'A free woman of our city' - Former Lord Mayor pays tribute to Brenda Fricker

The late Brenda Fricker was due to receive the the Freedom of Dublin City for her "immense contribution to culture," with former Lord Mayor Ray McAdam stating although she did not sign the role of honour she will always be "a free woman of our city"

News Stephen Holland Local Democracy Reporter 14:22, 17 Jul 2026 Updated 14:27, 17 Jul 2026 View Image Brenda Fricker holds up her Oscar after winning Best Supporting Actress for her role in My Left Foot March 26 at the 62nd Academy Awards in Los Angeles. (Image: Bettmann/Getty Images)

Former Lord Mayor Ray McAdam has paid tribute to the late Brenda Fricker, who was due to receive the Freedom of Dublin City this year.

The Fine Gael councillor told Dublin Live he is "absolutely devastated” and said “today is a terrible day” as Fricker has died aged 81 . Describing Fricker as a “remarkable woman,” he revealed plans announced last February to honour the Academy Award winning actress never came to fruition but “she will forever be remembered as a free woman of Dublin”.

“Though she didn’t get the opportunity to sign the role of honour she is a free woman of Dublin,” he said.

Cllr McAdam said he wished to honour Fricker for her “immense contribution to culture”. “I think she enriched our city, she brought pride to Dublin and she never lost that warmth, wit, and grounded nature that comes with being a Dub,” he said.

While the former Lord Mayor never got to speak with Fricker, he revealed they had been in contact via text. “I was just looking through those messages this morning and even in a time when she wasn’t well, the wit, the humour, the love of Dublin and pride in the city always shone through,” he said.

“I know from talking with friends of hers that she was deeply proud of being a free woman of our city.”

Having earned an Oscar for Best Support Actress for her role in My Left Foot, she made history as the first Irish woman to win an Academy Award for acting. Appearing in several iconic releases, viewers will recognise the late Fricker for parts in The Field, Home Alone 2, Veronica Guerin and many more.

“Brenda Fricker is one of Dublin’s most distinguished cultural figures and it is a source of immense pride that our city is recognising her in this way. My mayoral theme is ‘Celebrating Dublin’, and tonight we do exactly that by honouring a great Dublin woman whose talent, integrity and craft have represented our capital city with distinction across a lifetime of extraordinary work,” former Lord Mayor McAdam said last February.

"Brenda’s Academy Award winning performance in ‘My Left Foot’ was a landmark moment for Irish acting and Irish cinema. But what makes her career so special is the body of work that followed, marked by honesty, depth and a rare ability to bring warmth and toughness in the same breath. Her performances have helped tell Irish stories and have become part of family life across generations."

"This honour is not simply about international acclaim. It is about contribution and the pride Brenda has brought to Dublin and to Ireland."

"Her work also has a personal resonance in our own family. My son Iarlaith loves ‘Home Alone 2’ and knows Brenda as the Pigeon Lady, a role that continues to be discovered by a whole new generation. My wife Niamh has often spoken about how films like ‘A Time to Kill’ helped inspire her own path into law and public service. That is the quiet reach of great work. It travels, it endures, and it can help shape lives.”

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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