Actor John Connors has paid tribute to “loyal” pal and former Love/Hate actor Stephen Clinch, who has passed away unexpectedly.
Clinch was best known for his role as Noely in the RTE hit series Love/Hate and starred alongside Connors in many projects, including Cardboard Gangsters.
Tributes were paid to Clinch after it was discovered he had passed away.
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Paying tribute, Connors wrote: “One of the funniest and most decent people I’ve ever known.
“As loyal as a friend you could ever want. Love you Clinchy. Will miss you always. Rip.
“My thoughts and prayers are with his family,” he added.
Stephen became one of the breakout stars of RTE's crime drama with his gritty portrayal of criminal, Noely, who was involved in a feud with drug dealer Fran.
The 52-year-old also starred in TV3 crime series Darklands as Bernard.
You made mistakes but you came through them,” said Darklands director Mark O’Connor wrote today.
“An incredible actor, the only one to star in all my films and Darklands. One of the funniest people you could ever meet. Never asked for nothing and gave everything.
"Today has lost one of its realest legends. RIP my pal Clinchy.”
Fellow actor Robbie Breen, who also starred alongside him in Darklands, told the Sunday World: “He was a true character on and off the set, may he rest in peace.”
Clinch was jailed for four and half years after he admitted carrying out a €50,000 armed robbery.
He held a loaded semi-automatic pistol to the head of a security worker collecting overnight cash from a bar.
Clinch of Millbrook Grove, Kilbarrack, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a firearm with intention to commit robbery and to robbery of €50,730 at The Gate Hotel, Parnell Street, Dublin on May 11, 2015.
The court heard at the time that Clinch had a history of an underlying heroin addiction. His previous convictions include 17 robbery and 13 burglary offences.
These offences date up to 2004 and he has had no serious convictions recorded until this robbery.
Clinch told gardaí after his arrest in 2014: “I thought I had my life back on track”.
At the time, he received character referees, including singer Damien Dempsey, Love/Hate producer Stuart Carolan and film director Mark O'Connor, who variously described Clinch as a friendly and reliable worker who had given back to his local community.
He later said his return to crime after a 14-year break was the “stupidest thing” he ever did.
“I was quite content in my life, I was getting a good bit of work. I was getting a good bit of film work, I was doing all good things, everything was great for me and then I just drifted back into that madness, you know?,” he said in an interview shortly after his release.
“Maybe the excitement of doing stuff like that? I don’t’ know. I was just a stupid bastard, just a silly, silly, silly bastard.”
He confirmed he had been on methadone at the time of the raid, but was off it when he was freed from jail.
Clinch’s funeral will take place on Saturday at 11am followed by cremation at Dardistown Crematorium.
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