Doreen Keogh

Doreen Sheila Elsie Keogh (10 April 1924 – 31 December 2017)[2] was an Irish actress of radio, stage, television and film, who was known for roles in numerous television serials and telefilms, but especially as Concepta Riley, the first barmaid at the Rovers Return Inn in the soap opera Coronation Street. Concepta, introduced as an original character in 1960, remained until 1964, with guest returns to the soap in 1967, 1972 and 1975.[2]

Doreen Keogh
Born
Doreen Sheila Elsie Keogh

(1924-04-10)10 April 1924
Dublin, Ireland
Died31 December 2017(2017-12-31) (aged 93)
OccupationActress
Years active1945–2007
Spouses
(m. 1956; div. 1963)
    Jack Jenner
    (m. 1976)

    Early life

    Keogh was born in Dublin, Ireland, to librarian John Keogh and Alice Mullany. She attended the Holy Faith Convent school, in Clontarf, Dublin, where she first started acting, in addition to being a member of the local amateur dramatics society.[2] Keogh left school at the age of 15 to train with the Abbey Theatre School, Dublin, before moving to London during World War II due to her father's job.[3] After moving to London, her first role was playing Christine Horan in The Man from Kilsheelan.[2]

    Career

    Keogh's first television role came in 1948 as Miss Fulton in the crime drama Death at Newtownstewart. She then appeared in a range of other roles, including The Whiteheaded Boy in 1951 and Emergency Ward 10 in 1960.

    Coronation Street

    Keogh took the role of Concepta Riley, an original character and the first barmaid of the Rovers Return Inn in Coronation Street, from 1960 (episode 5) until 1964, with return appearances in 1967, 1972 and 1975. The character was devised by Tony Warren, to provide some variation to the north-of-England accents that dominated among the original cast.[2]

    Riley married Harry Hewitt (Ivan Beavis), a widowed bus inspector, in 1961, and became a stepmother to his daughter, Lucille Hewitt (Jennifer Moss). Keogh was written out of the serial in 1964, when the character and her family returned to Ireland. The departure was part of a cull of more than half-a-dozen characters by Coronation Street's new producer, Tim Aspinall, which also included the death of Martha Longhurst (Lynne Carol).[2]

    Keogh made several brief returns to Coronation Street. In 1967, Concepta returned with her husband Harry for Elsie Tanner's (Pat Phoenix) wedding, a storyline that saw Harry crushed to death by Len Fairclough’s (Peter Adamson) van after a jack collapsed. Five years later, in 1972, Keogh made another return, with her character marrying Sean Regan (Tony Doyle). In 1975, Concepta admitted to Annie Walker (Doris Speed) that she knew Sean was unfaithful, but she loved him. In total, Keogh appeared in 320 episodes of Coronation Street.[2]

    It was during her first stint in the role that she fell for her on-screen husband, Ivan Beavis, and the couple began dating in the 1960s.[2][4]

    Later roles

    After leaving the soap in 1964, Keogh toured with fellow Coronation Street actors Ivan Beavis, Frank Pemberton, Ruth Holden and Lynne Carol in a farce, Coronation Street On The Road, written by Coronation Street writers Vince Powell and John Finch. However, the tour was a failure.[4]

    Keogh's later television roles included starring in Z-Cars in 1974, a 1985 comedy drama, Mary in Inside Out, appearing as Imelda Egan in the BBC Northern Ireland drama Ballykissangel from 1997 to 1999, and as Mary Carroll, the Royles' neighbour in the Granada Television comedy The Royle Family between 1998 and 2006. She also had recurring roles in Father Ted and Cold Feet. In Ireland, she became an original cast member of RTÉ's soap opera Fair City, playing Mary O'Hanlon from 1989 until 1995. Keogh also made a one-off appearance as Mrs Candour in Crossroads in 1969.[2][5]

