Statement by President Higgins on the death of Jon Kenny

Statement by President Higgins on the death of Jon Kenny

Date: Sat 16th Nov, 2024 | 16:11

"It is with great sadness that so many people, and in particular all those who appreciated his particular brand of humour, will have learned of the death of Jon Kenny.

With his impeccable, natural talent for humour and an ability to raise a laugh with just the slightest action, Jon brought so much joy and laughter in his work with Pat Shortt as one half of the D'Unbelievables. Immensely popular amongst all his colleagues, for Pat Shortt it will be an incredible loss of his partner in showbusiness.

With his solo work and beyond - including his outstanding work as a stage and film actor and poet - Jon Kenny has left what is a substantial body of work which will be recalled with the greatest warmth by the Irish public.

It was part of the generosity of his character that he spoke about his health issues, and in this he demonstrated his trademark warmth and humour, while providing an inspiration to those suffering from their own illnesses.

May I extend my deepest sympathies to Jon's wife, Margie, to his children Leah and Aaron, and to all of his family, friends and fellow performers.

He will be deeply missed by all those who appreciated his extraordinary talent. "