And the winner is ... Ireland

As the IFTA awards show, the Irish entertainment industry has kept up its quality output despite the recession, writes Carl Dixon

ONE of the big winners in the Irish Film and Television Awards on Saturday could be Love/Hate. The Dublin crime drama has 10 nominations, among them Aidan Gillen and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor in two of the acting categories.

Series director David Caffrey is also up for an award for a show that has been re-commissioned for a third season. Caffrey believes the industry is still very strong in Ireland, buoyed by the experience Irish crews have built up over the last 25 years, and a naturally strong creative element.