Irish Examiner wins suicide investigation awards

THE Irish Examiner has collected another two awards for its investigation into suicide.

The newspaper won the best overall prize, An Duais Mhór, at the Irish Healthcare Awards, which were held at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin.

It also collected the prize for the Best Public Health Initiative.

The 20-page supplement, which was accompanied by a Let’s Talk Suicide advice and information booklet, tried to put a human face on a growing crisis which claims more than 500 lives each year.

More than 250,000 copies of the booklet were distributed to support groups nationally.

The supplement was a unanimous choice with the judges. Chief executive of the Irish Patients’ Association Stephen McMahon, who was on the judging panel, said the front page of the supplement, which listed many of the names of those who had died by suicide in recent years, “brought tears to his eyes”.

“The Irish Examiner project showed a deep understanding of a national crisis. The editorial team has done our society a great service,” he said.

Health Minister Mary Harney, who was the guest of honour at the awards, complimented the Irish Examiner for its work in highlighting the issue of suicide.

Irish Examiner editor Tim Vaughan said the awards were a tremendous endorsement of a very significant initiative by the newspaper.

“We have won many awards over the past few years, but having our suicide campaign recognised as the outstanding public health initiative of the year is especially gratifying,” said Mr Vaughan, paying tribute to the great team effort that went into the project.

Earlier this month, Irish Examiner journalist Fiachra O Cionnaith was presented with one of the main awards at the 2010 GlaxoSmithKline Medical Media Awards for his extensive work on the supplement. Chairman of the judging panel, Dr John Bowman, described the supplement as “outstanding”.

Other winners of the Irish Healthcare Awards included the Irish Hospice Foundation, Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Pfizer and Glasgow Celtic Football Club.

Professor Colm O Moráin, consultant gastroenterologist at Tallaght Hospital and Dean of Health Services at Trinity College Dublin, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.