The cast and crew of RTÉ's Fair City are "deeply saddened" by the death of their former cast mate Alan O'Neill who played Keith McGrath on the show. They described him as "an absolute joy" to work with and "breath of fresh air" on set.
In a statement to RTÉ Entertainment, a spokesperson for Fair City said: "All of us are so deeply saddened to hear this terribly sad news.
"Alan was a breath of fresh air on set, always full of energy and passion. He was an absolute joy to work with.
"During his time on Fair City his contribution to both his character and the production was always peppered with an enthusiasm that became infectious. He will be missed greatly by all in Carrigstown.
"His family and friends are in our thoughts at this very difficult time."
Jane Gogan, Head of RTÉ Drama, added: "Alan was a kind, funny and gentle person who showed great courage in his career as an actor. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends."
Jenny Dixon joined Fair City after O'Neill left the soap in 2012, but worked with him on the short film Invisible.
Paying tribute, the actress, who plays Kerri-Ann on the soap, shared a number of photos of her with O'Neill on the set of the film. She tweeted that he will be sadly missed, while sharing her thoughts and prayers with his family.
One of the first films I did & a privilege to act across from @AlanONeill19 .A great friend who taught me so much. Thank you for your kindness. So very sorry to hear of your passing. A great man, sadly missed. My thoughts & prayers to you & to your family😢🙏 pic.twitter.com/Kygj7pybWo
— Jenny Dixon (@JennyleeDixon) June 7, 2018
Fair City's Seamus Power, who plays Dermot on the show, said he "always enjoyed working with him".
So sad to hear of the passing of Alan O’Neill who played "Keith" in Fair City. Always enjoyed working with him. Rest In Peace old pal. pic.twitter.com/8EnoRnwmLT
— Seamus Power (@MrSeamusPower) June 7, 2018
Siân Quill, a scriptwriter for Fair City, said O'Neill's character Keith was "great to write for".
So true. Alan and Sandra Curran as Keith and Una played their roles brilliantly. Full of humour and pathos. One of the best ever couples in Fair City. And I’ll never forget that twinkle in Keith’s eye!
— Seamus Power (@MrSeamusPower) June 8, 2018
O'Neill, who played Keith McGrath from 2006 to 2012, was part of many memorable moments on the soap, including a punch-up with Boyzone's Keith Duffy, who played Ringo.
Speaking about the storyline in 2009, O'Neill said: "Basically, we were best friends a long time ago and then Ringo headed off to tour around the world with a rock band.
"When he comes back to Carrigstown, it turns out he's dating Una's sister.
"She's been around the block a couple of times so I'm pretty much like, yeah, whatever - then, when it turns out it's Ringo, we go at it.
"He pushes me and lays me out on my back - I tell you, he does throw quite a punch but I gave as good as I got."
And despite Duffy's popstar status, O'Neill said he wasn't nervous about working with the star.
"I had met him several times before on the social scene, so I did know him, although I wouldn't say we were best pals or anything.
"I thought he was really great on the show and I really enjoyed working with him, we had a great laugh together."
