Actress Clare Cathcart died on Thursday
FERMANAGH and the wider community remain in shock following the death of Belnaleck actress Clare Cathcart.
The 48-year-old television star passed away at her home in Brighton on Thursday. Clare was a mother of two girls, Jeanie and Elsie, and lived in Brighton from where she regularly commuted to London for her stage and television work.
The former Enniskillen Collegiate student is perhaps best known for her recent portrayal of ‘Mrs Torpy’ in the popular series, ‘Call the Midwife’, but also starred in amongst others; ‘New Tricks’, ‘Holby City’, ‘My Family’, ‘The Bill’ and ‘Casualty’.
She had been scheduled to play a school teacher in the forthcoming thriller ‘The White Room’.
Her uncle, Malcolm explained that Clare was home last month for her parent’s 50th wedding anniversary.
“She was in great form. In fact, we went over to Brighton to see her last July and she was in great form then. She had a nice flat there beside the station and used to travel up to London to do her acting work.
“It’s a big shock.”
In a heartfelt tribute Amanda Howard Associates expressed pride at representing the Fermanagh actress.
“It is with huge sadness that we have to report the death of our beloved friend and client, Clare Cathcart.
“Clare was brilliant, fearless and funny; a wonderful actor who we are immensely proud to have represented.
“Her credits are too vast to list in full but, to name a few, she’ll be remembered for her work at The Royal Court, The RSC, The National, The Tricycle and Chichester Festival Theatre as well as innumerable appearances on screen, most recently in New Tricks and Call The Midwife.
“Without her razor-sharp wit and glorious laugh, the world will seem a darker place. We will miss her enormously.”
Enniskillen Collegiate principal, Elizabeth Armstrong said the school community was very shocked and saddened.
“I personally remember her as a fellow pupil and an outstanding performer in school productions, such as ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ and House plays, where the brightness of her talent and the lively effervescence of her character and personality shone through.
“We all watched her distinguished acting career go from well-deserved strength to strength with much delight and pride. Our hearts go out to her family in their deep loss.”
Fellow Fermanagh actor, Adrian Dunbar described her death as, ‘an absolute tragedy’.
“She was about to come into her own as an actress, which makes her untimely death all the more tragic.
“She was also a fabulous mother who managed to bring up her daughters brilliantly. I spoke to her during the (Beckett) festival, when we had lunch together and she was in such fantastic form. It is hard to believe she’s not with us. It is a huge loss to so many people.”
Clare is survived, locally, by her parents, Arthur and Doreen who live at Castlecoole Road, Enniskillen and are actively involved, respectively, with Castlehume and Enniskillen golf clubs.
She is further survived by her brother, Adrian, by her uncle, Malcolm and aunts, Jennifer Cathcart and Marion Maxwell, all Belnaleck.
The funeral is expected to be in England in a few weeks’ time, and a memorial service is also to be held in Brighton in the next two to three weeks.
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