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Veteran Irish actress Brenda Fricker passed away at the age of 81, after a decades-long artistic career during which she left a prominent mark in cinema and television. She was internationally known for her roles in the film 'My Left Foot', which earned her an Academy Award, as well as her participation in 'Home Alone 2' and the famous medical series 'Casualty'.

Her agent, Phil Belfield, announced the death, expressing his deep sadness, and said in a statement: 'We will never see her like again, and the world has become less bright with her passing.'

He added: 'It was an honor to know her, love her, and work with her, and she will always hold a special place in my heart and in the hearts of millions of cinema and television fans around the world.'

Fricker had achieved a historic milestone in 1990 when she became the first Irish actress to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her portrayal of the mother of actor Daniel Day-Lewis in 'My Left Foot', a role in which she outperformed a number of Hollywood stars, including Julia Roberts and Anjelica Huston.

On television, her name was associated with the series 'Casualty', as she portrayed the character of nurse Megan Roach since the show's launch on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1986, and remained one of the main characters until 1990, before returning for occasional episodes, with her last appearance on the series in 2010.

She also gained widespread fame among cinema audiences for her role as the homeless pigeon lady in Central Park who befriends the child Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin, in the 1992 film 'Home Alone 2', one of her most popular roles.

Brenda Fricker was born in the Irish capital Dublin, and began her artistic career through theater and television, before appearing in the series 'Coronation Street' in 1977, then in the drama 'Licking Hitler' written by David Hare in 1978.

She also participated in the first episode of 'Casualty' in 1986, later becoming one of the most prominent faces of British drama, before continuing her career with diverse roles in cinema and television, leaving an artistic legacy that made her one of the most important actresses in Irish history.