Irish Independent’s Fionnán Sheahan named Journalist of the Year for reporting that changed the course of the presidential election

Thursday, 12th of November 2026. The winners of the Irish Journalism Awards, in association with NewsBrands Ireland and supported by Google News Initiative, were announced today at a ceremony in the Round Room at Dublin’s Mansion House.

The ceremony, hosted by broadcaster and journalist Matt Cooper, recognised excellence across 23 categories, celebrating the breadth, ambition and impact of journalism produced by Irish news publishers over the past year.

Fionnán Sheahan of the Irish Independent was named Journalist of the Year in recognition of his dogged political reporting which changed the course of the presidential election. He was also named Political Journalist of the Year and won the Scoop category.  

Announcing the overall award, Claire Grady, Chair of the Irish Journalism Awards judging panel, said: “This year’s winner has produced an impressive body of work, with stories that have had enormous impact and significant consequences.

These are the kinds of stories most journalists dream of breaking; stories that capture the public’s attention, have people talking and leave us all gagging to know what happens next.

And the consequences of this journalist’s reporting have been extraordinary:  a presidential candidate forced out of the race for the Áras, and the judgement and authority of the Taoiseach called into question.”

The 2026 Irish Journalism Awards winners:

• Arts Journalism & Criticism: Philip Watson, The Irish Times.
• Business Journalist, sponsored by the Creative and Communications Association of Ireland: Michael O’Farrell, The Irish Mail on Sunday.
• Campaigning Journalism: The Irish Independent, E-Scooter Campaign.
• Columnist (Broadsheet/Compact): Fintan O’Toole, The Irish Times.
• Columnist (Popular): John Lee, The Irish Mail on Sunday.
• Crime Journalist: Patrick O’Connell, Sunday World / Crime World.
• Digital Innovation of the Year: Immersive Storytelling, The Irish Times Immersive Story Team.
• Features (Broadsheet/Compact): Mark Paul, The Irish Times.
• Features (Popular): Georgina Heffernan, Irish Daily Mail.
• Foreign Coverage: Hannah McCarthy, The Irish Times.
• Front Page: Troy Troy Troy Again, The Irish Sun.
• Headline: The Late Late Troy Show, The Herald.
• Investigative Journalism: Conor Gallagher, The Irish Times.
• Magazine of the Year: The Irish Times Ticket – Liam Stebbing, Culture Editor; Martin Doyle, Books Editor; and John Lane, Ticket Production Editor.
• News Reporter: John Mooney, The Sunday Times.
• Podcast of the Year: Forever My Boys, The Irish Sun.
• Political Journalist: Fionnán Sheahan, Irish Independent.
• Scoop: Fionnán Sheahan, Irish Independent.
• Showbiz Journalist: Niamh Horan, Sunday Independent.
• Sportswriter (Broadsheet/Compact), sponsored by Flutter UK & Ireland: Malachy Clerkin, The Irish Times.
• Sportswriter (Popular): Mark Gallagher, The Irish Mail on Sunday.
• Video Journalism: Philip Doyle, Jerome Dunne and Adam Woods, Irish Farmers Journal.
• Young Journalist: Patrick O’Donoghue, The Sunday Times Ireland.

See the winning work here: https://www.irishjournalismawards.ie/

Celebrating independent journalism

Ann Marie Lenihan, CEO of NewsBrands Ireland, said:

“A strong, independent news publishing industry is essential to a healthy democracy. It takes significant investment, skilled people and a long-term commitment from publishers to produce original journalism that serves the public interest.

“The Irish Journalism Awards recognise the people and organisations making that investment every day, and celebrate the talent, ambition and dedication that underpin the industry. Congratulations to all the winners and those shortlisted in this year’s awards.”

The ceremony also heard an address from Press Ombudsperson Susan McKay, who spoke about the threats and violence faced by journalists and media organisations in Ireland and internationally.

Hayley Cochrane, Director of News Partnerships UK/Northern Europe at Google News Initiative, said:

“The Google News Initiative is incredibly proud of our partnership with the Irish Journalism Awards and celebrates the extraordinary talent shaping the Irish media landscape. In an era of rapid change, the dedication, integrity and depth of Irish journalism remain absolutely vital to society. We are deeply committed to supporting a sustainable, innovative news ecosystem in Ireland, and are delighted to honour the exceptional storytelling and rigorous reporting reflected in this year’s entries.”

The 2026 Irish Journalism Awards attracted more than 900 entries across 23 categories. Close to 70 independent judges, chaired by Claire Grady, assessed the entries, recognising the quality, originality, impact and breadth of work published across Ireland’s national news media.

The awards are organised by NewsBrands Ireland, with the support of headline sponsor Google News Initiative. The Creative and Communications Association of Ireland sponsored the Business Journalist category, Flutter UK & Ireland sponsored Sportswriter (Broadsheet/Compact), and Edelman Ireland was Awards Patron.