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Who was Brenda Fricker? About the late Oscar winner
Brenda Fricker passed away last month

Who was Brenda Fricker? About the late Oscar winner

Aug 06, 2026
04:14 pm

What's the story

Brenda Fricker, the Oscar-winning Irish actor who starred in My Left Foot and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, will be laid to rest in Dublin on Thursday. The funeral service will take place at St Catherine's Church on Meath Street before a private burial. The 81-year-old passed away last month under the care of Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross.

Career highlights

First Irish woman to win an Oscar

Fricker made history in 1990 by becoming the first Irish woman to win an Academy Award.

She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Christy Brown's mother in My Left Foot, opposite Daniel Day-Lewis.

Her performance remains a defining moment in Irish cinema.

Over a career spanning more than six decades, she appeared in acclaimed films including The Field, Veronica Guerin, and Albert Nobbs.

Iconic performances

'Home Alone 2' and other notable credits

Fricker is also remembered for her role as the Pigeon Lady who befriends Kevin McCallister in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Her other notable film credits include So I Married An Axe Murderer (1993), Angels In The Outfield (1994), A Time To Kill (1996), and Veronica Guerin (2003).

However, she later claimed that her Oscar win may have hindered her career progression.

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