Mary McEvoy

Mary McEvoy
Born	1954 (age 62–63) Delvin, County Westmeath, Ireland
Occupation	Actor
Years active	Early 1980s – present
Partner(s)	Garvan Gallagher

Mary McEvoy (born 1954) is an Irish actress. She is recognised by television viewers for having played the role of Biddy Byrne in Glenroe from 1983-2000. After that she has been in numerous plays, including Big Maggie, Sive, The Field, The Chastitute, The Vagina Monologues, Shirley Valentine, The Matchmaker, The Year of the Hiker, Dancing at Lughnasa, Whippy, The Life and Times of Selma Mae, Moonlight and Music and Jo Bangles. She is also noted for her washing powder advertisements on television.

As an only child, Mary's father Larry was a sheep and cattle farmer, while her mother Catherine was the local district nurse. The family was well off enough to have a TV, and McEvoy remembers being mesmerised by the leading ladies of the 1940s' films.

Before becoming an actress McEvoy was employed at the Department of Agriculture in Dublin as a serological assistant testing for brucellosis. She left this position to return to work on her father's farm in Delvin County Westmeath Ireland.

After returning to Dublin in the early 1980s, McEvoy got a job as a runner at the Dublin Theatre Festival and studied acting at the Oscar Theatre School. McEvoys earlier theatre work includes The Philanderer (George Bernard Shaw) and Semi-Private (Mary Halpin) at The Gate. She starred with Siobhan McKenna in the original production of Bailegangaire (Tom Murphy) and Wood of the Whispering (M. J. Molloy) with Druid Theatre directed by Garry Hynes, also Charlie's Aunt at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin. While at Oscar Theatre School she auditioned for Biddy Byrne in Glenroe and was given the part because she had a license to drive tractors.

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