Beautiful tribute paid to multiple AIMS award winner from Tipperary

St Mary's Choral Society in  Clonmelhas paid a beautiful tribute to the late Colm Fennessy, a legendary figure in musical circles, who passed away recently.

The following tribute  by St. Mary’s Choral Society outlined the distinguished musical life Colm had and how he was such a popular person with everybody associated with the society.

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"St Mary's Choral Society  was heartbroken to learn of the passing of our beloved Colm Fennessy on Saturday last 6th December, coming just a few weeks after the passing of his brothers George and Peter and his brother in law Jim and Jim’s brother John.

Colm initially joined the St. Mary’s Choral Society in 1972 for Waltz Without End. His sisters Geraldine and Colette were members of the society, Geraldine playing the role of Tania in that production. He went on to play lead roles in over 40 productions with the society throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Among the numerous roles he played include Alfie Doolittle in My Fair Lady (1986) for which he was awarded the AIMS Best Supporting Male Award, Curly in Oklahoma! (1987) for which he won the AIMS Best Male Singer Award and was nominated for the AIMS Best Overall Performance Award and the title role of Zorba (1998) for which he was nominated for the AIMS Best Actor Award.

Forever the quintessential leading man, he will be forever loved by Clonmel audiences for his very many memorable performances, his beautiful voice and his magnificent stage presence which often saw him compared to movie stars and giving him matinee-idol status.

Other standout performances during his stage career were Pierre Birabeau (The Red Shadow) in The Desert Song (1979), Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof (1993), Pooh-Bah in The Mikado (1983), Tommy Albright in Brigadoon (1978), Captain Georg Von Trapp in The Sound of Music (1992),

Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha (1988), The Pirate King in The New Pirates of Penzance (1989), Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (1991), and Issac in The Hired Man (1994).

Colm’s last performance with us was a cameo appearance as Johann Strauss in Die Fledermaus in 2000 and what an honour it was for us to share the stage with him for that wonderful production.

Colm loved Clonmel and he loved our society. He was always on hand to give encouragement and advice and in recognition he was made a Vice President of the society in 2004 and an Honorary Life Member in 2015 at our 75th Anniversary Ball.

We extend our deepest condolences to his beloved family, his sisters Geraldine and Colette and all the extended Fennessy family including his nieces Andrea, our Vice Chairperson Gillian and Sheena, his grand nieces Saoirse, Doireann and Izzy who all carry his wonderful legacy in the society.

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He was certainly one of a kind and will be sorely missed by all of us in the society.