Primarily known for her work on the stage, she played Mary Lacey in the Academy Award-nominated film Brooklyn.
For her performance as Mary Lacey, the mother of Saoirse Ronan's character in Brooklyn, she won Best Supporting Actress at the 13th Irish Film & Television Awards.
Among her many roles include performances in The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Playboy of the Western World, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane.
[5] She appeared opposite Sarah Bolger in Abner Pastoll's 2019 crime-thriller A Good Woman Is Hard to Find, written by Academy Award nominee Ronan Blaney.
She had a main cast role in crime drama Hidden Assets as CAB Chief Eileen Gately.