A stellar cast of winners
A stellar cast of winners at The Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards 2010
At a thoroughly upbeat ceremony, belying the tenor of the times, The Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards for 2010 rewarded wonderful books by Emma Donoghue, Neil Richardson, Ross O’Carroll Kelly, Ryan Tubridy, Gene Kerrigan, Donal Skehan, Niamh Sharkey, Derek Landy, John Giles and Donal Óg Cusack. The great Maeve Binchy was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by President McAleese who delivered a dignified speech in praise of Maeve and the nation's literary heritage. The overwhelming sentiment expressed by the speechmakers was one of celebration at a time when it was never more necessary. If the spirit in the room could be injected into public affairs, then surely we'd be better able to face the challenging times ahead. Congratulations to all our winners. Most pleasing for us was this quote from the morning papers: "With almost 30,000 public votes cast to decide the outcome, the winners are a genuine reflection of what Irish people are reading and enjoying". Many thanks to each and every one of you who voted. Let's do it all over again in 2011. Meanwhile Merry Christmas to all our readers from The Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards.