# Kenny Ireland

George Ian Kenneth Ireland (7 August 1945 – 31 July 2014) was a Scottish actor and theatre director. Ireland was best known to television viewers for his role in Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV in the 1980s, and for playing Donald Stewart in Benidorm from 2007 until his death in 2014.

## Career

Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, Ireland was prominent in Scottish theatre and spent ten years as director of the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. When he left the post in 2003 he criticised the Scottish arts establishment for providing "theatre on the cheap" and the Scottish Executive for putting plans for a National Theatre of Scotland on "the back burner". The National Theatre of Scotland was finally launched in 2006. He also appeared in an episode of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet as journalist Sid Payne. In some early TV appearances (e.g. the BBC's Five Red Herrings) he was credited as "Ian Ireland".
Ireland's directing credits include Guys & Dolls, A View from the Bridge, Romeo and Juliet, Phaedra, Macbeth, Lovers, The Anatomist, Clay Bull, Mother Courage, Much Ado About Nothing, Of Mice and Men, Private Lives, Oleanna, Sunset Song, The Silver Darlings, The Gowk Storm, Waiting for Godot, Dancing at Lughnasa, Oedipus Tyrannos and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
He also appeared in Acorn Antiques, the STV series Taggart, the 1983 film Local Hero, Dempsey and Makepeace episode "In the Dark", Series 2 of Auf Wiedersehen Pet, the 1990 series House of Cards as media tycoon Benjamin Landless starring alongside Ian Richardson as Francis Urquhart, and the David Leland film The Big Man with Liam Neeson. He was also in Heartbeat and made a brief appearance in the promo video for Tracey Ullman's "Sunglasses".
He appeared in the television series Benidorm as swinger Donald Stewart from 2007 until the end of series 6, that aired in early 2014. In June 2014, it was announced that he had brain cancer. His character did not appear in the seventh series of Benidorm in person but the character's voice was heard on a telephone call, with the voice over being provided by impressionist Alistair McGowan.

## Death

Ireland died of cancer on 31 July 2014, aged 68.

## Filmography

Film :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1972 | The Hound of the Baskervilles | Sir Henry Baskerville | Television film |
| 1980 | Enemy at the Door | German officer Heller | 1 episode |
| 1980 | The Dogs of War | Film crew member | Feature film |
| 1982 | Moonlighting | Timber man | Feature film |
| 1983 | Local Hero | Skipper | Feature film |
| 1984 | The Young Visiters | Alfred Salteena | Feature film |
| 1985–1987 | Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV | Derek | 9 episodes |
| 1986 | Auf Wiedersehen, Pet | Sid Payne | 1 episode |
| 1987 | Life Without George | Sammy | 6 episodes |
| 1987 | City Lights | Bank Rober | |
| 1987 | A Hazard of Hearts | Padlett | Television film |
| 1988 | Salome's Last Dance | 1st soldier | Feature film |
| 1988 | Drowning by Numbers | Jonah Bognor | Feature film |
| 1989 | Hard Cases | Slow Michael | |
| 1989 | Resurrected | Denzil Clausen | Feature film |
| 1990 | The Big Man | Tony | Feature film |
| 1990 | Drop the Dead Donkey | Sound man | |
| 1990 | Rab C. Nesbitt | Gavin Clark | |
| 1990 | House of Cards | Ben Landless | |
| 1991 | Spatz | Johnnie | |
| 1991 | 4 Play | Sammy Duncan | |
| 1992 | El C.I.D. | Angus | |
| 1993 | Punch Drunk | Vinnie Binns | 6 episodes |
| 1997 | Hamish Macbeth | Torquil McFarquar | |
| 1999 | Taggart | Kenny Murdoch | |
| 1999 | Loose Women | Himself | |
| 2003 | Monarch of the Glen | Mike Baxter | |
| 2003 | My Dad's the Prime Minister | Union leader | |
| 2004 | Heartbeat | Zeph Pratt | |
| 2005 | Casualty | Joshua Wright | |
| 2005 | New Tricks | George Morton | |
| 2005 | Rose and Maloney | Mr. Hawkins the prison officer | |
| 2007–2014 | Benidorm | Donald Stewart | Series regular, 42 episodes (Series 1–6) |
| 2009 | Beyond a Joke | Himself | |
| 2011 | All Star Family Fortunes | Himself | Benidorm vs. The Only Way is Essex |
| 2012 | Doctors | Himself | Godfrey Lang |
| 2012 | Midsomer Murders | George Dormer | |