I’m so sorry to hear of the death of Malachy McCourt at age 92.
The beloved actor was a star of ABC’s “Ryan’s Hope” in almost 300 episodes. He also appeared in every New York soap opera, from “Guiding Light” to “Search for Tomorrow” and “All My Children.”
Malachy, like his brother Frank — who wrote “Angela’s Ashes” — was a wordsmith. He published two memoirs and a volume of poetry. He had a lovely, lilting, lyrical Irish accent and a big burly persona that would have been suited for the Brendan Gleeson character in “The Banshees of Inisherin.” He was part of two Broadway casts as a stand-by, in “Mass Appeal” and “Translations.”
McCourt’s bar — called Malachy’s, on the Upper West Side — was probably an inspiration for Ryan’s bar in the soap opera. The actor played the bar tender Kevin MacGuiness, a sounding board of reason for the various colorful characters. He was the opposite of a soap character — totally genuine, authentic, and real. An era ends with his passing and the memory of his brother, Frank. They will be sorely missed.
