Ian McElhinney

ActorDirector Aug 19 (age 77) Belfast, Northern Ireland 1974–2025 (51 year career)

6.4 avg rating

Biography

Ian McElhinney (born 19 August 1948) is a Northern Irish actor and director. He has appeared in many television series in a career spanning more than forty years; notable appearances include Taggart, Hornblower, Cold Feet, and The Tudors. In recent times his best known roles are as Barristan Selmy in Game of Thrones, Morgan Monroe in The Fall, and Granda Joe in Derry Girls.

Known For

Film

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

General Dodonna

Film

Leap Year

Priest

Film

Derry Girls

Granda Joe

Film

City of Ember

Builder

Film

Hamlet

Barnardo

Film

Krypton

Val-El

Film

Michael Collins

Belfast Detective

Film

The Boys in the Boat

Elderly Joe Rantz

Filmography

Acting (118)

Movies (78)

Secrets of The Christmas Market

2024

as Narrator

The Last Rifleman

as Tom Malcolmson

The Boys in the Boat

as Elderly Joe Rantz

Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look

2022

as General Jan Dodonna (archive footage) (uncredited)

7.3

The Ulysses Project

2022

as Mr. Deasy / Barrister JJ Molloy

Father Father

Dave Allen at Peace

as Priest

Zoo

as Mr. Shawcross

To Be Frank Carson

as Self

Bad Day for the Cut

as Eamon

The Journey

as Rory O'Suaird

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

2016

as General Dodonna

7.5

The Truth Commissioner

as James Fenton

Sacrifice

as D.I. McKie

Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience

2015

as Barristan Selmy

8.6

The Death of a Projectionist

2015

as Gerry

Van Morrison – Up on Cyprus Avenue

as Narrator

A Patch of Fog

as Freddie Clarke

Game of Thrones: A Day in the Life

as Self

Wodehouse In Exile

as Major Cussen

Bomb Squad Men: The Long Walk

2012

as Narrator

Titanic: Born in Belfast

2012

as Narrator

Brendan Smyth: Betrayal of Trust

2011

as Abbot Smith

4.0

Make it New John

2010

as John

Leap Year

2010

as Priest

6.9

An Old Fashioned Christmas

as Sean

Three Wise Women

as David

Triage

as Ivan

Scapegoat

as H. A. McVeigh QC

City of Ember

as Builder

Of Best Intentions

Clay

as Father O'Mahoney

Closing the Ring

as Cathal Thomas

The Front Line

as Mikey

Omagh

as Stanley McCombe

Hornblower: Loyalty

as Captain Hammond

Borstal Boy

as Verreker

Mapmaker

as Sergeant Devlin

Hornblower: Retribution

2001

as Captain Hammond

7.3

The King's Wake

2000

as Athairne

Durango

as Vestor McCarthy

Silicone Valerie

Touch and Go

as Clive Bevan

Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant

as Captain Hammond

The Boxer

as Reggie Bell

This Is the Sea

as Da Stokes

Hamlet

as Barnardo

Michael Collins

as Belfast Detective

Small Faces

The Boy from Mercury

as Brother Dowdall

Life After Life

as Working out governor

Beyond Reason

1995

as Smythe QC

Blind Justice

as Father Malone

A Breed of Heroes

as Father O'Browne

Circle of Deceit

as Father Fergal

The Playboys

as Joe Cassidy

You, Me & Marley

as Reggie Devine

Children of the North

as O'Hare

The Lilac Bus

as Billy

Who Bombed Birmingham?

as Sinn Fein leader

Hidden Agenda

as Jack Cunnigham

Fools of Fortune

as Stranger

Shoot to Kill

as ACC Trevor Forbes

The Grasscutter

as Brian Deeds

Reefer and the Model

as Reefer

A Prayer for the Dying

1987

as Lodger

5.8

Naming the Names

1987

as Mr McBride

The Rockingham Shoot

1987

as John Reilly

Shergar

1986

as Damien

Lamb

1986

as Maguire

5.5

The End of the World Man

1986

as Architect

3.0

A Woman Calling

1984

as Mr Burke

Anne Devlin

1984

as Maj. Sirr

5.0

Acceptable Levels

1983

as Andy

Potatohead Blues

1982

as Mousey

Angel

1982

as Groom

5.7

Mutant: Year Zero

as (voice)

The Lost Children of Tuam

Television (40)

Small Town, Big Story

2025

as Reverend Patterson

High Country

as Sam Dryson

A Small Light

as Johannes Kleiman

Suspicion

as Grandad

The Outlaws

as John Snr

The Outlaws

as John Snr

Bloodlands

as Adam Corry

Derry Girls

as Granda Joe

Krypton

as Val-El

Mrs Wilson

as Father Timothy

Kat & Alfie: Redwater

as Lance

Rebellion

as Edward Butler

Unforgotten

as Lord Tony Hume

The Frankenstein Chronicles

as Dr. Lenox

Quirke

as Bill Latimer

The Fall

as Morgan Monroe

Ripper Street

as Theodore Swift

Titanic: Blood and Steel

as Sir Henry Carlton

Game of Thrones

as Barristan Selmy

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

2011

as Self - Participant

Storyland

as Gerard

Fairy Tales

as Vice Chancellor Ralph Graham

The Tudors

2007

as Pope Clement VII

7.8

Single-Handed

2007

as Ex-Garda Sergeant Gerry Driscoll

Doctor Who

as Ko Sharmus

No Tears

as Padraig McFadden

Murphy's Law

as Fulton

In Defence

as DCS David Dillne

Queer as Folk

as Clive Jones

Cold Feet

Hornblower

as Captain Hammond

Maisie Raine

as C.S. Jack Freeman

Wokenwell

Safe And Sound

as Higgins

Hearts and Minds

as Alex

A Woman's Guide to Adultery

as Martin

Casualty

as Robert Finch

Lovejoy

as Ceiran Stow

Screen Two

as Working Out Governor

6.8

Playhouse

1974

as Mousey

7.0

Crew (1)

Movies (1)

On Eagle's Wing

2005

Director