It may be more than two decades since Eddie Hobbs first left Cork, but today his heart still remains at the city by the Lee.

Originally from the Lough, Eddie moved to the capital in the 80s before settling in Kildare 15-years-ago, yet, the celebrity accountant /television presenter/editor/ writer/ consumer adviser and charity patron is still quintessentially linked with Cork.

The sponsored “Run Up the Hill” with Eddie Hobbs takes place on Saturday, April 12 at 3pm. The race is being organised by the Kenmare Triathlon Club with the help from many others. The entry fee is €30 which will be collected from each entrant, and a t-shirt will be provided for each person participating in the race. For further details on participating or contributing to this please contact event organizer John at Kenmare Post Office on 064 41490 or 086 8037796.

This probably has a lot to do with the fact that Eddie, like many other Cork exports, has retained his unique Cork twang and that today, he still says that he feels he belongs in Cork rather than anywhere else. “My heart and soul is in Cork, I think it stays wherever you’ve been brought up, but, being from Cork is a funny thing, even if you wanted to deny it, you’ll always be a Cork man, it’s in the DNA, well it’s in my DNA anyway,” he says.

Since leaving Cork, Eddie has managed to achieve for himself what most  companies would hope to achieve in a lifetime , let alone just one person. Probably best known for presenting RTÉ’s Rip off Republic , Show Me the Money and TV3’s Polls Apart, he has also published two bestsellers Short Hands Long Pockets and Loot as well as being involved in consumer campaigning and accounting and even bringing out his own magazine You and Your Money.

In 2006 he was appointed to the interim board of the new statutory National Consumer Agency. His firm FDM ltd acts as an Authorised Advisor under the Investment Intermediaries Act 1995 regulated by IFSRA and Eddie is, individually licensed as a Revenue Commissioner - approved Pensioneer Trustee.

The Jack and Jill Foundation was first set-up in1997 by Jonathan Irwin and his wife Mary Ann O’Brien after they discovered, during the tragically short life of their son Jack, that there were virtually no state services available to provide for babies with severe developmental problems, including cerebral palsy.

Today, the Foundation today provides 24 hour care for sick children and support to their families throughout Ireland.

Eddie, who has known Jonathon and Mary Ann soon after he first moved to Kildare, became patron of the charity two years ago and today is involved in many of the charities fundraising activities including the upcoming sponsored “Run Up the Hill” walk which takes place in Kenmare next month and will see runners and walkers of all ages take part in a 10km walk/run from Kenmare Square, up the Kerry way and the Old Killarney Road,  out of the town, rising over 600ft in the first 2km.