COLM Meaney will be honoured for his outstanding contribution to the world of the stage and screen at The Irish Post Awards 2019 this week.

The Irish actor will be honoured on the night when live coverage of the Awards kicks off on TG4 this Thursday, November 14 at 9.30pm.

Born in Glasnevin, Dublin, Meaney began his incredible acting career at the tender age of 14.

Enrolling in the Abbey Theatre School of Acting after catching the bug during his secondary school days, Meaney first found success as a member of the Irish National Theatre, spending eight years touring England with a selection of notable theatre companies.

He went on to enjoy notable success on the big screen with the three adaptations of Roddy Doyle's iconic Barrytown trilogy of novels, featuring prominently in The Commitments, The Snapper and The Van.


The 66-year-old boasts a film CV to savour, appearing in everything from Die Hard 2 and Con Air, through to Layer Cake, The Damned United and the Alan Partridge movie. An enduring and versatile performer, Meaney's success extended to the world of television too.

Early guest appearances on Remington Steele and Moonlighting gave him an early taste of small screen success, but his big break in the medium came in 1987 with the role of Transporter Chief Miles O'Brien on the hit series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Meaney enjoyed six successful years on the show, with the popularity of his character resulting in Chief O'Brien making the switch to spin-off show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, where he played a more prominent part in proceedings.

A popular figure among Star Trek fans, O'Brien made an astonishing 225 episode credits to his name - more than any other actor in the franchise save for Michael Dorn.

More recently still, Meaney played ruthless railroad magnate Thomas Durant on AMC's hit drama series Hell on Wheels.

In 2017, Meaney won the Best Actor IFTA for his portrayal of Irish politician Martin McGuinness in the film The Journey.


He appeared in two major film releases in 2019, Tolkein and Seberg, with a third film, The Banker, set to arrive later this year.

An actor who will need little in the way of an introduction on the night, Meaney's presence alone is sure to make it an occasion to remember.

The Irish Post Awards 2019 is sponsored by sponsored by DRS and Invennt.

Tune into The Irish Post Awards 2019 this Thursday, November 14 at 9.30pm LIVE on TG4!