Mrs Brown's Boys actor Brendon O’Carroll buys Christmas dinner for 2,500 families

Brendan O'Carroll in the Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas special (BBC)

The actor Brendon O’Carroll is spreading Christmas cheer this year by buying Christmas dinner for 2,500 families in need.

The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) told The Irish Examiner the Mrs Brown’s Boys star donated dinner for distribution to the families it supports on Christmas Day.

SVP said O’Carroll donates to the foundation every year, which supported his own mother when she was widowed with 11 children while living in Dublin. The 59-year-old also supports a number of other charities including Irish Autism Action and Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Dublin.

"The continuous generosity of Brendan is unbelievable," a spokesperson for SVP said. "It is an imaginative yet practical way to help many families in need.

“Our volunteers know that the families who benefit from his generosity not only appreciate his action but take extra pleasure in knowing that it comes with the compliments of Mrs Brown, an iconic and internationally famous Dublin mother."