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Classy Caffrey bows out with Dublin burial
By Tom Fitzpatrick
 Irish
actor Peter Caffrey took his final bow in Dublin this week after passing
away at his sister’s Shrewsbury home following a lengthy battle
with cancer.
The Dubliner’s funeral took place in his home town of Terenure on
Tuesday.
His sister Carol said he was an inspiration throughout his ordeal: “He
was just a fantastic person.
“The most extraordinary thing about him was he never ever complained.
“People would ask him: ‘How are ya Pete?’ and he’d
always say the same thing: ‘Ah smashing’.”
The veteran actor got his breakthrough in 1978 when he starred alongside
Gabriel Byrne in On A Paving Stone Mounted.
Having grown up in Terenure on the Southside of Co. Dublin, Caffrey moved
to England in 1983 and established himself with parts in The Bill, Casualty
and Peak Practice.
It was his role as Padraig Kelly in Ballykissangel that propelled him
to stardom, though his sister Carol says it didn’t change his attitude.
She said: “It made no difference to Peter who you were, he treated
everyone the exact same way.
“He had time for everyone, had no notions about himself and just
loved interacting with different people.
“Everyone felt more alive around him.
“He was great to have as a big brother because of his extroverted
personality.”
Caffrey was diagnosed with cancer of the mouth in 1992 and was initially
told his tongue would be removed.
When he eventually learned that radiation was an alternative he reacted
in a strange manner.
Carol said: “He was performing in the National Theatre at the time
he learned about the radiation and he was dancing about the place he was
so happy — people thought he was completely mad.”
After making a full recovery in London’s Royal Marsden Hospital,
the Irishman went back to work, starring in Ballykissangel and films such
as A Love Divided and I Went Down.
In 2000 Caffrey suffered a major stroke as a result of an operation, an
ordeal from which he was not expected to survive.
But despite being partially paralysed and having to learn to read and
write again, Caffrey retained his sense of optimism and bravery.
Carol said: “He would introduce himself to people by saying: ‘I’m
Peter… severe stroke… slowly improving’ and always maintained
a positive attitude.
“When our sister was diagnosed with cancer he was always encouraging
her to maintain a positive attitude and was a great source of support.”
The determined actor even went back to work following his stroke when
he was cast in the independent film Sweet Dancer.
But following the death of his brother David in July 2007, the Irishman
started to regress.
“During the summer he just seemed to go downhill and he’d
had enough of hospitals so he came to stay with me,” Carol said.
“The night he died I played some of his favourite music to him and
read him some poems and suddenly he took one last breath and he was gone.
“It was so peaceful. He was a class act.”
Peter Caffrey is survived by his sisters Carol, Linda and Sheila. |
