Festival Mass with Lord Mayor Seán O'Leary

Festival Mass with Lord Mayor Seán O'Leary

Cork Film Festival, Seán O'Leary, Lord Mayor, Festival Mass, St. Francis Church, Umberto Noni

This is a black and white photo of the Lord Mayor of Cork Seán O'Leary reading from the pulpit of St. Francis Church on Liberty Street in Cork. Seán O'Leary (1941-2006) was an Irish accountant, barrister, judge and Fine Gael politician who served as Lord Mayor of Cork in 1972. (So while this photo is not dated we can date it as 1972 given his term of office.) O'Leary studied at the University College Cork (UCC) before being called to the Bar and was appointed a high court judge in 2003. He noted that holding the Mayoralty of Cork was one of the greatest honors of his life. ('Esteemed judge, mayor and senator was a backroom giant', Irish Independent, 06.01.2007)

In this image O'Leary is standing at the altar of the Byzantine-styled red-brick Church and Friary of St Francis which is distinguished by its stained glass windows and doors. It is spacious, full of light, and decorated with mosaics designed in the main by the Italian artist, Umberto Noni. Its city location and spacious interior made it an ideal location for the crowds that attended the annual Cork Film Festival St Finbarr Mass.

University College Cork, Cork Film Festival, Donal Sheehan

Cork Film Festival Collection

University College Cork

Donal Sheehan

Photo
TIFF
JPEG

English, eng

1972
Cork, Ireland

Photo

256 x 195mm