Snow Patrol rounded off their most successful year by scooping up four awards at last night's Meteor Ireland Music Awards in Dublin.
The Northern Irish band won best Irish band, even though two members are from Scotland, best Irish album for Eyes Open, most downloaded song for Chasing Cars, and best live performance for their concert in Dublin's Marlay Park in summer 2006.
Snow Patrol's sweep was no surprise. The band, fronted by Gary Lightbody, were the biggest-selling act in the UK in 2006, with 1.5 million sales of Eyes Open. The album has sold 800,000 copies in the US and topped the Australian charts.
The band, formed in Bangor, Co Down, in 1994, cite U2 as one of their biggest influences.
Clannad received a lifetime achievement award and radio DJ Larry Gogan received an industry award to acknowledge his 45 years in broadcasting.
Dublin band Director won best new act and Royseven won the hope for 2007 award.
Repeat performances were the order of the day, with Dublin singer/songwriter Damien Dempsey winning best Irish male for the second time, Ray D'Arcy winning best Irish DJ for the third year in a row, and Westlife winning best Irish pop act for the seventh year in a row. They celebrated by performing a song with their onetime manager, Ronan Keating.
Sharon Shannon won the best folk/trad award, while country-pop singer Luan Parle won best Irish female, beating Eleanor McEvoy and Moya Brennan.
A special humanitarian award, with a cheque for €10,000, was presented to Paul Brady, director of the Belvedere Youth Club, Ireland's oldest youth club.
The awards were presented by Padraig Judas O'Leprocy and Rodraig Spartacus O'Leprocy, better known as Podge and Rodge, and comedian Deirdre O'Kane. Among the guests who presented awards were Shaun of the Deadstars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and comedian Keith Allen, whose daughter, Lily Allen, won the best international female award.
The show, which will be broadcast on RTÉ 2 at 9pm on Sunday, featured guest performances from Pussycat Dolls, Kaiser Chiefs and Amy Winehouse.
