Irish man celebrates 21 years as an extra on Irish-language soap opera

An Irish man is celebrating a whopping 21 years as an extra on the Irish-language soap opera "Ros na Rún". 

Patrick Keeney, originally from Meenabrock, near Ardara, in South Donegal but now living in Connemara, has been an extra on Ros na Rún ever since he retired from retail management in the UK. 

Patrick left Ardara for London in the 1970s after training in gilding for several years but found work in his specialty craft hard to come by in the English capital. 

He found work as a retail manager and got his first taste of life as a TV extra while living in London, featuring in the background of several English TV commercials. 

He retired in 2002 and returned to his native Ireland, where he found work as an extra on "Ros na Rún", a soap opera produced by Irish-language broadcaster TG4 that is now in its 28th season. 

Patrick has featured as an extra in British shows such as "Holby City" and "Eastenders", while he has also featured as an extra in Irish productions such as "Normal People" and the recent Liam Neeson film "In the Land of Saints and Sinners".

However, he has been a mainstay on "Ros na Rún" for over two decades after hearing about the show when he returned to Ballyconneely in his native Donegal. 

"We weren’t too long at home in Ballyconneely when a neighbor told me about the TG4 drama series Ros na Rún and the possible opportunity of being an extra," Patrick said.

"I made contact and the rest is history. I’m either a watcher, a taxi driver, or a courier." 

He said that he occasionally played a postman in the village before actor Seán Misteál was cast as the local postman on a permanent basis.

"I enjoy it thoroughly, there’s a wonderful team here from actors to crew and it’s one big happy family, I really do love it." 

Patrick said he learned the trade of being an extra while he lived in London and described it as the "perfect job" for retired people. 

"I feel very lucky to have worked with some of Ireland’s, the UK’s and the world’s greatest actors as well as film and TV directors. It’s the perfect job for anyone who’s retired," Patrick said.