Oscar-winner Brenda Fricker famous as Home Alone 2’s Pigeon Lady dies

The actress is remembered for roles including My Left Foot and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York.

Oscar-winning Irish actress Brenda Fricker has died aged 81, her agent said today. She was best known for her roles in My Left Foot, for which she won an Oscar, and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York.

Phil Belfield said in a statement to the Press Association: “We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her. 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.”

She appeared in the BBC’s Casualty as Megan Roach until 1990 and was in films including So I Married an Axe Murderer, Angels in the Outfield, A Time to Kill, Veronica Guerin and Inside I’m Dancing.

In 1990, Fricker became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award, taking the Best Supporting Actress award for playing Daniel Day-Lewis’ character Christy Brown’s mum Bridget in the 1989 film My Left Foot. Day-Lewis also won, for Best Actor.

In her acceptance speech, Brenda thanked Brown “for being alive” and also dedicated her Oscar to Brown’s real-life mother, saying “Anybody who gives birth 22 times deserves one of these, I think.”