    She had numerous supporting roles in films, including in the 1996 film Some Mother's Son, playing a mother superior during the 1981 IRA hunger strike. In 1970, she also appeared alongside Julie Andrews and Rock Hudson in the musical Darling Lili.[2]

    Keogh coached Barbra Streisand on how to speak with a cockney accent for her 1970 film, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, despite her being a Dublin native.[3][6]

    In 2007, she appeared in a spoof Irish election commercial on behalf of Alone, a charity for the elderly, as "Betty from the Grey Tigers party". She urged the electorate to vote so that "your granny would be proud of you".[2]

    Theatre roles

    Keogh played many theatre roles throughout her career, including in the play Purple Dust in 1953, at Cloyne. She also had roles at West End theatres in London, including a 1973 production of Say Goodnight to Grandma at St Martin's Theatre, Once a Catholic at Wyndham's Theatre in 1978, and Ducking Out in 1982 at the Duke of York's Theatre. Keogh also played Mrs O'Toole in Look Out ... Here Comes Trouble!, in 1978, at the Donmar Warehouse, and Mrs Madigan in Juno and the Paycock, in 1980, at the Aldwych Theatre, as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company.[2]

    In Dublin, Keogh appeared in the 1988 Irish premiere of Jeffrey Archer's Beyond Reasonable Doubt at the Gaiety Theatre. In 1992, she took the part of the spiteful mother in Una Pooka at the Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn, London, with later roles including The Silver Tassie, at the Almeida Theatre in 1995, The Importance of Being Earnest at the Abbey Theatre in 1997 and Brian Friel's version of Chekhov's The Three Sisters at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2001.

    Personal life and death

    Keogh married actor Frank Singuineau in 1954; however, the marriage ended in divorce in 1963. In 1976, she married her second husband, Jack Jenner, and the couple remained married until Keogh's death.[7] Neither marriage produced children.[6] When she was not acting, Keogh renovated homes with her husband. She was a supporter of Liverpool Football Club and animal welfare charities. Keogh lived in Kent, then County Wicklow, and kept dogs, donkeys and ducks.[6][4]

    Keogh had Alzheimer's disease and died on 31 December 2017, aged 93, at St Columba's Hospital, in Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Her funeral took place at St Colmcille's Church, Inistioge, County Kilkenny on 4 January 2018. She is buried in Cappagh Cemetery, Ireland.[6][7]

