The much-loved actor passed away on Thursday.
Pat Laffan, star of The Snapper, Father Ted and much more died earlier this week, and ever since then the outpouring of love for the actor and his iconic characters has been almost non-stop.
One of the many people who added to the chorus was Roddy Doyle, writer of The Snapper as well as the screenwriter of the big screen adaptation, creator of one of Laffan’s most memorable roles, Georgie Burgess.
In one of Doyle’s now-infamous “conversations”, the topic of Laffan’s passing comes up, and in typical Dublin fashion, he is remembered fondly and uniquely by the author’s characters:
Here is his Facebook post in full:
-See Georgie Burgess died.
-Pat Laffin.
-That’s him – Georgie.
-He was brilliant in The Snapper, wasn’t he?
-Brilliant – yeah. ‘Are yeh alrigh’, Sharon?’
-The head on him. ‘Did yeh not see me at the vegetables?’
-It must be hard, though, sometimes. For actors, like.
-Why?
-They become known as the character they play in the fillum or the television thing. I’d say even their fuckin’ families forgot who they really are.
-Pitfall of the job, I’d say. Or a blessin’.
-He was Pat Mustard as well – in Father Ted.
-Well, there yeh go. It’s like he played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
-‘I’m a very careful man, Father.’ My gang are devastated – at home. They all grew up with Georgie Burgess an’ Pat Mustard. Even the ones tha’ weren’t born when they came ou’. They’re goin’ around quotin’ all the lines.
-Same with us. Come here – we’ve one o’ the grandkids stayin’ the nigh’. He’s only four – a lovely kid, he’s fuckin’ gas. We’re all sittin’ around the table – havin’’the dinner, like. An’ he finishes his last chip an’ he gets up. ‘Now to ride Mrs O’Reilly,’ he says an’ he walks out into the hall.
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