Meath Chronicle stories highlighting the scourge of illegal dumping wins Local Ireland Media Award

Published: Wed 13 Mar 2019, 2:02 PM

Last updated: Wed 13 Mar 2019, 2:04 PM

Going out on the trail of people who dump rubbish illegally in the Meath countryside, getting behind the devastation of the drugs culture in rural Ireland and thrilling readers with the delights of sport in our communities were just some of the entries that topped the awards in the Local Ireland fourth Annual Media Awards presented at a gala dinner in Athlone on Thursday last. The event was sponsored by the National Lottery.

Celtic Media Group (CMG), which includes this newspaper, topped the winners list in three categories. These included Best Sports Story, Paul Fitzpatrick, Anglo Celt; Connaught Telegraph’s, Alison Laredo’s Best Photograph and Meath Chronicle for Best Digital Content.
The awards, open to all 43 member titles and their staff, including journalists, photographers and advertising executives, attracted over 520 hundred entries and were presented by David Ryan, president, Local Ireland, and managing director, Nenagh Guardian Publishing and Printing Company, and Dermot Griffin, CEO, National Lottery.
The Meath Chronicle was also shortlisted for the Best News Series which focused on a number of stories capturing the devastation of last year’s wildfires that raged through Frayne Bog in Kildalkey.
The winning entry in the Digital Content category saw videographer Martin O’Brien spend a day with Meath Co Council Community and Litter Warden, Ashleigh Daly, dealing with illegally dumped rubbish last July. One callout took us to a quiet rural lane where some 60 bags of refuse were dumped. Ashleigh sifted through the domestic waste eventually turning up receipts with an address.

Just last week we reported how a woman was prosecuted in Navan District Court for that offence and handed down fines and penalties of over €1,000.
Gavan Becton, editor, Meath Chronicle, said he was delighted to receive the award on behalf of the newsroom and said it was vital that local newspapers continue to be supported regardless of the platform content appears.
“Local journalism matters now more than ever and we hope that our audience will continue to support us as we deliver the stories and information that only local and regional newsbrands can deliver.”
Celtic Media Group chief executive, Frank Mulrennan, said: “We are delighted to have won more awards and achieved more nominations in Celtic Media than any other group within the local newspaper industry”.
He said: “This reflects so well on the quality of people within our company.”
Dermot Griffin, Chief Executive at the National Lottery said: “Local newspapers always have been and remain a vital vehicle to remind our players that by playing National Lottery games they are also supporting projects all over the country through our Good Causes fund.”