We couldn’t think of a better way to start a new year than to remind ourselves of the actions of the wonderful people we have in our community who make life better for all of us! The Muskerry News 2023 Blarney & District Person of the Year will be named at an awards ceremony being held at Blarney Castle Hotel on January 27th. Good luck to all the monthly nominees, you’re all winners in our eyes!
Susan Corcoran January 2023. Susan started attending Donoughmore Toddler Group when her children were small. In 2017 she volunteered, before eventually taking the lead and is now the heart and soul of the group. She organises everything, accesses grants, and ensures insurance and all protocols are in order. Susan makes sure nobody is left out and a warm welcome is guaranteed to all new faces.
Michelle McDonagh February 2023. An Irish journalist with over twenty-five years’ experience, Michelle has written for numerous Irish papers, including The Irish Times but long harboured the dream of penning a novel. In January 2020 she finally bit the bullet and started a Faber Academy online ‘write your novel’ course, and in April 2023 her debut novel ‘There’s something I have to tell you’ arrived in Irish bookstores opening up a whole new chapter for the talented writer.
Jackie Lewis March 2023. Jackie has been the manager of Vincents since it opened its doors in 2012 and not only manages the shop, but also engages with the community, and many local people have benefitted from a discreet word from Jackie pointing them in the right direction. She doesn’t let an occasion pass without celebration, something her eye-catching window displays are testament to, as was the fashion show held last year, a perfect example of the richness that ‘Vincents’, with Jackie at its head, brings to the village.
Mairead O’Mahony April 2023. Mairead O’Mahony, a bone marrow transplant recipient, received a hero’s welcome when she returned home from the World Transplant Games in Perth last year with an amazing five medals, including two golds. Mairead helped the 14-strong Irish team end the games with an impressive haul of 17 medals, receiving silver in the 5km race, gold in shot put with a personal best, gold in the 800m race, silver in javelin, and bronze in the 1500m.
Catherina Casey May 2023. Catherina Casey last year received the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of her work with the Irish community in London, and in honour of her work in strengthening relations with the Irish and London community. Leading the 2023 London St Patrick’s day Parade as Grand Marshal. She voluntarily manages the online Irish in London Network ‘Craic-It’ which she founded in 2014 to support the Irish community in London and has an incredible following of 40,000 people.
Noreen O’Mahony June 2023. We all need a little bit of help at times and one person who has been helping others for 31 years is Noreen O’Mahony who last year retired after a lifetime of looking after some of the more vulnerable residents in our community. Working with the HSE as a home care assistant, Noreen has been quietly helping people to live with respect and dignity in their own homes. Always going above and beyond, Noreen called often when she wasn’t working, collecting prescriptions and shopping, or simply calling for a chat and a cup of tea.
Micheál Mullins July 2023. Micheál Mullins, is the Whitechurch midfielder who captained his county at the All-Ireland U20 final against Offaly, finishing an unbeaten run in style to be crowned Munster and All-Ireland champions. Michael hopes to inspire youngsters from smaller clubs all across Cork that they can make it to the top level of hurling. The talented hurler played a pivotal role in Cork’s march to glory, with his solo goals in the Munster and All Ireland finals the icing on the cake of a fabulous year.
Fr Jack Cogan August 2023. Fr Jack was ordained in 1965 and retired in 2015, serving as curate in Blarney during the 1980’s. After he retired he moved to Vicarstown where he continues to be very involved in parish life, giving up his own time to help out by saying weekday Masses in Blarney, Waterloo and Whitechurch as well as with the Calcutta Nuns. He quietly visits nursing home and hospital residents, and is an active and involved President of St Senan’s seniors on the move.
Declan O’Connell September 2023. Declan, an original member of Blarney Inniscarra athletics club and national u13 high jump record holder back in the 1990s, rejoined the club five years ago as coach and PRO and gives 3-4 nights each week coaching children of all ages in disciplines of sprints, relays, jumps and hurdles and is a huge influencing factor in the clubs recent successes. As one of the smallest clubs in Cork the achievements are huge with the club securing three national relay medals last year.
Shane Roche October 2023. Shane Roche is on the Irish Olympic weightlifting team and has travelled to France and Romania competing for Ireland. Training as a full time athlete at Cork Weightlifting Club, he trains under coach Mike O’Leary. Shane is also on the UCC Team and makes many sacrifices in his bid to make his dream of going to the 2028 Olympics in LA a reality, winning the Cork Open for his weight division breaking the National Junior / Under 23 records and matching the senior record in the snatch category.
Rachel O’Leary November 2023. Crowned Miss Cork City in April 2023, Rachel is a UCC Graduate, with a first class honours degree in Commerce, majoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Rachel says the past year has been been life-changing, one of the many highlights being to become an ambassador for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, an organisation important to her as both her grandparents are living with dementia.