The Limerick Voice earned the title of Newspaper of the Year at the National Student Media Awards 2024. This accolade, backed by The Irish Times, was granted after the untimely death of its chief editor, Joe Drennan, in a tragic hit-and-run accident. Mark Hennessy, the editor of the Ireland and Britain sections of the newspaper, was on the judging panel for the award.
Mr Drennan met his unfortunate demise whilst waiting at a Dublin Road, Castletroy bus stop after a restaurant shift when a vehicle struck him. The police have filed charges against a man connected to the incident.
Hennessy characterised The Limerick Voice’s candidature as deeply touching this year, praising their persevering endeavours to cover the happenings within their local community.
The Limerick Voice, enriched by the vibrant ideas of final-year journalism students at UL, is published in collaboration with The Limerick Leader.
This year’s award ceremony was notable for its record-breaking nominations. Trinity College bagged eight awards, closely followed by Technological University Dublin and University College Dublin.
The award ceremony organisers revealed plans to commemorate the late Joe Drennan. They intend to rename their RSA Award to the Joe Drennan RSA Award, a tribute to his profession and a focus on journalism around road safety.