Karl Shiels death: Peaky Blinders and Batman Begins star dies aged 47

Peaky Blinders and Batman Begins actor Karl Shiels has died at the age of 47.

The Irish soap star was also well-known for starring in Fair City as Robbie Quinn was confirmed by his agent today, reports RTÉ.

In a statement, his agent Lisa Richard said: "We are deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of our client and friend Karl Shiels, yesterday.

"Karl was a uniquely talented individual, simultaneously intense, light-hearted, funny, sharp-witted, outspoken and intensely powerful as an actor, director and artistic director of the Theatre Upstairs – where he was such a support and mentor for young writers, actors and directors – and of his own company Semper Fi before that.

"Our hearts are broken but today our thoughts are with his partner Laura and his family, his children and their mother Dearbhla and his many close friends among whom we count ourselves lucky to have been for so many years.’

The Dublin-born actor worked on internationally-acclaimed television shows and films including Batman Begins, Veronica Guerin, Intermission, The Clinic, and Capital Letters for which he was nominated for an IFTA for Best Actor in 2004.

He also starred in a number of television shows, playing a character called Ryan in an episode of Peaky Blinders back in 2013 as well as playing Declan in martial arts drama, Into the Badlands.

He also had a prominent stage career, appearing in several productions in Dublin’s Abbey Theatre including Beauty in a Broken Place, At Swim-Two Birds and The Barbaric Comedies.

Shiels’ death comes weeks after the passing of Tom Jordan who played Charlie Kelly in the long-running Irish soap.