Brenda Fricker to receive Freedom of Dublin

Brenda Fricker is set to receive the Freedom of The City of Dublin, following her nomination by Dublin Lord Mayor Ray McAdam and the approval of the Dublin City Council.

“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,” said McAdam. “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.”

Fricker is an actress known for her performances in A Time to Kill, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and Angels in the Outfield, and Irish films like Veronica Guerin and Inside I’m Dancing. In 1990, she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in My Left Foot opposite Daniel Day-Lewis. Fricker was the inaugural winner of the Maureen O’Hara Award at the 2008 Kerry Film Festival.

“Brenda’s Academy Award winning performance in My Left Foot was a landmark moment for Irish acting and Irish cinema,” said McAdam. “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.”

Previous honourees include Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy, and U2. The Freedom of Dublin comes with ceremonial privileges, including the right to bring goods into the city without paying customs duties and the right to pasture sheep on city commons (U2 took advantage of the latter right after receiving the honour in 2000, grazing lambs on Stephen’s Green). Fricker’s name will also be inscribed in the Roll of Honorary Freedom of Dublin.