The Irish Times has been presented with two ESB Community Games media awards for its coverage of the community games last year.
Bryan O'Brien, a photographer with the newspaper, won the photographic award at the community games a.g.m. in Limerick on Saturday for his picture of competitors in the Under-8s 60-metre sprint at the national finals in Mosney, Co Meath last September.
Shown above, it pictured a group of boys waiting for their events, one of them yawning, and was captioned, "Warming Up The Tonsils".
Ms Martina Mulhall, community games national PRO, said the photograph captured the all-inclusiveness of the games.
The newspaper also received an award for best sports coverage of the national finals and the special activities weekend, held in May. Ms Mulhall said the sports coverage, carrying all the results of the national finals, was highly complimentary for the games.
The Minister for Tourism, Sports and Recreation, Dr McDaid, said the games played a valuable role in society, with up to 500,000 children participating annually in a safe environment. For many, it was their introduction to sport.
"Indeed, many of Ireland's leading sports people, such as Sonia O'Sullivan, Eamonn Coughlan, Niall Quinn and Roy Keane have, in their formative years, competed in the community games," he said.
The Bishop of Limerick, Dr Donal Murray, said people lived in an era when sport was becoming increasingly commercialised through television rights and football strips. "The real value of sport should grow out of a community without this `win at all costs' mentality," he said.
A special guest at the a.g.m. was the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Mr Bob Stoker, who said the community games had played a part in establishing the Millennium Neighbourhood Games in Belfast.
"When young people come together for sporting and athletic activities, they feel there is no difference between them," he said.
The community games also launched a website with an address at: www.communitygame.ie.