Celt journalist wins prestigious award for Belturbet bombing article

Séamus Enright tops Print/Digital Journalism Local category at Justice Media Awards

An Anglo-Celt article retelling the details of the Belturbet bombing by the survivors half a century on won a top award at the prestigious Justice Media Awards 2023.

Senior reporter Séamus Enright was presented with the Media Award for the Print/Online Journalism (Local) category at an award ceremony in the Law Society in Dublin this afternoon, Thursday, June 22.

Séamus wrote the in-depth piece titled 'A Night Like No Other' to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Belturbet bomb in late December. The loyalist attack claimed the lives of two innocent teenagers Geraldine O’Reilly and Patrick Stanley.

In awarding the prize the judges said of Séamus's article: "This was an emotional and well-written human interest piece. It is an excellent example of local journalism reporting on local stories, and focused on the impact on victims."

Séamus is himself a native of Belturbet, and has been a valued member of the Celt team for almost a decade.

Celt Editor Linda O'Reilly said she was thrilled that Séamus's work had been recognised. "Séamus is a hard-working and diligent journalist who cares deeply about people in our community, social issues and injustices. He frequently goes above and beyond to get to the heart of a story and make it accessible and relevant for our readers.

"The Belturbet bomb was a terrible atrocity in which two teenagers were killed. Their murderers were never brought to justice. Fifty years on, their surviving families still have no closure. We hope, as news publishers, that by keeping the story alive and urging people to come forward, that justice may yet be done."

The overall Justice Media Award for 2023 was presented to Michael Doyle of The Irish Sun for his extensive reporting on the Gerry Hutch murder trial. His series was selected from the Court Reporting (print/online) category and stood out from a record-breaking 340 entries to win the overall award.

To read Séamus's award winning article 'A Night Like No Other' click here.