Book Awards: BOD sees off the challenge of Roy Keane in blockbuster duel (original) (raw)

Brian O'Driscoll has seen off Roy Keane to land the Bord Gáis Energy Sports Book of the Year.

The Irish rugby legend's autobiography 'The Test' scooped top prize at the book awards in Dublin last night with other winners including Graham Norton, Cecelia Ahern and Majella O’ Donnell.

Renowned contemporary Irish poet Paul Durcan was presented with the Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award 2014 by Paula Meehan, Ireland Professor of Poetry, while bestselling author Jeffrey Archer was presented with the inaugural International Recognition Award by broadcaster George Hook.

Celebrating the best Irish writing of 2014, the star-studded awards ceremony took place in the Dublin’s Double Tree Hilton and was attended by Roddy Doyle, Damien Dempsey, Anthony ‘Dalo’ Daly, Rachel and Isaac Allen, Majella and Daniel O’ Donnell, Paul Galvin and Louise Duffy, actor and writer Eoin Macken, David and Stephen Flynn aka the Happy Pear twins, Susan Jane White, John Kelly, Donal Ryan and Kevin Dundon.

Graham Norton and Cathy Kelly at the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Dublin. Picture: Arthur Carron

Simon and Ruth Fitzmaurice at the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Dublin. Picture: Arthur Carron

Sinead Desmond and Emma Hannigan at the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Dublin. Picture:Arthur Carron

Sinead Crowley and Sinead Moriarty at the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Dublin. Picture: Arthur Carron

Dave Kirwan and wife Catriona at the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Dublin. Picture: Arthur Carron

Chairman of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards, John Treacy, said:

"These fantastic award winners represent the very best Irish books published this year. They reflect a highly vibrant and creative community and are a wonderful example of Irish writing and publishing at its very best.

"All winning titles will also make extremely rewarding gifts this Christmas! To task now is to identify which of these winning titles will be crowned the ‘Bord Gáis Energy Book of the Year’. The public are asked to vote for their favourite by going to www.bgeirishbookawards.ie and we will announce the deserving winner on the 5th December.”

The full list of winners in the ‘Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards 2014’ are:

Eason Novel of the Year:

• Academy St by Mary Costello (Canongate)

Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year:

• Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill (Quercus)

RTÉ Radio 1’s John Murray Show Listeners’ Choice Award:

• It’s All in the Head by Majella O’Donnell (Simon &Schuster)

Ireland AM Crime Fiction Book of the Year:

• Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent (Penguin Ireland)

Avonmore Cookbook of the Year:

• The Nation’s Favourite Food Fast by Neven Maguire (Gill &Macmillan)

National Book Tokens Non-Fiction Book of the Year:

• The Life and Loves of a He Devil by Graham Norton (Hodder & Stoughton)

Books Are My Bag Popular Fiction Book of the Year:

• The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern (HarperCollins)

Bord Gáis Energy Sports Book of the Year:

• The Test by Brian O’Driscoll (Penguin Ireland)

TheJournal.ie Best Irish Published Book of the Year:

• Dubliners 100: by Thomas Morris (Tramp Press)

Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year:

Junior

• Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton (Walker Books)

Senior

• Moone Boy by Chris O’Dowd and Nick Vincent Murphy (Macmillan Children’s Books)

Writing.ie Short Story of the Year:

• Rest Day by John Boyne (The Irish Times)