A Review of Father Ted

𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗱 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝘆 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗳𝘁

𝘈 𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩-𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵, 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯.” – Boston Globe

From start to finish, this was a masterclass in comedic tribute—a film bursting with laughter, sharp delivery, and an obvious devotion to the original. The cast didn’t just play their parts; they became them, studying every word, movement, and quirk of the real episode with remarkable precision.

Their dedication extended beyond performance; they painstakingly recreated the set, even building an authentic shop within the very kitchen where The Snapper was filmed. If there were an award for the best replication of an original, this would be the undisputed winner. Watching it on the night, the detail was impressive, but seeing it side-by-side with the original while writing this review? The level of accuracy in costumes, props, and mannerisms is astonishing. I’ve included some pictures to bring the similarity to life.

The camaraderie among the cast was unmistakable—you could tell they had as much fun making this film as the audience had watching it.

Comedy is often overlooked when it comes to Oscar victories, and so it proved here. But while it may not have taken home the top prize, it won where it mattered most—with the audience, who lapped up every moment. It was no surprise they won Best Comedy Scene, though the real challenge must have been deciding which scene to honour.

𝗔 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲

One moment in particular will live long in the memory.It started with Fupping Man (Bernard Reilly) and Fupping Woman (Rachel Doherty), who were outstanding as they roared their threats—Rachel’s furious “Hit him, Frank, or I’ll hit him for you!” was pure gold. Just as the tension hit its peak, they called for Mr. Benson. Enter Gordie Miggin, head poking out of a multicoloured children’s hut, megaphone in hand, demanding, “What’s going on here?” The audience barely had time to recover from their laughter before he leapt into action, executing a full commando-style manoeuvre toward fork-wielding Ted. His approach, complete with a mid-air somersault worthy of Simone Biles, was comedic perfection.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘁 – 𝗔 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Every lead character embodied their real-life counterpart to a tee.

Fr. Ted (Declan O’Connor) – A tribute worthy of Dermot Morgan himself. His hair was the perfect shade of grey, his comedic timing impeccable, and his interactions with the rest of the cast kept us eagerly waiting to see what predicament he’d land himself in next.

Mrs. Doyle (Marian O’Gorman) – A class act. Not only did she capture the beloved housekeeper’s manic energy, but her performance elevated the entire production. Had she been in the original Father Ted, she would be just as quoted and beloved as Pauline McLynn.

Fr. Dougal (David Cully) – No stranger to “acting the maggot,” Cully’s portrayal was

outstanding. Every nuance was nailed—the rolling eyes, the clueless expressions, the brilliantly daft body language. He didn’t just play Dougal; he was Dougal.

Fr. Jack (Padraig Gravin) – A show-stealer for many in the audience. With wild, dishevelled hair and an uncanny resemblance to the real deal. His gravelly, chaotic delivery was spot-on, and whether his lines were strictly to script or not, they landed perfectly. You could tell he was having an absolute ball.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘁

Fr. Damo (John Mulraney) – The rebellious wild-child priest, played with just the right balance of cockiness and mischief. Every flick of the hair, every cigarette toss, every swaggering bob of the head—it was all there.

Fr. Frost (Brian Gravin) – A brilliant addition, playing the strict and principled priest determined to hold the free-spirited Fr. Damo to account. Gravin brought a commanding presence to the role, delivering Damo straight to Mr. Benson when he realised he had stolen the whistle. His exasperation as he tried to rein in Damo’s wild antics was spot-on.

Mary (Sue McEvoy) & John (Ciaran Meleady) – The classic water-bucket scene was played to perfection. The immediate shift from violence to pleasantries before snapping right back to a shotgun fight was executed brilliantly. Their physical resemblance to the original characters made it all the better.

Sergeant Hodgins (David Reilly) – Looked every bit the part, from his uniform to his well-worn moustache, and played the role of the local guard with effortless ease.

Larry Malone & Jamie Reilly – The ultimate troublemakers, up to all sorts of mischief alongside Dougal and Damo. Their on-screen chemistry was seamless, adding to the chaotic energy.

𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗗𝘂𝗳𝗳’𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲 – 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱

A minor moment in the episode but a priceless one in this adaptation.

Larry (David Thornton) handled his fateful phone call with carefree charm, while Richard Bradley (Fr. Billy Williams) and Eoin O’Connor (Fr. Todd Unctious), standing petrified beside him, delivered a masterclass in silent comedy. As the fear on Bradley’s face built to breaking point, he made a desperate bolt for freedom—a sprint with the urgency of a man running for his life (which, in fairness, he was). His bid for escape ended abruptly, gunned down by Pat Farrell in a moment of tragedy.

What made this scene even more special was the extraordinary effort that went into getting every detail right. The roadblock was meticulously reconstructed, complete with an era-perfect 1992 red Ford and an army truck to match the original. It’s this kind of attention to detail that elevates the film beyond mere imitation—it’s a perfected recreation.

Checkpoint guards Jack Dalton, Freddie Pollard, and Aaron Gravin rounded off the scene, completing a moment that was more than worth the effort it took to pull off. Aaron’s appearance meant three generations of Gravins starred in the film—a special moment for the family that will be cherished forever.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀

This was more than just a comedy film—it was a labour of love. A tribute to Father Ted that didn’t just mimic but honoured the original. Every performance was a delight, every detail meticulously crafted, and the audience’s reaction said it all. They may not have taken home the top Oscar, but in the hearts of the audience, this was a five-star winner!