Who is Fionnula Flanagan? Redwater actress playing Agnes Byrne in the EastEnders spin-off show
EASTENDERS favourites Kat and Alfie are well-known characters to fans but now UK viewers are getting to know a host of Irish stars in the BBC series.
Irish actress Fionnula Flanagan will play one of the main characters in the EastEnders spin-off, Redwater which is based in Ireland. Here's the lowdown...
Who is Fionnula Flanagan? What's her background?
Fionnula, 75, was born in Dublin on December 10, 1941.
She went to school in Switzerland and England and trained to be an actress at the Abbey Theatre before moving to LA in 1968.
Her big break in Ireland came in 1965 thanks her role as Máire in a production of an Irish play, An Triail. In 1967, she won acclaim for her portrayal of Gerty McDowell in the film version of James Joyce's Ulysses.
She made her Broadway debut in 1968 in Brian Friel's Lovers.
She married her husband, Garrett O'Connor, in 1972. He died in 2015.
What has Fionnula starred in?
After her move to America, Fionnula regularly appeared in made-for-TV movies such Mary White and The Legend Of Lizzy Borden.
She won an Emmy in 1976 for her role as Clothilde in a mini-series called Rich Man, Poor Man.
Fionnula also starred in a number of Star Trek spin-offs and had a recurring role as Eloise Hawking in cult TV show Lost.
Her film roles include playing Mrs Bertha Mills opposite Nicole Kidman in 2001 film, The Others and Annie Higgins in Some Mother's Son.
She has also starred in The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, The Guard and The Invention Of Lying.
Other TV roles include Revelations, Transamerica and Brotherhood.
What is Redwater?
The final instalment of the EastEnders spin-off show airs on June 22 at 8pm on BBC One.
Described as a spin-off from the BBC soap, Redwater has some exciting plot twists and sees Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie (played by Shane Ritchie) transported to a sleepy fishing village in Ireland in search of Kat’s long lost son.
Fans will remember that at just 14-years-old, Kat gave birth to twins – a boy and a girl – in a convent after being raped by her uncle Harry.
While the girl Zoe (played by Michelle Ryan) was raised as Kat’s sister among her family, the boy was taken by the nuns to Ireland and given the name Luke.
It was only recently during a return to Albert Square that Kat found out about his existence and is desperate to track him down.
Produced by former EastEnders boss Dominic Treadwell-Collins, the six-part drama see the couple encounter the Kelly and Dolan families, who have lived in Redwater for generations.
The inhabitants are less than keen to reveal the secrets of the close-knit village.
Jessie has promised fans that they will see a softer side to Kat, and revealed she did all her own stunts for the show – one of which saw her submerged in freezing murky waters!
What role will Fionnula play in Redwater?
Fionnula will have a main role in the series, playing farm owner Agnes Byrne.
Speaking about her role, Fionnula said: "This is a fascinating character, full of secrets, deceit and manipulation. My favourite!
"It's a wonderful story which will keep you guessing forever and ever. Great writing and a fabulous director.”
Agnes and Kat have a run-in during episode one when the Walford native becomes convinced local man Andrew is her son.
However, after ruffling feathers with his mother Roisin - played by Maria Doyle Kennedy - the family matriarch Agnes sends Kat on her way, leaving Alfie to play peace keeper.
