glorious night of mischief before the gateway back to their world closes again. The Ghastly Ghoul is the story of Gary, a cute little monster who doesn’t believe he’s scary enough and so disguises himself as the Ghastly Ghoul. When he misses the gateway back home, he is trapped in the human world. He forms a friendship with a young girl, Beatrix, who is struggling with her own fears around the macabre holiday and together they help inspire a sense of self-belief in one another and try to find a way to get Gary home again on a Halloween night filled with magic and adventure.

The Ghastly Ghoul

2023

Small, Far Away: The World of Father Ted poster
8.0

On the 15th anniversary of its launch, this documentary follows Father Ted creators Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews on a return trip to Craggy Island to take in its location and discuss how the series was made with cast and crew.

Small, Far Away: The World of Father Ted

2011

Tales of the Riverbank poster
4.6

Tales of the Riverbank tells the story of three friends - Hammy Hamster, Roderick Rat and GP the Guinea Pig - who, having swept down the river in a violent storm, embark on an epic journey in search of their lost homes. Their journey, full of comic incident and dramatic danger, becomes even more precarious when they discover that the whole riverbank is threatened by a waffle, Marmalade and Doughnut (WMD) factory which, owned by the evil Fat Cats, is polluting the countryside with increasingly dangerous emissions...the Big Dirt!

Tales of the Riverbank

2008

Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind poster
5.1

Robbie and Donner's wedding is interrupted when Donner is kidnapped by aliens. Robbie saves the day again though with the help of his friends and an alien crystal.

Robbie the Reindeer in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind

2007

Blackadder: A Cunning Story poster
7.7

A look back at the making of the entire Blackadder series to commemorate its 40th anniversary, featuring contributions from Blackadder's biggest fans including Jack Whitehall, Darren Harriott, Sarah Hadland, Ardal O'Hanlon and Nina Wadia.

Blackadder: A Cunning Story

2023

Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe poster
5.5

Follow Robbie as he sets out to discover a mythical tribe of lost Viking warriors to help him save his friends from another dastardly plot by the evil Blitzen and his new-found partner-in-crime The White Rabbit. Robbie is having girl trouble too - Donner is feeling neglected and decides to give Robbie an ultimatum. Can Robbie save the day, keep his girl and unravel the mystery of the Legend of the Lost Tribe?

Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe

2002

No artwork available
6.5

Movie with some of the greatest brittish comedians such as Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese.

The Funny Blokes of British Comedy

2005

Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire poster
6.1

Robbie the Reindeer arrives at the North Pole, ready to take his place as navigator on Santa's Christmas sleigh team. However, Robbie is soon plagued by doubt regarding his ability, and sets out to regain his self-respect and the admiration of his team-mates.

Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire

1999

You'll Never Believe Who's Dead poster
NR

As the Cosgrove family gather for a traditional Irish Christmas, and their financial problems come to the fore, a solution presents itself in the form of a robbery of local reclusive farmer Charlie Bann. But the Cosgrove’s have bitten off more than they can chew, as Charlie Bann is not who he seems to be…

You'll Never Believe Who's Dead

2026

Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll poster
7.0

Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll, is a 12 minute spoof of a 1950s black and white science fiction B-movie. It was first released in 1997 and starred Ardal O'Hanlon. It was written by Mik Duffy and its director Enda Hughes. The title is taken from the 1957 Rockabilly novelty hit record "Flyin' Saucers Rock 'n' Roll" by Billy Lee Riley and His Little Green Men. O'Hanlan's "rendition" of the song, is performed by producer Michael Hughes.

Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll

1997

Stop! You're Killing Me poster
5.0

Amnesty International (Ireland) presents "Stop! You're Killing Me" which features the very best of Irish comedy performed in support of Human Rights. Recorded live at Dublin's Vicar Street Comedy Club in November 2004, the stellar line up of Irish comedians includes acts from Tommy Tiernan (Supertramp), Dylan Moran (Black Books), Ardal O'Hanlon (Father Ted), Dara O'Briain (The Live Floor Show) and performances from other well known Irish comedians such as Eddie Bannon, Des Bishop, Jason Byrne and Mark Geary. Available for the first time on DVD, this is a quick fire show from a new generation of Irish comics and is your chance to laugh and support a great cause at the same time!

Stop! You're Killing Me

2004

No artwork available
6.5

Shot live at the one off Comic Aid benefit gig at London’s Carling Apollo – which sold out in just three and a half minutes of tickets being put on sale – the DVD features the entire uncut show for all those unfortunate enough to have missed out on tickets. The 3 hour show sees Jonathan Ross, Jack Dee, Graham Norton, Julian Clary, and Lily Savage host a stellar comic line-up that includes; Lee Evans, Dawn French, Jimmy Carr, Ardal O’Hanlon, Johnny Vegas, Bill Bailey, Bo’ Selecta! star The Bear, Jo Brand, Jon Culshaw, Omid Djalili, Otis Lee Crenshaw, Eddie Izzard, The League Of Gentlemen with Miranda Richardson, Alistair McGowan, Dylan Moran, Dave Spikey, Simon Pegg & Jessica Stevenson. Psychological illusionist Derren Brown and international percussion sensation Stomp also present their own unique blend of stage entertainment.

Comic Aid

2005

No artwork available
3.5

Have you ever had a best friend you couldn't stand? Myles has one - Austin - only he's too much of a slacker to do anything about it. In fact, each one of these layabouts is as useless as the other: a pair of thirty-somethings who laze around watching their lives flutter past. Fate, however, has plans to remedy their lack of motivation. Up to their necks in debt, they decide to help a dodgy entrepreneur, Gerard, to create a new landmark in Irish tourism: a Famine Theme Park.

Wide Open Spaces

2009

The Geneva Window: Through a Glass Darkly poster
NR

The mystery of the Geneva Window: a masterpiece of Irish art commissioned by the Irish Government but ultimately rejected, abandoned and hidden away for fear of scandalising the nation.

The Geneva Window: Through a Glass Darkly

2024

No artwork available
NR

Actor Ardal O'Hanlon (Father Ted) explores some of the most important archaeological finds in Ireland's history, revealing how many have been used as an important tool for nation-building on both sides of the border. Speaking to world-renowned experts, he unravels a forgotten time period, when a team of Americans from Harvard University, a Nazi archaeologist from Austria, and a Welsh geography professor dug up ancient sites across the country. Their pioneering work answered questions about the Celts, and what it means to be Irish.

Nazis, Treasures, and the Quest For Celts

2022

Twice Shy poster
2.0

Andy and Maggie, a young Irish couple, travel to England as the result of an unplanned pregnancy, where Maggie will face the biggest decision of her life.

Twice Shy

2016

Dermot Morgan: Fearless Funnyman poster
NR

A selection of Dermot Morgan's family, friends, colleagues and admirers, including Pat Shortt, Oliver Callan and Pauline Mc Lynn, look back on the life of the comedian, writer, satirist and actor whose savage wit belied a caring nature and reflect on his place in the annals of comedy greats.

Dermot Morgan: Fearless Funnyman

2013

Ardal O'Hanlon: Tomb Raider poster
7.5

Ardal O’Hanlon explores a 1930s quest to find the first Irish men and women using archaeology, answering his deepest questions about what it means to be Irish.

Ardal O'Hanlon: Tomb Raider

2022