Kieran Kennedy, Director of Shine Ireland hasn’t stopped working in “plugging the gaps in service provision for autistic children left by the Government” since 2001 when he established what was then called the Irish Progressive Association for Autism (IPAA).

In a week where The Blackrock Castle Observatory won the prestigious Thea Science Award for 'Outstanding Achievement' the Cork Independent talked to Claire MacSweeney, facility manager at the Observatory to get more of an insight on the exciting work done at the newly redeveloped Blackrock Castle.

From the air-waves of 96FM, to lights, camera, action it’s been an exciting time for journalist and broadcaster Audrey McGrath since replacing Karen Koster on TV3’s Ireland AM.

Well-known Cork scribe Tom MacSweeney was honoured this past week at the annual Maritime Ball in Galway, a worthy fundraising event for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, when he was named Maritime Person of the Year.

In the pre-Celtic-Tiger-era many of Ireland's youth were forced to emigrate in search of job opportunities. The country was in the financial doldrums, with unemployment levels sky-high and poverty widespread.

" I suppose you could say I lived a good country life growing up," says Allin Grey, the man who recently took over the reins at the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras.

She may have conquered Everest, completed the world's Seven Summits and seen some of the world's most amazing sights on the way but, for Cork woman, Clare O' Leary there is no place like home.