The sister of iconic Fair City actress Jean Costello who sadly died this week has described the heartbreak of losing her sibling just hours after Christmas Day.
Jean Costello - best known for her role as Rita Doyle on the soap - passed away on St. Stephen's Day after a long battle with dementia.
The 76-year-old who lived in Mountjoy Square played the legendary Carrigstown character for 24 years before bowing out of the show in 2013.
Her sister Sylvia Murray said that Jean's life would be remembered in a celebration "full of singing and dancing".
She told Dublin Live: "I was very close to Jean. She was the only sister I have.
"She suffered a lot in the last few years though. She had breast cancer and had a breast removed.
"And for the last two years she suffered with dementia. In the end, the doctors said her kidneys had just failed in the last week.
Jean passed away at 2pm on December 26 but not before spending one more precious moment with her family.
Sylvia continues: "She spent Christmas Day with us but she wasn't well and had to be brought back to the hospital.
"On the day she died, she was surrounded by her whole family. Children, siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws.
"The doctors and nurses kept looking at us because there must have been 50-60 family members there. She got a big send off. "
Sylvia said she had great memories of Jean and that her life will be celebrated with details of the funeral yet to be confirmed.
She added: "Jean will be cremated and then afterwards we will celebrate her life by singing and dancing as she would have wanted.
"Especially by playing one of her favourite songs, Stand By Me by Ben E King. She learned to play it on the guitar and tin whistle.
She concluded: "Jean was a lady. At least she’s up there now keeping my nanny company, our two angels."
The actress was an integral part of Fair City when the Doyle family first hit our screens in 1989.
Her character Rita Doyle was Married to Bela - played by Jimmy Bartley - who was living in England when the show first started and would send cheques home to Rita and her six children: Helen, Jimmy, Yvonne, Suzanne, Darren and Louise.
In 2013, Carrigstown was forced to say goodbye to Jean's popular character who was written out of the show following an on-screen death.
