Kelly Battling Cancer Again

The 70 year old, who played Father Jack Hackett in the hit Irish TV series, underwent an operation to remove a giant tumour from his bowel in 2007.

He appeared to have beat the cancer last spring (08), but medics discovered that the disease had spread to his liver in December (08).

Kelly underwent another operation and has since been receiving chemotherapy treatment in a Dublin, Ireland hospital every two weeks for two hours.

He tells Britain's Daily Express newspaper, "It's a b**ody nuisance. Unfortunately, you can't tell God what to do.

"I think the doctors got a major fright when they found it because they had said bye-bye to the bowel cancer. Really, it was just the same cancer had got up to my liver. I was very relieved they found it. They took out about the same dimensions as a mobile phone."

And the star may have to undergo chemotherapy treatment for the rest of his life in a bid to fight the cancer.

Kelly adds, "I asked the doctors, 'When are you taking me off this?' and they said, 'We can't give you a deadline.' I said, 'You mean I could be on it for ever?' and they replied, 'Well, yes.'

"I guess they have to give themselves as much leeway as possible. The chemo is a preventative measure. I don't actually have any tumours anywhere."