ITTN’s Shane Cullen and Louise Ducrocq attended the Travel Extra Travel Journalist of the Year Awards at a ceremony held to coincide with the annual Holiday World Show which took place at the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin this weekend.
Eleven winners, each for different holidaying categories and an overall Travel Journalist of the Year, were announced at the awards dinner, sponsored by the Spanish Tourism Office and Costa del Sol Tourism in Thomas Prior Hall, Clayton Hotel Ballsbridge.
The press release details that “The prestigious event was attended by the top Irish travel and tourism writers and broadcasters, whose work is testament to the creativity and innovation of travel and tourism journalism in Ireland. The award winners were selected by a distinguished panel of senior Irish journalists.”
Best Home Market (Ireland) – Sponsored by Fáilte Ireland
Winner: Pól Ó Conghaile, for a collection of work on Ireland, including Ireland’s Wild West: Why Connemara has such a hold on the Irish imagination (and our holidays)’, published in the Irish Independent’s Weekend magazine.
Best Northern Ireland – Sponsored by Tourism Northern Ireland
Winner: Isabel Conway, for ‘Derry Air has never sounded so sweet’, published in The Sunday Independent’s People & Culture magazine.
Best Long Haul – Sponsored by Cassidy Travel
Winner: Paddy Barry, for ‘Our mad drive to Mongolia’, a piece documenting a 15,000km journey several friends in their 60s, 70s and 80s undertook from Kerry in small, second-hand cars published in the Irish Independent Weekend Magazine.
Best Short Haul (including Sun Holidays & City Breaks) – Sponsored by Sunway & Constantinou Bros Hotels Cyprus
Winner: Conor Pope, for ‘Contrary Catalonia’, published in The Irish Times.
Best Sustainable – Sponsored by Spanish Tourism Office & Andalucia Tourism
Winner: Catherine Murphy, for ‘Sustainable Algarve’, published in The Sunday Independent’s People & Culture magazine.
Best Ski & Adventure – Sponsored by Topflight & Schladming Tourist Board, Austria
Winner: Melanie May, for ‘Lapland is for life, not just Christmas’, published in the Irish Daily Mail.
Best Digital Media – Sponsored by Click&Go Holidays
Winner: Shane Cullen, for ‘Celebrity Ascent, First-Hand Look Onboard Celebrity Cruises’ New Ship’, published in Ireland’s Travel Trade Network.
Best Broadcasting – National – Sponsored by TUI
Winner: Ed Finn, for his series ‘Ed Finn’s America’, broadcast on Virgin Media Television.
Best Broadcasting – Local – Sponsored by UWalk.ie and Navan Travel
Winner: Fergal O’Keeffe, for several entries, broadcast on Clare FM Morning Focus Show.
The Gerry O’Hare Memorial Award for Best Newcomer Journalist – Sponsored by Visit Malta
Winner: Mark Jackson, for ‘Guided through India’, published in the Irish Daily Mail.
Travel Extra Journalist of the Year – Sponsored by the Spanish Tourism Office and Costa del Sol Tourism
Winner: Domhnall O’Donoghue, for a collection of work, published in the Belfast Telegraph, Ireland of the Welcomes, Woman’s Way. A unanimous choice for the breadth and excellence of his work, encompassing a variety of categories.
A Word from ITTN’s Shane Cullen
It is wonderful to win an accolade for hard work (it might be just me that finds it hard but I put every ounce of energy I have into it). Travel writing, photography and filming is absolutely a dream job. It is equally long hours and lots of time away from those I love most. Winning this award means the world to me and makes it easier to justify the time I spend doing it, that I’ve done something right (on the odd occasion). So much of this is judgement, timing, luck and great people all around you helping to make it happen.
Thanks to all the gang at ITTN – especially to “Boss Lady” Sharon for hiring me to do this job & equally, sending me on fabulous fam trips she could pick for herself.
Thanks to the judges for picking me (I was speechless, Louise will attest to it), Celebrity Cruises for inviting me to the Celebrity Ascent launch in Miami (submission that won), to Eoghan Corry for his generous words, to Paul Hackett and Click&Go as sponsor (can’t wait to bring my very understanding other half, Jen, somewhere fabulous as she’s the one at home, holding down the fort in terms of family and work while I travel the world). I’m also going to give Jen a shout out for her role as Video Editor on Ed Finn’s America television series. And if you haven’t seen it, watch it on the Virgin Media Player as it is now award-winning!
The wonderful and charismatic Ed Finn won Best National Broadcaster for Ed Finn’s America. He is talented, charming, funny, generous, thoughtful and patient (sorry about the lens cap and the drone up a tree). He takes way too long to get ready in the mornings but is a pleasure to work with. I’ll even compliment his driving. I was delighted Ed picked me and my studio to film & produce his television series – Ed Finn’s America, a 6-part series covering fantastic US destinations: New Jersey, Philadelphia, Denver, Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Thank you to all the teams covering the places we visited and those that got us there and back – Aer Lingus, Hertz, Hilton and more. Hopefully we did the places justice, I’d go back to all of them.
With anything, this was a journey with many many people to thank that got me to this point but in an industry filled with friendly, supportive and kind people, it makes it easier to do what I do and I am truly shocked and delighted in equal measure. A massive thanks to the travel industry for all your support, patience & smiles for the camera. I am very grateful.
