THE Southern Star has received a total of nine nominations for awards at the upcoming Local Ireland Media Awards, across a variety of categories and departments.
The hotly-contested accolades showcase excellence in journalism and the achievements of Ireland’s local news publishers and their staff.
'We are delighted with our nominations for this year's awards,' said Star editor Siobhán Cronin.
'It's testament to our hard-working and professional team across all our departments, from news, to sport, and digital to design and advertising.'
The Southern Star's nominations
Best Sustainability Journalism: Greener Living supplement
Best Use of Photography: Parents furious over school bus chaos again
Best Headline: PIER PRESSURE
Best Innovation: southernstaradvertising.ie
Best News Series: Locals will fight nursing home closure
Best Advertising Campaign: Bantry Tyres Centre
Best Use of Digital: In The News podcast series
Best Sports Journalist: Kieran McCarthy
Best Supplement: Wild West Cork
This year’s awards will be sponsored for the seventh consecutive year by the National Lottery.
President of Local Ireland and head of Irish Times Regionals Dan Linehan said: 'We have had nearly 600 entries for the awards which underlines the quality and excellence of our local newspapers and their digital and online platforms.
'I want to thank the National Lottery for their sponsorship of the awards and their commitment to supporting local journalism, which is at the heart of communities across Ireland.”
National Lottery ceo Cian Murphy said: “We are incredibly proud of our continued association with the Local Ireland Media Awards that recognise the top-class journalists and media professionals who tirelessly serve our local communities.
The judges for the awards include author and broadcaster Alison O’Connor, who is chairing the panel, broadcaster and journalist Dearbhail McDonald, emeritus professor at TUD Michael Foley, Dawn Wheatley of DCU School of Communications, managing director of Kinetic Ireland Andrew Sinclair, photographer and former Irish Times picture editor Frank Miller, broadcaster and writer Valerie Cox, journalist and author PJ Cunningham, novelist and newspaper columnist Dr Martina Devlin, policy editor of the Business Post Daniel Murray and deputy night editor of the Irish Sun Gerry McCarthy.
The award winners will be announced at a gala event at the Mullingar Park Hotel on Thursday, September 19th. The evening will be hosted by RTÉ presenter and Eurovision guru Marty Whelan.
Full list of nominations:
BEST SUSTAINABILITY JOURNALIST
Cian O’Connell Connacht Tribune CARROWNAGAPPUL BOG
Kate Ryan The Echo/EchoLive.ie ALTERNATIVE PROTEINS SERIES
Southern Star GREENER LIVING
Siobhán Holliman Tuam Herald NEW LIFE FOR OLD MILL AND FADING VILLAGE
BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
The Nationalist, Clonmel DARKEST OF DAYS
Connacht Tribune THE BIG CLEAN-UP
Galway City Tribune BIRD’S EYE VIEW
Southern Star SCHOOL BUS CHAOS
BEST HEADLINE
Limerick Leader HIGH FIVE IN A ROW
Southern Star PIER PRESSURE
Anglo-Celt FROM BUST TO BOOM
Munster Express RING THE CHANGES
BEST LOCAL ADVERTISEMENT
Meath Chronicle LYDON FARRELL ST PATRICK’S DAY
Westmeath Independent PETMANIA OPENING PARTY
Meath Chronicle VERSATILE
Connacht Tribune SALTHILL HOTEL WEDDINGS
BEST INNOVATION
Gary Doherty-McClenaghan and Donegal News 24 HOURS IN DUBLIN
Anglo-Celt COST OF LIVING SUPERMARKET SERIES
