Colin Farrell’s father Eamon Farrell, a former professional soccer player in Ireland, has died after a long illness.

Colin Farrell is navigating a difficult loss.

The Penguin actor’s dad Eamon Farrell, who played on the Shamrock Rovers pro soccer team in the 1960s, died April 9 in Dublin, Ireland. He was 83.

Eamon “passed peacefully, after a long illness bravely borne, in the loving care of his family and the excellent staff of the Whitworth Ward, Beaumont Hospital” in Dublin, according to a death notice posted to the Irish Times Group’s website RIP.ie.

The former athlete is also survived by his wife Eileen, ex-wife Rita as well as Eamon Jr., Catherine and Claudine, eight stepchildren, five grandchildren—including Colin’s sons, James, 21, and Henry, 15—and siblings Maureen, Sean and Tommy, the latter of whom also played for the Shamrock Rovers F.C.

And following the news of Eamon’s passing, the football club shared a tribute reflecting on his time as a player.

“Eamon joined Rovers in 1960 at 18 years of age from the famous schoolboy nursery club Home Farm.” the group said in an Instagram post, including a throwback pic of him.

“A half back who was a minor and schoolboy Ireland international, Eamonn played alongside his older brother Tommy during his time at Milltown.”

The soccer team added, “Both were on the team that beat Shelbourne in the FAI Cup final in 1962 played in front of an attendance of 32,000.”

The Rovers concluded their tribute with a saying in Irish, “Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam,” which translated to English reads, “May his soul be at God’s right hand.”

Eamon is set to be honored with a funeral April 12 at a church in Dublin and then cremated, his death notice stated.

Following the news of Eamon’s passing, Colin’s maternal uncle and godfather Paul Monahan, a West End stage actor, shared Eamon’s death notice on social media, adding, “A very sad time. Home for a couple of days to sing at Eamon Sr’s funeral tomorrow, may he RIP.”

Over the years, Colin has shared insight into his family life, including at the 2025 SAG Awards in February when he gave a shoutout to his parents and kids when accepting the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for The Penguin.

While he’s found success in acting, he admitted he previously sought to follow in the footsteps of his father to become a soccer player, having been a member of the Castleknock Celtic F.C. in the ’80s.

“I played until I was about 15 and I thought it was what I wanted to do,” Colin said on The Late Show With David Letterman in 2008, per RTE.ie. “And then I realized I’d do something less meaningful, like acting.”

And he’s further detailed how his own upbringing has shaped the way he bonds with his kids—namely through films.

“I come from working-class stock. My parents weren’t into films,” he told Variety in 2023. “Now, films are the cornerstones of my relations with my two sons.

We watch them and talk about them. Little moments in a movie can be so huge, and it’s important as a father to discuss them. I’ve always learned a lot from films.”