A huge congratulations to BComm graduate John Field (BComm 1966) and his wife Catherine (BA 1976; DIP 1968; DIP 1978) who were both honoured with the President’s Award for their contribution to their local community at last night’s Alumni Achievement Awards.
John and Catherine Field are at the heart of the community in Skibbereen, West Cork. They are directors of the family business, J.J. Field & Co., which includes Fields of Skibbereen SuperValu, an award-winning supermarket known for championing the very best of local.
The couple met at UCC. John graduated in 1966 with a BComm. Catherine graduated with an Arts degree in 1967 and later returned to complete postgraduate training in Social Policy. They have five children, three of whom also attended UCC. Locally, John and Catherine have made a tremendous impact.
From providing employment opportunities through their supermarket and bakery, to supporting local suppliers and producers by stocking artisan produce on their shelves. Outside of the family business, Catherine worked for many years as a Social Worker with the former Southern Health Board and latterly with the HSE on their child protection team. She is also known for her support of people with intellectual disabilities through her work with the Cope Foundation. John was instrumental in the digitisation of rural Ireland by setting up Skibbereen’s Ludgate Hub, a digital workspace that drove innovation in West Cork. He is also involved n the very successful West Cork Distillers in Skibbereen.