The death has taken place in Dublin of actress Deirdre O'Connell. An enigmatic figure on the Dublin stage O'Connell was married to the late Luke Kelly and was the founder and driving force behind the city's Focus Theatre.
Invariably dressed in black, she became a familiar sight in 1960s Dublin, walking quickly through the streets near the Pocket Theatre, and later the Focus Theatre, her flaming red hair piled high on her head.
Born in the South Bronx, New York City, in June 1939, to what she described as immigrant parents, she never considered herself anything but Irish and said she never had any doubt she would return "home".
Her acting career began when she won a scholarship to the New York Actor's Studio where she studied under the renowned Lee Strasberg who taught the Stanislavski style of method acting. Her teachers included Erwin Piscator, Saul Colin and Allan Miller.
On arrival in Ireland she determined to open a Stanislavski studio and did so in 1963, giving classes at the Pocket Theatre in the south city.
O'Connell was also a noted singer and appeared at a number of international venues, including the Newport Folk Festival where she sang with Joan Baez and Bob Dylan.
Funeral arrangements were not in place last night.