Panto dame Fionula Linehan: When I was younger I’d gone to theatre, watched it, loved it

Ireland’s only female panto dame, Fionula Linehan describes being in hospital and bidding goodbye to a sport she’d held dear — before life unexpectedly opened a door that led to a new passion she has been living since

Panto dame Fionula Linehan in full costume on stage at the Everyman with Dolly proudly leading the pack during a special visit from My Canine Companion puppies-in-training ahead of this year’s Cinderella! panto. Picture: Chani Anderson

I was in hospital having a hysterectomy when Princess Diana’s funeral was on. I had fibroids, benign growths — if I didn’t deal with them they’d grow, eventually cause blockages and damage.

I remember waking up on the Sunday, news of her death on the radio and it shocking the world. And sitting up in bed later that week, her funeral on the telly — patients and nurses all glued to it.