Cork Person of the Year 2025 to Be Revealed at Metropole Gala

The 33rd Cork Person of the Year awards will take place on 23rd January, with broadcaster Joe Duffy receiving the Honorary Cork Person title and a stellar lineup of 12 monthly award winners competing for the prestigious annual honour.

The anticipation is building for the Cork Person of the Year Annual Gala Lunch, set to take place on Friday, 23rd January 2026 at The Metropole Hotel. The event will reveal who has been selected as Cork Person of the Year 2025 from an exceptional field of monthly winners who have made outstanding contributions throughout the past year.

The winner will be chosen from the 12 Cork Person of the Month recipients by a judging panel consisting of Valerie O'Sullivan, Chief Executive, Cork City Council, and Moira Murrell, Chief Executive, Cork County Council. The announcement will be made by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Fergal Dennehy, and the Deputy Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Ian Doyle.

The Guest of Honour at the event will be European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath. RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst will also speak at the gathering.

Acclaimed broadcasters Miriam O'Callaghan and Marty Morrissey will serve as masters of ceremonies at the event.

The Monthly Winners

The 12 contenders for Cork Person of the Year 2025 represent a diverse range of achievements across music heritage, community service, environmental leadership, academia, financial advocacy, athletics, journalism, business, youth empowerment, humanitarian aid, arts, and healthcare.

January's winner Sheena Crowley of Crowley's Music Centre successfully campaigned to keep Rory Gallagher's iconic 1961 Fender Stratocaster in Ireland, raising over €75,000 to secure Gallagher instruments for a Cork museum. February honoured Joe Byrne for four decades of community work alongside running Joseph's Hair Salon, consistently providing free haircuts to the homeless and children.

March recognised Tom Butler, Chairman of Ballincollig Tidy Towns for over 25 years, who led the town to become National Supervalu TidyTowns Winner and Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre 2024. April celebrated Prof. Gary Murphy, a Royal Irish Academy member and DCU academic widely regarded for his contributions to RTÉ election coverage and his acclaimed biography of Charlie Haughey.

May's award went to Patrick Coughlan for his visionary role establishing Cork MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service), which assisted 1,908 new clients in South Munster in 2024 alone. June honoured 80-year-old Michael Kiely, who secured two gold medals in the over-80s 800m and 1500m events at the World Masters Indoor Championships in Florida.

July recognised Deirdre McCarthy, the first woman to lead RTÉ's News & Current Affairs division as Managing Director. August presented a joint award to Justine Looney and Edel Curtin, whose work revitalised Douglas Street and secured a Pride of Place Award for the area.

September celebrated Garry McCarthy (GMC), Creative Director of The Kabin Studio, for his transformative work empowering youth through hip-hop, including the viral global hit "The Spark" with over 1.5 billion TikTok views. October honoured Fiona Corcoran, founder of the Greater Chernobyl Cause, for over two decades of humanitarian aid to nuclear radiation and war victims.

November recognised Dr. Geoff Gould for founding the West Cork Fit-Up Theatre Festival sixteen years ago, bringing professional theatre to rural and isolated communities. December's award went to Professor Rónán Collins for his vital work as a Consultant in Geriatric and Stroke Medicine and Clinical Lead for the National Clinical Programme for Stroke.

Special Honours

With 2026 marking the 100th anniversary of radio in Ireland, the Honorary Cork Person award will go to broadcaster and former Liveline host Joe Duffy. The event will also see one extraordinary figure inducted into the Cork Person of the Year Hall of Fame.

Manus O'Callaghan, Awards Organiser, said:

"The Cork Person of the Year Awards scheme is proud to continue its long tradition of celebrating the outsized contributions Cork people make locally, nationally, and worldwide. We're looking forward to gathering at the Metropole Hotel later this month to honour a stellar lineup of Cork Persons of the Month and to reveal the winner of Cork Person of the Year 2025."

Chief organisers Manus O'Callaghan and Ann-Marie O'Sullivan extended their gratitude to the awards partners: RTÉ, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, The Metropole Hotel/Trigon Hotels, AM O'Sullivan PR, Cork Crystal, All About Us Video, Masterkabin, Musgrave MarketPlace, and CAVS.

Further details and interviews with all award nominees can be found at www.corkpersonoftheyear.ie.