Civic award for crusading Cork journalist

Crusading Evening Echo journalist Deirdre O’Reilly, who is recovering after a devastating stroke, is among several leading figures who will be honoured by Cork’s Lord Mayor tonight.

Deirdre, whose work with the Echo’s annual Christmas appeal over the last 15 years helped raise €1m for Cork charities, is among six people who will receive a special civic award at the mayor’s annual community and voluntary awards ceremony which takes place in City Hall this evening.

Deirdre, a mother of two young girls, is undergoing intensive rehabilitation in Dublin following her life-changing stroke just days before Christmas.

A gala fundraising concert last month raised €40,000 towards her rehab costs.

Lord Mayor Cllr Catherine Clancy chose to honour Deirdre, and the other five nominees, to recognise how their tireless work has improved the quality of the life in the city.

The other recipients are:

- Cork ladies football guru Eamonn Ryan, who has led the squad to eight All-Ireland titles, seven National League titles and nine successive Munster Senior Championships over the last decade, for his commitment to ladies football;

- Hollyhill hairdresser Pamela O’Connor for her campaigning and fundraising for the cystic fibrosis charity, Build4Life;

- Former Munster and Ireland rugby coach, Declan Kidney, who guided his teams to two Heineken Cups, a Triple Crown and a Grand Slam, and who is now the director of sport and physical Activity at UCC;

- Camogie stalwart, Mary Newman, the current PRO for the Cork Camogie Board, for a lifetime’s commitment to the sport;

- Arthur Leahy, one of the founders of the Quay Co-op on Sullivan’s Quay, for his role in the co-op and the LGBT movement.

The mayor will also present awards to a range of community and voluntary groups around the city to honour and recognise their tireless work.