Charleville’s Kevin awarded for long career

A singer from Charleville has been awarded the latest Cork Person of the Month award for June.

Kevin Owens, at 88, was also recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Artane Boys Band at a function in Dublin. He has toured America as featured singer with the band and was also the first singer to sing at Croke Park during All-Ireland Finals.

He released a number of albums with the band, including a recording of his local anthem, ‘Dear Old Charleville’.

For many years, Kevin was the top of the bill act in hundreds of concerts across Ireland, and in Munster especially. As a popular entertainer he was much in demand for fundraising concerts for many charitable organisations, voluntary groups and the church.

At the awards presentation, Kevin said: “It was a marvellous career and top of my list up to now was singing in Croke Park before 70,000 people and the TV audience. But now this award has taken over as my number one achievement, especially in my twilight years, and I really treasure it.”

Liscarroll poet, Philip Egan, one of those who nominated Kevin for the award, said: “He is one of the true legends of Charleville and North Cork. His singing voice has endured over many, many decades and I was honoured to write a tribute poem about him a few years ago.”

Kevin’s name now goes forward for possible selection as Cork Person of the Year.