Best and worst of the year marked

THOSE honoured at this year’s People of the Year Awards reflect a year that gave us the best of times, and the worst of times.

Among those awarded prizes were survivors of institutional abuse Christine Buckley and Michael O’Brien, and the Irish rugby team, represented by Brian O’Driscoll, Jerry Flannery and Luke Fitzgerald. One a great high for the annals of Irish history – the other a shameful low.

Yet it is perhaps the beauty of the annual Rehab event, now in its 35th year, that it can honour such diverse and deserving contributions to Irish life.