Who is Maria Doyle Kennedy? Redwater actress playing farmer Rosin Kelly and Father Ted star
WHILE Kat and Alfie Moon are firm favourites with soap fans, actress Maria Doyle Kennedy is on her way to becoming a familiar name for BBC viewers.
The Irish actress stars alongside the ex EastEnders couple in spin-off show Redwater. Here's the lowdown...
Who is Maria Doyle Kennedy?
Maria Doyle Kennedy has many strings to her bow, boasting talents as an actress, singer and songwriter.
The raven-haired performer originates from Clontarf, in Dublin, and is 52-years-old.
She juggles her busy career with her role as mum-of-four.
What has Maria Doyle Kennedy starred in?
The Irish lass's acting career has spanned the past 25 years and she rocketed to fame playing Patsy on comedy Father Ted.
She also starred in period drama The Tudors, Downton Abbey and Orphan Black.
She found fame on the bid screen, appearing in the 2016 sequel The Conjuring 2, which followed the release of original flick The Conjuring.
Has she released any music?
Musical Maria has specialised in folk songs in the tuneful side of her career.
As a solo artist, she is well-known for her albums Mutter and Sing.
Meanwhile she found further fame with The Black Velvet band and released two albums between 1989 and 1992.
What is Redwater?
Redwater airs on Thursday evenings at 8pm on BBC One.
Described as a spin-off from the BBC soap, Redwater has some exciting plot twists and sees Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie (played by Shane Ritchie) transported to a sleepy fishing village in Ireland in search of Kat’s long lost son.
Fans will remember that at just 14-years-old, Kat gave birth to twins – a boy and a girl – in a convent after being raped by her uncle Harry.
While the girl Zoe (played by Michelle Ryan) was raised as Kat’s sister among her family, the boy was taken by the nuns to Ireland and given the name Luke.
What role will Maria Doyle Kennedy play in Redwater?
Maria will play practical and stoic farm-owner Rosin Kelly.
She is married to Padraig and have a son, Andrew, who supports her in their rural life.
Her character seems a complex one, with the actress revealing Rosin "keeps a lid" on her personal dreams and passions due to a lack of time in her busy life.
How does Maria Doyle Kennedy interact with Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie in the show?
The land owner chats to the pair as they arrive in Redwater, and Rosin assumes they are there to enjoy a holiday.
Actress : "I don't think she thinks too much of them except that they’re kind of unusual and Kat is a bit chattier than most.
"I don't think Roisin is in any way suspicious or thinks that there are darker motives for them coming to Redwater."
