We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Father Ted creator Graham Linehan broke the news of Pat Laffan’s death on Twitter in view of his 650,000 Twitter followers today. He wrote: “Just heard the sad news that Pat Laffan who played Pat Mustard in Father Ted has died. “Rest in peace, Pat, a pleasure to work with you.” Pat’s cause of death is currently unknown.

The actor's agent Lisa Richards announced his death in a statement obtained by RTE.

She said: "It is with tremendous sadness that we here at the Lisa Richards Agency can confirm Pat Laffan's passing today.

"Pat was one of the very first clients of the agency but much more than that, he was a close friend, a mentor and a hugely important supporter of the company's founders Lisa and Richard Cook and for many of the staff of the agency who had the pleasure to represent and work with him over the last almost thirty years."

She added: "While Pat is perhaps still best remembered by Irish screen audiences for his portrayal of Mr Burgess in Roddy Doyle's film The Snapper (1993) and as Pat Mustard the notorious milk man in Father Ted (Channel 4, 1998), he had almost 40 film credits and 30 television credits to his name.

"All here will remember him first and foremost as our friend and mentor and we will miss him terribly.