A WEST Cork woman was nominated for Réalta Óg, the newcomer of the year award, at this year’s Gradaim Chumarsáide an Oireachtais 2026 for her work as a news broadcaster with Raidió Fáilte in Belfast.

The awards night was held in Killarney on Wednesday October 28.

MaryClaire Nic Uilliam is originally from Glandore but made her way to Belfast, via Spain, in 2023 to complete a masters degree.

Having worked in Raidió Fáilte, the only Irish language community radio station in the six counties, for only a year and a half, MaryClaire hadn’t expected to be nominated but said it was a “huge honour”.

She said it had been in the back of her head since working on a show about the awards when she was with the BBC.

“I remember thinking that would be amazing to get nominated at some point. But I don’t think I thought it would come as quickly as it has, to be honest.”

At 26 years of age MaryClaire is the most senior in the newsroom and the only fulltime news journalist.

She is helped by two part time staff and her mentor, and founding member of the station, Eoghan Ó Néill.

She said that editorial freedom that comes with a small team is the best part of the job.

“There is not someone with a clipboard saying we don’t have the time or the money or it’s not important enough, local stories are what keep us going here.”

“My dad, William, he was chairman of Kilmacabea GAA for a long time and has always been active in the community and my mum Theresa grew up in Glandore and is a nurse in Bantry Hospital and neither of them speak Irish. Both kind of do their best on Duolingo and they listen to my shows and are very, very supportive and they think it’s fantastic, but there was no Irish at home.”

She credits her love for the Irish language to Ms Dineen’s classes at Mount Saint Michael secondary school in Rosscarbery, which has led to a blossoming career in broadcasting.

The Réalta Óg category was open to a public vote.