George ‘Mondo’ McMahon pays tribute to Fair City actress who has died

Carol Anne played beautiful Brazilian housekeeper Francesca De Silva in Fair City in the mid-2000s, who had a relationship on the hit soap with Mick Nolan’s character Ray O’Connell.

Romance also blossomed in real life between Carol Anne and Mick, who became a couple and were together until her death.

George, who plays Ray’s son ‘Mondo’ in the RTÉ show confirms the cast are devastated at her loss and their offer their sympathy to Mick

“We only heard the sad news late on Friday night,” George tells the Sunday World.

“We are all so saddened by it. Carol Anne was a cast mate of ours before anything, to lose a colleague is really sad. But we are all thinking of Mick, because Mick and Carol Anne were like two peas in a pod. They were like a power couple in Carrigstown, and we are all so heart broken.”

Friends confirm Carol Anne was unwell in recent times and her sad passing was “not unexpected”

George describes Carol Anne as a “wonderful actress and person”.

“She excuded confidence,” he recalls. “She was full of compliments for people and anybody that she was speaking to she would make you feel special and light up the room. She was a very positive person and she made it her life’s career, teaching people how to be positive and training people to be the best version of themselves.

“I would have been in contact with her over the years and she would be like a bright shining light in any room.”

Dubliner Carol Anne was also a celebrated opera singer as well as a communications mentor.,

“I remember the Brazilian ambassador inviting me to his home for dinner because he thought I was actually a Brazilian actress, but in fact it was little old me from Drimnagh,” she once recalled.

Whilst singing at Dublin Castle during a state visit in 1997, Carol Anne was approached by a leading US politician, who asked if she could teach him to mesmerise an audience and speak with confidence, conviction and passion.

That kickstarted a career in communications and the birth of her company, Blue Moon Communications, and she worked with politicians throughout the world.

Carol Anne’s photographer sister Jeanette yesterday posted on social media: “My beautiful sister Carol Anne left this world last night too young.

“We are incredibly sad at the loss of this incredibly beautiful, kind and amazingly talented woman, but so lucky to have had her.”