Funeral of Irish actress Brenda Fricker under way in Dublin

The funeral of the Oscar-winning Irish actress Brenda Fricker is taking place in Dublin on Thursday, following her death last month.

Fricker won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 1990 for playing Daniel Day-Lewis's on-screen mother in My Left Foot.

She was the first Irish woman to win an Academy Award, beating Hollywood stars including Julia Roberts and Anjelica Huston.

The 81-year-old was also well known for playing nurse Megan Roach in the BBC's Casualty from 1986, making her final appearance in 2010; and was the Central Park pigeon lady in 1992's Home Alone sequel.

Born in Dublin, Fricker began her acting career with parts in TV and the theatre, including Ireland's first soap opera Tolka Row in the 1960s, and ITV soap Coronation Street in 1977.

She was in the cast of the first episode of long-running BBC medical drama Casualty in 1986, remaining a fixture until 1990 and returning regularly in the subsequent years.

In her Oscar's speech she dedicated the award to all the people of Ireland.

My Left Foot told the true story of an Irish man named Christy Brown, played by Day-Lewis, who was born with cerebral palsy and could control only his left foot. The actor also won an Oscar, his first of three, for his starring role.

Perhaps her most memorable role, however, came two years later when Fricker was cast as the homeless bird lady befriended by Macaulay Culkin's Kevin in Home Alone 2.

Her other film credits included 1993's So I Married An Axe Murderer, 1994's Angels In The Outfield, 1996's A Time To Kill and 2003's Veronica Guerin.

However, she later claimed she would have gone on to have a better career if it hadn't been for her success at the Oscars.

The funeral service is at 11:00 local time at St Catherine's Church and will be followed by a private burial.