Outlander star Caitríona Balfe has paid an emotional tribute to her father following the sad news that he has passed away.
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Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, she shared a photo of her father, James 'Jim' Balfe, alongside a heartfelt tribute in which she said that she was "lucky" and "grateful" to call him her father. She wrote: "My father James (Big Jim) BALFE passed on Tuesday August 2nd. He was a mountain of a man, big in stature and personality. His presence and influence was huge in my life. He was loved by so many and will be missed by us all."
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She went on to thank those that have rallied around her family during the difficult time, adding: "Thank you to all our neighbours and friends for their kindness and thoughtfulness over this past week." She then concluded the post: "I feel grateful to have been lucky enough to be able to call him dad."
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Fans and friends of the actress rushed to share their condolences, with one writing in the comment section: "I'm so sorry for your loss. Sending prayers of comfort and peace."
Another said: "What a beautiful tribute. Truly sorry for your loss. May memories of him be a comfort to you as you process," while Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan added: "So sorry to hear that Caitríona. Sending you love."
According to the Irish Sun, the retired garda sergeant passed away in the Mater Hospital in Belfast a week ago, on Tuesday 2 August. It's not known what caused his death, but it is believed that it was sudden.
Caitríona previously said that her parents have become proud of her success as an actress
Caitríona, who welcomed her son just under a year ago in August 2021, previously revealed how her parents have become proud of her success as an actress.
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"At this point, they are proud, that's probably quite recent. It's hard to know, my parents are quite stoic but all of my siblings, we've all done pretty alright in our various fields," the 42-year-old said on the podcast The Unimaginable with James Brown.
"I like that my parents aren't super enamoured with the entertainment business. I like that they don't get swept away with the whole thing."
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