Birdy Sweeney began acting when he was in his 50s having spent much of
his earlier life as a comic and bird impersonator. He won his
distinctive nickname while still a schoolboy making his debut mimicking
blackbirds as an 11-year-old on BBC Radio Ulster. Sweeney had a heart
attack when he was only 40 and suffered from diabetes throughout his
life. Despite his late start as an actor he managed to pick up many
credits.
He was one of 10 children in a very poor family. With his wife, Alice,
he had eight children -- four sons and four daughters. Three of his sons live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.