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University Observer named Newspaper of the Year at Smedias

  • UCD student newspaper wins Newspaper of the Year and Website of the Year
  • Conall Cahill awarded Sportswriter of the Year

UCD’s (opens in a new window)University Observer has won three accolades at the (opens in a new window)National Student Media Awards (Smedias). These include Newspaper of the Year, Website of the Year and Sportswriter of the Year. The paper is edited by Gráinne Loughran with Keira Gilleechi serving as its online editor.

Sportswriter of the Year Conall Cahill has been contributing to the University Observer since 2012. His pieces this year included an (opens in a new window)interview with Paul Kimmage on drug testing and concussion in sport.


Comedian Dara Ó Briain and (opens in a new window)Irish Times Deputy Political Editor Pat Leahy were co-editors of the paper when it began in 1994.

Other editors have included Declan Walsh, (opens in a new window)The New York Times Cairo bureau chief; Roddy O’Sullivan, Irish Times duty editor; Samantha Libreri, (opens in a new window)RTÉ News; Gavan Reilly, (opens in a new window)Today FM political correspondent and Nathalie Marquez Courtney, former (opens in a new window)Image Interiors and Living editor.


This is the fifth time the University Observer has won Newspaper of the Year at the awards.

More than 300 student journalists from across print, video, radio, photography and design attended the event at the Aviva Stadium.

By: Jonny Baxter, digital journalist, UCD University Relations