Pillar of West Cork community honoured with Person of the Month award  

A man who is “a pillar of Clonakilty community” and is known for his support for families and organisations across West Cork has been recognised as the Cork Person of the Month for February.

John Loughnan, a former town councillor who served as mayor of Clonakilty in 2011 and 2017, has been considered a “cornerstone” of his community for decades.

Mr Loughnan has been described as a man with a “very big heart, his influence is felt across every facet of local life.”

The advocate was born on the Lower Road in Cork City in 1952 to parents who moved from Killarney in the 1930s.

His election as mayor of Clonakilty in 2011 took place exactly a century after his grandfather, John Maher Loughnan, was elected mayor of Killarney.

Active

He is the current vice president of Clonakilty GAA Club, and is also active in Clonakilty Tidy Towns, Clonakilty Parish Council, the Duchas Clonakilty Heritage Group, and was a founding board member of the West Cork Model Railway Village.

Additionally, he has volunteered with the Clonakilty 400 Celebration, the Bennetts Biodiversity Garden, the Clonakilty and District Lions Club, and has worked with the Ukrainian community since Russia’s invasion back in 2022.

Mr Loughnan has also demonstrated a long-term commitment to local youth by working with the boards of management for Knockskeagh National School and Sacred Heart Secondary School. He has also been honoured with a Conradh na Gaeilge award for his promotion of the Irish language.

Dedication

Awards Organiser Manus O’Callaghan commended Mr Loughnan on his lifelong dedication to community service and his remarkable contributions to the area.

“John is a pillar of the Clonakilty community. I’m proud to offer him this Cork Person of the Month award as a token of appreciation for his work towards building a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere in the town”, Mr O’Callaghan said.

Mr Loughnan’s name now goes forward alongside the other monthly winners for possible selection as Cork Person of the Year, who will be announced at the annual gala awards lunch in January next year.