Report: Irish author Maeve Binchy dies at 72

LONDON (AP) -- Irish media reports say that bestselling author Maeve Binchy has died in Dublin after a brief illness. She was 72 years old.
 
Binchy, author of "Circle of Friends" and "Tara Road," was considered one of Ireland's most popular writers. Her work landed her on the New York Times' bestseller list and in Oprah Winfrey's Book Club.
 
The Irish Times, which told the AP it had spoken to Binchy's family, said the acclaimed author died in a Dublin hospital on Monday.
 
After graduating from University College Dublin, Binchy worked as a teacher before becoming a journalist at the Irish Times and later a novelist.
 
Her last novel -- "Minding Frankie" -- was published in 2010, the same year she received a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Book Awards.