Rory O’ Neill Awarded Honorary Fellowship At IADT Today

First it was her ground-breaking speech in Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, and then she took centre stage in the fight for the YES vote. Now following the success of her feature documentary ‘Queen of Ireland’, Panti Bliss is set to seal the success of the past year after Rory O'Neill was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at his old college IADT today. A former graduate of the Graphic Design programme at the South Dublin college, Rory and Panti Bliss was presented with the award of lifelong Honorary Fellow for "outstanding contribution, both as Rory O’ Neill and as Panti Bliss, to popular debate and as a performer/activist in the field of sexual identity and politics, and for the promotion of gay rights in Ireland". Posting her gratitude to Twitter, Panti wrote:

Honoured and delighted to receive an Honorary Fellowship today from my old college, @myIADT pic.twitter.com/KHc5HsGMQq

— Panti Bliss (@PantiBliss) November 18, 2015

Speaking to the IFTN about the award, President of IADT, Dr Annie Doona said: "IADT is delighted to be honouring our graduate Rory for his outstanding contribution to gay rights in Ireland and for his contribution to evolving culture nationally and internationally, both as himself and as the lovely Panti Bliss.”