Niall Breslin aka Bressie won the Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year at this year's Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards, while Anne Enright won the main prize for the Irish Novel of the Year for The Green Road.
Bressie was honoured for his first book Me and My Mate Jeffrey, a memoir which chronicles the TV star’s struggles with depression and mental health, and he told TEN that his old teacher would be shocked at his nomination on the red carpet before the ceremony.
"I'd say my English teacher is absolutely raging in my old school. It all happened quite fast. I decided I was going to do it and didn't think too much about it and just went for it.
"I just wrote my story and people connected with it. I tried to keep it as raw as possible. I never thought I'd write a book. If you've a story to tell anyone can do it," he added.
What would @nbrez's English teacher say about his @BGEIBAS nomination? We think she would give him10/10 #bookawards https://t.co/N3DhQr7ybR
— RTÉ TEN (@RTE_TEN) November 25, 2015
#meandmymatejeffrey just won popular non fiction book of the year ! 🙌 #proud
— Rozanna Purcell (@RozannaPurcell) November 25, 2015
The Novel of the Year Award was won by Anne Enright for The Green Road. Enright, the Irish Laureate for Fiction, was shortlisted earlier this year for the Man Booker Prize for the novel.
Sinead Gleeson won the Best Irish Published Book of the Year for The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers, while Sinead Moriarty - an eight time nominee - was finally successful after she won the Popular Fiction Book of the Year Award for her novel, The Way We Were. Naturally she was over the moon at the win and said:
"While it's wonderful to be nominated, I have to be honest, it's really nice to win"
Sinead Gleeson winner of Best Irish Published Book
Other winners on the night included Donal Ryan who won for his first collection of short stories A Slanting of the Sun, Oliver Jeffers and Eoin Colfer for Imaginary Fred in the Children's Book of the Year (Junior) category; Louise O'Neill for her book Asking For It in the Specsavers Children's Book of the Year (Senior) category and Susan Jane White for The Virtuous Tart in the Avonmore Cookbook of the Year category.
Donal Skehan and his wife Sofie
Donal Skehan, who was nominated for Cookbook of the Year, praised his wife Sofie for making his new book Fresh such a success at the event.
Speaking to TEN on the red carpet, the TV chef said:
"Sofie actually had a big part to play in the book. She actually took the photos for the cover of the book and she took a lot of the profile shots in the interior as well and so as usual we are a team and she has done a lot in the lead up to making the book so I think if we did well tonight I think it's a joint effort."
The lovely @DonalSkehan reveals what a big part his wife Sofie had to play in his new book. #BGEIBA https://t.co/6xTbLpDWK0
— RTÉ TEN (@RTE_TEN) November 25, 2015
Joe Duffy won Best Non-Fiction Book of the Year
Joe Duffy, who won the Non-Fiction Book of the Year for his best-selling book Children of the Rising said his inclusion on the shortlist alone was an "honour" and a "privilege".
Speaking beforehand he said,
"It's great to be nominated especially to be among great historians and writers like Tim Pat Coogan, Diarmaid Ferriter, Ronan Fanning and Matt Cooper. For me to be allowed into the same room, into the same Croke Park as them would be a privilege".
Brendan Corbett, Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards Chairperson, said:
“With these awards, one thing never changes and that is the seemingly limitless creativity of Irish writers. We know that every year we will be guaranteed fantastic books to choose from and that there will be great work from experienced writers and always fresh talent bursting through to challenge them as the list of winners shows. Irish literature really is the gift that keeps on giving. We congratulate all of this year’s winners and urge readers to support them this Christmas.”
Check out the full list of winners of the 2015 Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards here
