O'Hara, best known for her movie roles in the original Miracle on 34th Street and The Quiet Man, passed away in her sleep at her home in Boise, Idaho.

A statement from her family reads: "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.

"Her characters were feisty and fearless, just as she was in real life. She was also proudly Irish and spent her entire lifetime sharing her heritage and the wonderful culture of the Emerald Isle with the world.

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

Born Maureen Fitzsimons in Ireland, O'Hara arrived in Hollywood in the late 1930s and portrayed Esmerelda in Charles Laughton's The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1939. She also starred in classic movies like 1941's How Green Was My Valley, 1942's The Black Swan and 1947's Sinbad the Sailor, and appeared alongside leading men like John Wayne, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., James Stewart and Henry Fonda.

She was a favourite of legendary filmmaker John Ford, who cast her in five of his films, including The Quiet Man in 1952, alongside Wayne.

She was honoured with a lifetime achievement Oscar last year (Nov14).