Celtic Magic: BBC NI wins five awards at media festival

Blas Ceoil presenter Lynette Fay with her award for best live music programme

BBC Northern Ireland has won five awards at the Celtic Media Festival.

In the history category, the film Eoin Mac Néill: Fear Dearmadta 1916, was first and also won gold in the Spirit of the Festival Award.

The film was made by DoubleBand Films for BBC Northern Ireland and TG4, with support from Northern Ireland Screen's Irish Language Broadcast Fund.

It tells the story of scholar and politician Eoin Mac Néill who co-founded the Gaelic League in 1893.

The documentary examines Mac Néill's most controversial decision - when he tried to stop the Easter Rising by issuing a countermanding order.

Crash And Burn was named best sports documentary. The film, made by Dot Television for the BBC and RTÉ, charts the rise and fall of racing driver Tommy Byrne, who in the 1980s was, for a fleeting moment, considered one of the greats in his field.

Voices 16, an ambitious BBC Northern Ireland project marking the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme across BBC online, television and social media, won the Kieran Hegarty Award For Innovation.

Thandie Newton starred in the recently-concluded fourth series of Line of Duty

Blas Ceoil, presented by Lynette Fay, won best Radio Music Programme (Live) for a broadcast from the Millennium Forum in Derry.

Line of Duty, written by Jed Mercurio and starring Adrian Dunbar, Vicky McClure and Martin Compton, was awarded best Drama Series for its third series.

BBC Northern Ireland director Peter Johnston said: "Last year was eventful and ambitious and the accolades awarded to BBC Northern Ireland content are testament to the hard work, talent and dedication of the teams responsible."

The festival was held in Douglas, Isle of Man, from Wednesday 3 May to Friday 5 May.