Southern Star NEW ADVERTISING WEBSITE
Anglo-Celt BUSINESS AND TOURISM AWARDS
BEST NEWS SERIES
Stephen Corrigan Galway City Tribune GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF STATE-SPONSORED
ECOLOGICAL DESTRUCTION
Dan Danaher Clare Champion PATIENTS HIGHLIGHT IMPACT OF UHL OVERCROWDING
Kieran O’Mahony Southern Star LOCALS WILL FIGHT NURSING HOME CLOSURE
Donal O’Keeffe The Echo/EchoLive.ie SHOCKING CONDITIONS FOR COUNCIL TENANTS IN CORK CITY
BEST PHOTOGRAPH
Gerard O’Loughlin Roscommon Herald MY CUP
John Kelly Clare Champion BACK DOWN FROM THE BIG SCHMOKE
Ray Ryan Tuam Herald BOYS WILL BE BOYS
Joe O’Shaughnessy Connacht Tribune DRAGON THE FORGOTTEN WORLD
BEST ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
Connacht Tribune THE HYDE BAR , GALWAY
Anglo-Celt THE CAVAN CRYSTAL HOTEL
Westmeath Independent WINES DIRECT
Southern Star BANTRY TYRE CENTRE
BEST DIVERSITY JOURNALIST
Stephen Corrigan Connacht Tribune BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS
Conor McGuire Western People ARTS HAS BEEN A HEALING FORCE IN GUS’S LIFE
Concubhar Ó’Liatháin The Echo/EchoLive.ie HARASSMENT IS FORCING WOMEN OUT OF PUBLIC LIFE
Richard Canny Roscommon Herald I DIDN’T THINK I’D MAKE IT TO MY FIFTEENTH
FEATURE JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Aisling Meath The Echo/EchoLive.ie WOMEN OF THE ISLANDS
Anthony Hennigan Western People HENRY WILLS: A TRUE MASTER OF HIS CRAFT
Louise Doyle Donegal News THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT – 25 YEARS ON FOR DONEGAL
Noelle Finegan Meath Chronicle IN AN ELDERLY CARE HOME AT 40
BEST USE OF DIGITAL
Gavan Becton Meath Chronicle BETTYSTOWN FLOODING – THE FORGOTTEN VILLAGE
Darren Hassett tipperary.live.ie TURNING tipperarylive.ie INTO A COMMUNITY NEWS PAGE
Shane King Westmeath Examiner BLOOM VIDEO
Dylan Mangan - Southern Star IN THE NEWS PODCAST
SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Kieran McCarthy Southern Star
Paul Fitzpatrick Anglo-Celt
Caoimhín Rowland Connaught Telegraph
Anthony Hennigan Western People
NATIONAL LOTTERY BEST COMMUNITY JOURNALIST
Stephen Corrigan Connacht Tribune OLDER PEOPLE AT THE HEART OF COMMUNITY
Diarmaid Doherty Donegal News I NEVER GOT TO SAY GOODBYE
Timothy O’Mahony The Echo/EchoLive.ie VOLUNTEERS OF CORK
Jessica Quinn Clare Champion KNITTING THE WORLD BACK TOGETHER
BEST SUPPLEMENT
Western People BIDEN IN MAYO
Southern Star WILD WEST CORK
Celtic Media Group IN OUR HANDS
The Echo/EchoLive.ie DOWNTOWN CORK JAZZ FESTIVAL
COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR
Fr Brendan Hoban Western People JUST A THOUGHT
Barbara Daly Connaught Telegraph THE ELEPHANT IN THE OBITUARY
Gavan Reilly Meath Chronicle ELECTION 25: AS MEATH GOES EAST, SO GOES THE NATION
Áilín Quinlan The Echo/EchoLive.ie I WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AS A CHILD, I KEPT SILENT FOR 50 YEARS
BEST FRONT PAGE
Nenagh Guardian LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A HORROR FILM
Galway City Tribune STREETS OF SHAME
Tipperary Star SHANE McGOWAN
Limerick Leader GO FOURTH AND CONQUER
BEST NEWS STORY
Fiona McGarry Clare Champion PYRITE CAMPAIGN SUCCESS AFTER THREE YEAR STRUGGLE
Michael Tracey The Nationalist, Carlow WORKERS ATTACKED WHILE INSPECTING SITE FOR REFUGEES
Siobhán Holliman Tuam Herald PLANNING PROBLEMS FOR PLAZA
Suzanne Pender The Nationalist, Carlow HOSPITAL SENT HALF-NAKED WOMAN HOME IN A TAXI
