*Marie Crowe. Photograph: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Five Clare broadcasters have been shortlisted for the 2021 IMRO Awards.
For the second year in a row, Sixmilebridge native Marie Crowe is in the running for Sports Broadcaster of the Year. The host of RTÉ 2FM’s Game On is one of five nominees alongside Newstalk trio Joe Molloy, Nathan Murphy and Eoin Sheehan plus Michael McNamee of BBC Radio Ulster.
It is also the second year on the trot that Ennis based John Cooke has been shortlisted as News Reporter of the Year. The former host of Clare FM’s Morning Focus who hails from Roscommon is a regular voice on RTÉ’s Drivetime.
He is not the only Clare nominee in this category with Ennis’ Brian O’Connell also nominated. The published author is a popular voice on RTÉ Radio One’s Today with Claire Byrne and Drivetime shows.
The Split Season which was produced by Shannon’s Seán Reidy and Graham O’Toole is shortlisted as the Best Sports Story. They profiled how top inter-county players such as Niamh Collins, Declan Hannon and Conor McDonald during a highly restricted 2020 championship. Reidy is currently a producer with Newstalk.
Fresh from announcing that she was joining RTÉ Radio, Siofra Mulqueen of Barefield has been included in the shortlist for an IMRO. Her report titled ‘Moyross – The Forgotten Part of Limerick’ which appeared on Newstalk’s Pat Kenny is one of the five nominees for the Community/Social Action gong.
Between Worlds, a Clare FM documentary on the late Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin is in contention for the Arts, Music and Culture Documentary award. The station is also nominated for local station of the year. Sally-Anne Barrett, a regular contributor to the Ennis based media outlet is nominated as local speech broadcaster of the year for her work with Galway Bay FM.
Among the members of the 107 person strong judging panel for the IMROs were former Clare FM journalist, Alan Cantwell, and ex presenter Paul Byrne, CEO of Clare FM and Tipp FM Ronan McManamy, Group Programme Director with Clare FM and Tipp FM, Padraic Flaherty. The awards take place virtually on October 1st.
