Award-winning actress mourned in Trim

The recent death of the actress Anna Manahan was mourned in Trim where she was a regular visitor over the years, particularly to her sister, the late Freda Vaughan and her family. The sisters shared a love of theatre and stage, and the late Mrs Vaughan was very involved in Trim Drama Society as well as Trim Musical Society, the choral group and the choir. She was chairperson of the drama society for seven years and an honorary lifelong member at the time of her death. The Tony Award-winning actress, Ms Manahan, often visited Trim, especially when some of the local societies were staging shows. Mrs Vaughan"s daughter, Elfreda, who is a drama teacher and carrying on the family tradition, said last week that her grandfather, Paddy Manahan, was very involved in musical theatre in Waterford, and passed on this love of stage to further generations. Anna Manahan trained in the Gaiety School of Acting and in the Gate Theatre with Edwards and MacLiammoir and, in 1949, performed for a season in Limerick, where she met her future husband Colm O"Kelly. In 1956, within 10 months of their marriage, he died in Egypt while they were touring with the Gate Theatre, having caught a virus while swimming. She never remarried. In 1957, as Serafina in Tennessee Williams"s 'The Rose Tattoo" at the Pike Theatre, Ms Manahan was centrally involved in the infamous affair that led to the production being shut down and the prosecution of the director Alan Simpson. She appeared in the RTÉ television comedy series 'Leave It To Mrs O"Brien" and, more recently, she played Ursula in 'Fair City". An early starring TV role was as Mrs Cadogan in 'The Irish RM". She was also in 'The Riordans" in the early days, recalled in last weekend"s showing of 'Arts Lives" on RTE. In 1969, she received a Tony nomination when she starred in Brian Friel"s 'Lovers" on Broadway. Almost 30 years later, in 1998, she returned to Broadway to play Mag Folan in Martin McDonagh"s 'The Beauty Queen of Leenane", and scooped the best actress award. Last autumn, after the Government announced the withdrawal of automatic entitlement to medical cards for over-70s, she said on radio that she would be prepared to go to jail over the issue if necessary. 'How dare they, how dare they attack the most vulnerable people in the country, people who have given so much,' she said. She was subsequently appointed the first patron of Active Retirement Ireland. Awarded the freedom of Waterford City in 2002, Ms Manahan was conferred with an honorary degree by the University of Limerick in 2003. Also in 2003, she received the Woman of the Year Drama Award. She is survived by her brothers, Val and Joe, nieces and nephews, including the three daughters and son of the late Freda and PJ Vaughan, both of whom ran as local election candidates in Trim on various occasions.