Twenty Major takes top prize at blog awards

13-03-2006

by Maxim Kelly

The inaugural Irish Blogging Awards, held in Dublin on Saturday, paid tribute to well-known web log diarists and commentators across 20 categories.

Hosted by 2FM's Rick O'Shea, the awards recognised the growing trend of blogging in Ireland. "The thing about the bloggosphere is that it's free," said event organiser Damien Mulley of lobby group Ireland Offline, who received a standing ovation and was continually referred to all night as a "hero" of the online community in Ireland.

Mulley told an audience of around 200 people ranging in age from 18 to mid-forties, that bloggers are simply using a new medium to exercise their right to free speech. "Encourage others to blog and encourage them to blog passionately," he exhorted the crowd at the Alexander Hotel in Dublin.

The night's overall winner was Twenty Major who also scooped the most humorous post and best blog post prizes for his New York Diary. A spokesman for Twenty Major said next year the author hoped to show his face when not so many people were after him, before admitting that he was going to keep the top prize of an iPod for himself -- leading several spectators to surmise that he was the "real" Twenty.

Another blogger who was shy of recognition was Slugger O'Toole, who scooped the prize for best political blog. "This is an important forum for people from different traditions from Northern Ireland where they can get together and talk Nordy," said a spokesman.

The Bitbuzz-sponsored technology blog went to Tom Raftery whose site is a collection of thoughts on all things techie, while the best commentator prize went to Kevin Breathnach: "I don't comment that often so I don't know why I have this," he commented.

The Irish language award went to Martin from an tImeal, who said he hopes to see Irish language blogging go mainstream by next year.

Representing the online sisterhood, best cultural blog went to Sinead Gleeson for her Sigla blog, while the award for best personal blog went to Annette from Thinking Out Loud. Several of the 20 women in the 200-strong audience expressed hope that more Irish women would put their perspectives into the bloggosphere.

Best group blog was won by The Community At Large, whose 12 members streaming onto the small stage were likened to So Solid Crew at the Mobo music awards recently in London.

Best photo blog went to Donncha O'Caoimh, who was getting a lot of practice on his new camera, and best contribution to the Irish Bloggersphere went to the shy Roger Galligan.

A mention of Microsoft drew booing from the crowd which quickly died out when it was announced the software giant had stepped in at the last moment to sponsor the ceremony.

Attendees at the awards raised EUR275 for quadriplegic Victor Connell who was injured in a rugby accident. For more information on this cause see 4victor.com.