Ian McElhinney

Acting

Ian McElhinney

Born August 19, 1948Belfast, Northern Ireland119 credits

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

Small Town, Big Story
6.7

Small Town, Big Story

TV

2025

Secrets of The Christmas Market

Secrets of The Christmas Market

Movie

2024

High Country
5.8

High Country

TV

2024

The Boys in the Boat
7.2

The Boys in the Boat

Movie

2023

The Last Rifleman
6.6

The Last Rifleman

Movie

2023

A Small Light
7.9

A Small Light

TV

2023

Filmography

Small Town, Big Story
2025Small Town, Big Storyas Reverend PattersonTV
Secrets of The Christmas Market
2024Secrets of The Christmas Marketas NarratorMovie
High Country
2024High Countryas Sam DrysonTV
The Boys in the Boat
2023The Boys in the Boatas Elderly Joe RantzMovie
The Last Rifleman
2023The Last Riflemanas Tom MalcolmsonMovie
A Small Light
2023A Small Lightas Johannes KleimanTV
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
2022Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Lookas General Jan Dodonna (archive footage) (uncredited)Movie
The Ulysses Project
2022The Ulysses Projectas Mr. Deasy / Barrister JJ MolloyMovie
Suspicion
2022Suspicionas GrandadTV
The Outlaws
2021The Outlawsas John SnrTV
Bloodlands
2021Bloodlandsas Adam CorryTV
Lost Lives
2019Lost Livesas Self (voice)Movie
F
2019Father FatherMovie
Mrs Wilson
2018Mrs Wilsonas Father TimothyTV
Zoo
2018Zooas Mr. ShawcrossMovie
Dave Allen at Peace
2018Dave Allen at Peaceas PriestMovie
Krypton
2018Kryptonas Val-ElTV
Derry Girls
2018Derry Girlsas Granda JoeTV
To Be Frank Carson
2017To Be Frank Carsonas SelfMovie
Bad Day for the Cut
2017Bad Day for the Cutas EamonMovie
Kat & Alfie: Redwater
2017Kat & Alfie: Redwateras LanceTV
The Journey
2017The Journeyas Rory O'SuairdMovie
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2016Rogue One: A Star Wars Storyas General DodonnaMovie
Sacrifice
2016Sacrificeas D.I. McKieMovie
The Truth Commissioner
2016The Truth Commissioneras James FentonMovie
Rebellion
2016Rebellionas Edward ButlerTV
The Frankenstein Chronicles
2015The Frankenstein Chroniclesas Dr. LenoxTV
Unforgotten
2015Unforgottenas Lord Tony HumeTV
A Patch of Fog
2015A Patch of Fogas Freddie ClarkeMovie
Van Morrison – Up on Cyprus Avenue
2015Van Morrison – Up on Cyprus Avenueas NarratorMovie
The Death of a Projectionist
2015The Death of a Projectionistas GerryMovie
Game of Thrones: A Day in the Life
2015Game of Thrones: A Day in the Lifeas SelfMovie
Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience
2015Game of Thrones The IMAX Experienceas Barristan SelmyMovie
Quirke
2014Quirkeas Bill LatimerTV
The Fall
2013The Fallas Morgan MonroeTV
Wodehouse In Exile
2013Wodehouse In Exileas Major CussenMovie
Ripper Street
2012Ripper Streetas Theodore SwiftTV
Titanic: Blood and Steel
2012Titanic: Blood and Steelas Sir Henry CarltonTV
B
2012Bomb Squad Men: The Long Walkas NarratorMovie
Titanic: Born in Belfast
2012Titanic: Born in Belfastas NarratorMovie
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
2011Celebrity Antiques Road Tripas Self - ParticipantTV
Game of Thrones
2011Game of Thronesas Barristan SelmyTV
Brendan Smyth: Betrayal of Trust
2011Brendan Smyth: Betrayal of Trustas Abbot SmithMovie
Three Wise Women
2010Three Wise Womenas DavidMovie
An Old Fashioned Christmas
2010An Old Fashioned Christmasas SeanMovie
Leap Year
2010Leap Yearas PriestMovie
M
2010Make it New Johnas JohnMovie
Triage
2009Triageas IvanMovie
S
2009Scapegoatas H. A. McVeigh QCMovie
