Irish actor and comedian Jon Kenny has died at the age of 66 after a cancer battle.
The Limerick native, who was one half of D'Unbelievables alongside Pat Shortt, passed away at Galway Clinic yesterday evening, his wife Margy confirmed. The much-loved comedian had suffered from non-Hodgkins lymphoma when he was in his 40s, but had made a recovery.
However, last March, Jon announced that his cancer had come back in 2020 and he was undergoing treatment. Speaking on the Oliver Callan show on RTÉ earlier this year, he said: "I was diagnosed… the cancer came back. I had it there again. I had it about three years ago, four years ago so I had some operation to remove some of my left lung and that was good. Good luck to that.
"But didn't the f****r come back again on my left lung again (last year). I've been lucky now because my chemo is working so I've been grand. But just in the middle of it all then, just for the craic of it, you know when you're getting on with things and after I had my second chemo, didn't I get told I had heart failure. Just to throw that in the mix like… a nice little cocktail of things to be getting on with."
Talking about his cancer returning, he added: "I've been very lucky. I'm sure some people would say I've had bad luck, but I think when you come out the other end of anything, I think I've had a lot of good luck as well, everything has worked for me.
"I had a double bypass which kind of brilliantly mended me, fixed me up and got me back on the road and then, my cancer came back again about three years ago. I was diagnosed with lung cancer and they removed the lower part of my left lung. That kept me going again for another while, but it came back again now last year, so, I'm just on treatment for that at the moment.
"But it's good the treatment is working. It's all going well, I'm very lucky. Some shows I'm doing is just to see how my body is going to hold up doing some travel, some work and some live performances."
This evening, Jon was scheduled to perform at The Schoolyard Theatre in Charleville, but earlier this week the venue announced the event had been cancelled. News of Jon's passing was confirmed to Limerick Live this morning.
Tributes started pouring in for the legendary comedian, with Bruff solicitor and former Fine Gael councillor Bill O'Donnell saying: "This is a great tragedy. I am very sad for his family. I am particularly saddened because mine and Jon's family have a long history together.
"This will be a great shock to the community and the community will be very saddened by this event. Jon not only was a public man, he was also a very good friend and neighbour. While we have known he has had bad health in the past, this has come as a total shock to all of us."
Cllr Noreen Stokes added: "A born comedian and actor with such a wit, and he will be sadly missed." Simon Harris, Taoiseach of Ireland, said in a statement: "It is with the utmost sadness that I have learned of the death of writer, actor and comedian Jon Kenny. Jon had the ability, that very few people possess, to make his audiences crack up laughing with a glance or a single word.
"Behind that seemingly effortless talent to joke, there was a gifted performer and an extremely deep thinker. Jon was an interesting and thoughtful person, he had some stunning dramatic performances on stage and on screen and the country is still in stitches from the magic that was D'Unbelievables.
"I was in his native Limerick last night when word of his death came through and to say he is beloved, is a huge understatement. I personally admired the honest and reflective way Jon spoke about his illness with Oliver Callan on radio earlier this year. Like everything he did, it was very human and very real. To Jon’s family, friends and huge circle of colleagues and peers, I am truly sorry for your loss. May he rest in peace."
Fans also shared their tributes on X, formerly called Twitter. One wrote: "Rest in Peace Jon Kenny, a true legend of Irish Comedy. Crime Busters or Away in a Home will never be the same." Another added: "RIP to the great Jon Kenny. I'll bet that every house in Ireland that grew up in the D’Unbelievables era still to this day quotes something from it. I use 'Blatant abandonmentness of cars' to describe bad parking all the time."
One more tweeted: "So sad to hear of the passing of Jon Kenny - a beloved entertainer and an incredibly talented man that could turn his hand to anything, bringing a deep understanding and humanity to every character and song, funny or otherwise. May he rest in peace."
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