Brenda Fricker, the acclaimed Irish actress known for My Left Foot and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, has died at the age of 81.

Her agent confirmed that Fricker died peacefully in Dublin following a period of ill health.

Fricker became the first Irish woman to win an Academy Award for acting when she received Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Bridget Fagan Brown in the 1989 drama My Left Foot.

She later became widely known to international audiences as the kindhearted Pigeon Lady who befriends Kevin McCallister in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Her career spanned six decades and included appearances in Casualty, The Field, So I Married an Axe Murderer, A Time to Kill, Veronica Guerin, A Man of No Importance and Albert Nobbs.

Fricker leaves behind a lasting legacy as one of Ireland’s most respected performers, remembered for bringing warmth, strength and humanity to her many film and television roles.