People of the Year Awards 2007

The People of the Year Awards, organised by Rehab and sponsored by QUINN-healthcare, provide a unique opportunity for the Irish public to honour outstanding contributions by individuals to life on the island. Nominations are welcomed on an all-island basis.

Each year members of the public nominate people who have enhanced the quality of life in Ireland, increased civic pride, or through acts of bravery have touched the lives of the community.

The list of winners since the awards began in 1975 reads like a who's who of Irish life over more than a quarter of a century. John Hume, Padraig Harrington, Mo Mowlam, Brian Keenan, Veronica Guerin, Sir Bob Geldof, Seamus Heaney and Maeve Binchy are just some of the previous award winners.

But in addition to these household names, a particular focus of the event is the "unsung heroes" who have made a difference at community level.

The award recipients are chosen from the public nominations by adjudicators comprising leading members of the media, business, public service and community sectors.



(Brian Cowen, Gerald Killeen and Martin McGuinness)

QUINN-healthcare were delighted to sponsor the People of the Year Awards 2007 in the Citywest Hotel, Saggart, Co. Dublin. The event was hosted by Gráinne Seoige and broadcast live on RTÉ 1. An Tánaiste, Brian Cowen TD was guest of honour at the Awards presentation.

Sporting hero, Padraig Harrington received the Irish Person of the Year, whilst musical legend, Christy Moore was named Ireland’s Greatest Living Musician. As the first European winner of a Major Championship since 1999 and the first Irishman to win the British Open for 60 years, Padraig Harrington entered sporting history while enthralling the nation. He received the Irish Person of the Year Award for what the adjudicators called his ‘sheer will to win in an enthralling British Open Championship finale and for a career played in the spirit of the best sporting values’.

The re-establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly last May was a momentous occasion that marked the end of four decades of conflict. As a recognition of the creation of a peaceful and democratic solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland and for their commitment to bringing all parties in the North together in the Northern Assembly, An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD, Former Prime Minister Tony Blair MP, First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Reverend Ian Paisley MLA, MP and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness MLA, MP were nominated for a People of the Year Award.

Gerald Killen, a ten year-old school boy from Kinnegad, Co. Westmeath, who despite his tender age showed tremendous bravery when he saved the life of his father, Denis, after an horrific farmyard accident, received the Young Irish Person of the Year Award at the event. Cork mother Maureen Forrest became the International Person of the Year for her selfless dedication and life-saving work among the abandoned, vulnerable and helpless people of Calcutta.

Jane McKenna was honored for her work in founding the Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice Foundation following the tragic deaths of her two daughters to serious illnesses. The founder and former director of the National Children’s Choir, Sean Creamer, received his People of the Year Award for fostering a love of music and choral singing among tens of thousands of primary school children through his work with the National Children’s Choir. Mary Nally accepted a People of the Year Award on behalf of the Fáilte Isteach project in Summerhill, Co. Meath that involves older people in the local community teaching English to foreign nationals.

The award winners were chosen by an adjudicating committee comprising of editors from national newspapers, provincial press and broadcast media from nominations made from the public.