Mr Dick Ahlstrom, science writer at The Irish Times, has won the Science and Technology Journalist of the Year award.
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Mr Dick Ahlstrom
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The third annual science and technology awards, co-sponsored by IBM Ireland are part of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Awareness Programme managed by Government body Forfás.
Mr Ahlstrom was presented the award for two articles written this year - one on the healing powers of frog venom and the other on how the analysis of cave stalagmites demonstrates climate change.
The panel of judges, led by RTÉ journalist Mr Pat Kenny, praised Mr Ahlstrom’s "talent as a journalist and commitment to his subject", and said no journalist had done more over the years to make science and technology accessible to the general public and have it taken seriously by the media.
Speaking at the awards ceremony today, the Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce, Mr Noel Treacy, said the role of journalism on the topic was "vital" in order to communicate the important and complicated developments in the area.
"Very few of us are equipped to read and understand the detailed and complex descriptions and debates that go on in the world of the sciences. We rely heavily on journalism to make it meaningful, accessible and interesting", he said.
Other award winners include Mr Fergal Bowers of irishhealth.com, Ms Mary Sweetman of Technology Ireland, Professor Tom Hayden of UCD zoology department, and Mr James Kerr and Camilla Carroll for a BBC Radio Ulster documentary.