# Maria McDermottroe

Maria McDermottroe (Irish: Máire Ní Diarmata Ruadh) is an Irish actress, known for her work across screen and stage. She portrayed Molly Ivors in John Huston's 1987 film The Dead, based on the James Joyce novella of the same name, and Bridey Hannon in Alan Parker's 1999 film Angela's Ashes, based on Frank McCourt's best-selling memoir of the same name. Her other film credits include The Boxer, Trojan Eddie, Bogwoman, Saltwater, Veronica Guerin, The Blackwater Lightship, and The Winter Lake.
On television, McDermottroe is best known for playing Venetia Crosby on the long-running RTÉ drama serial Glenroe (1995-2000), and Mrs. Gilhooley on the RTÉ comedy series Killinaskully (2004-2009), for which she was nominated for the Golden Nymph Award for Best Actress at the 2009 Monte-Carlo Television Festival. Her numerous guest appearances include roles on ScreenPlay, Family, The Governor, Proof, Foreign Exchange, Mattie, Taken Down, Smother, and Nova Jones.
A veteran of the theatre, McDermottroe has appeared in over 50 professional stage productions, including 16 productions with the National Theatre of Ireland. Her stage career began with Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir at the Gate Theatre in the 1970s. It was there that she became the first Irish woman to appear nude on stage for her portrayal of Jill Mason in the Irish premiere of Equus by Peter Shaffer.

## Life and career

McDermottroe was born in Sligo town in the 1950s, one of four children (including writer/director Conor) of Eddie and Nora McDermottroe. Her first theatre role was in a production of The Merchant of Venice featuring Micheál Mac Liammóir and Hilton Edwards. She married John Costigan, future Executive Director of Dublin's Gaiety Theatre, in 1979, having first met in 1977. They have two children including writer Nora Costigan and actress Gina Costigan. They live in Dún Laoghaire.
Her character in Glenroe was introduced in 1995, as Venetia, the matriarch of the Crosby family. Venetia later divorced and married divorcé Dick Moran. In Pat Shortt's rural sitcom, Killinaskully, McDermottroe portrayed Mrs. Gilhooley, known for repeatedly not being "in the habit of repeating" herself, She played crime figure John Gilligan's wife in 2003's Veronica Guerin, a film in which her daughter Gina Costigan portrayed the wife of criminal figure John Traynor. In 2010, McDermottroe's performance in an Eska Riada production of Frank McGuinness's one-woman play Baglady in the Focus Theatre, was described by Jesse Weaver of Irish Theatre Magazine as a "measured, taught, and ultimately arresting ... portrait of an identity nearly dissolving itself".
In 2017, she played Carmel in Isobel Mahon's Boom?. Her film credits include John Huston's The Dead, John Erman's The Blackwater Lightship, and The Winter Lake. She was named "Best Actress", at the 2023 Milan Gold March Awards, for her role in The Carer.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | Silver Apples of the Moon | Moira | RTÉ TV Movie |
| 1987 | The Dead | Molly Ivors | |
| 1990 | Dear Sarah | Mrs. Moore | |
| 1991 | Crossed Lines | Katie | Short film |
| 1994 | Widows' Peak | Penitent | |
| 1996 | Trojan Eddie | Rosy | |
| 1997 | Bogwoman | Annie | |
| 1997 | The Boxer | Betty | |
| 1998 | This Is My Father | Mrs. Maney | |
| 1999 | Angela's Ashes | Birdie Hannon | |
| 2000 | Saltwater | Headmistress | |
| 2001 | The Bombmaker | Miss O'Mara | |
| 2001 | Give Up Yer Aul Sins | Peig Cunningham | Animated short |
| 2003 | Veronica Guerin | Geraldine Gilligan | "Veronica Guerin - Full Cast & Crew". Tvguide.com.</ref> |
| 2004 | The Blackwater Lightship | Madge Kehoe | |
| 2005 | Bumble's Burden | Ma | Short film |
| 2006 | Secret of the Cave | Mrs. MacIntyre | |
| 2008 | Situations Vacant | Mother | |
| 2009 | Swansong: Story of Occi Byrne | Sister Benedict | Directed by Conor McDermottroe |
| 2017 | Halal Daddy | Lorraine | |
| 2019 | Saving Grace | Grace | Short film |
| 2020 | The Winter Lake | Tessie | |
| 2020 | Post Love | Cathy | Short film |
| 2022 | Haven | Carmel | Short film |
| 2023 | The Martini Shot | Ethel | |
| 2024 | The Carer | Moira McNamara | Short film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1989-1990 | ScreenPlay | Angela | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Family | Niamh | Episode: "Charlo" |
| 1995 | The Governor | June Fisher | 2 episodes |
| 1995-2000 | Glenroe | Venetia | Main role |
| 2002 | Give Up Yer Aul Sins | Peig Cunningham | Main role |
| 2004 | Proof | Mrs. Erskine | Episode: "#1.2" |
| 2004 | Foreign Exchange | Mrs. Murphy | Episode: "Hostel" |
| 2004-2009 | Killinaskully | Mrs. Gilhooley | Main role |
| 2011 | Mattie | Mary Elizabeth Carr | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Taken Down | Irene | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Smother | Imelda | 3 episodes |
| 2022-2023 | Nova Jones | Granny Nova | 2 episodes |

### Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Playwright | Venue |
| 1971 | Hall of Healing | Patient | Sean O'Casey | Abbey Theatre |
| 1971 | The Shadow of a Gunman | Mrs. Henderson | Sean O'Casey | Abbey Theatre |
| 1977 | The Devil's Disciple | Essie | George Bernard Shaw | Gate Theatre |
| 1977 | The Merchant of Venice | Jessica | William Shakespeare | Gate Theatre |
| 1977 | Equus | Jill Mason | Peter Shaffer | Gate Theatre |
| 1977 | Major Barbara | Jenny Hill | George Bernard Shaw | Gate Theatre |
| 1978 | Equus | Jill Mason | Peter Shaffer | Gate Theatre |
| 1978 | Bedroom Farce | Kate | Alan Ayckbourn | Gate Theatre |
| 1978 | Proxopera | Ensemble | Benedict Kiely & Peter Luke | Gate Theatre |
| 1979 | Crooked in the Car Seat | Irene Murphy | Brian Lynch | Dublin Theatre Festival |
| 1980 | Cop-Out | Nell | David Hayes | Dublin Theatre Festival |
| 1980 | Zoz | Mrs. Connie Curran/Girl | Joe O'Donnell | Dublin Theatre Festival |
| 1980 | The Chastitute | Heather/Trudy/Julia | John B. Keane | Cork Opera House |
| 1981 | Kill | Therese Fitzackerly | Hugh Leonard | Dublin Theatre Festival |
| 1984 | Hedda Gabler | Thea Elvstead | Henrik Ibsen | Gate Theatre |
| 1988 | St. Stephen's Green: Or, The Generous Lovers | Marina | William Philips | Abbey Theatre |
| 1988 | Carthaginians | Sarah | Frank McGuiness | Abbey Theatre |
| 1991 | The Threepenny Opera | Vixen | Frank McGuiness / Bertolt Brecht | Gate Theatre |
| 1992 | Carthaginians | Maela | Frank McGuinness | Druid Theatre Company |
| 1992 | Dancing at Lughnasa | Kate | Brian Friel | Abbey Theatre |
| 1993 | Dancing at Lughnasa | Kate | Brian Friel | Abbey Theatre (International Tour) |
| 1993 | Dancing at Lughnasa | Kate | Brian Friel | Abbey Theatre (National Tour) |
| 1994 | The Bird Sanctuary | Tina | Frank McGuiness | Abbey Theatre |
| 1994 | The Broken Jug | Martha Reck | Heinrich von Kleist / John Banville | Abbey Theatre |
| 1994 | Seachange | Woman | John Banville | Project Arts Centre |
| 1994 | The Risen People | Mrs. Hennessey | James Plunkett | Gaiety Theatre |
| 1995 | Philadelphia, Here I Come! | Lizzy Sweeney | Brian Friel | Abbey Theatre |
| 1996 | The Invisible Mending Company | Cissy | Philip Davison | Abbey Theatre |
| 1999 | Moll | Moll | John B. Keane | Gaiety Theatre |
| 1999 | Kevin's Bed | Pauline | Bernard Farrell | Abbey Theatre |
| 2002 | For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again | Nana | Michel Tremblay | Abbey Theatre |
| 2003 | The Late Henry Moss | Conchalla | Sam Shepard | Abbey Theatre |
| 2004 | Portia Coughlan | Marianne Scully | Marina Carr | Abbey Theatre |
| 2006 | True West | Mother | Sam Shepard | Abbey Theatre |
| 2010 | Boss Grady's Boys | Mrs. Molloy | Sebastian Barry | Gaiety Theatre |
| 2011 | The Glass Menagerie | Amanda Wingfield | Tennessee Williams | Town Hall Theatre |
| 2011 | Baglady | Baglady | Frank McGuiness | Focus Theatre |
| 2012 | Payback! | Kitty | Maria McDermottroe / Marion O'Dwyer | Fishamble: The New Play Company |
| 2014 | A Skull in Connemara | Maryjohnny Rafferty | Martin McDonagh | Gaiety Theatre |
| 2015 | The Field | Mrs. McCabe | John B. Keane | Gaiety Theatre |
| 2017 | The Chastitute | Aunt Jane | John B. Keane | Gaiety Theatre |
| 2017 | Boom | Carmel | Isobel Mahon | Dunamaise Arts Centre |
| 2017 | Boom | Carmel | Isobel Mahon | Gaiety Theatre |
| 2018 | A Skull in Connemara | Maryjohnny Rafferty | Martin McDonagh | Town Hall Theatre |
| 2018 | A Skull in Connemara | Maryjohnny Rafferty | Martin McDonagh | Olympia Theatre |
| 2019 | The Valley of the Squinting Windows | Marse Prendergast | Brinsley MacNamara / Michael Scott | Mullingar Arts Centre |

## Awards

| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
| 2009 | Golden Nymph Awards | Best Actress | Killinaskully | Nominated |
| 2022 | Dublin International Film Festival | Best Female Actor | Post Love | Nominated |
| 2023 | Toronto International Women's Film Festival | Best Actress | Haven | Won |
| 2024 | Northeast Film Festival | Best Ensemble | The Martini Shot | Won |
| 2024 | Beaufort International Film Festival | Best Ensemble | The Martini Shot | Won |
| 2024 | Cobb International Film Festival | Best Ensemble | The Martini Shot | Won |
| 2024 | Milan Gold Awards | Best Actress (March) | The Carer | Won |