Mayfield Ladies Club stalwart and Echo columnist joint winners of October Cork Person of the Month

A LONGSTANDING active member of Mayfield Ladies Club and an eloquent advocate of rural life have both been honoured with one of their native county’s most coveted awards, the Cork Person of the Month accolade, at an event in the city’s Metropole Hotel.

Marie Barry, the president of Mayfield Ladies Club, a group that has helped women who moved to the new estates in Cork city to get involved in their local communities, and John Arnold, who is a tireless activist in his North Cork community of Bartlemy near Fermoy, as well as fitting in a popular weekly column in The Echo, were jointly awarded the Cork Person of the Month award for October at the event.

The Mayfield Ladies Club holds weekly meetings for its 65 members and gets involved in fundraising for the local GAA club, the Over-60s talent competition, and many other projects.

“The Mayfield Club is a great social club where women can meet for a cuppa and chat and support each other, and especially support members who have lost partners and family members,” said Paddy O’Brien, who nominated Marie Barry for her award.

John Arnold has dedicated his life to community work, both in Bartlemy where he runs a farm, and far beyond — and is a respected and much-sought-after social historian. He’s a farmer, a lifelong GAA member, and has written several books as well as contributing his Echo column for the past 20 years.

Both Marie and John will join their fellow monthly award winners to contest for the Cork Person of the Year title, the winner of which will be named in January.