THE death has taken place of the actress, animal welfare campaigner and theatre director, Ms Nora Lever.
Ms Lever, who lived in Dublin and was in her mid 80s, acted in all the major Irish theatres in a career spanning more than 40 years. She died in St Vincent's Hospital after becoming ill on Christmas Eve.
Ms Lever, who was single, was a committee member of the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals until 1991. She was chairwoman of the Cat Protection League.
Her commitment to animal welfare first came to public attention when she spoke against the "disgraceful" transportation of horses by boat to Britain in the 1970s.
In 1988 she secured the co operation of FAS for a community employment scheme which now employs 12 people working with abandoned and injured animals.
Ms Lever was professor of speech and drama at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
She acted in many successful productions and set up the experimental 37 Theatre Club with Mr Barry Cassin in the 1940s. Her dramatic productions were highly acclaimed, most notably her production of Murder in the Cathedral in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.
She said on many occasions that drama was not taught properly in schools and the State had contributed to its underdevelopment.