The Irish Book Awards (officially: Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards) are Irish literary awards given annually to books and authors in various categories. It is the only literary award supported by all-Irish bookstores. First awarded in 2006, they grew out of the Hughes & Hughes bookstore's Irish Novel of the Year Prize which was inaugurated in 2000. Since 2007 the Awards have been an independent not-for-profit company funded by sponsorship. The primary sponsor is Bord Gáis, an energy supplier in Ireland. There are currently nine categories, seven of which are judged by the Irish Literary Academy, two by a public vote. There is also a lifetime achievement award.
Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year
The Argosy Irish Non-Fiction Book of the Year
The Specsavers Irish Children's Book of the Year – junior and senior categories
Sunday Independent Best Irish Newcomer of the Year
The International Education Services Best Irish-Published Book of the Year
The Irish Sports Book of the Year
The John Murray Show Listeners' Choice Award (voted for by the public)
The Eason Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year (voted for by the public)
Ireland AM Crime Fiction Book of the Year
Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award in Irish Literature aka Lifetime Achievement in Literary Ireland Award
Bord Gáis Energy Irish Bookshop of the Year Award (introduced 2011)
Avonmore Cookbook of the Year (introduced 2012)
Inaugurated in 2000 by Hughes & Hughes, the Hughes & Hughes Award ran until 2005 when it merged with the Irish Book Awards and became the Irish Novel category.
2000:
2001:
2002:
2003: That They May Face the Rising Sun by John McGahern
2004: Dancer by Colum McCann
2005: Havoc in its Third Year by Ronan Bennett
Irish Novel: The Sea by John Banville
Irish Non-Fiction Book: In the Dark Room by Brian Dillon
Irish Children's Book: The New Policeman by Kate Thompson
Irish Novel: Winterwood by Patrick McCabe
Irish Non-Fiction Book: Connemara: Listening to the Wind by Tim Robinson
Irish Children's Book – junior: The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers
Irish Children's Book – senior: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
Best Irish Newcomer: The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlan
Irish-Published Book: Lifelines: New and Collected ed. by Niall McMonagle
Irish Sports Book: Back from the Brink by Paul McGrath
Listener's Choice: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
Irish Popular Fiction Book: Should Have Got Off at Sydney Parade by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly
Irish Novel: The Gathering by Anne Enright
Irish Non-Fiction Book: Judging Dev by Diarmaid Ferriter
Irish Children's Book – junior: The Story of Ireland by Brendan O'Brien
Irish Children's Book – senior: Wilderness by Roddy Doyle
Best Irish Newcomer: With My Lazy Eye by Julia Kelly
Irish-Published Book: Judging Dev by Diarmaid Ferriter
Irish Sports Book: Trevor Brennan: Heart and Soul by Trevor Brennan with Gerry Thornley
Listener's Choice: Judging Dev by Diarmaid Ferriter
Irish Popular Fiction Book: Take A Look at Me Now by Anita Notaro
Lifetime Achievement: William Trevor
Irish Novel: The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
Irish Non-Fiction Book: Stepping Stones by Seamus Heaney and Dennis O'Driscoll
Irish Children's Book – junior: Before You Sleep by Benji Bennett
Irish Children's Book – senior: Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With Fire by Derek Landy
Best Irish Newcomer: Confessions of a Fallen Angel by Ronan O'Brien
Irish-Published Book: The Parish by Alice Taylor
Irish Sports Book: Ronan O'Gara, My Autobiography by Ronan O'Gara
Listener's Choice: The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
Irish Popular Fiction Book: This Charming Man by Marian Keyes
Irish Crime Fiction Award: Blood Runs Cold by Alex Barclay
Lifetime Achievement: Edna O'Brien
Sources.
Irish Novel: Room by Emma Donoghue
Irish Non-Fiction Book: A Coward If I Return, a Hero If I Fall by Neil Richardson
Irish Children's Book – junior: On the Road with Mavis and Marge by Niamh Sharkey
Irish Children's Book – senior: Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil by Derek Landy
Best Irish Newcomer: JFK in Ireland: Four Days That Changed a President by Ryan Tubridy
Irish-Published Book: Good Mood Food by Donal Skehan
Irish Sports Book: A Football Man: My Autobiography by John Giles
Listener's Choice: Come What May: The Autobiography by Donal Óg Cusack
Irish Popular Fiction Book: The Oh My God Delusion by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly
Irish Crime Fiction Award: Dark Times in the City by Gene Kerrigan
Lifetime Achievement: Maeve Binchy
Sources.
Irish Novel: Mistaken by Neil Jordan
Irish Non-Fiction Book: Easy Meals by Rachel Allen
Irish Children's Book – junior: The Lonely Beast by Chris Judge
Irish Children's Book – senior: The Real Rebecca by Anna Carey
Best Irish Newcomer: Solace by Belinda McKeon
Irish-Published Book: Connemara: A Little Gaelic Kingdom by Tim Robinson
Irish Sports Book: Inside the Peloton by Nicolas Roche
Listeners' Choice: How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
Irish Popular Fiction Book: All For You by Sheila O'Flanagan
Irish Crime Fiction Award: Bloodland by Alan Glynn
Irish Bookshop of the Year: Crannóg Bookshop, Cavan Town
Lifetime Achievement: Seamus Heaney
Sources.
