CLAIRE BYRNE beat her former TV3 colleague Grainne Seoige to win television personality of the year at last night’s Irish Film and Television Awards (Iftas) in Dublin.

Byrne, who replaced Seoige as news anchor on TV3 when the Connemara girl defected to Sky News Ireland earlier this year, also beat off competition from Derek Mooney of RTE, Ulster Television’s Gerry Kelly, Gerry Anderson of BBC Northern Ireland and TG4 presenter Jarlath Burns.

The second Iftas, a mixture of awards voted for by a jury and the public, was hosted by James Nesbitt, the Cold Feet actor. Song for a Raggy Boy, the grim story of abuse at an industrial school, was voted best Irish film by the public, with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King receiving the international accolade.

Despite being a Hollywood darling, Colin Farrell was beaten to the best actor award by Gerard McSorley, a seasoned Irish actor, for his role in Omagh. Farrell had been nominated for his part in A Home at the End of the World in which he plays a bisexual.

Eva Birthistle, one of Ireland’s up-and-coming stars, took home the best actress gong, having been nominated for two different roles.

Peter O’Toole, the legendary Irish actor, won a best supporting actor award for his role as Priam in Troy, the Hollywood epic, alongside Brad Pitt as Achilles and Orlando Bloom as Paris. O’Toole, who was named one of the greatest actors of all time by Empire magazine in Britain last week, said recently that the film was a disaster and he could only manage to watch the first 15 minutes. He didn’t turn up last night to pick up his gong.

The 72-year-old star of Lawrence of Arabia was due to receive an honorary Academy Award earlier this year in recognition of his long Hollywood career but refused it, telling organisers he would prefer it in 10 years’ time instead.

Among those at the ceremony, to be televised on RTE Television tomorrow night, were Andie McDowell, star of Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Olivia Williams, her co-star in Tara Road, which is currently filming in Ireland.

John Cleese, Gabriel Byrne and Brenda Fricker were also there to see Omagh declared best film and Lenny Abrahamson best director for Adam & Paul, his debut film, a comedy about heroin addiction.

Holy Cross won best television drama, beating The Clinic, Proof, TG4 soap Ros na Run, and The Return, which starred Julie Walters.

Ciaran Hinds won best television actor for The Mayor of Casterbridge and Anne-Marie Duff was declared best television actress for Shameless.

In the two other categories voted by members of the public, Johnny Depp won best international actor and Keira Knightley was declared best international actress.

Pierce Brosnan and Maureen O’Hara were there to collect special honours. The James Bond star received an outstanding Irish contribution to cinema and O’Hara was presented with a lifetime achievement award.

Aine Moriarty, the chief executive of the Irish Film and Television Network, the organisers of the event, said: “The quality of the Irish film and television industries is evident in the success of these awards.”

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