The New York Times said Saturday O'Faolain first gained fame in her native land with the 1996 release of her first memoir, "Are You Somebody?," which detailed the hardships of Irish life during the 1940s and '50s.

In an interview, the author described the hardships during those time periods for Irish women.

"A lot of us suffered in the Ireland of my day," she said. "We came out of a culture where women were utterly powerless and children had no value."

O'Faolain later followed "Somebody" with the 2003 memoir "Almost There," which detailed a number of life stories readers had shared with O'Faolain after reading her best seller.

"Dream" represented the author's attempt at fiction, but the novel's main focus remained on the hardships suffered during Ireland's notable history.

The Times said O'Faolain, who died Friday in Dublin, is survived by her partner, John Low-Beer; and her siblings, Noreen, Marian, Niamh, Grainne O'Broin, Deirdre Brady and Terry O'Faolain.