If you thought Robin Hood spent all his time in Sherwood Forest then think again.

As a little boy this Robin used to drop in on his granny in Castlederg.

And his first claim to fame was on the day he was born January 1 1981 in Mount Carmel Hospital in Dublin just one minute after the year dawned. The first babe to arrive in Ireland that year, his mum Eva was informed.

In other words 25-year-old actor Jonas Armstrong who plays the leader of the Merry Men in the new hit BBC1 romantic drama series has nice thoughts of occasional childhood visits to Co Tyrone with his father Harold, a native of Castlederg, to see gran, newsagent uncle Alan and aunt Lorna who still live there. He inherited a little of his acting talent from me - I was the second best actor at Portora Royal when I was a pupil there," said Armstrong senior at his home in St Ive's today.

"Everybody seems to be loving the new Robin Hood. Jonas enjoyed his trips to Castlederg to meet the family when he was little"

Trinity College, Dublin, graduate dad spent some in Canada before meeting his Dublin-born wife to be Eva and eventually moving the family to England.

Jonas, six feet and a bit tall, "definitely inherited his father's good looks and love of the theatre and show business" said a family friend today.

Jonas used to be in Channel 4's Teachers.

"There is pressure playing an iconic hero character like Robin Hood. But if I'm a hit I'll be in for another two series"