Don Brennan

Don Brennan

Full name: Donald Michael Brennan Parents: Bridget Brennan Born: 30 November 1937, Weatherfield, Lancashire Siblings: Maureen Married:

1. Pat O'Connor (1958; d: 1981) 2. Ivy Tilsley (13 June 1988; d:1995)

Children:

1. Margaret (m: Pat) 2. Eileen (m: Pat) 3. Gordon (m: Pat)

Died: 8 October 1997

Played by: Geoff Hinsliff Appeared: 16 August 1987 - 8 October 1997

Cab driver Don Brennan met Ivy Tilsley in September 1987. Like Ivy, Don was also a widow and Catholic. Don and Ivy married in June 1988 and Don moved into No5. The character of Don is not a very happy one, and he is rarely seen with a smile. In 1992 Don had an affair with young barmaid Julie Dewhurst but he decided to split up with Julie after he felt guilty for deceiving Ivy. However, before he could break it off with Julie, she told him that she didn't want him in her life any longer. Don, devastated, jumped into his car and drove at high speed down a country lane intent on killing himself. He smashed the car and miraculously survived, but had to have his lower left leg amputated and was left with a permanent limp. Julie left him, and he went back to an unhappy marriage with Ivy.

Don received some sympathy for his foot from Denise Osbourne and they showed each other their gammy bits. However, Don mistook Denise's friendship for something more and had to make her position perfectly clear to him. Denise was then plauged with malicious and obscene phone calls for a few weeks, and was upset when she realised Don was making them in an effort to make her love him.

Don couldn't go on living with Ivy any longer, and in 1994 after telling her he doesn't want to be with her any longer, Ivy moved into a religious retreat. Ivy's grandson Nicky Platt moved in to Nº5 to live with Don, who took on the role of Nick's honorary grandfather, after Nicky moved out of the Platt household after an argument with his step-father, Martin. When Ivy died, Don and Nicky had a huge bust-up over the ownership of Ivy's house, an argument would continue to distance Don from the Platt family.

In 1995 Don met Josie Clarke, who ended up moving into Nº5 with Don. Between them both, they put their savings together and purchased MVB Motors hoping this would make their fortunes. Unfortunately, the garage business went sour, with both Don and Jo sie losing their money before selling the garage to Kevin Webster and Tony Horrocks. Don went back to taxi-driving and living alone in his home, bitter and sour to the end.

Eventually, however, a string of events meant the end of the line for Don.

At first, he bought the garage off Mike Baldwin, but found out this was a terrible buy. He always blamed Mike for this, and would never accept that he was the one at fault for what happened to him. In a frenzied mood, he at first abducted Alma Halliwell, and at the end, Don's taxi sped out of control, and took a plummet into the icy waters of the canal. Don and Alma survived, but Don was desperate to get even with Mike. So, he crept in to the factory on 8th October 1997. After smashing Mike on the head with a club, he then proceeded to take the keys, car and the flat that belonged to him and Alma. When Mike ran into the Street, Don suddenly revved up the engine of his car at the end of Coronation Street, and sped up - only to miss Mike and crash into the viaduct. He was burnt to death when the car caught fire and exploded.