Sheila's support for former prisoners earns her Cork Person of the Month accolade

THE invaluable service provided by the chief executive of the Cork Alliance Centre Sheila Connolly to support and rehabilitate people who have been to prison has resulted in her nomination as the Cork Person of the Month for May.

Ms Connolly has been working with the Cork Alliance Centre since 2003 and has played an instrumental role in the development and provision of a range of services to support people who have been to prison to make a fresh start and bring change into their lives.

Warm Tribute 

The co-host of the ‘Two Norries’ podcast James Leonard, himself a past user of the Cork Alliance Centre, paid a warm tribute to Ms Connolly and the contribution she has made to the lives of both those who have been to prison and those around them.

“Over the past 25 years Sheila has helped thousands of Cork men and women rebuild their lives following a spell in prison,” he said.

“She has been key in breaking family cycles of offending and also reducing crime, which has in turn led to less victims of crime and a safer society for all.

“She has been instrumental in my life, my wife’s life, my friends’ lives, and the lives of thousands across Cork city and county."

The organiser of the Cork Person of the Month awards, Manus O’Callaghan, said the work carried out by Ms Connolly and the Cork Alliance Centre had “positively impacted countless lives in Cork, providing ex- offenders with invaluable guidance and tools to allow them to rebuild their lives after spending time in prison”.

“By exemplifying everything that is good about the Cork community, Sheila is most deserving of a Cork Person of the Month award."

Ms Connolly has a vast portfolio of work in volunteering and active citizenship to complement her role with the Cork Alliance Centre. 

In August 2023, she made an expert presentation to the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use, using her knowledge and experience to contribute to the important forum. 

She did this alongside past Cork Alliance Centre service users who had successfully made the transition to the workforce and became her colleagues — a testament to the effectiveness of the centre’s services.

Volunteering

She also spent more than a decade volunteering with St Vincent de Paul, helping to alleviate poverty, and more than seven years on the board of Cork’s Sexual Health Centre.

Ms Connolly also spent four years as an advisory group member for Men Overcoming Violence Ireland, an organisation which addresses domestic violence against women and children. Ms Connolly has also volunteered abroad, having worked for Concern following the Rwandan genocide and also as an aid worker in East Africa and Laos.

Her name will now go forward alongside the other monthly winners for possible selection as the 2024 Cork Person of the Year.