    Filmography

    Television

    Year Title Role Notes
    1948 Death at Newtownstewart Miss. Fulton Television film
    1950 Lady Precious Stream Maid Television film
    1951 The Whiteheaded Boy Delia Duffy Television film
    1953 Shadow and Substance Thomasina Concannon Television film
    1955 Sunday Night Theatre Margaret Episode: "A Dream of Treason"
    1956 Big City Market customer Episode: "London - Nobby Clark and Showgirl"
    1957 Boyd Q.C. Episode: "The Light Tackle Job"
    1957 Young Chippie Mollie Block Television film
    1958 Long Distance Telephone operator Television film
    1959 The Men from Room 13 Miss. Manifold Episode: "The Man Who Stole Cameos: Part 2"
    1960 Emergency Ward 10 Episode: #1.309
    1960 Spycatcher Mrs. Winch Episode: "Neutral Ground"
    1960 The Citadel Mrs. Boland 2 episodes
    1969 Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width Nun Episode: "And a Brother a Priest"
    1969 Parkin's Patch Fanny Chappel Episode: "A Pair of Good Shoes"
    1971 Speaking of Murder Mildred Television film
    1972 Crossroads Mrs. Candour 6 episodes
    1974 New Scotland Yard Miriam Levene Episode: "The Trojan Horse"
    1974 ...And Mother Makes Five Mrs. Inskipp Episode: "The Matter of Tiny Feet"
    1974 The Compliment Mrs. Brook Television film
    1974 Z-Cars Miss Harper Episode: "Old Bones"
    1975 The Life of Riley Sister Esmeralda Episode: "Oh! Sister"
    1960–1975 Coronation Street Concepta Hewitt/Concepta Riley/Concepta Regan 320 episodes
    1978 Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt Nurse Episode: "A Man for One Season"
    1983 To the Lighthouse Mrs. Truscott Television film
    1984 Minder Mrs. Lynch Episode: "Rocky Eight and a Half"
    1984 Father's Day Card seller Episode: "Parents' Day"
    1985 Inside Out Mary 5 episodes
    1985 Blue Money Mrs. Gormley Television film
    1985 Black Silk Alice Episode: "The Cause of Liberty"
    1986 Hot Metal Mrs. Beatty 2 episodes
    1987 Never Say Die Mrs. Sagoo Episode: #1.6
    1990 The Real Charlotte Mrs. Beatty Episode: #1.2
    1989–1990 Fair City Mrs. O'Hanlon 2 episodes
    1990 The Lilac Bus Mrs. Fitzgerald Television film
    1993 Rides Therese Episode: #2.5
    1995 The Old Curiosity Shop Mrs. George Television film
    1995 Moving Story Mary O'Shea Episode: "The African Queen"
    1996 Pie in the Sky Ms. Kelly Episode: "Irish Stew"
    1996 Father Ted Mrs. Doyle's Friend / Mrs. Dineen 2 episodes
    1998 Her Own Rules Mrs. Banks Television film
    1999 Always and Everyone Rita Ravan Episode: "Strike Me Down"
    1997–1999 Ballykissangel Imeida Egan 7 episodes
    2000 David Copperfield Mrs. Heep Television film
    2001 Perfect Nancy Television film
    1998–2003 Cold Feet Pete's Mum/Audrey Gifford 4 episodes
    2004 Pulling Moves Wardrodes Ma. Episode: "Claimitis"
    2004 Holby City Edie Veale Episode: "Striking a Chord"
    2005 Cutting It Mildred Flaherty 3 episodes
    2005 The Clinic Mrs. Clarke Episode: #3.10
    1998–2006 The Royle Family Mary O'Carroll 9 episodes

    Film

    Year Title Role Notes
    1957 Zoe Baby Mary
    1958 A Night to Remember Passenger who jumps in the sea
    1966 The Christmas Tree Mother
    1967 Two a Penny Mary
    1970 Darling Lili Emma, the Maid
    1981 Take It or Leave It Managers Wife Documentary
    1985 Lamb Landlady Cheap Hotel
    1988 Joyriders Nun
    1994 Widows' Peak Mrs. Buckley
    1996 Some Mother's Son Mother Superior
    1998 Crossmaheart Mrs. Hardy
    1999 A Loved Divided Lucy Knipe
    1999 Agnes Browne Nun in mortuary
    1999 Patterns Mrs. O'Brien
    2000 The Closer You Get Mrs. Giovanni
    2003 Mystics Lily
    2003 Spin the Bottle Sister Ignatius
    2004 The Wonderful Story of Kelvin Kind Old lady
    2005 The Honeymooners Ms. Celestine
    2005 Boy Eats Girl Mrs. Brumble
    2005 Breakfast on Pluto Shopkeeper
    2006 Pride and Joy Hannah O'Brien
    2007 The Wednesdays Mrs. O
    2007 How About You Mary

    References

    1. "Coronation Street's first barmaid Doreen Keogh dies at 91". BBC News. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
    2. "Doreen Keogh obituary". The Guardian. 5 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
    3. "Obituary: Doreen Keogh". The Stage. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
    4. "Doreen Keogh". www.corrie.net. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
    5. "Tributes Pour In For Much-Loved 'Father Ted' Actress Doreen Keogh". LovinDublin.com. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
    6. Rainbird, Ashleigh; O'Brien, Cillian (2 January 2018). "Tributes pour in as Dublin actress Doreen Keogh, 91, passes away". DublinLive. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
    7. "Coronation Street pays tribute to original barmaid, actress Doreen Keogh, following her death". Digital Spy. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
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