Mary Crilly is set to receive the Freedom of The City at a ceremony later today.
The director of the Sexual Violence Centre Cork is being honoured for her tireless fight against highlight sexual and domestic violence as well as for her support for victims.
Speaking to Jamie O' Hara of RedFm news, Mary said she is proud to accept the award and is dedicating it to the people who have attended the centre:
"We've seen over 10,000 at this stage, I've just gone through the stats and we came across we were up to 10,000 a couple of weeks ago. This is for them, because I find it hard to separate my life from here, because I've merged into being the one person being sexual violence centre and Mary Crilly, so this is for them. I am so proud of a city that acknowledges something as horrific as sexual violence, acknowledges it and says we don't like it, but we know what's happening and we're going to raise awareness about it. That's the way I see it."
Mary says while will more than likely stay involved with the centre, she is working on a plan to ensure it keeps providing the vital services it does after she retires.
