Cork Film Festival is delighted to announce that Michael O’Connell has been appointed as Chairperson of their board. Michael is a well-known Cork solicitor and he is a longstanding member of the festival board. Michael is also chairperson of the Triskel Arts Centre and is a patron of film, music and the visual arts in Cork.

Michael takes over from Charlie Hennessy who has been involved with the Cork Film Festival since it began in 1956 and who served as chairperson for the past twenty-one years. Charlie will remain as a board member but it is happy to hand his chairperson duties to Michael whose knowledge and experience of the festival and the arts in Cork will set the festival on the right road to another successful fifty years.

Michael paid tribute to Charlie for his many years of service to the arts in Ireland and in particular for his dedication to Cork Film Festival down through the years.