1 November 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
The Cork Person of the Year – now in its 28th year – is a much-loved institution Leeside. There is a monthly winner, one of whom goes on he be the overall annual winner, however this coming January the Cork Person of the Year Awards scheme will do so without its annual gala awards lunch, due to COVID-19 restrictions. It will move online.
The Cork Person(s) of the Year is usually announced at the annual lunch in mid-January. But next January, the 28th winner of the title will be announced through the media instead.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has not affected choosing our Persons of the Month this year,” said Awards Organiser Manus O’Callaghan. “Our awards scheme will continue this year and for many years to come. It is only the annual lunch that is cancelled.”
“Our award winners set the bar very high with their various achievements, so we too, as organisers, must set our bar very high and not accept a much reduced event,” added Manus O’Callaghan
Further details of the date and means of announcement of the 2020 Cork Person of the Year will be made at year’s end. So far this year, the following Cork Persons’ of the Month, all nominees for the title of Cork Person of the Year, are as follows:
2020 monthly winners so far
January – Sarah Greene, International Actor.
February – Colm O’Callaghan & Martin O’Connor, Online Music Resource.
March – Sanita Pušpure, World Rowing Champion.
April – Kate Durrant, Ireland’s Top Community Activist.
May – Pat McCluskey, Nurse with International Reputation.
June – Peadar O’Riada, Influential Composer and Musician.
July – Sean O’Driscoll & John Field, Ludgate Job Creation Success.
August – Fiona Clark & Jim Mountjoy, Film Festival and Jazz Festival Successes.
September – Izz and Eman Alkarajeh, from Direct Provision to Cork Food Success.
October – William Wall & Tadhg Coakley, award winning authors.
November – not announced yet, as of the time of writing
December – not announced yet, as of the time of writing
Awards Organiser Manus O’Callaghan
Organisers of the Cork Person of the Year awards scheme are Manus O’Callaghan, Pat Lemasney and Ann-Marie O’Sullivan. They invite anyone to nominate potential award winners by sending an email to nominations@corkpersonofthemonth.ie with information about the person you would like to nominate, and the reason that you feel they would be deserving of the award.
Sponsors of the award scheme are the Irish Examiner/The Echo; RTE; Southern; AM O’Sullivan PR; Lexus Cork; Tony O’Connell Photography; Cork Crystal; Musgrave MarketPlace; CAVS.