Best of Limerick to be honoured at annual Limerick Person of the Year awards

LIMERICK’S Person of the Year for 2024 is to be revealed this Friday, March 7, with one of the 12 deserving recipients of the Limerick Person of the Month award being chosen for the prestigious honour.

Along with this, three late Limerick entertainers are set to be inducted into the 2024 Limerick Person of the Year Hall of Fame for their extraordinary contributions to the arts.

Actor, poet, writer and comedian Jon Kenny along with singer-songwriter Johnny Duhan and actor, director and writer John Murphy will be honoured as part of a special celebration with distinguished guests at the annual awards at the Clayton Hotel.

READ ALSO: Worthy monthly winners to be honoured at Limerick Person of the Year Awards

Lorcan Murray from RTÉ is set to once again MC the highly anticipated event and will be going through the 12 nominees for Limerick Person of the Year 2024, listed further below.

All 12 monthly winners highlight the great and good of Limerick and are from all ages, backgrounds and walks of life. There are poets, scientists, sports stars, and carers in the esteemed group.

For 2023, Milford Care Centre were named the Limerick Persons of the Year with rugby legend Keith Earls honoured with a lifetime achievement award.

This year’s posthumous Hall of Fame honour is being bestowed upon Jon Kenny, John Murphy and Johnny Duhan by Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, for their longtime dedication to the arts, and their passion for putting a smile on people’s faces and provoking thought through their work.

It will be a special day for the Kenny, Murphy and Duhan families as they join in celebrating the Hall of Fame induction.
Past recipients of the Hall of Fame honour are the late Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries, and busker Tom McNamara.

The late Jon Kenny will forever be admired for his quick wit and creative mind and is described as an “absolute icon” by many for his abundance of talent and passion for his craft.

John Murphy, a champion of Limerick theatre, believed in the power of the arts to transform and heal. The storyteller, actor, director and writer will go down in the Hall of Fame as one of the greats.

The late great singer-songwriter Johnny Duhan is remembered widely, and fondly, as a man who possessed an abundance of musical talent.

Having grown up on Wolfe Tone Street in Limerick city, Mr Duhan is most well known for writing the song, The Voyage.

The Limerick Person of the Year awards are jointly sponsored by the Limerick Leader, media agency Southern and the Clayton Hotel. The Limerick Person of the Year 2024 is to be revealed at the lunchtime event on Friday.

Full list of 2024 Limerick Person of the Month winners and 2024 Limerick Person of the Year nominees are as follows

January:

SEÁN O’Sullivan was named the Limerick Person of the Month for January 2024 for his accomplishments in the world of science which saw him became the 60th winner of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
The Coláiste Chiaráin, Croom student said winning this esteemed prize was “an honour, an absolute honour”.
“Since the BT Young Scientist so much unexpected things continue to happen and I am incredibly grateful to the judging committee for having selected me,” he added.
Following his BT success, the then 17-year-old represented Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS).

February: 

SHANE Sheehy was named Limerick Person of the Month for February 2024 for shining a spotlight on Limerick abroad.
Based in Lanzarote, the publican was unable to receive the award in person, and instead gave his thanks over a very joyful phone call.
“Still in shock,” the Garryowen native said. He described his rollercoaster journey of setting up his Lanzarote bar, The Limerick Phoenix Tavern.
Having spotted the “beautiful little bar” whilst on holiday in Lanzarote almost five years ago, Shane and his wife, Bernadette, made the brave decision to buy the pub and move to the popular holiday destination. This support from his ‘locals’ inspired Shane to turn the bar into a shrine to Limerick.

March:

GARETH Bromell was named Limerick Person of the Month in March 2024 for his incredible career as a Hollywood hairdresser.
The hairstylist, who has worked with celebrities such as Cillian Murphy and Taylor Swift, said he was “very, very flattered” to be honoured with this award.
Despite being LA-based, the Castleconnell native explained that for him, where he comes from is “the most important thing”.
“I started my career in Limerick.
“To be recognised by this beautiful city, I’m just really flattered and honoured,” he said.
Gareth is the son of Lily Bromell and former rugby player Mick Bromell, who played with Thomond RFC and Bohemians, along with Munster in the late 70s.

April:

THE ORGANISERS of Monagea for CRY were named Limerick Persons of the Month in April 2024 for their fundraising event that raised approximately €500,000 over 10 years.
Liam Herlihy and Clare Scanlan collected the award in April 2024 on behalf of the Herlihy family, the O’Donovan Scanlan family, and all their supporters, volunteers, and the people of Monagea, who “they could not have done this without”.
The annual May bank holiday fundraiser, as Clare said, “came out of something very sad for both our families”, as the seeds were sown following the sudden deaths of Liam and Marie’s daughter Niamh at only 20-years-old and of Clare and Tom’s son Darra, at age 15.