Storyland
2009Storylandas GerardTV
City of Ember
2008City of Emberas BuilderMovie
O
2008Of Best IntentionsMovie
Clay
2008Clayas Father O'MahoneyMovie
Fairy Tales
2008Fairy Talesas Vice Chancellor Ralph GrahamTV
Closing the Ring
2007Closing the Ringas Cathal ThomasMovie
The Tudors
2007The Tudorsas Pope Clement VIITV
Single-Handed
2007Single-Handedas Ex-Garda Sergeant Gerry DriscollTV
The Front Line
2006The Front Lineas MikeyMovie
Doctor Who
2005Doctor Whoas Ko SharmusTV
Omagh
2005Omaghas Stanley McCombeMovie
On Eagle's Wing
2005On Eagle's WingDirectorMovie
Hornblower: Loyalty
2003Hornblower: Loyaltyas Captain HammondMovie
No Tears
2002No Tearsas Padraig McFaddenTV
Mapmaker
2001Mapmakeras Sergeant DevlinMovie
Murphy's Law
2001Murphy's Lawas FultonTV
Hornblower: Retribution
2001Hornblower: Retributionas Captain HammondMovie
Borstal Boy
2001Borstal Boyas VerrekerMovie
I
2000In Defenceas DCS David DillneTV
T
2000The King's Wakeas AthairneMovie
Durango
1999Durangoas Vestor McCarthyMovie
Queer as Folk
1999Queer as Folkas Clive JonesTV
Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant
1998Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenantas Captain HammondMovie
Cold Feet
1998Cold FeetTV
Hornblower
1998Hornbloweras Captain HammondTV
Touch and Go
1998Touch and Goas Clive BevanMovie
Maisie Raine
1998Maisie Raineas C.S. Jack FreemanTV
S
1998Silicone ValerieMovie
The Boxer
1997The Boxeras Reggie BellMovie
This Is the Sea
1997This Is the Seaas Da StokesMovie
Wokenwell
1997WokenwellTV
Hamlet
1996Hamletas BarnardoMovie
The Boy from Mercury
1996The Boy from Mercuryas Brother DowdallMovie
Michael Collins
1996Michael Collinsas Belfast DetectiveMovie
S
1996Safe And Soundas HigginsTV
Small Faces
1996Small FacesMovie
Life After Life
1995Life After Lifeas Working out governorMovie
Hearts and Minds
1995Hearts and Mindsas AlexTV
Beyond Reason
1995Beyond Reasonas Smythe QCMovie
A Breed of Heroes
1994A Breed of Heroesas Father O'BrowneMovie
Blind Justice
1994Blind Justiceas Father MaloneMovie
A Woman's Guide to Adultery
1993A Woman's Guide to Adulteryas MartinTV
C
1993Circles of Deceitas Father FergalMovie
You, Me & Marley
1992You, Me & Marleyas Reggie DevineMovie
The Playboys
1992The Playboysas Joe CassidyMovie
Children of the North
1991Children of the Northas O'HareMovie
The Grasscutter
1990The Grasscutteras Brian DeedsMovie
Hidden Agenda
1990Hidden Agendaas Jack CunnighamMovie
Fools of Fortune
1990Fools of Fortuneas StrangerMovie
Shoot to Kill
1990Shoot to Killas ACC Trevor ForbesMovie
Who Bombed Birmingham?
1990Who Bombed Birmingham?as Sinn Fein leaderMovie
T
1990The Lilac Busas BillyMovie
Reefer and the Model
1988Reefer and the Modelas ReeferMovie
A Prayer for the Dying
1987A Prayer for the Dyingas LodgerMovie
The Rockingham Shoot
1987The Rockingham Shootas John ReillyMovie
Naming the Names
1987Naming the Namesas Mr McBrideMovie
Lamb
1986Lambas MaguireMovie
Casualty
1986Casualtyas Robert FinchTV
The End of the World Man
1986The End of the World Manas ArchitectMovie
Shergar
1986Shergaras DamienMovie
Lovejoy
1986Lovejoyas Ceiran StowTV
Screen Two
1985Screen Twoas Working Out GovernorTV
Anne Devlin
1984Anne Devlinas Maj. SirrMovie
A
1984A Woman Callingas Mr BurkeMovie
Acceptable Levels
1983Acceptable Levelsas AndyMovie
Potatohead Blues
1982Potatohead Bluesas MouseyMovie
Angel
1982Angelas GroomMovie
Playhouse
1974Playhouseas MouseyTV
Mutant: Year Zero
—Mutant: Year Zeroas (voice)Movie
T
—The Lost Children of TuamMovie