Ardal O’Hanlon reveals what he did with Father Dougal’s famous sweater vests after the show ended

Father Ted star Ardal O’Hanlon has revealed what he did with Father Dougal McGuire’s famous tank tops after the show ended.

Ardal’s iconic character was known for his vibrant and often garish sweater vests, which highlighted his childlike and naive personality on the show.

And now Ardal has shared where all of the dim-witted priest’s clothes went to after the series ended in 1998.

He donated all his Father Dougal tank-tops to charity, but kept two items from the show: the leather suit Dougal wore for the Elvis Lookalike competition and the painting Father Stone made of Ted and himself.

But he declined to share where he keeps the momentums, adding: ‘I can’t say in case someone might want to steal it.’

He also revealed his daughter Emily – who now works as a doctor – was one of the ‘hairy babies’ in the Speed 3 episode.

It has been a tough few months for the Monaghan star after the death of his father, former Health Minister, Dr Rory O’Hanlon, who passed away on March 31 at the age of 92.

Ardal O’Hanlon and his wife Melanie at the IFTA Awards 2026. Pic: Brian McEvoy

The late Fianna Fail politician was Health Minister from 1987 to 1991 when the State’s spending on health was under severe strain.

Reflecting on growing up with his GP dad, Ardal told the RTE Guide: ‘One of my happiest memories of my father, who was also a GP, was going out on visits with him.

‘Occasionally, you’d be invited into the home of the sick person and the thrill of seeing how other people live left a big impression on me.

‘At the time, you don’t realise it, but you absorb everything. And it all comes out in the wash later; in the stand-up, in the acting, in the writing.’

But he recalled how when he was at his father’s wake, a mourner sympatising with him made him rethink his career – saying he is ‘wracked with self doubt’ every day.

He said: ‘At my father’s wake a few weeks ago, somebody came up to me, said, “Sorry for your loss!” and then he looked at me again and asked, “Are you the one who has been making fun of us for years?” And I’m thinking, “Oh! Is that how people see me?”

‘I’m wracked with self-doubt. Every single day I ask, “Why am I doing this?” Sometimes I think that I have flittered my life away with frivolous pastimes that I pretend are real jobs. But having said that I also believe that I can justify what I’m doing.

‘I’m trying to identify some aspect of human nature and put it into words and images.’