The little-known Kilkenny man who starred as James Bond

For millions of cinema-goers, Roger Moore was the face of James Bond. But behind many of 007's most daring stunts was a fearless Kilkenny man whose remarkable story remains largely unknown.

Martin Grace, from Kilkenny, was Roger Moore's principal stunt double throughout the James Bond films from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) to A View to a Kill (1985).

While Moore delivered the charm and wit, it was Grace who risked life and limb performing some of the franchise's most unforgettable action sequences.

Among his most famous Bond stunts was the terrifying cable-car fight with Jaws suspended high above Rio de Janeiro in Moonraker (1979). In Octopussy (1983), he made the incredible leap from a Mercedes-Benz 250 onto a speeding train, a stunt that left him with serious hip and leg injuries.

Two years later, he doubled for Moore during the climactic showdown atop San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge in A View to a Kill (1985).

Grace's association with Bond stretched back even further, having performed stunt work on You Only Live Twice (1967), before becoming Moore's trusted double during the actor's tenure as 007.

His career extended far beyond Bond. Grace served as Oliver Reed's fencing double, fought Anthony Hopkins on screen, performed stunts alongside Kirk Douglas and built a reputation as one of television’s finest stunt performers.

Yet many people knew him best for something entirely different.

Grace became the real star behind Cadbury's legendary Milk Tray advertisements.

Although actor Gary Myers appeared on screen as the mysterious "Milk Tray Man", it was Grace performing the death-defying feats that made the commercials iconic, from leaping off bridges onto moving trains to diving from towering cliffs and being dropped onto hotel rooftops.

His courage earned him enormous respect within the film industry, with Roger Moore once describing him as "the bravest man I have ever known."

Martin Grace passed away in 2010, but his extraordinary contribution to film, television and advertising lives on.

While his face was rarely seen, the Kilkenny stuntman helped create some of the most memorable action scenes ever filmed.