[caption id="attachment_69823" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Actor David Kelly dead at 82. "]
Tributes have been pouring in for David Kelly, one of Ireland's most esteemed actors, who died in Dublin following a short illness.
The 82-year-old acting veteran, whose career spanned six decades, was one of the country's most recognizable faces on both stage and screen,
His talent was for years evident to audiences of television drama and Hollywood blockbusters alike.
In Ireland, it was Kelly's portrayal of the character "Rashers" Tierney in RTE's 1980s hit "Strumpet City," which made him a household name, but in later years his biggest role was as Grandpa Joe in the Tim Burton adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
Playing the role of an Irish building contractor, "Mr. O'Reilly" in the classic British sitcom "Fawlty Towers" also
propelled Kelly to international recognition, and was the culmination of years spent playing Irish roles in British TV comedy shows.
On stage, Kelly was best known for his performance in the title role in Samuel Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape."
Director of Dublin's Gate Theatre, Michael Colgan praised Kelly's acting range, especially his gift for comedy which even saw him gamely riding a motorcycle naked for a memorable scene in 1998's "Waking Ned Devine."
"David was one of the funniest people I have ever met. He was an extraordinary versatile talent, a terribly brilliant man. I loved his company, besides being a very moving actor, he had great comic timing," said Colgan.
Along with winning an ESB Theatre Award for his contribution to stagecraft, Kelly scooped the Irish Film and Television Award's Lifetime Achievement accolade in 2005.
He had vowed to keep acting until the end of his days. On being asked if he had any retirement plans in his mid-70s, he told a reporter: "Oh God no...I will continue hanging onto the script until they prise it from my cold, dead hands."
Kelly is survived by wife Laurie, and children David and Miriam.
