Editing Ardal O'Hanlon (section)

==Career==
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Together with [[Kevin Gildea]] and [[Barry Murphy (comedian)|Barry Murphy]], O'Hanlon founded the [[International Comedy Cellar]], upstairs in the [[International Bar]] on Dublin's South [[Wicklow Street]].<ref name="Scotsman"/> Dublin had no comedy scene at the time. As a stand up, O'Hanlon won the [[Hackney Empire New Act of the Year]] competition in 1994. For a time he was the presenter of ''The Stand Up Show''.<ref name="Scotsman"/>

O'Hanlon was cast as [[Father Dougal McGuire]] in ''[[Father Ted]]'' (1995–1998). During filming, O'Hanlon went to buy shoes. Still being in costume, the seller thought he was a real priest and offered the footwear for free.<ref>{{cite web | title=Ardal O'Hanlon Interview Father Ted Death in Paradise | website=[[YouTube]] | date=18 May 2020 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydNnFh9eyRI| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211122/ydNnFh9eyRI| archive-date=2021-11-22 | url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 1995 he received the Top TV Comedy Newcomer at the [[British Comedy Awards]] for this role. In 1995, he appeared (as Father Dougal) in a [[Channel 4]] [[Television ident|ident]] ("Hello, you're watching ... television"), and during [[Comic Relief (charity)|Comic Relief]] on BBC1. This was followed by the award-winning short comedy film ''[[Flying Saucer Rock'n'Roll]]''. In a 2019 interview, O'Hanlon admitted that he had attempted to distance himself from ''Father Ted'' once the show had finished.<ref name="Scotsman"/>

O'Hanlon moved into straight acting alongside [[Emma Fielding]] and [[Beth Goddard]] in the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] comedy-drama ''Big Bad World'', which aired for two series in summer 1999 and winter 2001.<ref name="Scotsman"/> He also played a minor role in ''[[The Butcher Boy (1997 film)|The Butcher Boy]]'' as Joe's (Francie's best friend) father, and appeared in an episode of the original ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (UK TV series)|Whose Line is it Anyway?]]''.

In 2000, O'Hanlon starred in the comedy series ''[[My Hero (British TV series)|My Hero]]'', in which he played a very naive superhero from the planet Ultron.<ref name="Scotsman"/> His character juggled world-saving heroics with life in suburbia. He stayed in the role until the first episode of series 6 in July 2006, when he was replaced by [[James Dreyfus]] during the same episode.

O'Hanlon also provided the voice of the lead character in the three Christmas television cartoon specials of ''[[Robbie the Reindeer]]''. He appeared in the 2005 [[BBC One]] sitcom ''[[Blessed (television)|Blessed]]'', written by [[Ben Elton]]; at the 2005 British Comedy Awards, it was publicly slated by [[Jonathan Ross (television presenter)|Jonathan Ross]], albeit in jest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=9783612650702: Talk of the Town. - O'Hanlon, Ardal: 361265070X - AbeBooks |url=https://www.abebooks.com/9783612650702/Talk-Town-OHanlon-Ardal-361265070X/plp |access-date=2022-11-07 |website=www.abebooks.com |language=en |archive-date=7 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221107050558/https://www.abebooks.com/9783612650702/Talk-Town-OHanlon-Ardal-361265070X/plp |url-status=live }}</ref> Towards the end of 2005, he played an eccentric Scottish character, Coconut Tam, in the family based film, ''[[The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby]]''. He has also appeared on radio, including an appearance on ''[[Quote... Unquote]]'' on  [[BBC Radio 4]] on 18 July 2011. Appropriately, one of his questions concerned a quotation from ''Father Ted''. In 2015, he appeared as incompetent angel Smallbone in the sitcom ''The Best Laid Plans'', on the same channel.

In 2006, O'Hanlon wrote and presented an [[RTÉ]] television series called ''Leagues Apart'', which saw him investigate the biggest and most passionate football rivalries in a number of European countries. Included were Roma vs Lazio in Italy, Barcelona vs Real Madrid in Spain, and Galatasaray vs Fenerbahce in [[Turkey]]. He followed this with another RTÉ show, ''So You Want To Be Taoiseach?'' in 2007. It was a political series in which O'Hanlon gave tongue-in-cheek advice on how to go about becoming [[Taoiseach]] of Ireland.

