Star of theatre, film, comedy and TV

09:18, 27 Oct 2026Updated 09:18, 27 Oct 2026

Anthony O’Donovan; Ann-Marie O’Sullivan, AM O’Sullivan PR; Norma Sheahan, Cork Person of Month; Martin Mulcahy, The Metropole Hotel; Manus O’Callaghan, Awards Organiser.(Image: Vitaliy Makhnanov)

The latest Cork Person of the month is actress and entertainer Norma Sheahan – in recognition of her outstanding career and contributions to the Irish arts and entertainment industry.

Norma has appeared in a number of hit television and film projects, including The Clinic, where she featured alongside best friend Amy Huberman; Moone Boy; The Dry; Bodkin; and The Young Offenders, where she played barrister Mollie O’Molloy in the Cork show’s most recent season. She also featured in the IFTA-and BAFTA-award-winning film Kneecap.

Norma has more recently turned her hand to comedy, having toured her latest It’s Wine O’Clock show nationwide in 2025 and 2026. She also hosts the Middle Rage podcast alongside Jennifer Zamparelli and Sharon Mannion, where the three friends tackle midlife topics such as divorce, ageing, and perimenopause with humour and honesty. A live episode of the podcast took place in Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre on Sunday, 25th October.

She won Celebrity Ireland’s Fittest Family alongside her family members in 2019, directing her €10,000 grand prize to Cork’s ARC Cancer Support House, which provides support to those living with cancer and their loved ones.

From Whitechurch, Norma’s early training began at Montfort College of Performing Arts and the Cork School of Music, going on to make her acting debut at just 11 years old as Little Red Riding Hood in a Cork Opera House pantomime. She attended secondary school at St Angela’s College on Patrick’s Hill, and later graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London with a diploma in acting in 2000.

Norma’s talent in theatre was recognised early in her career when she received the Best Actress title at the Dublin Theatre Festival in 2000 for her performance in Enda Walsh’s Bedbound. She has starred in a number of high-profile productions throughout her career, including Sive and The Vagina Monologues. She is currently touring the country playing the title role in a production of Shirley Valentine.

Speaking as he awarded Norma the Cork Person of the Month trophy for October, Awards Organiser Manus O’Callaghan said: “Norma is a tremendous ambassador for Cork and has displayed extraordinary versatility and talent throughout her career. She continues to leave her mark on Cork’s cultural fabric and rightly serves as an inspiration for the next generation of Cork talent.”

Norma’s name will now go forward alongside the other monthly winners for possible selection as Cork Person of the Year at the Annual Gala Awards Lunch on January 29th, 2027 at The Metropole Hotel.