President Michael D Higgins has led the tributes to former Glenroe star Robert Carrickford, who has died at the age of 88.
The actor, who played Stephen Brennan in RTÉ's long-running series, had been ill for some time. He is survived by his wife Mary, a daughter and two grandchildren.
Robert Carrickford as Stephen and Joe Lynch as Dinny in Glenroe in 1983. Joe Lynch passed away in 2001
Carrickford was president of Irish Actors Equity during the 1980s and 1990s, representing and lobbying for better pay and conditions. President Higgins said his work with the union had "left a lasting legacy for all those who perform in Ireland's theatres and screens".
A familiar face on the Irish theatre scene, Carrickford played several roles at the Abbey Theatre between 1969 and 1980. His screen roles also included Sinclair in Strumpet City (1980), McCaffery in The Irish RM (1981) and Fogarty in 1982's The Ballroom of Romance. He also appeared in The Riordans, Bracken and Taffin.
Robert Carrickford and future Glenroe co-star Mick Lally in the RTÉ-Channel 4 co-production A Night in Tunisia in 1982. Mick Lally passed away in 2010
