Limerick Leader wins top award for political coverage

THE LIMERICK Leader / Limerick Live has been honoured with a prestigious Local Ireland Media Award for its standout political coverage in 2024. 

The newspaper and its digital platform, limericklive.ie, were named joint winners of the coveted Political Coverage of the Year award, sharing the accolade with The Southern Star in Cork at Thursday night’s ceremony.

It was the tenth annual awards and the eighth to be sponsored by the National Lottery. Also supported by Coimisiún na Meán, 21 trophies were presented at a gala dinner hosted by RTÉ presenter Marty Whelan at the Mullingar Park Hotel.

“This award is a wonderful recognition of the work of the Limerick Leader and Limerick Live team during what was an unforgettable year for Limerick,” said Áine Fitzgerald, managing editor of the publications.

“June 2024 marked an extraordinary convergence of events in Limerick with the election of the country’s first-ever directly elected mayor, the local and European elections, and the Limerick hurlers securing a historic sixth Munster title in a row -  all on the same weekend.

READ ALSO: Limerick Leader / Limerick Live scores three nominations in Local Ireland Media Awards

“Our team rose to the occasion. We produced a 24-page pre-election supplement and, across election weekend, delivered a dynamic live blog from the count centre at Limerick Racecourse, with tally updates, videos, photography, social embeds and hundreds of live reactions. In print, we ran bold front pages, tallies, maps and in-depth analysis.

"Later in the year, in November, we did it all again for the 2024 General Election.

“In an era when journalism can feel somewhat solitary, the elections were a wonderful opportunity for our young and hard-working team to work together, showcase their skills, and bring our audience closer to the action, whether they were at home, in the car, or following the updates from abroad. This award is a tribute to the team's commitment, hard work, creativity and of course the trust our readers place in us,” Ms Fitzgerald continued.

A special Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to David Burke of the Tuam Herald.

President of Local Ireland Seán Mahon said: “What a fantastic night! A real celebration of everything that's great about local newspapers in Ireland.

“It was superb to see awards being won not just for news, political and sports reporting but also for special features, investigative journalism, digital innovation and creative advertising solutions.

“Well done to everyone who was nominated and to all our winners. We're privileged to have very talented, committed and passionate people who work for our local newspaper businesses.”

CEO of the National Lottery Cian Murphy said: “We are proud to continue our partnership with the Local Ireland Media Awards, which shine a spotlight on the outstanding work of local journalists and regional newspapers.

“With more than 700 entries this year, the standard of journalism was truly first class. Local journalism does more than report the news — it fosters trust, gives communities a voice, and helps shape a shared sense of place and belonging while also informing, connecting, and strengthening communities across the country.

“They play a vital role that reflects the National Lottery’s own commitment to supporting Good Causes and making a positive difference in people’s lives throughout Ireland.”

Coimisiún na Meán was supporting the awards for the first time this year.

Media Development Commissioner Rónán O’Domhnaill said: “Coimisiún na Meán is delighted to help support the Local Ireland Awards through our Sponsorship Scheme.

“It was heartwarming and encouraging to see such vibrancy and enthusiasm amongst the members of Local Ireland at the awards.

“A thriving local media landscape is vital to a functioning democracy and in Ireland it is clear that the local newspaper industry is central to that.”

Some of Ireland’s leading media professionals make up the awards’ judging panel.

Chair, author, journalist and broadcaster Alison O’Connor told the audience: “Local journalism matters enormously. It happens in the courtroom, the council chamber, the parish hall. It captures the highs and lows of community life—the joy of a local sporting triumph, the heartbreak of job losses, the significance of a planning decision that will shape a town’s future.

“And it’s evolving. Stories are being told in fresh ways—through podcasts, TikTok, QR codes—and our increasingly diverse communities are being reflected more and more in the pages of local titles right across the country."

The judging panel also comprises: RTÉ presenter and journalist Katie Hannon, DCU journalism lecturer Conor Tiernan, 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.

Executive Director of Local Ireland Bob Hughes said: “The awards reflect the high standards of journalism, production and commercial acumen in local newspapers and their online products right across Ireland.

“Competition for the awards is very strong, so everyone who receives a nomination is a winner. I want to thank the National Lottery for their continued support, Coimisiún na Meán for its support for the event and for our sector, and everyone who helped make the awards a very special event.”