City’s stars do battle for top accolade

A PAIR of adventurers along with a rugby star and a solicitor — who uncovered evidence to free a man who had served 26 years in jail — are among the favourites to scoop the Cork Person of the Year award.

The bookies make it a very close call between the four, two of whom are joint entries.

Pat Falvey and Dr Clare O’Leary won a monthly award for their Beyond Endurance trek across Antarctic as part of the first Irish team to make it to the South Pole.

Their historic 1,140km walk in freezing temperatures took 58 days to complete.

Another of the favourites is rugby star Ronan O’Gara who last May helped steer Munster to their second Heineken Cup triumph in three years when the province overcame Toulouse in an epic encounter at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Lawyer Niamh Gunn is also tipped to be in the running for the award, following her discovery that Walter Swift had been wrongly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit.

She was instrumental in getting him released after 26 years spent in jail.

The Irish Examiner is media sponsor for this year’s awards ceremony, which will take place on Friday, January 23 at the Sheraton Fota Island Golf Resort & Spa.

RTÉ’s Anne Doyle and MEP Brian Crowley will act as joint MCs for the event, which is in its 16th year.

The winner will be chosen by the judges, Cork City Council manager Joe Gavin, Cork County Council manager Martin Riordan and Bishop John Buckley.

Past winners include Jimmy Barry Murphy, Adi Roche and Roy Keane.