Limerick Person of the Year 2025 honours local music entertainment

Limerick Person of the Year 2025 honours local music entertainment. Oliver O’Toole, Tony McCarthy and Noel McCormack of St. John’s Brass and Reed Band, winner of Limerick Person of the Year at The Clayton Hotel, Limerick. Photo: Marie Keating

St. John’s Brass and Reed Band announced as winners of Limerick Person of the Year 2025 with Mick and Valerie Dolan honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award

The 2025 Limerick Person of the Year award acknowledged music-making in Limerick city with winners St. John’s Brass and Reed Band, celebrating an extraordinary 160 years of providing intergenerational mentorship and promoting civic pride.

Founded in 1865 as The Victuallers Band by Limerick’s butchers’ guild, the band has become one of Ireland’s oldest community bands, performing regularly at civic events, including Limerick’s annual International Band Championship and St Patrick’s Day parades, maintaining its place at the heart of Limerick’s musical life.

St. John’s Brass and Reed Band Chairperson, Tony McCarthy dedicated the award to members past and present, saying, “We’re absolutely shocked to be honest about it. There were so many worthy recipients throughout the year on a monthly basis and we honestly didn’t think we’d be getting awarded Limerick Persons of the Year. Last year we celebrated our 160th anniversary and we are a band in development, we’re going from strength to strength. This reward is a recognition of the present members and past member who have all played their part in the development of St. John’s Brass and Reed Band.”

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Noel McCormack, Secretary of St. John’s Brass and Reed Band, added, “Music is a collective to achieve an outcome. Part and parcel of our constitution is outreach to the community. We look forward to new young members coming in. Age doesn’t matter, interest is what counts. Music is synonymous with Limerick. The shock and surprise for me was to be mentioned in the company that we were in here today.”

Limerick celebrated an extraordinary year of achievement, community spirit and resilience through the Limerick Persons of the Month awards. Across 2025, twelve monthly winners were recognised for their outstanding contributions to local life in fields spanning the arts, sport, healthcare, charity, heritage, and personal courage (see full list of honourees below).

St. John’s Brass and Reed Band were awarded Limerick Persons of the Month for May 2025 following the celebration of their 160-year milestone.

Mick and Valerie Dolan, the duo behind Limerick’s internationally renowned live music institution Dolan’s Warehouse, have been celebrated with a lifetime achievement award in recognition of their longstanding contribution to the city’s cultural and entertainment landscape.

The couple operate Dolan’s, the much-loved traditional Irish pub on the Dock Road, which also encompasses a restaurant and three vibrant performance spaces. Beyond their Dock Road venues, they have played a major role in bringing large-scale live music experiences to iconic Limerick locations, including the Milk Market, King John’s Castle, and the Limerick Docklands.

Mick Dolan thanked the people of Limerick for making Dolans a success, saying, “We’ve had a great journey from start to finish. We moved from Dublin in 1992 and opened a small bar on the Dock Road. It’s evolved because of the support of the people of Limerick. We are thrilled to get this acknowledgement from the city and the county. We didn’t expect it, and to get it is just amazing. We love what we do, and we’re going to keep doing it.”

Valerie Dolan spoke of the thriving arts scene in Limerick, saying, “It’s great to get an acknowledgement, it’s great to know that other people think you are doing the right thing. We’ve had a blast here in Limerick. We’ve met and worked with great people. There’s a very strong arts community in Limerick and we’re lucky just to be part of that.”

Áine Fitzgerald, managing editor, Limerick Leader commented, “The Limerick Leader is incredibly proud to sponsor the Limerick Person of the Year Awards, which celebrate the remarkable people and groups who make our city and county such a special place.These awards shine a light on the positive stories that define our region and remind us of the extraordinary achievements happening in Limerick every day. It is a privilege for the Limerick Leader to support an initiative that recognises and celebrates the people who make Limerick what it is.”

David O’Hora, Managing Director of Southern Marketing Design and Media, said they were delighted to continue their sponsorship of the awards and added, “I say this every year, but it is worth repeating. These people did not enter a competition. They were nominated. Each of them has done remarkable things in their own way and the winner is chosen as a representative of all that the nominees have accomplished.

“I also welcome the opportunity to recognise the contribution that Mick and Valerie Dolan have made to cultural life in Limerick. They are deserving recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Elaine Ryan, Sales and Marketing Manager, Clayton Hotel, Limerick said, “Clayton Hotel Limerick is delighted to sponsor the Limerick Person of the Year Awards each year since its inception. This event is steeped in goodwill and celebrates the incredible people in our community who do amazing things every day. We are immensely proud to play a part in recognising and honouring these individuals. The awards are a highlight in our calendar each year, and we hope they will continue to be for many years to come.”