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.

Filmography

• Committed
• 2026Finnegan's Foursome — Jack Finnegan
• 2026The Lost Children of Tuam
• Small Town, Big Story — Reverend Patterson
• High Country — Sam Dryson
• 2024Secrets of The Christmas Market — Narrator
• A Small Light — Johannes Kleiman
• 2023The Boys in the Boat — Elderly Joe Rantz
• 2023The Last Rifleman — Tom Malcolmson
• 2022Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look — General Jan Dodonna (archive footage) (uncredited)
• Suspicion — Grandad
• 2022The Ulysses Project — Mr. Deasy / Barrister JJ Molloy
• Bloodlands — Adam Corry
• The Outlaws — John Snr
• 2019Father Father
• 2018Dave Allen at Peace — Priest
• Derry Girls — Granda Joe
• Krypton — Val-El
• Mrs Wilson — Father Timothy
• 2018Zoo — Mr. Shawcross
• 2017Bad Day for the Cut — Eamon
• Kat & Alfie: Redwater — Lance
• 2017The Journey — Rory O'Suaird
• Rebellion — Edward Butler
• 2016Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — General Dodonna
• 2016Sacrifice — D.I. McKie
• 2016The Truth Commissioner — James Fenton
• 2015A Patch of Fog — Freddie Clarke
• 2015Game of Thrones The IMAX Experience — Barristan Selmy
• 2015The Death of a Projectionist — Gerry
• The Frankenstein Chronicles — Dr. Lenox
• Unforgotten — Lord Tony Hume
• 2015Van Morrison – Up on Cyprus Avenue — Narrator
• Babylon — Maher
• Quirke — Bill Latimer
• The Fall — Morgan Monroe
• 2013Wodehouse In Exile — Major Cussen
• 2012Bomb Squad Men: The Long Walk — Narrator
• Ripper Street — Theodore Swift
• Titanic: Blood and Steel — Sir Henry Carlton
• 2012Titanic: Born in Belfast — Narrator
• 2011Brendan Smyth: Betrayal of Trust — Abbot Smith
• Game of Thrones — Barristan Selmy
• 2010An Old Fashioned Christmas — Sean
• 2010Leap Year — Priest
• 2010Make it New John — John
• 2010Three Wise Women — David
• 2009Scapegoat — H. A. McVeigh QC
• Storyland — Gerard
• 2009Triage — Ivan
• 2008City of Ember — Builder
• 2008Clay — Father O'Mahoney
• Fairy Tales — Vice Chancellor Ralph Graham
• 2008Of Best Intentions
• 2007Closing the Ring — Cathal Thomas
• Single-Handed — Ex-Garda Sergeant Gerry Driscoll
• The Tudors — Pope Clement VII
• 2006The Front Line — Mikey
• Doctor Who — Ko Sharmus
• 2005Omagh — Stanley McCombe
• 2005On Eagle's Wing — Director
• 2003Hornblower: Loyalty — Captain Hammond
• No Tears — Padraig McFadden
• 2001Borstal Boy — Verreker
• 2001Hornblower: Retribution — Captain Hammond
• 2001Mapmaker — Sergeant Devlin
• Murphy's Law — Fulton
• In Defence — DCS David Dillne
• 2000The King's Wake — Athairne
• 1999Durango — Vestor McCarthy
• Queer as Folk — Clive Jones
• Cold Feet — Bill Williams
• Hornblower — Captain Hammond
• 1998Hornblower: The Examination for Lieutenant — Captain Hammond
• Maisie Raine — C.S. Jack Freeman
• 1998Silicone Valerie
• 1998Touch and Go — Clive Bevan
• 1997The Boxer — Reggie Bell
• 1997This Is the Sea — Da Stokes
• Wokenwell
• 1996Hamlet — Barnardo
• 1996Michael Collins — Belfast Detective
• Safe And Sound — Higgins
• 1996Small Faces
• 1996The Boy from Mercury — Brother Dowdall
• 1995Beyond Reason — Smythe QC
• Hearts and Minds — Alex
• 1995Life After Life — Working out governor
• 1994A Breed of Heroes — Father O'Browne
• 1994Blind Justice — Father Malone
• A Woman's Guide to Adultery — Martin
• 1993Circles of Deceit — Father Fergal
• 1992The Playboys — Joe Cassidy
• 1992You, Me & Marley — Reggie Devine
• 1991Children of the North — O'Hare
• 1990Fools of Fortune — Stranger
• 1990Hidden Agenda — Jack Cunnigham
• 1990Shoot to Kill — ACC Trevor Forbes
• 1990The Grasscutter — Brian Deeds
• 1990The Lilac Bus — Billy
• 1990Who Bombed Birmingham? — Sinn Fein leader
• 1988Reefer and the Model — Reefer
• Wipe Out — Max Raines
• 1987A Prayer for the Dying — Lodger
• Brond — Kennedy
• Dead Entry — Martin Galbraith
• 1987Naming the Names — Mr McBride
• 1987The Rockingham Shoot — John Reilly
• Casualty — Robert Finch
• 1986Lamb — Maguire
• Lovejoy — Ceiran Stow
• 1986Shergar — Damien
• 1986The End of the World Man — Architect
• Screen Two — Working Out Governor, Inspector McBride
• 1984A Woman Calling — Mr Burke
• 1984Anne Devlin — Maj. Sirr
• 1983Acceptable Levels — Andy
• 1982Angel — Groom
• 1982Potatohead Blues — Mousey
• Playhouse — Mousey
• Mutant: Year Zero — (voice)
• So You're Going to Die — Mickey

Appearances as themselves (4)

• 2019Lost Lives — Self (voice)
• 2017To Be Frank Carson — Self
• 2015Game of Thrones: A Day in the Life — Self
• Celebrity Antiques Road Trip — Self - Participant