Locals honoured at Pride of Cork Awards
The Pride of Cork awards were presented last week to individuals and organisations throughout Cork, and the Fermoy and Mitchelstown area have plenty to be proud of with three local representations. Fermoy journalist Ralph Riegel was amongst the recipients of an award, alongside Mitchelstown’s Patrick Mulcahy. St George’s Arts & Heritage Centre’s award rounded off the local trio, all of whom were recognised for their ‘outstanding contribution to Cork’.
The Pride of Cork Awards were originally scheduled for 2020, and then deferred to 2021, and eventually hosted last Friday in the convention centre of The Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cork. The guest of honour on the night was Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs and the awards hosted by RTÉ broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan. Guests on the evening were treated to a wonderful evening of food, wines, entertainment and gifts, and recipients were presented with their Pride of Cork Award by the chair of the judging panel, Cork’s John Minihan.
Mr Riegel, who started his reporting career with The Avondhu, was recognised by Cork Civic Life, who held the awards, for his ‘fantastic contribution’ as a southern correspondant for media organisations, and the promotion he gives to Cork. It also noted his ‘great role’ as an author, and the importance of telling some of the ‘ most important, difficult and disturbing’ occurrences in Irish life. Not present to collect his award on the night, as he is currently in the USA covering the retrial of Tom and Molly Martens, his mother Nora proudly accepted the award.
ST GEORGE’S RECIPIENTS
The board of directors of St George’s Arts & Heritage Centre was also awarded, and congratulated, for their initiative in restoring the 19th century church. The organisers of the awards commended the work undertaken for their community.
The Board of Saint George’s was represented on the night by chairman Bill Power, treasurer Anne Morrisson and secretary Andrew Dineen, unfortunately vice chairman of the Board of Directors, Mervin Hodgins was unable to attend on the night.
“They are to be congratulated for their initiative in taking on this historic building, and embarking on an incredible and sensitive restoration of it. They have provided the people of Mitchelstown and the surrounding area with a fantastic venue for anyone interested in the arts, culture and heritage, and including civil marriages, conferences and meetings. The team at St George’s Arts and Heritage Centre are amazing people doing so much for their community, and are truly deserving of A Pride of Cork Award so that we can say a huge ‘ thank you’ for everything that they are doing in Mitchelstown,” an organising spokesperson said.
While it was a night of glitz and glamour for the attendees, the Board of Saint George’s recognises that the award belongs to all who’ve contributed to the transformation of Saint George’s into a regional heavy weight in the arts and cultural sector. The Board extends its thanks to the professionals, craftspeople, local businesses, artists, musicians, audiences, sponsors and patrons who’ve contributed in any way to the past three years of success in this enormous restoration project and ensuring the future of this marvellous venue for a wedding or a concert.
‘MINDFUL FARMER’
Patrick Mulcahy of Ballinwillin House, Mitchelstown was also an award recipient. According to Cork Civic Life, Mr Mulcahy, also known as ‘The Mindful Farmer’, has recently undertaken the writing of a book, ‘Hope in a Time of Crisis’. It was conceived at the beginning of Covid-19 as a series of blogs that Patrick wrote for his online page, The Mindful Farmer. It is a collection of daily thoughts, feelings, prayers and, in particular, of the hope that was visited on him, The Mindful Farmer, his family and his team at Ballinwillin House during the pandemic.
Cork Civic Life announced that ‘ Hope in a Time of Crisis’ will be officially launched in May by another of the Pride of Cork recipients, Gerald Kean, who has a strong family connection with Mitchelstown. The book launch will also be marked with a new song written and performed especially by Passage West musician, John Spillane.
Also on the night, a special Pride of Cork Award was bestowed by Cork Civic Life on the people of Ukraine in a show of support, solidarity and sympathy for all that was happening in their beautiful country. Minister Coveney and John Minihan posed for the official photograph by the Ukranian flag, and the award will be presented to the Ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland, Her Excellency Larysa Gerasko at the Ukranian Embassy in Dublin.
More than 40 people and organisations received recognition on the evening. The awards, organised and presented by Cork Civic Life, are intended to ‘honour and recognise the great volunteers, the great organisations, the great communities and the great people that make Cork City and County great’.