Catch yourself on!
Irish comedy is ruling the roost this year as adolescent comedies The Young Offenders and Derry Girls are currently leading the way in this year’s Irish Film and Television Award (IFTA) nominations.
Cork-based series The Young Offenders is shortlisted in seven categories, including Best Comedy, Male Performance for star Chris Walley, Female Performance for Hillary Rose and Director Comedy/Soap and Writer Comedy/Soap for Peter Foott.
Fellow breakout comedy Derry Girls is also well represented, competing against its Cork rival in the Best Comedy category.
The list of nominations, available in full on the IFTA website, boasts a wealth of Irish talent, including Oscar winning-film Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
The film’s director, Martin McDonagh, is up for the Best Director gong – facing serious competition from the likes of John Butler (Handsome Devil) and Aisling Walsh (Maudie).
Earlier in the week, IFTA announced that veteran broadcaster, songwriter and journalist, Shay Healy, is to receive the IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s event, in recognition of his outstanding achievement across a diverse body of work spanning 55 years in Television and Entertainment in Ireland.
Shay Healy said of the accolade: “I am thrilled to accept this honour from the Academy and my only regret is that I didn’t keep a record of all the times and dates when so many people shared their musical and artistic talents with me.
“This award is as much about them as it is about me.”
The IFTA Gala Television Awards Ceremony will be held on Thursday, 31 May at the RDS Concert Hall in Ballsbridge in Dublin.
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