Late Hollywood star has strong Ballinahown links
A November 1965 edition of the Westmeath Independent listed the films being screened that week at the Adelphi Cinema in Athlone - one of which was a musical, 'Two Tickets to Paris', starring Kay Medford.
What was not widely known, perhaps, was that Ms Medford, an award-winning actress who starred on stage, film and TV in the United States, was the daughter of a woman who had emigrated from just outside Athlone.
Her mother, Kate Kelly, was born in the Big Bog, a townland near the village of Ballinahown, in 1885.
She was baptised by Canon Columb, who is credited with planning and overseeing the building of St Colmcille's Catholic Church in the village. Kate, similar to her siblings, attended Ballinahown National School (now home to the Celtic Roots Studio).
Some time after finishing school she moved to New York. Kate married a Kerry man by the name of James Regan some years later.
The couple had two children, Danny and Kathleen, who were born in the Bronx. The children's surnames, for reasons unknown, were recorded on their birth certificates as O'Regan.
Both Kate and her husband James, it is known, passed away sometime between 1927 and 1933. Kate's relatives, namely the Kelly and Mannion families from Upper Clonaderig and the Kelly family, Woodland Avenue, Ballinahown, recall grandparents (brother and sister of Kate) telling them about their close relationship to a successful American actress.
Kathleen (Kate's daughter) adopted the stage name Kay Medford after graduating from high school. She began entertaining professionally by performing at summer resorts in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York.
In 1949, she toured with a nightclub routine in which she did comedic impersonations of Hollywood celebrities. Ms Medford was the original Mae Peterson (Albert's mother) in 'Bye Bye Birdie' on Broadway, garnering excellent reviews.
She had made her Broadway debut in 1951 in the musical 'Paint Your Wagon'. She was cast in 'Carousel', and then appeared onstage in 'Funny Girl' as the mother of Fanny Brice (played by Barbra Streisand).
For her performance in 'Funny Girl' she was nominated for a 1964 Tony Award for Featured Actress (Musical) and, when she repeated the role in the 1968 film adaptation, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In addition, Ms Medford appeared in the Warner Brothers rock and roll film, 'Jamboree' (1957). Other film credits included roles in 'A Face in the Crowd' (1957), 'The Rat Race' (1960), 'Butterfield 8' (1960), 'Girl of the Night' (1960), 'Ensign Pulver' (1964), 'A Fine Madness' (1966), 'The Busy Body' (1967), 'Angel in My Pocket' (1969), 'Twinky' (1969), 'But I Don't Want to Get Married!' (1970), 'Fire Sale' (1977), and 'Windows' (1980).
Ms Medford was also no stranger to the small screen. Her television roles included portraying Harriet Endicott on 'To Rome with Love', Gloria's mother on 'That's Life', Maria's mother on 'On Our Own', and she was a member of the cast of 'The Dean Martin Show'.
She also guest-starred on series' including 'Decoy', 'Marcus Welby, M.D.' and 'The Partridge Family'. Her last screen performance, in an episode of 'Barney Miller' aired on March 6, 1980.
Just 35 days later she died New York City, from cancer, aged just 60.