The 2023 Blarney and District Person of the Year  set to be unveiled

EXCITEMENT is building ahead of the unveiling of the 2023 Blarney and District Person of the Year, at a ceremony in the Castle Hotel, Blarney, on Saturday, January 27.

The annual awards, set to be attended by more than 150 guests, are one of the high points on the social calendar.

One of the awards organisers, Kate Durrant, said they aim to recognise achievement, leadership, and altruism in community, sport, business, arts, family or, indeed, from any sector or activity in the local community, “so that others may be inspired to follow”.

“With so many worthy monthly winners during 2023, our panel of judges have, once again, a particularly difficult task on their hands to choose an overall winner,” said Ms Durrant.

She said that while the nominees come from a range of backgrounds, they all have one thing in common.

“Through their lives and achievements, each and every one of them have excelled in their own special way. In that regard, they are all winners.”

The nominees for the award this year include retired home-help assistant Noreen O’Mahony; best-selling author Michelle McDonagh; Miss Cork Rachel O’Leary; World Transplant Games medal winner Mairead O’Mahony; Catherina Casey, who recently received the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of her work with the Irish community in London; and Micheál Mullins, the Whitechurch midfielder who captained his county at the All-Ireland U20 final.

The winner of last year’s Blarney and District Person of the Year award was popular Inniscarra man John Connolly.

One of the 2023 monthly nominees will also be entered into the Hall of Fame, joining the All-Ireland-winning theatre group Blue Hat Productions, which was honoured with the prestigious accolade last year.