Clare Grogan glad Sinead O’Connor didn’t get Father Ted role
Clare Grogan revealed that Sinead O’Connor once questioned writer Graham Linehan about not casting her in Father Ted - but Clare is grateful she got to parody the late singer in a 1996 episode of the sitcom.
Sinead O'Connor questioned Father Ted's writer Graham Linehan why they picked Clare Grogan to parody her.
Clare played Niamh Connolly - a feminist singer who descends on Craggy Island and causes conflict with the titular character when she takes over the parochial house - in the 1996 episode, Rock-a-Hula Ted.
And she is glad Graham cast her for the role instead of Sinead because Clare was a huge fan of the British-Irish sitcom - which ran for three seasons from 1995 until 1998.
Asked if Sinead - who died of "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma" aged 56 in July 2023 - reached out to Clare playing a parody of her in Father Ted, she told ContactMusic.com: "She told one of the writers, Graham, that she didn't know why they didn't just get her to do it.
"And I'm so glad that they didn’t do it! No disrespect to Sinead, but I would just not have had the chance if they’d roped her in, so yeah, she did mention it."
Although Clare only starred in one episode of Father Ted, she had a blast.
The Altered Images frontwoman recalled: "I loved it so much. I was thrilled to bits when they cast me as Niamh Connolly. I mean, I just loved the show so much.
"When I got the casting call - there’s something really special about being asked to be in a show that you already know and love, and at that point, it was still not quite the sort of big cult success it became.
"But I was just very aware of it, you know, I grew up in a sort of Irish Catholic background, and those kinds of priests would visit our house!
"I just thought the whole thing was hilarious, I loved it."
The Happy Birthday hitmaker loves it when people bring up Father Ted and her other acting credits during meet and greets.
Clare said: "People talk to me about what I've done, and the fact that a lot of things that I've done have had a really big impact.
"The whole Red Dwarf thing, I’ve been in Skins, I’ve been in EastEnders, and even the Father Ted episode, which people love reporting to me.
"I feel great about that. I feel like, yeah, it's good!"
