Terry O ‘Neill is among the most acclaimed photographers in rock history. Synonymous with swinging London, in the sixties he worked with such icons as The Beatles, The Rolling Stone and Marianne Faithfull. He was accepted by celebrities as one of their own and moved easily through their world – he was a good friend of hell-raising Irishmen Peter O’Toole and Richard Harris and, having moved to Hollywood, married femme fatale Faye Dunaway.

Now some of his most acclaimed portraits can be seen in a historic exhibition in Cork. Showing from January 24 at Cork Institution of Technology Wandesford Quay Gallery, the showcase features intimate portraits of Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Keith Richard, Mick Jagger, Ava Gardner, Paul Newman, Sean Connery, Lee Marvin and others.
O’Neill never stopped working and there will also be photographs of more recent stars, including Amy Winehouse, Kate Moss and Bono. It’s his first time showing in Cork and represents a homecoming of sorts. O’Neill’s father was born and reared on Blarney Street and worked at the Ford motor factory. From there he was transferred to Ford’s Dagenham plant outside London. But he remained a true Corkman and moved home upon retirement. A frequent visitor to the south since childhood, for O’Neill a Cork exhibition will be a highly emotional occasion.
His latest work All About Bond marks his relationship with the super-spy franchise. He will be signing the book at a special event on Friday January 25, as well as opening the exhibition the previous evening at 7pm. Further details at terryo.co.uk

The Terry O’Neill Photography Exhibition opens at the CIT Wandesford Quay Gallery, Cork on January 24. Terry hosts a book signing of All About Bond at 2pm, Fri Jan 25.