Patrick Kielty is mourning the death of his mother.
Mary Kielty, who was aged in her 80s, died peacefully at home today.
She was from Dundrum in Co Down.
The news emerged hours after Patrick Kielty fronted the latest episode of RTE’s Late Late Show last night.
Mrs Kielty’s funeral will take place on Monday.
Despite her son’s public profile, Mary Kielty always stayed out of the limelight.
Shortly after taking over as host of the Late Late, Patrick said: “Mary Kielty is secretly delighted but not making any real public statements.”
He also revealed how his mother took a no-nonsense approach to his fame.
“Whenever my mother leaves Mass on Sunday and someone says, ‘Mary you must be very proud of your son,’ she will reply, ‘Which son? I’ve got three of them and I’m proud of them all’.”
Speaking during an appearance at the Irish Open in Co Down, he also revealed his mother still offers to do his laundry.
“I think Irish mummies never really understand what age their youngsters actually are. So you do get a lot of offers like ‘Do you have any washing’ and I would be like ‘Well no, no that’s done, I’m 53 mum,” he revealed.
Patrick Kielty’s father Jack was shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries in 1988. He was just 16 at the time.
Speaking on a BBC programme in 2018, he revealed that the IRA offered “revenge” for his father’s murder.
He stressed his family rejected the IRA’s offer “in no uncertain terms”.
In ‘My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me’, he said: “My dad died for nothing – he wasn’t a political figure, he wasn’t taking a stand.
“He had a building firm, he employed both sides.
“That wouldn’t be considered a stand anywhere else. He was just doing the right thing.”
Three men were convicted in connection with the killing, but freed after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
More to follow