THE poet and journalist, Liam O Muirthile, has won a £1,000 prize for journalism in Irish at the annual Oireachtas literary awards presented in Dublin last night.
Mr O Muirthile is a regular contributor to The Irish Times with a weekly column, An Peann Coitinnta, which is published on Thursdays. A selection of his columns which cover a range of sodal, political and cultural issues, was published in 1991.
The main literary prize of £5,000 went to the Wexford writer, Colm Mac Confhaola, for his novel Ceol an Phiohaire.
The television producer, Mr Brenndun Feintear, was awarded £1,000 for his documentary, Deireadh an Ail. Scun Scan, an independent production company based in the Rath Cairn Gaeltacht in Co Meath, won £500 in a video competition sponsored by Teilifis an Gaeilge.
Padraig O Ciobhain received £1,000 for his collection of, short stories, Ta Solas Na hEagann, Choiche; while Maolmhaodhog O Ruairc was awarded £2,000 for a prose work, Dochas na Gaeilge.
Other prizewinners included Padraig Mac Fhearghusa for Aisling Dhoilfe, a collection of poetry; Re O Laighleis in the teenage fiction category for his work, entitled Gafa; and Joe O Donaill for his one act play, Gillin Sneachta.