The McConnell Award was presented to Mr Louis C. O'Neill, chief executive and group managing director of The Irish Times, by the Advertising Press Club of Ireland at a lunch in Dublin yesterday.

Designed to recognise distinguished personal and public service on behalf of, or through, advertising, the perpetual award has been presented 26 times since its inception in 1954. Mr O'Neill is to retire from The Irish Times later this year.

The award citation recognises Mr O'Neill's "commitment and contribution to the advertising industry over the last 40 years, and his personal dedication to many industry bodies and for the fundamental role he played in the establishment and development of the National Newspapers of Ireland and JNRR [Joint National Readership Research]". The perpetual award is a silver casket made in Dublin. It is decorated with crystals and enamel work and has a gold plaque on the lid which was designed and made specifically by John Smith & Son of Grafton Street. Inside the casket is a citation book which was made and donated by students of the School of Printing and Bookbinding at the Technical Institute, Bolton Street.

It was presented to Mr O'Neill by Mr Lauri Cryan, chairman of the Advertising Press Club of Ireland. In an address, Mr Alan Crosbie former president of the European Newspaper Publishers' Association and current chief executive of Examiner Publications, paid tribute to Mr O'Neill's long service to the newspaper industry, especially in ensuring "not just the immediate financial success, but the longterm survival of The Irish Times". "Louis O'Neill is that rare success story; a man who has been influential and powerful, with a list of achievements as long as your arm, but a man who rose without a trace of ill-will left behind him at any point in his career path," said Mr Crosbie.

In response, Mr O'Neill said what he had been doing with The Irish Times for the past 42 years was precisely what he would want to do most in the world. He paid tribute to his family and colleagues and added that he would not be surprised to see the company publishing "a newspaper of well over 100 pages in the next five to 10 years".