The twisted games and deluded ambitions of Carrigstown's favourite evil schemer have finally come to an end.

Lucy Mallon caused quite a stir and immeasurable anguish to a host of Carrigstown residents, particularly Dolores, Wayne and Pete. Pete seems to have finally won the day, Dolores has seen the light and poor Wayne is still trying to process all that went on.

Lucy disappeared in the back of a taxi leaving us all wondering if she will return and how those she left behind can move on from the trauma of recent months. After an eventful stint in Fair City, we caught up with Lorna Quinn to put some of your questions to her.

What was your favourite part about playing Lucy and why? (From Nicola)

My favourite part about playing Lucy was her ability to manipulate situations and people to suit her needs and wants. She was the ultimate actress, assuming different roles for the different people she interacted with in Carrigstown. I also liked how there was great intrigue and mystery surrounding her character. It kept everyone guessing until the very end.

Who were you friendliest with amongst the cast? Do you keep in touch with anyone? (From Nicola again)

As my storyline was primarily centred around a small core group of actors, I really became friendly with those actors I was working most closely with; Martina Stanley (Dolores), Victor Burke (Wayne), Enda Oates (Pete), Maclean Burke (Damien), Liana O'Cleirigh (Laura), Eimear Morrissey (Emily) and Bryan Murray (Bob). I couldn't have asked for a nicer group of people to work with. And yes, we do all keep in touch!

Is there any character in Fair City that you wish you had more scenes with? (From Aoife)

Maclean Burke (Damien) just totally cracks me up! He is soooooooo funny! It would have been nice to have more scenes with him - but I might have had trouble trying to keep a straight face when filming!

Who is your favourite character in Fair City? (From Colm)

I really like Bob (Bryan Murray). I like how he has reformed himself and come back fighting from his many difficult experiences in life. He has made a man of himself, despite his struggles with romantic relationships, business deals, money woes and shaky friendships. He's now owner of The Hungry Pig and seems to have grown quite savvy, conscientious and prudent in his ways, particularly in his reluctance to strike up a relationship with Renee again He is not unlike Lucy, in that he is a man not to be messed with. He is not afraid to stand up for himself and is ambitious and focused when it comes to getting what he wants.

What is it like to work in Fair City? (From Nicola and Ray)

Fantastic! It is all go go go! From morning until evening, both cast and crew are under a tight schedule, as two hours of television needs to be filmed each week. Everyone is so committed to their individual jobs and we are all working together as a team to film each scene to the best of our ability under a tight time frame. As a cast, we are so well looked after. From direction, stage and floor management, catering at break times, transport when necessary, make-up and hair, costumes, prop control and general all-around comraderie amongst everyone on the set floor.

You are always guaranteed two things when working on Fair City - you will be made feel so welcome and you will have such a laugh!

What was it like playing such a damaged character? (From Aine)

I really liked it. As I started playing Lucy two years ago (when she first arrived to Carrigstown and met Dolores at a donor seminar), I feel I have really grown to gain a deep insight into her character and into why she thinks and behaves the way she does. This insight was hugely aided by the detailed and thorough background information that I was given about Lucy. As the story was purposely written to spread throughout this year and last year, I had the benefit of time to really get to grips with this character and to prepare myself appropriately for the many dramatic scenes with which she was involved. The 'damaged' Lucy really came out towards the end of her storyline, and by that stage, having played her for a long time, I felt confident that I could understand and imagine how she must have felt, as the idyllic life she had set up for herself in Carrigstown, suddenly came crashing down.

I didn't consciously look for inspiration when playing Lucy. I felt I had a good understanding of her character from the notes I was given about her, from talking to the story team and from reading my scripts. I guess you just get into that 'head-space' naturally - It's quite an organic experience and I suppose you have to trust your own instincts when acting too - you know your character - they almost become your friend; your reponsibile for telling their story! So I suppose, 'Lucy' was my inspiration!

I hope not! It certainly was an intense storyline, particularly towards the end and although it may seem that her psychotic, manipulative, twisted ways may have been difficult for me personally to deal with - and that I may indeed go 'off the rails' after playing her! - I actually loved the drama, the intensity, the heated arguments, the evil looks, the game-playing, the losing control and of course, the timely, inevitable collapse at the end.

However, a nice comedic role is most welcome now!

Not really! There have been some occasions where it takes people a while to come around to seeing me as Lorna and not 'Lucy'. But I understand that that is all part of acting in a soap opera. Mostly, the response from the public has been very positive, friendly and supportive, which is lovely!

What did your family and friends think about you being biggest villain in Carrigstown for years? (From Karen)

They were and still are really excited about it all! They got a great kick out of seeing me play someone who is OBVIOUSLY nothing like me!! I am not villainous at all! I had my work cut out for me trying to convince friends that I was 'acting'!! It's not real!!

Wow, my greatest memory?! That's a difficult one as there are so many! Perhaps when I filmed my last scene and I was given a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a round of applause from the cast and crew - that was really special, as it signified, not only my last day, but also the achievement of having come to the end of telling Lucy's story. That was a nice feeling!

I learned that acting for TV requires focus, concentration, prepartion and good listening skills. I learned that so much more can be gained from each scene - in terms of depth, detail, creative nuances - if you really prepare yourself prior to stepping out onto the set floor to film your scenes.

That for me meant learning my lines really well and thinking about what activity I could be doing in each scene. For example, if I was working in The Hungry Pig - It was important that I actually looked like I was working there - so I would think of little things that I could be doing - flipping burgers, taking an order, cleaning tables, serving coffee, making a light dressing for the salads!

I will be playing the role of 'Kate' in Bedroom Farce by Alan Ayckbourn at The Gate Theatre in the new year. The play will open on February 5th. Please come along!

Oh I don't know about that! Lucy has left such a trail of destruction behind her, that she would have to be extremely brazen to step foot near Carrigstown again! I think the people in Carrigstown, particularly Dolores and Wayne, need time to recover from their recent traumatic time with Lucy before any mention of her returning could be considered. I imagine the phrase 'let sleeping dogs lie' would be most appropriate for Lucy Mallon right now!