We all saw it coming a mile off but you can’t say you didn’t wonder if Love/Hate could live up to the hype and go home with all the TV glory at last night’s IFTAs. (All your film winners are over here)
But of course they did, scooping a whole host of awards including Best TV Actor for Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (we always knew he was no true blue Dub, but we still can’t get over the accent) and Best TV Actress for Charlie Murphy (who was looking STUNNING in a nice little blue number from Fran and Jane).
No joy for Fran aka Peter Coonan in the Best Supporting Actor TV category but there was no shame in losing out to BAFTA Award winning Sherlock baddie Andrew Scott. Susan Loughnane fared a little better: The Love/Hate beauty brought home the gong for Best Supporting Actress, though we can't say her acceptance speech topped Trish's from last year!
The little series from RTE and Octagon films proved as popular on the stage as it had on the red carpet (Saoirse Ronan, Keith McErlean, Daithi O’Se and Bressie told us they were BIG fans), taking home awards for Best Drama, Best Director (David Caffrey) and Writer TV (Stuart Carolan). With a fourth series on the way we can imagine the bar’s been set quite high.
There was quite the shake-up when it came to Best Entertainment TV though. Everyone was expecting last year’s winner Mrs Brown’s Boys to romp home after big wins at the National Television Awards, The BAFTAs and the Scottish BAFTAs. But it wasn’t to be - Chris O’Dowd and co walked away with the gong for Moone Boy (That’s errr, Balloon Boy to Kian Egan, who told us was a huge Mrs Brown fan).
Host Simon Delaney (more on him later) had cause for celebration as Children’s BAFTA winner Roy picked up the gong for Best Childrens/Youth, while Spotlight’s investigation into Sean Quinn’s Missing Millions nabbed the nod for Current Affairs, and When Ali Came to Ireland claimed Best Sports Programme. Even David Coleman got a look in with Bullyproof heading home with the IFTA for Best Documentary Series.
Seán Bán Breathnach was on hand as the gang behind Jockey Eile ‘gyalloped’ to the stage to collect the gong for Best Reality TV. I have to say I was a little disappointed with that one - I was looking forward to hearing Imelda’s acceptance speech if ICA Bootcamp claimed the crown. The lads were in fine form though, even throwing in an oul horse burger joke for good measure.
All in all it was a rather predictable outcome but sure we are where we are when it comes to Irish telly, and in the words of Anglo: The Musical, I think tis safe to say that where we are is grand.
IFTA TV winners 2013 in full:
Best Actress
Charlie Murphy - Love/Hate
Best Actor
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor - Love/Hate
Best Supporting Actress
Susan Loughnane - Love/Hate
Best Supporting Actor
Andrew Scott - Sherlock
Entertainment Programme
Moone Boy
Sports Programme
When Ali Came to Ireland
Best Drama
Love/Hate
News/Current Affairs
Spotlight: Sean Quinn's Missing Millions
Documentary Series
Bullyproof
Reality Programme
Jockey Eile
