Tributes paid to actor and patron of Active Retirement

TRIBUTES HAVE been paid to the actor Anna Manahan, who died in her native Waterford over the weekend, aged 84.

The theatre, film and television veteran, who was made a Freewoman of Waterford in 2002, was just months ago appointed the first patron of Active Retirement Ireland, following a spirited attack on the Government when it tried to remove the automatic right to a medical card from the over-70s.

Speaking on RTÉ's Livelineshe described the Government as "the most dreadful, heartless bunch of people".

Appointing her patron of Active Retirement Ireland in November, the organisation’s chief executive Maureen Kavanagh said she would motivate older people because she showed “it is possible for an older person to live in dignity and independence”.

Born in October 1924, Manahan was brought up in Waterford and her father, Paddy, was a celebrated local comedian. She left the city to train in the Gaiety School of Acting, run by Ria Mooney, and began working in Dublin theatres in the 1940s.

She met her husband, theatre man Colm O’Kelly, towards the end of the 1940s and less than a year after they married she lost him to polio – a disease he contracted after swimming in the Nile while on holiday in Egypt. She was 32 and never remarried.

Her early acting career was championed by theatrical legends Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir of the Gate Theatre. She worked on several productions with playwrights John B Keane – who wrote Big Maggiefor her – and Brian Friel.

She came to prominence starring as Serafina in the European premiere of the Tennessee Williams play The Rose Tattooin Dublin in 1957, a play that caused controversy because a member of the audience mistakenly believed a packaged condom was used as a prop. The mistake resulted in a police raid on the theatre and the director's arrest.

Anna Manahan was rarely out of work and took whatever jobs came her way. Television work included roles in the RTÉ comedy Leave it to Mrs O'Brienas well as The Riordansand The Irish RM. More recently she acted in the RTÉ soap Fair Cityin which she played the character Ursula.

In film she worked with, among others, Laurence Olivier, Peter Cushing, Kenneth More, Maggie Smith, Albert Finney and Brenda Fricker.

In 1998 she won a Tony award for her performance on Broadway as Mag Folan in Martin McDonagh's The Beauty Queen of Leenane. She had received a Tony nomination almost 30 years previously – in 1969 – when she starred in Friel's Lovers.

Yesterday the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen said when people talked about influential Irish actresses, they spoke of Anna Manahan.

“That is a testament to the talent she had,” he said. “Anna Manahan loved Waterford and Waterford loved her. The city and country will miss this affectionate, charismatic woman and consummate artist.”

Waterford writer and director Jim Nolan said he and Anna were great friends. “She was a great, great trooper. She struggled for many years as most actors do but lived to have a glorious career and while she went to the very top of her profession, she never forgot where she came from.”

Mayor of Waterford Jack Walsh said: “We will never forget her zest for life, her wry smile, her infectious enthusiasm for life and the magnificent contribution she made to all our lives as well as the remarkable impression she has made in her native city.”

Her remains will be removed to Waterford Cathedral tomorrow at 6.30pm, and she will be laid to rest following Requiem Mass on Wednesday at St Mary’s Cemetery in Ballygunner.