Brendan Grace
Who Brendan Grace is
Brendan Grace was an Irish comedian and singer from the Liberties in Dublin who worked in entertainment for 50 years. He began in music before turning to comedy, and through his live shows, his live recordings, The Brendan Grace Show and his many guest appearances on RTÉ's The Late Late Show he won generations of fans in Ireland and around the world; RTÉ's director-general called him one of Irish comedy's pioneers, a talent who emerged when there were very few established Irish comedians and paved the way for many who followed.
He played Father Fintan Stack in Father Ted, lived in Florida and returned to Ireland regularly to tour. He died in July 2019, aged 68, and Dublin opened a book of condolence for him at the Mansion House.
At a glance
- Died
- 2019
- Albums
- The Combine Harvester and The Dutchman
- On screen
- The Brendan Grace Show, The Late Late Show, Father Ted and 4 more
Specials, shows and podcasts
Albums
- The Combine Harvester single, 1975
- The Dutchman single, 1982
On screen
- The Brendan Grace Show RTÉ
- The Late Late Show guest, RTÉ
- Father Ted Father Fintan Stack
- Moondance film, 1995
- Killinaskully Big Sean, 2007
- Bottler TV film, 2013
- The Gift 2015
Comedians like Brendan Grace
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Tommy Tiernan also in Father Ted
Their stand-up
Brendan Grace, born on 1 April 1951, started out at 18 in the folk group the Gingermen; one night, with the band two members short, he was pushed on stage to entertain the crowd and won them over with his observations of daily life in Ireland. His comedy schoolboy character Bottler became one of his best-known creations, and his 1975 song The Combine Harvester and his 1982 cover of The Dutchman both went to number one in Ireland.
Career timeline
- 1975The Combine Harvester (single, 1975) Album
- 1982The Dutchman (single, 1982) Album
- 1995Moondance (film, 1995) On screen
- 2007Killinaskully (Big Sean, 2007) On screen
- 2013Bottler (TV film, 2013) On screen
- 2015The Gift (2015) On screen
- 2019Died
Questions and answers
What TV shows and films is Brendan Grace in?
The Brendan Grace Show, The Late Late Show, Father Ted, Moondance, Killinaskully and Bottler, among 7 credits.
Who are some comedians like them?
Tommy Tiernan (also in Father Ted).
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with their place on the Legends ballots.
Sources
- The Irish Times — 'One of the greats': Comedian Brendan Grace dies aged 68 ↗ 11 July 2019: comedian Brendan Grace has died aged 68; born in the Liberties area of Dublin, he worked in the entertainment industry for 50 years; began his…
- Wikipedia ↗ Born 1 April 1951; the Gingermen and his first night on stage; the Bottler character and the TV film Bottler (2013); The Combine Harvester (Irish number one,…
Updated 9 October 2026 · the record checked 8 October 2026