An Irish actor who appeared in hit BBC One series Ballykissangel has died at a town nursing home after suffering from cancer.
Peter Caffrey died on Tuesday in Radbrook Nursing Home, in Shrewsbury, aged 58 following a career spent on stage and screen.
His sister Carol Witherow paid tribute to her brother who she said had an amazingly positive attitude to life. She said he would be best remembered for his role as Padraig in Ballykissangel, but would also be fondly remembered in Shrewsbury after his impromptu entertainment at the town’s cathedral for famine relief in Sudan in 1999.
Mrs Witherow, who also lives in Shrewsbury, said: “Peter suffered a devastating stroke in 2000 which effectively ended his career, although he never gave up hope of a recovery.
“It was so frustrating for him, like being a prisoner trapped in your own mind. Peter had to re-learn language all over again, and how to read and write, but although he knew what he wanted to say, the words wouldn’t come.
“But he never complained; literally, never. He worked and worked at his communication, loved and lived every minute of his life and always said ‘smashing, smashing’ when you asked him how he was.
“The staff at Radbrook have been fantastic to Peter and all our family,” she added.