Father Ted star Dermot Morgan's former colleagues have spoken of the "terrific stress" the actor was under prior to his 1998 death.

Morgan won over audiences with his portrayal of the disaster-prone but well-meaning Father Ted Crilly in Graham Linehan's critically-acclaimed comedy.

However, the actor died suddenly aged 45 in February 1998, shortly after completing the third and final series of the show.

Morgan's co-stars Frank Kelly, Ardal O'Hanlon and Pauline McLynn told documentary Dermot Morgan - Fearless Funnyman of the high levels of stress the actor put himself under in the run-up to his untimely death.

According to Kelly, who played drunken Father Jack Hackett in the sitcom, Morgan "barely passed the medical tests" to film the third series and was "under terrific stress".

"He was never quite satisfied with what he was doing," Kelly said, according to The Mirror.

"The next thing was going to be infinitely better.