Billa O'Connell
Born(1929-12-25)25 December 1929
Died23 September 2021(2021-09-23) (aged 91)
NationalityIrish
OccupationEntertainer

William "Billa" O'Connell (25 December 1929 – 23 September 2021)[1][2] was an Irish entertainer from Cork City, Ireland. His career earned him Freedom of the City[3][4] and an honorary degree from University College Cork.[5][6]

Career

The youngest of six children born to William and Julia O’Connell, Billa was best known as a performer in pantomime, having made his debut in the Cork pantomime back in 1947.[5] He went on to become a regular cast member of the pantomimes produced at the Cork Opera House, as well as Summer Revels, an annual variety show which ran for over two decades.[6][5][7][8] Speaking in The Irish Times, he recalled a time when there were "seven or eight" pantomimes operating in Cork, and it was one of the city's most popular forms of entertainment.[9] Also regarded as an accomplished singer, he recorded a number of songs for local charitable organisations.[10]

He frequently appeared on The Late Late Show, produced by RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster, as a guest of Gay Byrne.[11]

In 2000, Mercier Press published O'Connell's biography, Just Billa, written by Michael O'Connor.[12] His monologues were archived by the Cork City Library in 2012.[5]

O'Connell was also an entertainment manager for figures like Eamon Kelly and Dermot O'Brien.[6]

Personal life

Beyond the stage, he spent 30 years working as a sales rep for Beamish and Crawford.[6][11]

He was married to Nell Cotter, a dancer.[6] They had six children.[13] One of their grandchildren is writer and academic James O'Sullivan, who works at University College Cork.[14]

He was a close friend of Jack Lynch, twice elected Taoiseach, and Paddy Comerford, a locally famed performer.[11]

He died on 23 September 2021, aged 91.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Death Notice of William (Billa) O'Connell". Rip.ie.
  2. 1 2 Cork singer and entertainer Billa O'Connell dies aged 91, Rte.ie; accessed 25 September 2021.
  3. ↑ O'Halloran, Georgina (2013). "Cha, Miah and Billa to be given freedom of Cork City". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  4. ↑ "Dowcha boys freedom gong for Cork's very own". Cork Independent. 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Biography: Billa O'Connell". Cork City Libraries. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Sheridan, Colette (2015). "Billa O'Connell to strut the boards for Cork Opera House gala". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  7. ↑ Hassett, Declan (1990). "Evening Echo" (PDF). Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "Summer Revels '90". Cork City Libraries. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "A fairytale of old Cork". The Irish Times. 1997. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  10. ↑ "Cork's Own Charm". 45cat.com. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 O'Rourke, Ciara (2017). "Radio documentary with pantomime legend Billa O'Connell". The Circular. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  12. ↑ O'Connor, Michael (2000). Just Billa. Dublin: Mercier Press. ISBN 1856352951. OCLC 45420956.
  13. ↑ "Death Notice of William (Billa) O'Connell". Rip.ie. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  14. ↑ "Cork's James sees work in print". Cork Independent. 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
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