Irish comedian Brendan Grace has died at the age of 68 after a short illness.
Born in Dublin, he began his career in entertainment as a singer but turned to comedy, becoming well known for characters like Bottler and the Father of the Bride.
He was also an actor acclaimed for roles including Father Fintan Stack in the Channel 4 cult comedy Father Ted.
His family said he had been grateful for the support from fans since his illness was announced.
His 1975 song Combine Harvester was a number one hit in the Republic of Ireland.
In later years he divided his time between Ireland and the US.
He suffered ill health but continued to perform and had been due to tour Ireland this summer before being diagnosed with cancer.
Brendan O’Carroll, the creator and star of the comedy show Mrs Brown’s Boys, was among those who paid tribute to him on Twitter.
Tom Kelly, Mr Grace’s manager for 27 years, described him as “one of the greatest entertainers of this era”.
“He gave a performance every night that merited the applause he received,” he told Irish national broadcaster RTÉ.
“We can look back with pride on Brendan’s lifetime – he was a great family man, very close with them and he was adored by his fans all over the world.”
Source:Â bbc.com