The Celtic Media Festival came to a close in Swansea Friday evening with the presentation of the final Bronze Torc Awards for Excellence, which saw a community radio station – Raidió na Life – win the award for Radio Station of the Year for the first time in the festival’s 34-year history.
The community-of-interest radio station has been broadcasting in Dublin since 1993, providing high quality community-based Irish language radio service with an urban identity to the Irish-speaking community of Dublin and surrounding areas on a non-profit basis. It beat off stiff competition from BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio nan Gàidheal, BBC Radio Wales, Isles FM 103, Radyo an Gernewegva and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, with an international jury awarding the community station with the prestigious prize at tonight’s ceremony.
The Kieran Hegarty Award for Innovation went to CBBC Sports Superstars – a collection of sporty online games for CBBC, in which players create their Sport Superstar, then perfect their endurance, balance, strength, coordination, agility and aim skills in the Training Ground. Sport Superstars is a fast and fun way for all kids to feel like sporting champs.
Welsh film Catherine and Kirstie: Beyond Words won the Torc for Factual Single. It is a powerful and moving film authored by twins Catherine and Kirstie Fields from Llanelli, the only people in the world that suffer from Fields Condition. Gradually, this devastating illness has confined them to their wheelchairs and rendered speech impossible. Communicating through speech aids for the first time, the film is the remarkable story of their bravery, humour and deep love for each other, their family and friends.
Ireland’s Rás Tailteann – Rothai an tSaoil was presented with the prestigious Gold Torc for Spirit of the Festival Award, which is bestowed upon a film or television programme wholly or substantially in a Celtic language that encapsulates the spirit of Celtic Media Festival each year. The documentary won the Sport category on Wednesday for its fascinating insight into the story behind one of Ireland’s greatest sporting institutions: The Rás Tailteann cycling race, and was presented with the overall Spirit of the Festival Award this evening.
Highlights from the final day of the 34th annual Celtic Media Festival today included talks by Guto Harri and Peter J. Devlin, with Maggie Brown chairing a panel featuring Dafydd Rhys, Marc Webber, Rab McConaghy and Simon Bolus on rising significance of social media as an indicator of audience demographics, exploring the value of hashtags vs BARB, plus a visit from special guest Daleks as the festival paid tribute to Doctor Who in its 50th year.
For further details, please visit: www.celticmediafestival.co.uk
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Celtic Media Festival – Round Up | Film Ireland