Manchester Irish Festival performer to feature in Coronation Street

From Tony Hennigan

www.manchesteririshfestival.co.uk Press Office

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Manchester Irish Festival performer to feature in Coronation Street

One of the performers at this years’ Manchester Irish Festival has won himself a six episode stint in Coronation Street. Accomplished Irish actor and singer songwriter Kieran Cunningham is to appear in the world famous soap in front of an estimated 14 million people on Friday 12 March. Levenshulme’s Union Inn Irish Music venue where Kieran is a regular performer is holding a two day Kieran’s on Corrie Party to mark the actors debut and the St Patrick’s weekend celebrations. On Friday the 12 March they will screen the episode live and then follow it up with a live traditional Irish Music night with Liverpool’s premier Irish band Innisfree. Then on Saturday Kieran will be performing his regular Saturday night spot at the venue with his band Quare Craic. The two day party is just one of the numerous free tradfest events which take place in Levenshulme village for the annual Irish Festival which is home to the biggest Irish community outside of London.

Kieran has been asked to perform the part of a new character called Dave Bonsall an Adult Education Officer alongside John Stape (Graeme Hawley). When asked about how he felt about appearing in the legendary TV series Kieran who was born in Newry in County Down said “I am really excited about the part they have given me. It was very daunting walking into the Green room for the first time, but they were all very welcoming and put me at ease straight away.”

Levenshulme seems to be earning itself as a bit of a celebrity hang out with both Coronation Street’s Graeme Hawley who plays Richard Snape in the soap and the TV comedian Jason Mansford recently setting up home in the area. A number of the Coronation Street cast popped into the Union Irish Music venue over Christmas for a celebratory drink and Keith Duffy who has made a welcome return to the series has been spotted behind the bar pulling pints of Guinness.

Kieran is a regular performer in the annual Manchester Irish Festival both as an actor where he starred in the award winning Irish play ‘The Flags’ at the Royal Exchange and in his role of Irish singer songwriter. This is not his first part in a TV soap, last year he was filming Emmerdale on Saint Patrick’s day itself and he has also been featured in Shameless and Hollyoaks, as well as RTE’s Fair City which is seen as Ireland’s very own Coronation Street.

KIERAN CUNNINGHAM

HEIGHT
5’9”

HAIR
Brown

EYES
Green

NATIVE
IRISH

ACCENTS
Irish—NORTH & SOUTH/Northern/North American

SKILLS
Drives / Experienced Guitarist / Strong Singer

TRAINING
MANCHESTER POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL OF THEATRE (1986-89)

TELEVISION

Granada TV CORONATION STREET Dave Bonsall

Granada TV Emmerdale Harry Swift

BBC The Street Taxi Firm Owner

Stirling Films Murder Joe Moran

RTE Fair City Dr Sparrow

Mersey TV HOLLYOAKS Father McGuire Jo Hallows

Channel 4 SHAMELESS George Mark Mylod

BBC MOVEABLE FEASTS Michael O’Brien

Yorkshire SHOOT TO KILL Sean Burns Peter Kosminsky

Granada SOMETIME NEVER Duncan Kelly Sylvie Bowden

Granada INDEPENDENT MAN Johnny Ryan Laurence Gordon-Clarke

Granada PALE HORSE Caffrey

Granada THIEFTAKERS Hazlitt

THEATRE

Royal Exchange Theatre *THE FLAGS Brendan Greg Hersov
(Winner of 3 MEN Theatre Awards (2006)

ROMEO AND JULIET Friar Jacob Murray

KES Mr Crossley/Farmer Sarah Frankcom

Liverpool Playhouse + Tour THE QUARE FELLOW Donnelly Kathy Burke

Liverpool Everyman ALADDIN Sgt Woo Mark Chatterton

Dubblejoint, Belfast FORCED UPON US Carson Pam Brighton

WORKING CLASS HEROS Crass Pam Brighton

Contact Theatre RED BALLOON Ensemble Tony Clark

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY McCann Andy Farrell

* SPEED THE PLOW Gould Ben Twist

Nominated for Best Actor M.E.N Awards

Sherman, Cardiff SPOKESONG Arty Mike James

Young Vic, London MIDNIGHT HOUR Creech Karen Stevens

Dukes Lancaster SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME Mike Ewan Marshall

Traverse, Edinburgh GRACE IN AMERICA Finbarr Philip Howard

RADIO
BBC Radio 4: Spanish Gold / The Blackburn Files / Island / The Railway Man / The Jew of Malta

Burdalane / File on Four / The End of Love (World Service) / Divorcing Jack / Catholics

FILM
Lucky 7 Productions DOT KILL - Frank Schumann (Dir: John Irwin)

VOICEOVER
Murphy’s Irish Stout / Irish Open Golf Tournament / The New Chieftans Album / BBC TV
License / Fifty Angry Men (Audio Book) / Father Ted Christmas video / M.T.V Promotional
Disprin / RTE Television / British Midland / BBC Belfast

Recent – 2004 -2010

Kieran Cunningham appeared in TV shows such as Shameless and Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse