The president of Alliance Française de Cork was awarded the prestigious Officier de L'Ordre National du Mérite (Officer of the National Order of Merit) at a gala dinner over the weekend.
Nora Callanan from Monkstown, Co Cork, received the award from Yvon Roe D'Albert, French ambassador to Ireland, in the name of the president of the French Republic, at the Imperial Hotel, Cork, on Saturday night.
Ms Callanan, who has been president of Alliance Française de Cork for the last 11 years, said she was very proud to receive the award.
"I feel very privileged and honoured to have had the opportunity of working with so many remarkable and talented people."
Ms Callanan's husband Liam O'Connell attended the event alongside her children Emily and Paul and an extended gathering of friends and relatives.
The Cork woman received her award at a black tie gala dinner organised to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Alliance Française de Cork.
The organisation chose the Imperial Hotel for its celebrations as it first opened its doors on October 13th, 1947, in the establishment.
Alliance Française de Cork was founded by educationalist and lady of the theatre, the late Rachel Burrows, who gathered a group of 80 like-minded Francophiles on that evening. The first president of the organisation was Prof Eithne Byrne Costigan, then head of the French department at University College Cork.
Alliance Française de Cork is part of a worldwide network of over 1,000 Alliances in 135 countries. The organisation was established in Paris in 1883 and is one of the largest educational bodies in the world. The Cork Alliance is a thriving language school and cultural centre, which boasts 900 students, an art gallery and a French film festival, now in its 18th year.
Guests of honour at the event included the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Donal Counihan, Lady Mayoress Breda Counihan, former EU president Pat Cox, and Alain Marquer, director of international relations at Alliance Française.
The event featured the internationally renowned Irish soprano Cara O'Sullivan, the French pop singer Mario Barravecchia and the Aracadia band.