Irish Novel: Ancient Light, by John Banville
Irish Non-Fiction Book: Country Girl by Edna O’Brien
Irish Children's Book – Junior: This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers
Irish Children's Book – Senior: Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian, by Eoin Colfer
Best Irish Newcomer: The Spinning Heart, by Donal Ryan
Irish-Published Book: Atlas of the Great Irish Famine, by John Crowley, William J. Smyth and Mike Murphy
Irish Sports Book: My Olympic Dream, by Katie Taylor
Listeners' Choice: Just Mary: My Memoir, by Mary O'Rourke
Irish Popular Fiction Book: A Week in Winter, by Maeve Binchy
Irish Crime Fiction Award: Broken Harbour, by Tana French
Cookbook Award: Eat Like an Italian, by Catherine Fulvio
Irish Bookshop: Bridge Street Books, Wicklow Town
Lifetime Achievement: Jennifer Johnston
Sources.
Non-Fiction Book of the Year award: Staring at Lakes by Michael Harding
Novel of the Year: The Guts by Roddy Doyle
Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award: John Banville
John Murray Show Listeners' Choice award: Staring at Lakes by Michael Harding
Popular Fiction Book of the Year: Downturn Abbey by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly
Newcomer of the Year: Niamh Boyce for The Herbalist
Crime Fiction Book of the Year: The Doll's House by Louise Phillips
Best Irish Published Book of the Year: A History of Ireland in 100 Objects by Fintan O'Toole
Senior Children's Book of the Year: Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy
Junior Children's Book of the Year: When You Were Born by Benji Bennett
Sports Book of the Year: Seven Deadly Sins by David Walsh
Short Story of the Year: The Things We Lose The Things We Leave Behind by Billy O'Callaghan
Cookbook of the Year: 30 Years of Ballymaloe by Darina Allen
Bookshop of the Year: The Clifden Bookshop, Clifden, County Galway
The 2014 awards were presented on 26 November at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Dublin.
Non-Fiction Book of the Year award: The Life and Loves of a He Devil by Graham Norton
Novel of the Year: Academy St by Mary Costello
Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award: Paul Durcan
John Murray Show Listeners' Choice award: It’s All in the Head by Majella O'Donnell
Popular Fiction Book of the Year: The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern
Newcomer of the Year: Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill
Crime Fiction Book of the Year: Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent
Best Irish Published Book of the Year: Dubliners 100 by Thomas Morris
Senior Children's Book of the Year: Moone Boy by Chris O'Dowd and Nick Vincent Murphy
Junior Children's Book of the Year: Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton
Sports Book of the Year: The Test by Brian O'Driscoll
Short Story of the Year: Rest Day by John Boyne
Cookbook of the Year: The Nation’s Favourite Food Fast by Neven Maguire
The 2015 awards were presented on 25 November at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Dublin.
Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year: 'Me and My Mate Jeffrey by Niall Breslin
Cookbook of the Year: The Virtuous Tart by Susan Jane White
Children's Book of the Year (Senior): Asking For It by Louise O'Neill
Children's Book of the Year (Junior): Imaginary Fred by Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers
Best Irish Published Book of the Year: The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers by Sinead Gleeson
Best Crime Book of the Year: After the Fire by Jane Casey
Listeners' Choice Award: Irelandopedia by Fatti and John Burke
Non-Fiction Book of the Year: Children of the Rising by Joe Duffy
Sports Book of the Year: Until Victory Always: A Memoir by Jim McGuinness
Newcomer of the Year: Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume
Popular Fiction Book of the Year: The Way We Were by Sinead Moriarty
Book Club Novel of the Year: The Green Road by Anne Enright
Short Story of the Year: A Slanting of the Sun by Donal Ryan
The 2016 awards sponsored by Bord Gáis Energy were presented on 16 November at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Dublin. The awards ceremony was presented by Keelin Shanley. On 14 December, Solar Bones by Mike McCormack was named as Ireland’s best book of 2016. It was chosen by a public vote from the list of category winners below.
The Eason Book Club Novel of the Year: Solar Bones by Mike McCormack
TheJournal.ie Best Irish Published Book of the Year: The Glass Shore by Sinéad Gleeson
The Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year: Red Dirt by E.M. Reapy
The National Book Tokens Non-Fiction Book of the Year: I Read The News Today, Oh Boy by Paul Howard
RTÉ Radio One’s The Ryan Tubridy Show Listeners’ Choice Award: Lying In Wait by Liz Nugent
The Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year (Junior): Pigín of Howth by Kathleen Watkins
The Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year (Senior): Knights of the Borrowed Dark by Dave Rudden
The Avonmore Cookbook of the Year: The World of The Happy Pear by Stephen and David Flynn
The Irish Independent Popular Fiction Book of the Year: Holding by Graham Norton
The Ireland AM Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year: Making It Up As I Go Along by Marian Keyes
The Bord Gáis Energy Sports Book of the Year: The Battle by Paul O'Connell
The Books Are My Bag Crime Fiction Book of the Year: The Trespasser by Tana French
The Writing.ie Short Story of the Year Award: The Visit by Orla McAlinden
The Listowel Writers’ Week Irish Poem of the Year: In Glasnevin by Jane Clarke
