Anne Merrins was born in Dublin in 1961. She moved to Montreal, Canada at the age of 15 where she graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1982.

In addition to painting, she worked as a Behaviour Therapist in Montreal for 5 years, while buying and renovating a cottage in the West of Ireland.

She returned to Connemara in 1991 to paint full time. She continues to live and paint in Connemara.