I’ve had my fun. That’s all that matters.
It’s very rare when a person conducting an interview gets told that they’re a ‘dirty fecker’ by the person they’re chatting with but hearing those two words made me happier than the laughing priest, Father Barty Dunne.
I absolutely adore Father Ted because to me, it’s a comedy that feels like it was touched by God himself.
There have been so many incredible priests to grace Craggy Island but Father Fintan Stack was the best supporting character in the show’s history.
We caught up with the man behind the collar, the supremely talented Brendan Grace, who conducted the following interview as his most famous character. The great man said it best himself.
JOE: The last time we heard of Father Fintan Stack, he was in St Clabberts. What have you been doing with yourself?
If you ever ask me a question like that again, I’ll put your head through the wall. Well, I had the hairy hands thing which really got in my way because I’m now at stage 12 like Father Walton. Hairy fecker.
Don’t worry though because the jungle music is still blaring away although that really posh English lad – who thinks that ‘he really shouldn’t be here’ – is bugging me. I sorted him out though. I stapled his trousers to the desk, I’ve had my fun and that’s all that matters.
JOE: You’ve become an internet sensation Father after you made it into the Dail. What do you make of Irish politics and would Fintan Stack be welcome in Leinster House?
What I said in the Dail didn’t go down very well with Minister Noonan, I think it was also because I took his car and crashed it into a big wall.
JOE: We all know that you’re not a big fan of sports days. What do you make of Ireland’s draw with Scotland?
Shower of wankers. That’s the type of thing that the other priests would be watching. Sitting there, watching those lads running around in shorts. They’re probably trying to imagine what they look like without shorts. Dirty feckers.
JOE: I’m not sure if you saw this Father Stack, but JOE ranked you as the best priest to say Christmas Day mass. What do you think of that?
Ah that’s great but you should have asked for permission! You’re dead right also, with me at least you’ll get to hear some jungle music in mass and I let people drill holes in the wall.
At this moment, I had to stop interviewing Father Stack because he was about to put my head through a wall but it’s lucky that Brendan Grace is even more charming and funny.
Brendan on…
The character’s appeal
In all seriousness, thanks for putting me top of the list. Anywhere I go, people know me from Father Ted, especially young people and they all ask me to do the voice. It’s a strange thing when people ask you to call them a wanker or a fecker!
I always felt that if the wonderful Dermot hadn’t passed away and the show continued, then Father Stack might have made another appearance.
Graham and Arthur wrote some incredible dialogue – that never changed – but what I did bring to the character was the voice and that cockey attitude. Maybe my stand-up background contributed to the swagger of Fintan Stack.
The late David Kelly, who was Charlie’s dad in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was a very accomplished and talented actor who featured in so many things but he’s still best known for a small a small part on Fawlty Towers. Just like me with Father Ted.
… a serious note
I’m currently working with a charity ‘More Than Once a Night‘ to raise awareness of prostate cancer and specifically a benign prostate that in men, usually over the age of 60, can get enlarged and cause them to pee at least once a night.
I’m just trying to raise some awareness of a serious issue.
…on Father Ted’s legacy
I never got a chance to really express my sorrow publicly following Dermot’s passing but I’d love to make an appearance at next years TedFest in memory of Dermot because he was such a wonderful man.
I’d love to make a guest appearance as Father Fintan Stack in memory of him. Also, all these feckers are imitating me. I’m going to put their head through a wall.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
