Ronan Keating, the Boyzone singer and Eurovision presenter, has been named Entertainment Personality of the Year. With 20 per cent of the 10,000 votes cast in a tele-poll, he emerged an easy winner of Ireland's main showbusiness award ahead of nine other nominees.
He was presented with the award at a TV show in the National Concert Hall last night. Keating, with Carrie Crowley of RTE, was one of the ceremony's presenters, which was attended by more than 1,200.
He is from Swords, Co Dublin, and has been with Boyzone from the beginning. He co-wrote many of their original hits.
Although aged just 21, he has also worked widely in television and co-hosted, with Carrie Crowley, this year's Eurovision Song Contest at the Point Theatre.
Last night's show was presented by the Rehab foundation and RTE and sponsored by Telecom Eireann. Ticket sales from the event raised over £30,000 for Rehab.
The category award winners were: traditional - Cooney and Begley; popular - The Corrs; rock - Divine Comedy; classical - Cara O'Sullivan; Eamonn Andrews "Hall of Fame" - Paddy Cole; performance of the year - Lord of the Dance/Michael Flatley; variety - Dustin.
