Comedy legend Dermot Morgan’s son Rob has opened up on his father’s legacy, nearly three decades on from his passing.

One of Ireland’s most beloved comedians, Dermot passed away on February 28, 1998, just one day after he finished the series finale of Father Ted. His son, Rob, was 17-years-old at the time of his father’s passing.

Speaking at the unveiling of Glasnevin Cemetery’s Timelines exhibition, where Dermot was cremated following his untimely passing, Rob spoke fondly of his father and his legacy, as one third of the country’s most recognisable priests.

‘I was 15, 16, when [Father Ted] first started airing,’ Rob told Extra.ie. ‘I was a teenager, so it did pass me by a little bit — nobody pays that much attention to what their parents do for work,’ he joked.

‘It was only after the start of the second and third seasons, and then [Dermot’s] death that I realised just how big it became for people, and how big it is now.’

The new Timelines exhibition at Glasnevin cemetery, where Dermot was cremated before his ashes were buried at the family’s Deansgrange cemetery plot, showcases the notable figures who have been buried, cremated, or have had their ashes spread at the most famous cemetery in the country.

With notable names on the list, including Michael Collins and Eamon de Valera, the new exhibit showcases profiles of musicians and entertainers such as Aslan frontman Christy Dignam, Ireland’s first professional female saxophonist Zandra Mitchell, and, of course, Father Ted himself.

With the iconic sitcom recently celebrating its 31st anniversary just earlier this week, Rob admitted that while it’s sad to see what could have been surrounding his father’s career, but if he were still around today, he’d be touched to see the legacy that a 25-episode show has left behind.

‘There’s probably part of him that would have loved to have seen what else he would’ve done,’ Rob said. ‘But he certainly recognised that it was no small feat to capture the psyche of the Irish people, the English people, even people all around the world.’

‘I certainly think he’d be chuffed at what he managed to achieve, as well as the writers, Ardal [O’Hanlon], Pauline [McLynn] and Frank Kelly brought to bear.’

Despite losing his father at such a young age, Rob admitted that thanks to his father’s legacy, he has been told an abundance of stories that have helped him in the years since Dermot’s passing.

‘There’ll always be a Dermot-shaped hole in my life, and while it gets smaller and smaller, it doesn’t close; there’s always that gap,’ Rob said.

‘We’re lucky, as a family, that a lot of people knew him and have such fond memories of him. People are always willing to share a story, and that’s something that gives us great comfort.

‘Not all families are lucky enough to have that, so I’m very grateful that that’s part of the legacy Dermot has — the love that people still feel for him.’