He appeared in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "[[Gridlock (Doctor Who)|Gridlock]]", broadcast on 14 April 2007, in which he played a catlike creature named Thomas Kincade Brannigan.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6478495.stm|title=Fans mad for Doctor's new companion|date=22 March 2007|access-date=3 April 2007|work=BBC News|author=Masters, Tim| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070328182935/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6478495.stm| archive-date= 28 March 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> O'Hanlon appears in series 3 of the TV show ''[[Skins (British TV series)|Skins]]'',<ref name="Scotsman"/> playing Naomi Campbell ([[Lily Loveless]])'s politics teacher named Kieran, who attempted to kiss her. He then went on to form a relationship with Naomi's mother ([[Olivia Colman]]). O'Hanlon plays the lead role in Irish comedy television programme ''[[Val Falvey, TD]]'' on [[RTÉ One]]. In 2012, he performed in the [[Edinburgh Fringe]].

In February 2011, O'Hanlon returned to the [[Gate Theatre]], Dublin starring in the Irish premiere of Christopher Hampton's translation of Yasmina Reza's ''[[God of Carnage]]'', alongside [[Maura Tierney]]. Later that year, he appeared in the comedy panel show ''[[Argumental]]''.

O'Hanlon has written a novel, ''[[The Talk of the Town (novel)|The Talk of the Town]]'' (known in the United States as ''Knick Knack Paddy Whack''), which was published in 1998. The novel is about a teenage boy, Patrick Scully, and his friends.

In February 2015, he officially launched the 2015 Sky [[Cat Laughs]] Comedy Festival, which took place in [[Kilkenny]] from 28 May to 1 June.<ref>{{cite news |date=26 February 2015 |title=Ardal O'Hanlan launches this year's Cats Laughs as the festival comes of age |work=evoke.ie |url=http://www.evoke.ie/events/ardal-ohanlan-launches-this-years-cats-laughs-as-the-festival-comes-of-age/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228162558/http://evoke.ie/events/ardal-ohanlan-launches-this-years-cats-laughs-as-the-festival-comes-of-age |archive-date=28 Feb 2017}}</ref> In 2015 he played the role of Peter the Milkman in the [[Sky One]] sitcom ''[[After Hours (2015 British TV series)|After Hours]]''.

On 2 February 2017, it was announced he would play the lead role in the BBC crime drama ''[[Death in Paradise]]'' taking the role of DI Jack Mooney following [[Kris Marshall]]'s departure the same day. He announced his intention to leave the series in early 2020 and was replaced by [[Ralf Little]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Palmer |first=Katie |date=27 January 2020 |title=Death in Paradise: When is Ralf Little's first episode? |url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1232880/Death-In-Paradise-when-Ralf-Little-first-episode-new-inspector-arrive |website=express.co.uk |access-date=27 January 2020 |archive-date=27 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127095828/https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1232880/Death-In-Paradise-when-Ralf-Little-first-episode-new-inspector-arrive |url-status=live }}</ref> Starting in 2024, he has reprised the role in spin-off series ''[[Return to Paradise (2024 TV series)|Return to Paradise]]''.

On 25 November 2021, it was announced that he would participate in series 13 of ''[[Taskmaster (TV series)|Taskmaster]]''.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=Taskmaster|date = 25 November 2021|title = Taskmaster will return in 2022|number=1463991162075852808 |link = https://twitter.com/taskmaster/status/1463991162075852808}}</ref> He finished in 4th place ahead of [[Judi Love]].

In 2023, he played Uncle Jack in the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]]'s production of ''[[Dancing at Lughnasa]]'' by [[Brian Friel]], alongside [[Siobhan McSweeney]] and [[Tom Vaughan-Lawlor]].<ref name="Nat-the-1">{{cite web |title=Dancing at Lughnasa {{!}} National Theatre |url=https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/dancing-at-lughnasa/ |website=www.nationaltheatre.org.uk |access-date=9 December 2024}}</ref>

In January 2024, he presented his first Irish language show, ''Inis na nIontas'', on [[TG4]], exploring the islands around the coast of Ireland.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2023-12-19 |title=Ardal O'Hanlon to present his first Irish language show |url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2023/1219/1422880-ardal-ohanlon-to-present-his-first-irish-language-show/ |language=en}}</ref>