TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN paid to actor, television presenter and producer Frank Twomey, whose death has been confirmed.

Frank Twomey started his career on the RTÉ children’s show Bosco and then went on to work on Nighthawks, Fair City and Bull Island.

He also had a hugely popular recurring role on RTE’s Liveline as part of its “Funny Fridays” and became known to a whole new generation five years ago when he made a cameo on the Young Offenders Christmas special.

He spent five years touring Ireland as part of the hugely successful Santa Ponsa trilogy of stage comedies and was a longtime panto dame in the Everyman Palace Theatre in Cork.

In 2019, he brought a one man show to Cork Arts Theatres entitled “Alone at Last” which he said was “an ode to Bosco and his recovery from it.”

Twomey, who died following an illness, has been remembered fondly in Cork and beyond.

Long time collaborator Packie O’Callaghan told the Neil Prendeville show on Cork’s Red FM that he would always put a “bounce in your step”.

“He had that capacity to elevate peoples’ mood. He grew old but he never grew up.”

Tánaiste and Cork South Central TD Micheál Martin said he was “very sorry to hear of the passing of Frank Twomey”.

“A proud Cork man, Frank brought joy to many across generations with his work on Bosco, Bull Island, Nighthawk & on stage. Renowned for his sharp wit & humour, he was a versatile & brilliant performer,” the Tánaiste wrote on social media.

Very sorry to hear of the passing of Frank Twomey

A proud Cork man, Frank brought joy to many across generations with his work on Bosco, Bull Island, Nighthawk & on stage. Renowned for his sharp wit & humour, he was a versatile & brilliant performer

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) December 11, 2023

The Everyman Theatre in Cork, where the late actor took to the stage, said it was “greatly saddened” by the death of the “Cork legend”.

We are greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Frank Twomey. A true Cork legend, he appeared on our stage many times and will be fondly remembered as the much-loved dame in The Everyman and CADA’s Christmas Panto. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/8mstd3i6hF

— The Everyman (@EverymanCork) December 11, 2023

Today’s RTÉ Liveline will be paying tribute to the “brilliant actor, comic and dear friend”.

We will be paying tribute on ⁦@rteliveline⁩ to the great Frank Twomey who unfortunately has passed away today. From Funny Friday, Bull island , and of course Bosco ⁦@rte⁩ ⁦@rtenews⁩ ⁦@thejournal_ie⁩ he was a brilliant actor comic and dear friend. R.I.P. pic.twitter.com/fDWuTtjK0V

— JOE DUFFY (@joeliveline) December 11, 2023

Twomey appeared in a moving Dublin Bus Advert which ran during Pride Month in 2019 wearing rainbow face paint and waving pride flags. In an interview with RTÉ the following year, he said that the 1980s were marked with “naked prejudice but it didn’t stop me being gay”. He said it was an era where he was “careful and discrete because I had a Government job.

He said that he never regretted leaving his Government job to take up acting.

“There was not one person except my father who said ‘You’re doing the right thing.’ Everybody said ‘are you out of your mind?’ And I’m still going. I’m 65 and I’m still doing advice programmes on national television.”

In 2020, he appeared on Agony OAP’s, a six part advice show from RTÉ’s The Lab. In an interview with RTÉ, he said that his first response to being asked was “trepidation.”

“What I was worried about is that it would be anachronistic. Old people trying to get in on the back of an online thing when they would be better off at home saying their rosary.”

However, he said that he thoroughly enjoyed the natural and easy swapping of life lessons and stories involved in sharing a couch with likes of former TD Mary O’Rourke and GAA legend Pat Spillane.