When Cyril Cusack died in 1993, aged 82, the opening line of his obituary in the New York Times mentioned he was “widely regarded as Ireland’s finest actor”. It is difficult to dispute the claim. He was a colossus on stage and screen. His film credits include classics such as The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and The Day of the Jackal.
It was perhaps his feats in theatre which set him apart, though, including his command of the Shakespeare canon and his memorable performances on stage at the Abbey Theatre, surely his spiritual home. In a landmark production of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters play, adapted by Frank McGuinness in 1990, he starred alongside his daughters, Sinéad, Sorcha and Niamh.
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