Alan Betson of The Irish Times was last night selected as Eircell Press Photographer of the Year for 1997 at the Press Photographers Association of Ireland annual awards ceremony in Dublin.
In all, Irish Times photographers took seven of the awards. Billy Stickland of the Dublin-based Inpho sports photo agency won three awards.
Photographers from the Irish Independent won two awards. The Clare Champion also won two awards, as did an individual agency photographer, Alan O'Connor.
Around 1,000 entries were submitted by almost 100 photographers. The awards were presented by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, at a function in the O'Reilly Hall, University College, Dublin.
In addition to being judged overall winner based on his entire portfolio, Alan Betson was also awarded first prize in the People category and second prize in the Arts category.
Of his People picture, showing a pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick in Co Mayo by Mr Robert Gill and his two sons, Desmond and Alan, the judges said it was a nice composition about relationships. "Very different from the usual pilgrimage photographs, there is a great sense of shared experience and enjoyment," said the citation.
Other Irish Times photographers to be honoured were Frank Miller who won three awards - 2nd place in the News category for Death of a Princess (at the Hyde Park funeral of Princess Diana); 2nd place in the Features category for The Love Train (a mother-in-law looks on aboard the first CIE wedding train); and 3rd place in the Political category for A Letter for Charlie (the sealed letter from the Dunnes Stores Tribunal arriving at the home of Charles Haughey).
The judges praised his technical excellence, his use of colour and his ability to capture a quiet moment before a political storm.
Irish Times colleague, Matt Kavanagh, won 2nd place in the People category for Friends (Down Syndrome children at a disabilities conference). The judges praised him for achieving "the palpable sincerity of the relationship between two Down Syndrome children without sentimentality".
Betson is 26 years old, married and lives in Dunboyne, Co Meath. He was educated at King's Hospital School, Dublin, and worked formerly for Inpho. He has covered numerous assignments throughout Ireland for The Irish Times and has also been to the Middle East and Africa for the paper.
An exhibition of over 100 highly commended pictures from the awards will travel the country throughout this year visiting major festivals including the Rose of Tralee, the National Ploughing Championships and the Murphy's Irish Open.
The full list of winners is:
Eirecell Press Photographer of the Year 1997: Alan Betson (The Irish Times)
News 1st: Steve Humphries (Irish Independent); 2nd: Frank Miller (The Irish Times); 3rd: Eamon Farrell (Photocall Ireland)
Sport 1st: Billy Stickland (Inpho); 2nd: Nick Bradshaw (Lensmen); 3rd: Brendan Moran (Sportsfile)
Features 1st: John C Kelly (the Clare Champion); 2nd: Frank Miller (The Irish Times); 3rd: Mark Jamieson (the Chronicle)
People 1st: Alan Betson (The Irish Times); 2nd: Matt Kavanagh (The Irish Times); 3rd: Jack Nutan (Freelance)
Individual Study 1st: Billy Stickland (Inpho); 2nd: Kim Haughton (Freelance); 3rd: Mark McCall (Mark McCall Photography)
The Arts 1st: Alan O'Connor (Katz Pictures); 2nd: Alan Betson (The Irish Times); 3rd: Eamonn Ward (the Clare Champion)
Political 1st: Alan O'Connor (Katz Pictures); 2nd: Bryan O'Brien (the Irish Independent); 3rd: Frank Miller (The Irish Times)
Picture Essay 1st: Billy Stickland (Inpho); 2nd: David Kinsella (a Northern Ireland man living in Norway)
Special Humour Award Kieran Clancey (the Examiner)