Brenda Fricker, Home Alone 2 Actress Dies Aged 81

The first Irish woman to win an Oscar, Brenda Fricker has died aged 81, according to her agent. 

Ms Fricker is best known for her role as the pigeon lady in Home Alone 2 and for playing the mother of Irish writer and painter Christy Brown in My Left Foot. 

She won best supporting actress in 1990. 

Her agent, Phil Belfield said the actress passed away after a short illness.

"We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her," he said in a statement.

"I was honoured to know, love and work with her and she will always have a place in my heart and in the heart of so many film and TV fans the world over."

Born in Dublin, Fricker also appeared with Mike Myers in So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993), and in A Time to Kill (1996), a legal drama starring Samuel L Jackson, Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey.

Reacting to the news of her death, Irish deputy prime minister Simon Harris described her as a "national treasure" who paved the way for many Irish stars. 

"The [Oscar] win and her emotional acceptance speech, in which she dedicated the award to 'all the people of Ireland', was a defining moment for Irish cinema," the Tanaiste said.

"As the first Irish woman to win an acting Oscar, she opened doors and set a standard of excellence that continues to inspire generations of Irish artists."