IRISH actor Frank Kelly has died at the age of 77.

Kelly was best known for his role as Father Jack on Father Ted.

He passed away over the weekend.

In 2015, the actor revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Frank Kelly, 77, spent 60 years on screen and stage.

He died exactly 18 years after the death of his Father Ted co-star Dermot Morgan.

Series writer Graham Linehan tweeted: "Just hearing from various sources that Frank Kelly has passed away.

"Terribly sad news. Thanks for everything."

As well as appearing on the Channel 4 sitcom, he had more recent roles in Emmerdale and Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie.

But he is best known for his role playing the irreverent and foul-mouthed priest Father Jack in a comedy which lampooned Irish Catholicism and proved a massive hit with viewers.

Morgan's son Don tweeted about the coincidence of the date of his co-star's death.

"Isn't life just weird? Frank Kelly going on Dad's anniversary."

The programme about three priests and their housekeeper living on the fictional Craggy Island, somewhere off Ireland's west coast, attracted huge audiences in Ireland, Britain and abroad.

It aired over three series between 1995 and 1998 and won a string of Bafta awards.

Father Jack Hackett was an alcoholic and at times violent clergyman who made no attempt to mask his contempt for his fellow priests.

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One of his defining quotes was "Drink! Feck! Arse! Girls!"

Father Ted Crilly, Father Dougal McGuire and Mrs Doyle were shown to be generally tolerant of his drunken antics.