JOE Men of the Year Awards 2015: Rising Star

We might not have known a lot about them in January, but we do now.

Successful people in all walks of life can often look back and pinpoint one year that was a real turning point in their lives. For our nominees for the JOE Rising Star Award below, 2015 has been a crucial year in their development and will likely be the springboard to greater things. Cast your vote for the JOE Rising Star at the bottom of the page and vote on all JOE Men of the Year categories here.

Cian Twomey

Pic via Facebook/Mr Cian Twomey A little under 3.5 million people follow the Cork native on Facebook thanks to a series of hilarious sketches featuring the man himself acting out everyday situations involving himself and an imaginary (and exaggerated) version of his real-life girlfriend. The fact that pretty much everyone can relate to the type of situations played out in Cian’s sketches is what has made him so popular and if there’s a more convincing male version of an angst-filled female accent out there, then we haven’t heard it.

Gerard Barrett

A Kerry native, Barrett has been turning heads thanks to his work as a director for some years now. He really rose to prominence in 2015 thanks to Glassland, a Dublin-based drama starring Jack Reynor and Oscar nominee Toni Collette that was released to rave reviews earlier this year. Slated to work with the likes of Leonardo di Caprio, Charlize Theron and Dakota Fanning in future projects, big things lie ahead.

Joe Caslin (pictured below, right)

A street artist responsible for some stunning work around the country, Caslin was also the man behind the same-sex mural on Dublin’s George’s Street that attracted such widespread recognition that it even featured in the New York Times. A teacher by trade, Caslin has also contributed to some admirable and important work in the area of mental health in Ireland.

The Academic

Joe Dolan, Niall Horan, The Academic; there must be something in the water in Mullingar that enables the town to keep churning out fantastic musical talents. Having supported the Pixies and signed a big publishing deal with Global in 2014, the four-piece performed at our first Sunday Sessions Live gig in the summer and have been booked to play at the prestigious South by South West (SXSW) festival in Texas in March.

Paul Dunne

An amateur leading one of golf’s four majors after Day One is impressive. An amateur leading the British Open after three days is virtually unheard of. A lapse on the final day meant that Dunne finished up in a tie for 30^th, but the Greystones golfer turned pro shortly after the tournament. With his 23^rd birthday falling at the end of November, hopes are high that he can follow in the footsteps of Harrington, McIlroy et al.