McCartneys win Women of the Year award

THE McCartney sisters, whose brother was stabbed to death outside a bar in Belfast almost a year ago, received the top accolade in the Irish Tatler Women of the Year Awards last night.

The award is in recognition of the sisters’ courageous and tenacious campaign for justice since their brother, a 33-year-old father of two, was killed in late January by a gang that they believe included known IRA members.

The sisters have criticised the IRA and Sinn Féin - a move almost unheard of in their working-class Catholic neighbourhood in Belfast - and accused local IRA men of intimidating witnesses to stop them going to the police.

During the year, the sisters met senior politicians in the US, Europe and Ireland. As they are currently in Washington for a meeting with Senator Ted Kennedy, their award was presented in their absence at a ceremony in the Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin to two of their daughters.

The Special Recognition Award, sponsored by the House of Fraser, was awarded to Christina Nobel in recognition of her life-long commitment to the plight of the children of Vietnam.

The Hall of Fame Award, sponsored by Smart Telecom, went to founder and life president of Focus Ireland, Sister Stanislaus Kennedy.

The Fashion designer of the Year, sponsored by Moët & Chandon, was presented to designer duo, Elizabeth Quin and Carolyn Donnelly, while broadcaster and journalist, Olivia O’Leary, was presented with the Media Award, sponsored by Lancôme.

The Entertainment Award went to Gloria Hunniford, the broadcaster who is now patron of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, a foundation established in memory of her daughter, Caron, who died from breast cancer.