Prof Rónán Collins named as December’s Cork Person of the Month 

A consultant in geriatric and stroke medicine who provided expert commentary for an investigation that exposed repeated care failings in facilities run by the country’s largest provider of private nursing homes, has been named Cork Person of the Month for December.

Professor Rónán Collins is a native of Kinsale, who has served as a consultant in geriatric and stroke medicine at Tallaght University Hospital since 2005 and is also clinical lead at the National Clinical Programme for Stroke.

Stroke is the leading cause of acquired adult neurological disability in Ireland.

In that latter role he has been a leading figure in developing the National Stroke Strategy 2022-2027, which provides a framework for the management of the condition across the health service. Through his work in formulating this strategy, Prof Collins helped make a variety of recommendations relating to stroke prevention, care, and rehabilitation.

Earlier this year, Prof Collins provided expert commentary in RTÉ Investigates’ Inside Ireland’s Nursing Homes, exposing repeated care failings in facilities run by Ireland’s largest provider of private nursing homes, including chronic staff shortages, lack of supervision, inappropriate handling and a lack of essential supplies.

Prof Collins has been named Cork Person of the Month for December in recognition of his work in treating and preventing stroke, and raising public awareness of stroke, as well as his contributions to wellbeing and healthcare for the elderly in Irish society.

Awards organiser Manus O’Callaghan said Prof Collins’s role in raising awareness of medical issues such as stroke, including with his work as a director of stroke services and a consultant physician, exemplified the best that Ireland’s medical personnel had to offer.

“His work in raising awareness of age-related matters is commendable and crucial to creating a more just and equitable society.

“For these reasons, I am delighted to award him this Cork Person of the Month award,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

Prof Collins’s name will now go forward alongside the other monthly winners for possible selection as Cork Person of the Year at the annual gala awards lunch, to be held on January 23, 2026, at the Metropole Hotel.