Star Fassbender ‘honoured’ to take grand marshal role

SCREEN star Michael Fassbender received a tumultuous welcome when he returned to his hometown Killarney to act as grand marshal of the St Patrick’s Day parade.

He was accorded a civic reception by Killarney Town Council before heading the parade in a horse-drawn carriage, accompanied by Killarney mayor Michael Gleeson.

“I’m overwhelmed. It’s a great honour to be involved here today,” said the broadly smiling actor who signed autographs and posed for photographs with fans.

“It feels quite surreal but it’s very pleasant. There’s a general feeling of support of encouragement and lots of love – all the happy faces I see when I walk the streets of Killarney.”

Mayor Gleeson presented Fassbender, 32, with a pen made of Arbutus Killarney wood and a Killarney-crested tie.

Also present were his parents, German-born Josef Fassbender and his Antrim mum, Adele, who run the West End Restaurant, in Killarney.

Best known for his part in the popular TV series, Band of Brothers and the film, Hunger, in which he played IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, he is shortly due to start filming Jean Eyre, in Derbyshire, England, in which he will play the male lead, Mr Rochester.

Now living in London, he returns to Killarney about three times a year.

The Killarney parade, in which more than 60 groups and floats and six bands participated, was a tribute to the recently deceased councillor, Michael Courtney, chief organiser of the parade for many years. Members of the extended Courtney family were guests at the civic reception.

Thousands of people also attended parades in other parts of Kerry. In Dingle, the local fife and drum band upheld an old tradition by marching through the town at 6am, almost seven hours before the official parade.