No gala for major annual awards

It’ll come as no surprise that one of the most popular events on Cork’s social calendar won’t be going ahead in January. 

The Cork Person of the Year Awards scheme celebrates its 28th year but will do so without its annual gala awards lunch due to Covid-19 restrictions, the organisers said this week.

It’s an inevitable decision but it robs Cork of one of the most prestigious events of the year.

Awards Organiser Manus O'Callaghan said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has not affected choosing our Persons of the Month this year.

“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,” Mr O’Callaghan added.

Further details of the date and means of announcement of the 2020 Cork Person of the Year will be made at the end of the year.

The two remaining Cork Persons of the Month, covering November and December, are still to be announced.

Organisers of the Cork Person of the Year awards scheme are Manus O’Callaghan, Pat Lemasney and Ann-Marie O’Sullivan.

They are inviting the public to nominate potential award winners by emailing nominations@corkpersonofthemonth.ie with information about the person they would like to nominate and why they deserve it.