ROMA Tomelty was a character in the truest sense of the word.
She and her sister Frances were born into a theatrical family, their father Joe being beloved as an actor and playwright, from playing Bobby Greer in The McCooeys, to his many appearances on stage and film including his celebrated role as the doctor in the movie A Night to Remember.
It was in this heady atmosphere that Roma grew up, knowing from a young age that the stage was for her.
As a teenage member of the Young Irish Theatre Company, she had been appearing in All Souls Night in the Eblana in Dublin alongside Stephen Rea when her drama teacher, May McHenry, told her that Ulster Television was advertising for front of camera staff.
"You should go for an audition at least," she suggested to her less than enthusiastic pupil.
Roma told me how she had agreed: “I’d actually been in the studios before to be interviewed by Ivor Mills about the JM Synge play The Tinker's Wedding, which our company claimed was a premiere performance for Northern Ireland. He said Queen’s University had already performed this play in 1950.
"He was very condescending and obviously trying to catch me out but I was able to correct him: ‘I think you will find they did it illegally.’ I was only 16 and very haughty.”
This young lady certainly didn’t suffer fools gladly!
In the 1980s Roma and her husband Colin Carnegie established a professional theatre company specifically to perform works by Irish playwrights who were neglected at the time.
Eventually they introduced more modern plays which they toured and performed at festivals to great success.
She also appeared in many productions at the Lyric Theatre and with the Ulster Actors Company.
Its artistic director, Roy Heayberd, said Roma was a delight to direct although she always knew her own mind.
“She was full of self confidence, a vivacious woman with a big personality and a big voice. She was a driving force, an innovator,” he said.
With her background it wasn’t surprising that Roma opened the only drama school at that time and at the height of the Troubles it operated in Belfast city centre in Queen’s Street.
She believed that theatre introduced everyone to benefits they could call on in everyday life - self-esteem, team work, building a good memory and accepting responsibility.
Out of these years came Centre Stage Theatre Company which toured throughout Ireland, often liaising with education departments to work with school children, conducting summer drama courses and promoting new writers.
Through Centre Stage, Roma and her husband have given hundreds of teenagers confidence by accepting the challenge of getting the job done to the best of their ability.
The experience has also given a grounding in theatre to those who decide to make the stage their chosen career, just like their own children.
Roma and Colin had three daughters, Ruth, Rachel and Hanna, and they are all involved in theatre - a true dynasty.
I was visiting them the night Bill Clinton turned on the Christmas lights in Belfast.
Rachel was 13 at the time. She gave a sigh and said, "Right. I’m going to see President Clinton, back later."
We all advised her she wouldn’t even get close but "We'll see" came the mysterious reply.
A couple of hours later she arrived back. “Shake the hand that shook the hand of President Bill Clinton.”
How come? She’d gone to the props wardrobe in the attic, taken out a false leg plaster of Paris and two crutches and, once at the city hall, with a pained expression had limped towards the Christmas tree.
The police cleared a way for her and she bravely made her way right up to the President of the United States of America and shook his hand.
Like so many others, Rachel had learned from her mum, the best in the business, a kind woman, a determined woman and a woman with a huge talent for theatre and the ability to enthuse her audience.
It was with shock and sadness that we heard of Roma's death aged 75 on Wednesday morning.
I will miss sitting with her in my garden, taking away poppy seeds to sow and tomatoes to eat and always enjoying her rich throaty laughter.
As tributes pour in from colleagues and friends far and wide, the acting profession recognise that they have lost a unique woman of the theatre.
Our sympathies go to Colin, her sister Frances and the girls.
Anne Hailes
