Patrick McLarnon was born on 8 March 1926. He made his debut with the Dublin Gate Theatre Productions in 1949 as the statue in Prunella. In 1952, he appeared as Osric in the Gate production of Hamlet at Eslsionre. However it was his casting in the title role of The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1956 which firmly established him as ‘jeune premier of Grecian good looks and bearing’ in the Irish Theatrical scene. In 1956, he toured with Gate Theatre to Egypt.
During his career he appeared in a wide variety of roles with Dublin Gate Theatre Productions and with other major companies such as the Globe Theatre production. He was employed him as assistant producer for Gate Productions in 1975. He also appeared in a number of TV productions such as Lady Windermere’s Fan, One for the Grave and A Cruel Fondness. He served with Vernon Hayden as a trustee to the Maurice O’Brien Memorial Fund.
He had a great professional relationship and friendship with Micheál Macliammóir and Hilton Edwards, whose affectionate nickname for him was ‘Patti Pans’. He is accredited with having helped MacLiammóir of coming up with concept of one man show ‘The Importance of Being Oscar’, and being the unofficial artistic adviser on this production. Hilton Edwards bequeathed to him his ‘travelling dress case in mahogany and silver’ in his will.
Patrick McLarnon died in March, 1998.
Archival History ↴
Donated by Patrick Scott, April 2009.
Immediate Source Acquisition ↴
Donation
Content & Structure
Scope & Content: Patrick McLarnon (1926- 1998) ↴
The collection relates to the acting career of Patrick McLarnon, including press-cuttings, programs, photographs, and original play scripts. It also includes letters McLarnon received from Micheál Macliammóir and Hilton Edwards which reflect the friendship and professional relationship he had with both men. One letter from Edwards relates to the appointment of McLarnon as assistant to the producer at the Gate and includes insight into impact of Edwards ill-health on Gate Productions (see ITA/259/17). It also includes letters received from Simon Callow. The collection would be useful to researchers interested in Dublin and Irish Theatre in the twentieth century and in particular Edwards-MacLiammoir Gate Productions.
Appraisal Destruction ↴
Permanent Retention
Arrangement ↴
Arranged by document type, and chronologically within each section.
ITA/259/01 Letters to Patrick McLarnon (1955-1997)
ITA/259/03 Photographs (c.1915-c.1970) 9
ITA/259/02 Playscripts (1929-1966)
ITA/259/03 Photographs (c.1915-c.1970)
ITA/259/04 Programs (1944-1956)
ITA/259/05 Press-Cuttings (1950-1997)
ITA/259/06 Printed Material (1934-1976)
ITA/259/07 Maurice O’Brien Memorial Fund
(1971-1987)
ITA/259/08 Memorabilia and Miscellaneous
Items (1885-1989)
Conditions of Access & Use
Access Conditions
Available to view by public who apply for research card in Dublin City Library and Archive Reading Room, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2.
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Subject to Dublin City Library and Archive Reading
Room Terms of Membership and in accordance with copyright legislation.
Irish Theatre Archive at Dublin City Library and Archive. In particular see ITA/206 Turner Collection: Micheál MacLiammóir Papers ; ITA/263 Christopher Casson (1912-1996); ITA/268 Sheila and Carmel Leahy: Micheál MacLiammóir Papers; ITA Theatre Programs Database
Descriptive Control Area
Archivist Note
Ellen Murphy; Andrew O’Brien
Rules/Conventions
ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description. 2nd ed. Ottawa: International Council on Archives, 2000.
