'Irish Examiner' reporters win four prizes at Justice Media Awards
In the Print/Online Journalism (Daily) category, reporter Sean Murray was the overall winner for his reporting on the Stardust inquests.
In awarding Mr Murray the prize, the judges said his work provided "detailed insights into the largest inquest in modern Irish history".
They said his reports were "excellently written and showed compassion for all involved".
Irish Examiner reporter Alison O'Reilly was awarded a merit certificate in the same category for reporting on surrogacy, IVF schemes, and the legal struggles facing people hoping to have families in Ireland.
The judges described Ms O'Reilly's work as "strong, relevant, and timely reporting on a topic of increasing public interest in Irish society".
In the Human Rights/Social Justice Reporting (Print/Online) category, Irish Examiner journalist Ann Murphy took home the top prize for her report: Why incarceration is not suitable for the mentally ill.
The judges said, in highlighting the concerns of those with mental illness in the prison system, Ms Murphy had "reported on this very complex issue in an incredible way".
"She was able to portray the daily horrors and injustices of those dealing with this on a daily basis," the judges said.
Ms O'Reilly also took home a second merit certificate in the Court Reporting - Print/Online category for her reporting on the case of Aoife Johnston, who died at University Hospital Limerick in 2022.
The judges said Alison's work shared "exclusive details of this tragic public interest story", and outlined "key court insights in a respectful way".
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Law Society president Eamon Harrington said the Justice Media Awards have been a great source of pride for the Law Society for three decades but "they are only as strong as the quality, tenacity, and dedication of the journalists who apply each year and the stories they tell".
"Over the past five years, entries to the awards have doubled, with a 20% increase this year from 2024.
The record-breaking number of entries this year show that the standard of Irish legal journalism remains incredibly high," he said.
Mr Harrington said that, at a time when journalists across the world continue to face threats, it is "more important than ever to recognise and support responsible journalism, and those who produce it, that educates, informs and keeps our State bodies accountable".
Journalism that amplifies voices of survivors and shares stories for the benefit of the public needs be recognised and celebrated.
Congratulating all of the winners and nominees, Mr Harrington said there was a "huge amount of talent and credibility among Ireland's legal journalists".
"With new media forms being developed, there is talent emerging from all areas," he added.
"From seasoned national and local reporters, podcasters, broadcasters, newcomers and students, there is every reason to be optimistic about the future of Irish legal journalism.'
The winners were:
Overall Winner - Aoife Kelleher, Farah Abushwesha and Rachel Lysaght (Underground Films and Rocliffe): Testimony;
Print/Online Journalism (Daily) - Sean Murray, Irish Examiner;
Print/Online Journalism (Sunday) - Killian Woods, Business Post;
Post Print/Online Journalism (Feature) - Mark Tighe and Marie Crowe, Sunday Independent;
Print/Online Journalism (Local) - Richard Canny, Roscommon Herald;
Broadcast Journalism (Radio) - Frank Greaney, The Anton Savage Show, Newstalk;
Broadcast Journalism (Radio-Local) - Sinéad Hubble and Will Faulkner, Midlands 103;
Broadcast Journalism (Podcast) - Michael Doyle, Neil Cotter, Damien Lane, and Fiona Wynne ( The Irish Sun): The Stardust Tragedy;
Broadcast Journalism (TV/Video) - Michael O'Farrell, Trevor Birney, Andrew Tully, Jim O'Hagan, Seán Mullan, and Michael Law (Fine Point Films LTD for RTÉ): Michael Lynn: The Fugitive;
Court Reporting (Print/Online) - Mary Carolan, The Irish Times;
Court Reporting (Broadcast) - Maura Fay, Today with Claire Byrne, RTÉ Radio One;
Human Rights/Social Justice Reporting (Print/Online) - Ann Murphy, Irish Examiner ;
Human Rights/Social Justice Reporting (Broadcast) - Aoife Kelleher, Farah Abushwesha and Rachel Lysaght (Underground Films and Rocliffe): Testimony;
Environmental Law/Climate Justice Reporting - Niall Sargent, The Currency;
International Justice Reporting - Marion McKeone, Business Post;
Newcomer of the Year - Jessica Woodlock ( The Pat Kenny Show, Newstalk, Bauer Media Group);
Student Journalism - Conor Healy, Trinity News
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