“The freedom of one’s native city is a very special honour. But when that city is Cork City then it’s difficult to retain one’s humility.”

The legendary actor and comedian Niall Tóibín is to be made a freeman of Cork despite an “agreement” last year to put a stay on the award for five years.

THERE is a great quote from Niall Tóibín that I recently stumbled across in an old 1980 BBC radio documentary about Cork city and its inhabitants, called As Others See Us.