Another special award will be presented at the gala lunch to Rock ‘n’ Roll legend Donovan and his wife, Linda
Dr Catriona Twomey has volunteered with Cork Penny Dinners for seven days a week for the past 16 years. File photo: David Keane
Fri, 25 Feb, 2022 – 05:54
A woman who has been to the forefront of feeding the less fortunate is to be honoured at the annual Cork Person of the Year Awards with a place in its Hall of Fame.
Dr Caitriona Twomey has been working for many years with a team of selfless volunteers providing freshly-cooked meals to thousands of poor people who can’t afford to eat. She is the leading light in the much-admired charity, Cork Penny Dinners, which was founded during the Famine era as a soup kitchen.
She will receive the Hall of Fame award at the gala awards lunch which will be attended by more than 300 people on Friday, March 4, at the Rochestown Park Hotel.
“Arguably, Dr Caitriona Twomey and the Cork Penny Dinners charity is the most admired service ever established in Cork. Always an open door, a warm welcome, open every day of the year, and no questions ever asked,” awards organiser Manus O’Callaghan said.
Caitriona has a remarkable commitment to the charity, having volunteered with it for seven days a week for the past 16 years. She said her mother and father instilled values of empathy and charity in her as a child.
Her father was a cook sergeant in the army and every Christmas he would provide dinner for the poor and elderly.
Another special award will be presented at the gala lunch to Rock ‘n’ Roll legend Donovan and his wife, Linda. They will be bestowed with the Honorary Corkpersons awards.
Previous recipients of Honorary Corkpersons titles include celebrated actor Jeremy Irons and acclaimed film director David Puttnam. This is the 29th year of the Cork Person of the Year awards.
Speakers at the awards lunch will include Dee Forbes, Director General of RTÉ; Tom Fitzpatrick, Editor of the Irish Examiner; and Ministers Michael McGrath and Simon Coveney.
The winner of the overall title will be chosen from 12 monthly winners. The nominees include Brother Ben Cusack, a pioneer in education and youth mentoring for more than 40 years in Cork; humorist Pat Fitzpatrick, aka Reggie, Blackrock Rd/Ask Audrey and RTÉ radio and TV personality John Creedon.
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