Anne McMenamin loved to dance. It was a passion that was ignited from a young age and continued through into the latter years of her life.

She always found joy in dancing, her face lighting up as she embraced music and took to the floor whether it be at a ceilidh, a dinner dance or just in her own home.

Dancing is how her son, the actor Ciarán McMenamin, will remember his beloved mother who passed away peacefully at the age of 77 on Friday, May 13, 2022, following a short battle with cancer.

Describing his mother as a very "exuberant person" who "came to life" when there was anything to do with music or dancing, Ciarán recalled how her face "just lit up" as she danced: "She was just so full of joy for life when there was music involved."

The late Anne McMenamin.

The late Anne McMenamin.

Anne instilled this passion for the arts in her three children; Áine, Ciarán and Róisín.

"From as far back as I can remember mum was very much of the opinion that we should all find something to do in life that we enjoy as our job, because she'd say, 'if you enjoy what you do, it's not work'," Ciarán told The Impartial Reporter, paying tribute to Anne.

He explained that she spent "all her time and money" involving him and his sisters in music lessons and other extra-curricular activities.

"She's very much the person who is responsible for my acting career. She steered me into the Ardhowen when nobody else knew what to do with me, when I was a bit of a wild young fella, and she just knew it would suit me - and she was right.

"My sisters, Áine and Róisín are both music teachers now and that was all down to mummy getting them to do all their piano and cello grades," said Ciarán, adding: "She has given us a great heritage in terms of what we have in our own lives now."

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Born in Fermanagh, Anne grew up on her family's farm in the townland of Drumskinny, near Ederney.

As a child, she attended Montiagh School and later studied at Enniskillen Technical College (the Tech), cycling many miles from her home to the bus stop to catch the bus to Enniskillen every day, as was common in the 1950s.

The majority of her working life, Anne was a highly regarded nurse in the local community and beyond. She began her nursing training in Altnagelvin and later went on to complete more training in Glasgow.

"Then she took off to Canada and was a nurse there for a couple of years," said Ciarán, going on to explain that she then returned home to Fermanagh where she spent the rest of her working life as a district sister and was a "real part of the community".

On her retirement from nursing, Anne didn't stop. She trained as a counsellor and went on to volunteer in the St. Vincent De Paul charity shop in Enniskillen.

She also ran Palliative Transport Services, providing transport for local cancer patients who required treatments in hospitals outside of County Fermanagh.

In the last few years, Anne was overjoyed to become a grandmother to Ciarán's daughter Marnie and Áine's daughter Annie.

"To actually see her having that joy is giving me a lot of comfort. I'm just so glad that when she passed, she knew those little people existed.

"She got to hold them and she just came to life when she saw them," said Ciarán, adding: "That's the hardest thing, that she's not going to be there for my wee girl but I'm just over the moon [that she met her].

"I will never forget the image of my mum, when she came over to London and held that baby for the first time, she was complete."

The late Anne McMenamin pictured with her granddaughter Marnie, her son Ciaráns daughter.

The late Anne McMenamin pictured with her granddaughter Marnie, her son Ciarán's daughter.

Following a two month battle with liver cancer, Anne sadly passed away last Friday.

Talking about his mother's illness, Ciarán said: "She had breast cancer last year and had a mastectomy. I guess it was secondary cancer from that but she had a very aggressive liver cancer.

"Everybody's in shock about how quickly everything happened but there's a relief from that too in the fact she didn't have to suffer for six or eight months."

Anne's funeral was arranged by John McKeegan Funeral Undertaker and took place at St. Michael's Church, Enniskillen followed by interment in St. Patrick's Chapel cemetery, Montiagh, Culmaine Parish, Montiaghroe, Kesh.

Ciarán commented that amid the sadness of his mother's passing, he and the rest of his family have taken great comfort in the stories shared by the huge number of people who attended her wake and funeral.

"The amount of people coming out and sharing stories about fun stuff she got up to, it's really heartwarming," he said.

Cherished mother of Áine, Ciarán and Róisín, dearly loved grandmother to Annie and Marnie, dear sister of Harry (Marian), Sally Low (David RIP), Danny (Fidelma), Gerard (Ursula RIP) and the late Mary Simpson, Anne is deeply missed and forever loved by all her family, extended family, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbours.