Cork author Alice Taylor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at Cork Person(s) of the Year Awards

Best-selling Cork author Alice Taylor is set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Cork Person(s) of the Year for 2023 awards ceremony on Friday.

Renowned for her influential book, 'To School Through the Fields,' which became the best-selling Irish published book, Ms Taylor continues to capture the essence of rural Ireland through her prolific writing.

Past Hall of Fame inductees are Ted Crosbie (2018), Fergal Keane OBE (2019), Tom Cavanagh (2020), Caitriona Twomey (2021) and Mary Crilly (2022).

Awards Organiser Manus O’Callaghan, said: “Alice Taylor joins an esteemed group of past Hall of Fame inductees, each leaving an indelible mark on Cork's history and culture.

“It is with great honour that we celebrate Alice Taylor's literary legacy at the 31st Gala Awards Lunch on Friday next, at the Metropole Hotel in Cork City.” 

Broadcaster Dáithí Ó Sé will receive the Honorary Cork Person Award for his extensive contributions to broadcasting.

The ceremony, which will be held at the Metropole Hotel, will honor Ms Taylor's literary legacy and Ó Sé's broadcasting work, emphasising their roles in Cork's cultural history and the overall winner of the Cork Person(s) of the Year Award will be announced on the day.

Award organisers thanked its sponsors, judges Ann Doherty, Chief Executive of Cork City Council and Valerie O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Cork County Council, and the City Lord Mayor and County Mayor who they said “play a vital role in presenting the awards on behalf of Cork City and County”.

The Lord Mayor of Cork City, Cllr Kieran McCarthy and the Mayor of Cork County, Cllr Frank O’Flynn, will present the recipients with their awards to mark their achievements to date.

Masters of Ceremony for the occasion will be RTÉ’s Anne Cassin and Marty Morrissey.

Guests of Honour speakers at the event will include Minister for Finance Michael McGrath; Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney; the new Director-General of RTÉ, Kevin Bakhurst; radio and TV star Mike Murphy; awards founder and organiser Manus O’Callaghan; and Ann-Marie O’Sullivan of AM O’Sullivan PR.

The nominees for the Cork Person(s) of the Year award are: Denise O'Sullivan, star player on the Republic of Ireland Women's Soccer Team; Tadhg Curtis, Mallow community activist and Chairman of Mallow Arts Collective; Donal Lenihan and Greg Barrett, promoters of rugby through media and IRFU administration; The Frank and Walters band, musical ambassadors for Cork; Joe Hartnett, Director of Cork City Sports International Athletics Meeting; Jacqui Hurley, leading Irish sports broadcaster and author of "Girls Play Too"; Katherine Dolphin Griffin & Linda Goggin-James, leading cancer charity workers; Maureen Forrest, founder of the Hope Foundation for helping street children in Kolkata; Chris Kent, top Cork stand-up comedian in Ireland and the UK; Marie Barry and John Arnold, city and county community activists in urban and rural projects; Sr. Josephine McCarthy, missionary work with Presentation Sisters and community development at Nano Nagle Place; and Mark O'Donoghue, founder of Cycling for All Cork, which aims to make cycling accessible to those with a disability.