'We smiled more broadly because of her': Tributes paid to founder of Montfort College of Performing Arts

The founder and long time director of Cork city’s Montfort College of Performing Arts, Eileen Nolan, has been described as a ‘visionary’ in tributes which followed the announcement of her death on Thursday.

Ms Nolan established the Montfort College of Perfoming Arts in 1962 and it has become recognised as one of the leading drama schools in Ireland. 

Singing and dancing were added to the curriculum in 1963. In the years since then, the school’s founder, a member of London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art teachers, has thrilled Cork audiences with numerous award winning productions including West Side Story, Godspell, Camelot and Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Cork’s Lord Mayor, Dan Boyle, said he was saddened by the news of Ms Nolan’s death and paid tribute to what he described as her "huge contribution to the cultural life of the city and its enjoyment".

"She made the Montforts into a key and essential part of the music, dance and entertainment of the city,” said the Lord Mayor. “We smiled more broadly because of her.” 

Former Cork Lord Mayor, independent councillor Kieran McCarthy, said the ‘Montfort family’, those who had been trained in the College and had their confidence boosted by that training would be in deep mourning on hearing the news.

“I would deem Eileen Nolan to be a visionary in the provision of arts and culture to the young generation,” he said. 

“Her legacy is absolutely enormous. I had the pleasure to be directed by her in a 2008 production of The Wizard of Oz,” he said. “I found her to be really kind and pleasant, a real lady, who knew her stuff from years of honing her craft.

“I know the Montfort family will sorely miss her,” he said.