LOCAL IRELAND MEDIA AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Host Marty Morrissey revealed the winners in 14 competitive categories plus a Lifetime Achievement award for Pat Ryan of the Nenagh Guardian in a virtual awards ceremony held on Wednesday December 1.

President of Local Ireland Declan McGuire said: “I am delighted that we were able to celebrate journalism excellence in our regional publishers in this way.

“It is important that our achievements are recognised. I want to congratulate all the winners and nominees and pay tribute to all the journalists and staff who deliver our regional news titles week in, week out to such a high professional standard.

“I also want to thank our sponsors, the National Lottery, for their continued support of community-focused journalism, and our judges for the care they have taken in reaching their final decisions.”

CEO of the Lottery Andrew Algeo said: “In these challenging times, we need great journalism to uncover, to explain, to challenge and to give perspective to what we are all experiencing.

“These annual awards are important and we at the National Lottery are delighted to be both associated with them and to confirm our commitment to local journalism through the sponsorship of the Local Ireland Media Awards for a further three years.”

Chair of the Judges Áine Kerr of kinzen.com said: “At its very best, quality local journalism can engage, entertain and educate. Critically, it should – and can – leave us feeling more informed about the world around us, empowering us to make decisions and judgements about that everyday world.

“Quality local journalism has the power to make us feel more connected, to give us a sense of belonging to something, whether it’s a club, movement, community group or event.

“After two years of often having to stay apart in order to stay together, it is my hope and belief that we were still able to relate to and learn from our local communities through the power of local journalism, through our shared local stories. I want to congratulate everyone who was nominated.

Executive Director Bob Hughes said: “After taking the difficult but necessary to decision to cancel our awards evening because of COVID, we were determined to go ahead with a virtual celebration of all that’s great in local journalism.

“I was also very pleased that we were able to deliver the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Pat Ryan, former Managing Director of the Nenagh Guardian, to a wider audience.

“Pat has made an immense contribution to local journalism both at a local and national level through his stewardship of the Nenagh Guardian and his active involvement in the work of Local Ireland.”

You can watch the Local Ireland Media Awards at https://youtu.be/OOAIufYY-cw

Click here to access a PDF of all winners

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