Part Three: It's also been a great year for...

Prof Geraldine Boylan, Director of INFANT

The INFANT Centre is the hub of world-leading research and innovation, working to provide better outcomes in pregnancy, birth and early childhood. Prof Boylan leads the Neonatal Brain Research Group at the INFANT centre.

In 2023, she won the ‘Neuroscience Ireland Tom Connor Distinguished Investigator Award’ which is awarded to an exceptional research scientist from Ireland.

Geraldine is also the lead for In4Kids involved in The Irish Network for Children’s Clinical Trials, launched this year, the first clinical trials network in Ireland to focus on children’s health. There were many other achievements for INFANT this year.

Prof Thia Hennessy, appointed Head of the College of Business and Law, UCC

Prof Hennessy is Professor of Agri-Food Economics at University College Cork and, since 2017, Dean of Cork University Business School, Ireland’s largest business school with a staff of over 180 and a student body of almost 4,000.

In this role, she has substantially grown and internationalised the School, increased research output and impact, achieved two prestigious international accreditations from AMBA and AACSB, and is currently leading on securing a third accreditation from EQUIS.

She raised the profile of the School with philanthropic donors and corporate partners and is overseeing the ambitious plan to develop a new €115 million business school building.

Thia grew up on a dairy farm in County Cork and lives in Cloghroe with her husband Emmett and three children. She spends most of her free time on GAA sidelines at Inniscarra community centre.

Dr Marguerite Nyhan, UCC

Dr Nyhan hosted the first Sustainable Futures Forum, featuring Mary Robinson.

She is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Environmental Engineering & Future Sustainability at University College Cork and a Visiting Scientist at Harvard University in Boston. Dr Nyhan is also a Principal Investigator at the Environmental Research Institute and a Funded Investigator at the MaREI Centre for Climate, Energy and Marine. Since joining UCC in 2019, she has won €5.1 million in funding as lead PI for both research and research-driven educational initiatives.

Dr Nyhan founded and directs the Future Sustainability Research Group, which pursues frontier research focused on the development of intelligent solutions for sustainable, zero carbon, healthy, liveable and equitable cities of the future.

Michelle Carew, Arts officer, Cork City Council

Michelle was behind a new contemporary sculpture trail throughout Cork city - Island City, Cork’s Urban Sculpture Trail. This unique cultural trail of five public artworks was installed throughout the city centre island during 2023. The ambitious project, which has been two years in the making, is the biggest single investment in public art in the city.

Niamh Murphy, festival manager of Cork on a Fork Fest

Niamh also became a board member of Cork Business Association this year. Her company ETC has been involved in major festivals and events across Cork city and Munster, as the business grows.

Angela Cantwell, Angela’s Shop,

Fountainstown

Angela won a joint Cork person of the year award in January. Angela’s Shop and Coffee Dock in Fountainstown has served ice cream, buckets and spades, fishing nets and anything you would need for a day out at the seaside, and is well known to Cork families for decades.

Breda Morrissey, Ballyvolane,

Carer of the Year

This remarkable Cork woman who cared for her husband after a life-changing car accident has been announced as the 2023 family carer of the year.

Breda, from Ballyvolane, was named the overall Netwatch Family Carer of the Year.

Miss Cork City Rachel O’Leary

Rachel O’Leary, 23, of Blarney, said the past few months of her life have been ‘life-changing’ and she’s beyond grateful for the opportunity – and for all that’s still to come.

Miss Cork Ríona O’Mahony

She entered the pageant last April to make some new friends. She recently turned 21 and is in her third and final year of arts - studying Irish and History - in UCC. Ríona says she ‘has no words’ for how the year has been so far, and the opportunities it has opened up for her

Susie Horgan, MD of Springboard Communications

It’s been an incredible year for Springboard Communications’ Managing Director, Susie Horgan. At the 2023 Awards for Excellence in Public Relations, her integrated communications agency clinched the PRCA Agency of the Year Award.

Springboard also recently relocated its headquarters to the bustling Victorian Quarter. This move not only accommodates the agency’s expanding team and supports its visionary future, but also underscores its commitment to being part of the city culture.

Denise Sidhu, Chair, Irish Venture Capital

Association

Denise was named as the new chair of the Irish Venture Capital Association. A partner and director of Cork headquartered Kernel Capital, she has been elected chairperson of the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA).

Cork-born Denise is the third woman to chair the IVCA in the last four years.

Emma Coffey, Final Bend

The Cork woman, a UCC student and Quercus scholar - who runs the sustainable, affordable sportswear company, won the Enterprise Ireland Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award this year.

Interior designer Cathy Angelini

Owner of Cork company Flamingo Interiors, Cathy is one of five designers tackling Irish homes in a new Virgin Media One TV show, The Salvage Squad. We love Cathy’s style - follow her on Insta for more.

Alison Winger, Cork-based scientist

Alison works with Novozymes One Health, which operates in Ireland under the brand PrecisionBiotics. She has just been promoted to General Manager as well as being shortlisted for Women Mean Business awards.

From January 1, Alison will be taking over the Cork General Manager role, in addition to her role as Head of Product Development and Formatting.

Saoirse Mackin, campaigner

The Cork woman is set to go down in LGBT history as what is believed to be the Republic of Ireland’s first transgender candidate to contest the local elections.

Campaigner Saoirse, who lives in Blackpool, has been selected by the Social Democrats to run in Cork City North West in the 2024 local elections. Her upcoming election campaign comes on foot of extensive activism to end the stigma around trans issues nationally.

Peigin Crowley - Ground Wellbeing

Peigin Crowley has been on our list the past few years, but her company is going from success to success. She got a huge invesemtnt this year to push on the global brand.

Sian Horn, founder of The Club

Another regular on our list, she is a huge advocate for women in business. She is founder of The Club for female founders. Recently, Sian has been travelling the country, providing support for small businesses as a Champion Greens ambassador.

Derval O’Rourke, SAOL

Former Olympian Derval O’Rourke and her business partner, Greg O’Gorman, have grown memberships to over 15,000 with their Derval.ie offering. With the development of SAOL, it brings a brand new service offering to the employee space. SAOL, the wellbeing app, was created for businesses but is also available for single membership users.