14 Facts About Bairbre Dowling

Bairbre Dowling began her career as a child actor in Francis Ford Coppola's first feature, Dementia 13.

Bairbre Dowling would go on to appear in multiple films, including John Huston's final feature, The Dead, based on the James Joyce novella of the same name.

Bairbre Dowling had three younger sisters, Louise, Valerie and Rachael, who is an actress.

Bairbre Dowling's parents had a relatively progressive marriage, allowing for both to partake in a series of extramarital affairs.

Bairbre Dowling formally trained as a dancer, but began acting as a child.

Bairbre Dowling made her screen debut in 1963 as Kathleen Haloran in Academy Award winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola's first feature film, Dementia 13.

In 1970 Bairbre Dowling joined the company at the Abbey Theatre, where she appeared in Wesley Burrowes' The Becauseway, Tom Murphy's On the Outside, and Maureen Duffy's and Rites.

Bairbre Dowling married fellow actor Colm Meaney in 1977, and together they emigrated to the United States to work with her father, Vincent Dowling at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival.

Later that year, Bairbre Dowling made her American stage debut as Ophelia in William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Bairbre Dowling would continue to appear in the theatre's main company for the next seven years.

Bairbre Dowling returned to Chester Theatre Company the following summer to appear as the titular Fanny Kemble in Anne Ludlum's An Audience With Fanny Kemble.

In 2000 Bairbre Dowling appeared as Miss Pope in David Grimm's Sheridan, or Schooled in Scandal at La Jolla Playhouse.

Later that year Bairbre Dowling would make her final stage appearance in an adaptation of Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club.

From 1977 to 1994, Bairbre Dowling was married to fellow actor Colm Meaney, with whom she frequently appeared opposite on stage and screen.