The Saturdays star Una Healy was among those in attendance at The Irish Post Awards (Getty Images)The Irish Post Awards, held in central London in November, have caused quite the splash across mainstream media in both Ireland and Britain.
Coverage of the glittering night was extensive, with media in both countries focusing on award winners that included Jeremy Irons, Neil Jordan and Nadine Coyle. The spotlight also sought out one of the guest presenters, Ryan Tubridy.
Hello magazine was one of the publications that gave extensive coverage to the landmark event. Devoting a whole spread to the event entitled Toasting The Emerald Isle they focused on the night and the stars who turned out for the event with photos and reports.
Special mention of the glamour on show on the night had evidently impressed the publication. “Una Healy and Nadine Coyle dialled up the glamour at a glitzy award ceremony celebrating excellence and achievement within the Irish community,” they said. And of course this was entirely accurate.
The article went on to sum up the award winners, and posted multiple photographs of the night, including of course, Una, Nadine and the actress Lisa Dwan.
Nadine Coyle and Ryan Tubridy at The Irish Post Awards (Getty Images)The Daily Mail also carried the story, focusing on award winner Jeremy Irons. Eden Confidential in The Mail reported on Jeremy Irons' struggles to get an Irish passport, underlining that "he’s married to a Dubliner — the actress Sinead Cusack — and lives in a castle in West Cork". TheMail also underlined his Irish Post honours on the night: the Outstanding Contribution to Film & TV Award.
Sinead Cusack also spoke to Eden Confidential at the Awards ceremony, describing their life in West Cork: “We like going about in a horse and cart.” Jeremy interjected with: “Horse and carriage, I say.”
The Sun on Sunday also wanted to be clear they had attended the event. Biz on Sunday said she had chatted with Nadine Coyle. The Derry woman confided in Biz that she looks set to write a tell-all autobiography charting Girls Aloud highs and lows.
Biz wrote: “Speaking at The Irish Post Awards in the capital’s Grosvenor House Hotel, the Derry-born singer told Biz on Sunday: ‘I haven’t done a book yet, but we are in discussions.'"
Biz , who evidently enjoyed a good chinwag with Nadine at the Awards, says that with regards a possible reunion of the band, "looks like Girls Aloud fans are in for a treat.”
Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch was among the audience at The Irish Post Awards (Getty Images)Emily Prescott from The Mail on Sunday was also at The Grosvenor, and got chatting with actress Evanna Lynch. She was one of the few Harry Potter stars to back J.K. Rowling when the author became embroiled in a trans rights row, according to The Mail.
Emily wrote: “Evanna, who played Harry’s friend Luna Lovegood in the films, admits she was naive not to expect an online backlash for supporting Rowling. ‘It was a big wake-up call,’ Evanna, 32, told me at The Irish Post Awards.
"Luna was famous for her blonde hair in the Potter films but it seems Evanna is keen to explore her dark side, sporting a new brunette style.”
It is clear that The Irish Post Awards have now deservedly gone mainstream. Elgin Loane, proprietor and publisher of The Irish Post, said about the unprecedented coverage in the British press: “This is a tribute not only to the success of The Irish Post Awards and The Irish Post newspaper, but also to the Irish in Britain community. The event was of course star-studded, with a glittering array of guests drawn from across the world of entertainment, sport, music and culture. But the awards were also about the business community and the mark the Irish have made on British industry. And the awards also paid tribute to the often unsung community workers, the caring profession, and those who look after the more marginalised in the Diaspora.
“I am absolutely delighted that the mainstream media attended in their droves, recognising the Irish community, and The Irish Post Awards, are truly something to celebrate.”
(L to R) Irish Post publisher and owner Elgin Loane, singer Imelda May, actor Lisa Dwan and director Neil Jordan at The Irish Post Awards 2023 (Getty Images)