May: 

THE BRAINS behind The People’s Museum of Limerick were named Limerick Persons of the Month in May for their work in the Limerick community.
The People’s Museum of Limerick is run by Limerick Civic Trust and housed at No 2 Pery Square.
William O’Neill, Curator of Museums at Limerick Civic Trust, accepted the award on behalf of the two organisations.
Mr O’Neill said that the award “means an awful lot” for him and the staff of The People’s Museum.
“This is a huge honour, we’re delighted to have people support us.
“We try our best for the local community and we’re delighted.”

June:

POET John Liddy was named Limerick Person of the Month in June 2024 for his work both in Limerick and abroad.Based in Madrid, where he worked for years as a teacher and librarian, John was born in Cork, but grew up in Limerick.
“It was completely unexpected, a complete surprise,” John said about being named Person of the Month in June.
“I’m delighted to receive it. You know, something symbolic associated with Limerick is what makes me happy,” he added.
In something of a full circle moment, his first poetry collection, Boundaries, was published in the Limerick Leader in 1974.

July: 

ISKA World Kickboxing Champion Hayleigh Kiely was named Limerick Person of the Month for her incredible sporting achievements.
The Moyross native, who has been training in martial arts since she was a young child, was crowned the world champion in April.
The 24 year-old primary school teacher trains with Hub Martial Arts in Kileely.
Her dedication is unmatched, as she can be spotted practising her skills most evenings after work.
The nickname “Hayleigh Smiley Kiely” given to her by Hub Martial Arts, is undoubtedly fitting, as her joy in receiving the Limerick Person of the Month award in July 2024 was clear.

August:

PARALYMPIAN Róisín Ní Ríain was named Limerick Person of the Month in August for her incredible achievements in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
Receiving the award for the second time, Róisín said it was “such an honour,” adding that “it really does mean so so much”.
Róisín first received the title of Limerick Person of the Month in 2021, after her first Paralympics in Tokyo.
The 19 year-old explained that “the support has been great, from everybody - from friends, from family, from people who I don’t even know, it’s been so so good”.
The Drombanna native earned both silver and bronze medals in the 2024 Paralympics.

September: 

FORMER President of Mary Immaculate College (MIC) Eugene Wall was named Limerick Person of the Month for September 2024 for his contributions to education.
Arriving at the college in 1980 with the intention of only staying there for a year, but ending up permanently moving to Limerick over 40 years ago, Mr Wall said he was “absolutely delighted” and “surprised” to win Limerick Person of the Month.
“It’s a great honour,” he said upon receiving the award at the Clayton Hotel.
“I spent a total of 44 years at MIC. “The fact I stayed so long is a real indication of how much I enjoyed it.
“Working with the students and staff there was a real boon.”

October: 

LIMERICK Enterprise Development Partnership (LEDP) received the Limerick Person of the Month Award in October 2024 for its contribution to Limerick since its founding 25 years ago.
CEO of LEDP, Niall O’Callaghan said that the staff of LEDP were “absolutely thrilled” to receive the title, and thanked the sponsors of the “fantastic” award.
“We’re humbled and honoured to be recipients of the Limerick Person of the Month,” he said.

November:

TWENTY-four-year-old Olivia Humphreys was named Limerick Person of the Month in November for her life-changing invention for cancer patients.
In the same month, the Pallasgreen woman was announced as the first Irish overall winner of the prestigious James Dyson 2024 award with a prize fund of €38,000.
Upon receiving her Limerick Person of the Month award at the Clayton Limerick, Ms Humphreys said: “I am so excited, so proud and honoured to be honest.
“When I was working on my project, Athena, I realised it was my passion,” she concluded.

December:

A YOUNG girl who is passionate about caring for her brothers was named Limerick Person for the Month for her unwavering commitment.
Ellen Gannon, age 11, is from Newcastle West. She was honoured as Munster Young Carer of the Year 2024 for caring for her brothers Andrew and James Gannon, 10, with non-verbal autism.
As part of the Netwatch Young Carer of the Year national awards, Ellen was “so happy” to receive the prestigious accolade.
Upon receiving this award, she said: “I’m feeling very happy and I’m delighted to be picked as Person of the Month for young carer. Thank you.”