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Double success for Southern Star at Local Ireland media awards

June 6th, 2019 5:05 PM

By Southern Star Team

From left: Dermot Griffin of sponsors National Lottery, with Southern Star news editor Siobhán Cronin, who won the Feature Story of the Year award with awards night MC Marty Morrisseyand David Ryan, president, Local Ireland. The gala awards dinner was held in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Athlone.

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The Southern Star has enjoyed a double success in the fourth Local Ireland Annual Media Awards.

THE Southern Star has enjoyed a double success in the fourth Local Ireland Annual Media Awards.

News editor Siobhán Cronin won the Feature Story of the Year category for her article ‘Whiddy tragedy recalled’ which was published in January for the 40th anniversary of the Bantry disaster. 

The newspaper also won Best Local Advertisement for an ad by Star graphic designer Irene Paradisi, for  a local environmental campaign which was screening Jeremy Irons’ Trashed movie. 

This was the second year running that The Southern Star picked up this award, which recognises high quality local advertising design and copy writing.

Judges described Siobhán’s work as ‘a great example of a local journalist using her local newspaper to express the grief of those involved.’

In their citation they said: ‘Siobhán goes well beyond the traditional memory style piece to investigate what happened. She gives us everything – the point of view of the photographer, the islander, the diver, the eye witness. Her style of writing fits the feature, serious news mixed with the compassion and warmth she obviously feels for those who were involved.’

The awards, presented at a gala dinner in Athlone, attracted over 520 entries and were presented by David Ryan, president of Local Ireland, the representative body for local newspapers, and Dermot Griffin, chief executive, National Lottery, the event sponsors. The MC for the evening was RTÉ’s Marty Morrissey.

Dermot Griffin said: ‘Local media is essential to keeping communities connected and continues to play a major role in both shaping and reflecting the people it serves. Local newspapers always have been and remain a vital vehicle to remind our players that by playing National Lottery games they are also supporting projects all over the country through our Good Causes fund.’

David Ryan added: ‘These awards are in recognition of the many talents that combine to produce our titles in both print and digital format every week. We have outstanding journalists, photographers, designers and advertising executives the length and breadth of the country and we are delighted to properly recognise their contributions to our industry.’

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