Screen legend Maureen O'Hara dies aged 95

President Michael D Higgins, who is on an eight-day official visit to the United States, said: "She received her early training at the Abbey Theatre, and went on to become an artist whose talents were recognised and appreciated all around the world."

'The Quiet Man' star Maureen O'Hara has died at the age of 95.

Her manager, Johnny Nicoletti, says O’Hara died in her sleep on Saturday at her home in Boise, Idaho.

Her family have confirmed her death in a statement saying she had passed away in her sleep today.

The Fitzsimons family statement said: "It is with a sad heart that we share the news that Maureen O’Hara passed away today in her sleep of natural causes.

“Maureen was our loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She passed peacefully surrounded by her loving family as they celebrated her life listening to music from her favorite movie, The Quiet Man.”

Michael D Higgins, who is on an eight-day official visit to the United States, said: “I have learned with great sadness of the death of the actress Maureen O’Hara. She will be remembered as an outstanding and versatile actress, whose work especially in film, will endure for many years to come.

“She received her early training at the Abbey Theatre, and went on to become an artist whose talents were recognised and appreciated all around the world.

“I especially remember with affection her recent visit to Aras an Uachtarain, when we discussed among other things her great love of Ireland and her strong family links to Shamrock Rovers.”

She became John Wayne’s favourite leading lady, appearing with him in The Quiet Man and other films. And she was little Natalie Wood’s mother in the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street.

The family said that O'Hara's characters were "feisty and fearless, just as she was in real life".

It continued: "She was also proudly Irish and spent her entire lifetime sharing her heritage and the wonderful culture of the Emerald Isle with the world.

O’Hara came to Hollywood to star in 1939’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame and went on to a long career. How Green Was My Valley, a touching 1941 drama about a Welsh mining family, won five Oscars including best picture.

"Later in life, she became the first woman president of a commercially scheduled airline in the United States.

"She had remained a champion of the arts, aviation and all things Irish throughout her life and never lost her joy and wonder of these pursuits."

They also highlighted Maureen's appreciation of the good will from people around the world.

They said: "She especially loved it when children recognised her from her role in Miracle on 34th Street and asked her: ‘Are you the lady who knows Santa Claus?’ She always answered: ‘Yes I am. What would you like me to tell him?’

Maureen's family also referenced her patriotism in their statement, encouraging her fans to visit Maureen's native Ireland.

"While we mourn the loss of a very wonderful woman, we also celebrate her remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world, especially in Ireland, to work hard to make their dreams come true and to always have the courage to stand up for themselves.

"For those who may ask what they can do to honour Maureen, we have a simple request: visit Ireland one day and think of her."

Maureen's manager added: "At 95, she used to say that she had the wear and tear that came with that kind of mileage.

"Her and John Wayne used to always have a saying, 'We are a couple of Rolls Royces and mileage never hurt a Rolls.' She also used to say, 'Old age is tough, especially when you are so young."

Maureen will be buried at the Arlington National Cemetery, next to her husband, US Navy pilot General Charles Blair who died in a plane crash in 1978.

She is survived by a daughter in Ireland.