Clare Champion photographer, John Kelly’s long string of successes in the Press Photographers’ Association of Ireland (PPAI) annual award scheme continued in Dublin on Friday night.
John’s remarkable gift as one of the country’s leading press photographers was underlined by the fact that not only did he win first prize in the 2015 Portrait category, but he also claimed third place in the same section. Furthermore, John also won third prize in the Sports Features.
The winning photograph is Body Builder, a striking image of Jason Morris of Toonagh, County Clare. Jason came second in the Irish Natural Bodybuidling Federation 2014 Under-68kg category.
John’s other award-winning portrait is titled, The Old Man and the Sea. It shows Paddy Hanrahan from Cappa, Kilrush collecting seaweed as fertilizer for his nearby garden.
The third prize in the Sports Feature is a dramatic image of Davy Fitzgerald in the rain after Clare hurlers loss to Tipperary in last year’s Waterford Crystal Cup.
In congratulating John on his latest achievement, Clare Champion editor, Austin Hobbs said his portraits showed how well he could relate to his subjects; enabling him to capture the very essence of the person.
“John is a great chronicler of the life and times of County Clare”, Austin added.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.