Famous for her Irish Film and Television Academy Award-winning performances in the movies Nora (2000) and 16 Years of Alcohol (2003), she is also notable for her acclaimed work in the 2002 television miniseries Any Time Now and in the films Beautiful Creatures (2000) and Mapmaker (2001).
She trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama.
A stage performer as well as a screen Actress, she played leading roles in the Royal National Theatre's production of The Night Season and in the Almeida Theatre's staging of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.
Born into a family of both Irish and Italian heritage, she spent her youth in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, and grew up with four siblings, including an actor brother named John Lynch. She later settled in Gloucestershire, England, with her actor husband, Craig Parkinson, and the couple's son.
She co-starred with Fionnula Flanagan in the 1998 comedy film Waking Ned Devine.
