Irish Print Awards 2021
Press Release
Winners announced at the 43rd Irish Print Awards and Dublin companies dominate the winners!
Friday 7th May saw over 300 professionals from across the print industry cheerfully celebrate the 43rd Irish Print Awards, hosted by Alan Shortt, at a black tie gala ceremony in Crowne Plaza, Northwood. The esteemed Awards aim to recognise the country’s best companies in the print and press sector.
With over 180 entries to assess, judges had a difficult decision selecting winners across 31 categories.
The overall winner, Print Media Services Ltd were awarded the coveted title of Printer of the Year as well as Litho Packaging Printer of the Year (both sponsored by Realt) and Leinster / Dublin Small Printer of the Year (sponsored by HP).
As the awards were unable to go ahead for 2 years, the judges decided to award 3 recipients with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Edward Horan was honoured as the first recipient who has been working in the industry for 49 years and taught many of the printers in the room who came through DIT School of Printing in Bolton Street.
The second recipient was Joe ‘Komori’ Murphy who was the first recipient of the Corn na Casca Award for excellence in Bookbinding , started Portman Graphic in 1988 and in 1997 joined forces with Komori Corporation of Japan. Next year he will celebrate 60 years in this industry
Our third and final recipient is the late Eamonn Coonagh, who was represented on the night by his family and accepted the award on their fathers behalf after a heartfelt speech was delivered by Freddie Snowe, Chairman of the judging panel. Eamonn founded Presswell Labels in 1976, starting off in his home garage and moving to premises in Baldoyle. In 1991 he decided to retire, but only a year later came out of retirement and set up EC labels in Waterford City. He continued to run the business with passion, dedication and commitment with the help and support of his family and team around him, until he retired in 2012 at the age of 74.
Impress Printing Works took home two awards, Book Printer of the Year and Sheetfed Colour Offset Printer of the Year , both for “Grangegorman Public Art Book” (sponsored by EBB). Other awards which celebrated individuals within the industry included Print Graduate of the Year – Christina Forde from McGowans Print and Rising Star of the Year Award – Melissa Walsh from MW Design, Print & Signs
Full list of winners below and online at www.irishprinter.ie/awards
For all media enquiries, please contact Jill Thornton on 01-6401700 or email jill.thornton@ashvillemediagroup.com.
Images of the night available through the website, Photographer Paul Sherwood
https://248.4ae.mwp.accessdomain.com/2022/2021-winners/
NOTES TO EDITOR:
FULL LIST OF 2021 WINNERS:
2021 PRINTER OF THE YEAR
Print Media Services
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Eamonn Coonagh
Edward Horan
Joseph Murphy
BEST BUSINESS INNOVATION AWARD
Gold: McGowans – Cardboard Magic
Silver: Northside Graphics – eConsult Health Limited
BEST SUPPLIER CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM
Voted by Printers
Realt
BEST USE OF PRINT
Gold: NeoGen – FSI Annual Report 2019
BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Gold:NeoGen – FSI Annual Report 2019
BOOK PRINTER OF THE YEAR
Gold: Impress Printing Works Ltd – Grangegorman Public Art Book
Silver: KPS Colour Print – George Macnemara of Cong
Bronze: KPS Colour Print – Behind The Mask
BROCHURE PRINTER OF THE YEAR
Gold: Print Media Services Ltd – Design & Crafts Council Critical Selection 2021-2022
Silver: Impress Printing Works Ltd – The Marker Hotel Brochure
Bronze: Print Media Services Ltd – Meeting in Isfahan for Chester Beatty Gallery
DIGITAL PACKAGING PRINTER OF THE YEAR
Gold: McGowans Print – Chinese New Year Chocolate Boxes
Silver: P+D – The Good Glow Self Care Packs
Bronze: P+D – Nourish Launch Box
DIGITAL PRINT LABEL PRINTER OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Xeikon/ Flint Group)
Gold: Label World – Mic’s Chilli Sauce Range
Silver: Label Tech Ltd – Silkie Irish Whiskey
Bronze: Multi-Color Labels – Kilbarron Aviation Ltd – Runway 28 Irish Craft Gin
DIGITAL PRINTER OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Business Post)
Gold: NeoGen – FSI Annual Report 2019
Silver: McGowans Print – Chinese New Year Chocolate Boxes
Bronze: Horizon Digital Print – Nestle Aero Six Sheet
FLEXO PACKAGING PRINTER OF THE YEAR
Gold:Alert Packaging – Flahavan’s Original Granola
Silver: Multi-Color Labels – The Shed Distillery – Drumshambo Slow Distilled Sausage Tree Irish Vodka
GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PRINT COLLABORATION AWARD (Sponsored by Canon)
Gold: Plus Print Ltd. – This Place
Silver: Plus Print Ltd. – All Sorts of Impossible Things
Bronze: Display Ireland – A part of the Smurfit Kappa Group – The Candy Box
LARGE FORMAT DIGITAL PRINTER OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by GPMI)
Gold: McGowans – Ectomobile WOW POS Display
Silver: P+D – Donegal Catch Sustainability
Bronze: Horizon Digital Print – Panadol Extra Free Standing Display Unit
LITHO PACKAGING PRINTER OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Realt)
Gold: Print Media Services – Max Benjamin Candle
Silver: Boxpak Ltd – Silver Hill Duck Range
Bronze: KPS Colour Print – BEO
MAGAZINE PRINTER OF THE YEAR
Gold: Plus Print – FLASH edition 6
Silver: W&G Baird – Anthology, a collection of Beautiful Experiences
Bronze: McGowans Print – Hot Press 1000th Issue Special
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PRINTER OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Manroland)
Gold: Interpress N.I – The Irish News
Silver:Webprint – The Clare Champion Newspaper
Bronze: Interpress N.I – The Impartial Reporter
OUT OF HOME PRINTER OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Irish Printing Federation)
Gold:P+D – Brown Thomas DTC Wraps
Silver: SL Graphics Limited – Bord Gais Theatre – The Lion King
Bronze:P+D – Brennans Bread Outdoor
PRINT FINISHING OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Quadient)
Gold: KPS Colour Print – Spirorbis Book
Silver: Plus Print Ltd – Midleton MVR ilent Distillery
Bronze: Print Media – Avoca Charity Cards
PRINT GRADUATE OF THE YEAR
Christina Forde, McGowans Print
PRINT MEDIA APPRENTICE – NI LEVEL 1 (Sponsored by Alphgraphics)
Lee Bradley, Northside Graphics
PRINT MEDIA APPRENTICE – NI LEVEL 2 (Sponsored by Alphgraphics)
Thomas Branigan, Irish Defence Forces
PRINT MEDIA APPRENTICE – NI LEVEL 3 (Sponsored by Alphgraphics)
Matthew McCracken, Alphagraphics
REPORTS & ACCOUNTS PRINTER OF THE YEAR
Gold:NeoGen – FSI Annual Report 2019
Silver:Print Media Services – Kingspan Annual Report
Bronze: NeoGen – Coillte Annual Report 2019
RISING STAR AWARD (Sponsored by Heidelberg)
Melissa Walsh, MW Design, Print & Signs
SELF ADHESIVE ROLL LABEL PRINTER OF THE YEAR
Gold:Label Tech Ltd – The Whistler Mosaic Marsala Irish Whiskey
Silver:Watershed Group – Jameson Tokyo Limited Edition 2020 Set
Bronze:Watershed Group – WILDE IRISH GIN
SHEETFED COLOUR OFFSET PRINTER OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by EBB)
Gold: Impress Printing Works Ltd – Grangegorman Public Art Book
Silver: Plus Print – FLASH edition 6
Bronze: – W&G Baird – Townley Hall
SMALL PRINTER OF THE YEAR:
Connacht Small Printer of the Year (Sponsored by HP)
Gold: MW Design, Print & Signs – Gortskehy National School Signage
Silver: Triest Press – Letters of Hope
Leinster/Dublin Small Printer of the Year (Sponsored by HP)
Gold:Print Media Services Ltd – Design & Crafts Council Critical Selection 2021-2022
Silver: Plus Print Ltd. – Across Borders
Bronze: Go to print Ltd – NEOSTRATA
Munster Small Printer of the Year (Sponsored by HP)
Gold: Quality Print – My Green Journal with Benjy
Ulster Small Printer of the Year (Sponsored by HP)
Gold:Ballyprint -Dubai Duty Free Irish Open
Silver: Ballyprint – Dram Decks
SPECIAL PACKAGING PRINTER OF THE YEAR
Gold:The Printed Image – Heineken 0.0 Advent Calendar 2021 & 2022
Silver: KPS Colour Print – Codex Christmas Carton
WRAP PRINTER OF THE YEAR
Gold: Esmark Finch – SundAir Airbus 320-214 Aircraft Wrap
Silver: Sign Flair – Lauralynn Renault Twizzy Wraps
Bronze: P+D – Radio Nissan Qashqai Wraps
Irish Print Awards celebrate excellence in the printing industry for over 41 years, the Awards recognise the best of the country’s print sector and are regarded as the leading independent awards event for the Irish print industry. Over 300 people attended the 43rd anniversary celebration of the awards in 2022. All entries produce world-class printed material and each year, the standard of entries received exceeds expectations. The awards are judged by a select team of industry experts.
Irish Printer Magazine is the only dedicated print industry journal on the island of Ireland and has a 32-county circulation. The magazine is researched and published by Ashville Media Group, with contributions from print experts in Ireland and further afield. Each edition includes technological updates as well as practical solutions and advice for printers. Irish Printer also addresses major issues that continue to pose challenges for print companies and seeks to provoke debate on the topics that matter to the industry.
