'He is such a loss to Cork, particularly to the IndieCork festival': Tributes paid to Tony Langlois

The Lord Mayor of Cork has led tributes to IndieCork Film Festival founder Tony Langlois, who passed away on Saturday morning.

Dan Boyle, who had been a friend of Mr Langlois, said he was deeply shocked at the news.

“I’m very saddened at Tony’s passing, he is such a loss to Cork, particularly to the IndieCork festival, and to arts activities in the city in general,” Mr Boyle said.

“He was a very understated gentleman, but he managed to persuade so many people to achieve great things in the cultural life of this city, and he will be greatly missed.” 

Mick Hannigan, co-director of IndieCork, said there was a deep sense of shock among all who had known Mr Langlois.

“Tony founded IndieCork, he conceived the idea. He persuaded his wife, Úna Feely, and later myself to get involved, but it was his concept, he was the spirit behind IndieCork,” Mr Hannigan said.

He added that Mr Langlois had also founded a film festival in Jersey, which is now in its fifth year.

“His passing was entirely unexpected, he was onstage on the IndieCork opening night last Sunday,” Mr Hannigan said.

“Tony used to do the music programming for the festival.. He taught in Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, he was an ethnomusicologist by trade, and he was a composer. Tony wrote the melody for the IndieCork trailer for the last 10 years. It’s the one piece of music, he did different variations on it, last year was orchestral, this year it’s a sort of disco beat, and that’s played before every show. The credit comes up: ‘Music by Tony Langlois’.” 

Mr Hannigan said everyone involved in the festival was devastated and their thoughts were with his wife Úna and his two children.

In a Person to Person interview with The Echo only two weeks ago, Mr Langlois, who was born in London to parents from Jersey, spoke of his home “by the mighty River Lee in the middle of Cork city” and said he was "married to an excellent lady, and [I] have two grown-up children, now with their own families”.

Asked who was his best friend, he replied: “I’d love to say my dog, but in reality I find his loyalty to be questionable.

“My wife is therefore Number One, though I have a handful of very old friends. Getting older by the day, but of course not wiser,” Mr Langlois said.

“I’m very busy working with the wonderful IndieCork team on this year’s festival.

“I’ve been on the team for 12 years now, and I see the festival going from strength to strength all the time. It’s a remarkable feat and I’m very proud of everyone involved in the event.” 

The announcement of Mr Langlois’s passing was made on IndieCork’s Facebook page on Sunday afternoon.

“With heaviest of hearts we need to acknowledge the unexpected passing yesterday of the festival founder, Tony Langlois,” the post read.

“IndieCork was all Tony’s idea - his passion and vision brought the festival into being. He programmed the music side of the festival, delighting in showcasing new music and sound art talent.

“He was the grist to our mill, the brightest galaxy in the night sky, the best of us.

“While we will honour him in the future, for today we continue the festival to the very end, as he would have wanted, and we dedicate this to Tony.

“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”