'Great to see such a creative spark recognised': Garry named Cork Person of the Year

It’s fair to say that Cork - and Ireland - are surfing a cultural wave at the moment.

Just this month, we have had Irish actors shortlisted for major awards - and one of them, Killarney’s Jessie Buckley, is tipped for Oscars glory - while the IFTA nominations included 14 for the Cork film Christy.

Those awards also included a nomination for Cork actor Cillian Murphy, who was of course bestowed with an Oscar a couple of years ago.

It’s not just film where Cork is fighting above its weight culturally. The city and county are also excelling in fields like music.

This was underlined yesterday when Garry McCarthy, of The Kabin Studio in the city, was announced as Cork Person of the Year, for his work providing mentoring and recording services to young songwriters and rappers.

For every Cillian and Jessie, and for all the other actors, musicians, and artists who provide so much to Cork culturally, there are a whole host of mentors who have shaped their careers and helped them fully realise their wonderful talents.

Often unsung heroes in the artistic firmament, it is great to see Garry - who goes by the name GMC and who also composed the soundtrack for the aforementioned Christy - win deserved recognition for his efforts to promote music in Cork over the last 20 years

The Kabin Studio, a not-for-profit community music space in Knocknaheeny, is a brilliant place to nurture young talent - talent which was illuminated when the studio’s song, The Spark, went globally viral and amassed more than 1.5 billion views on TikTok a few years ago.

The Kabin Studio recently opened a second creative space in Knocknaheeney to meet growing demand... it appears that we will be surfing this cultural wave for a good while to come!

Not every child who passes through Garry’s studio is destined for stardom, but its work is actually far more important than that. His musical initiative provides an inclusive and energetic environment for young people to express themselves and gain experience in various areas, both educationally and socially.

Manus O’Callaghan, organiser of the annual Cork Person of the Year awards, saluted Garry’s achievements yesterday and said: “He has successfully broken down barriers between communities and created unique and valuable experiences in Cork and beyond.”

Congratulations on your well-deserved award, Garry - it’s great to see a creative spark for so many young Cork people get his moment in the spotlight.