Two Cork men, who became drug addicts and served time in jail, have been honoured for becoming “a real force for change” as they help people struggling with addiction and mental health problems.
Timmy Long and James Leonard, now best known for “The Two Norries” podcast, have been chosen as Cork Persons of the Month for July, after being nominated by RTÉ broadcaster John Creedon, among others.
Mr Long and Mr Leonard, who are boyhood friends and grew up on Cork’s northside, have been honoured for their work speaking about difficult social issues, according to awards organiser, Manus O’Callaghan.
“Timmy and James can talk the talk because they walked the walk, so they have great empathy with young people. These lads survived time in prison and serious addiction problems, so their powerful communication is listened to,” said Mr O’Callaghan.
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Mr Long has spoken about the childhood trauma, poverty and violence he experienced growing up, which led to a life of crime, alcohol, drug and gambling addictions.
That led to 15 years in treatment centres and prison, before he experienced, as he describes it, a spiritual awakening, which led to him turning his life around completely.
Having learned to read and write aged 32, Mr Long has since completed an honour’s degree in construction management, along with two Fetac courses in furniture making and restoration and in sustainable technologies.
Today, he runs his own property maintenance and construction company, employing people in recovery which “gives a sense of belonging” and reduces feelings of isolation, said Mr O’Callaghan.
Meanwhile, Mr Leonard has spoken about his years of addiction and the time spent in hospital and prison before he went sober in 2013 and entered education. Since then, he has earned a sociology degree and a master’s in criminology.
Today, he is studying for a PhD at UCC, while he has had a number of articles published in academic journals. Throughout, he has offered motivational talks to companies, and a variety of youth and community groups.
So far, Mr Long and Mr Leonard have produced more than 100 podcasts, often in front of live theatre audiences, while they have been frequent guests on TV, including The Late Late Show.
The two had used their education and their experience to give “down-to-earth advice on the podcast to help people break the downward cycle of addiction and other social and health problems”, said Mr O’Callaghan.
Speaking about their childhood and young adult experiences and bringing experts onboard has helped “to destigmatise these social issues and help listeners and viewers understand and overcome them”.
