FROM the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to the warm embrace of the town he calls home, Michael Fassbender has been honoured in Killarney with the greatest accolade the town he grew up in can bestow.
He has been inducted into the Order of Innisfallen in recognition of his remarkable achievements in the film industry, which has seen him nominated for Academy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTAs.
And in the process, he availed of every opportunity to promote Killarney on an international scale.
The 39-year-old actor was feted by the town’s Chamber of Tourism and Commerce and Kerry County Council at a reception at Muckross House in Killarney National Park on Friday evening and, later, at a gala black tie ball in the five-star Europe Hotel and Resort.
He was accompanied on the night by stunning screen star and Oscar winner Alicia Virkander – on her first ever visit to Ireland – and his Killarney based parents, Josef and Adele.
Michael’s family home is in Fossa, on the outskirts of Killarney town. He was once an altar boy at the nearby Prince of Peace Church in Fossa and he attended the local national school before going on to St Brendan’s College and, later, successfully chasing his dream to become one of the world’s most in-demand actors.
He has starred in such blockbusters as 12 Years A Slave, Hunger, Steve Jobs, Prometheus, Frank, Shame, MacBeth and Jane Eyre and he has just completed Assassin’s Creed.
The Order of Innisfallen award is presented annually to people who have made a significant contribution to the economy of Killarney. The presentation was made by Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Brendan Cronin and Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce President, Kate O’Leary.
Previous recipients of award the include singer Daniel O’Donnell who attracts thousands of fans to his concerts in Killarney every year, Isolde Liebherr whose family has been a premier employer in Killarney for decades, Margaret Cahill, the former head of Tourism Ireland Europe and Brian Stack of CIE Tours International.
At the reception in Muckross House and, again, at the black tie ball in the Europe Hotel and Resort, Michael spoke of his love for Killarney and recalled the special days he enjoyed at Fossa Narional School and St Brendan’s College and his introduction to acting with the Bricriu Theatre Company, run by drama teacher Donie Courtney, in Killarney.
Pictures: Don MacMonagle. Click on individual images for information
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