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Dublin: 12 °C Sunday 19 May, 2013

Tubridy takes best newcomer prize at Irish Book Awards

Well-publicised JFK tome scoops prize as Booker-nominated novel Room takes Novel of the Year.

IT HAD A glitzy launch in Dublin’s Mansion House, was accompanied by a primetime TV documentary and was written by one of the country’s most high-profile broadcasters. Ryan Tubridy’s JFK in Ireland: Four Days That Changed a President was not exactly a dark horse for the  Irish Newcomer of the Year category which it won last night at the Irish Book Awards.

The awards, sponsored by Bord Gais Energy, were voted for by almost 30,000 members of the public. Maeve Binchy was presented with a special lifetime achievement award by President Mary McAleese. This is the full list of winners…

The Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year: Room by Emma Donoghue.

RTE Radio 1′s The John Murray Show Listeners’ Choice Award: Come What May by Donal Og Cusack.

The Ireland AM Irish Crime Fiction Book of the Year: Dark Times in the City by Gene Kerrigan.

The Argosy Irish Non-Fiction Book of the Year: A Coward If I Return, A Hero If I Fall by Neil Richardson.

Eason Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year: The Oh My God Delusion by Ross O’Carroll Kelly.

Energise Sport Irish Sports Book of the Year: A Football Man by John Giles

Irish Newcomer of the Year: JFK in Ireland: Four Days That Changed A President by Ryan Tubridy.

International Education Services Best Irish Published Book of the Year: Good Mood Food by Donal Skehan.

The Dublin Airport Authority Irish Children’s Book of the Year: On the Road with Mavis and Marge by Niamh Sharkey (junior winner); Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil by Derek Landy (senior winner).

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Comments (1 Comment)

  • What a farce. This whole Bord Gais book award scheme looks a bit like our disgraced government: a bunch of cronies who insist on looking after their friends in Dublin 4. When I, as a published author tried to get RTE interested in my new book Eggshells & Broken Dreams, because like Tubridy’s JFK book, there was a 1960s connection to a broadcast of my earliest written work, Ryan Tubridy, whom I spoke to personally and RTE simply didn’t want to know. So how could anybody have any faith when a book which was only published and entered a month after the official closing date was accepted, and declared, Irish Newcomer of the year. No doubt Ryan will make a an excellent politician. He has no qualm about accepting an award though he was not legally entitled to it. And let me say clearly that I think the whole thing stinks to high heaven when not one author or book that I know of was nominated from outside Greater Dublin. J.P Rodgers

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