Mark Condren award winning picture shows Thomas Connors, the youngest survivor of the Carrickmines fire who lost his parents Thomas and Sylvia, two brothers Jim and Christy and his baby sister Mary.

Castletownroche native Mark Condren, has once again scooped the ‘Press Photographer of the Year 2016’. Over 2,000 images were entered into the 38th annual awards, by 103 photographers from around the country.

This is the Irish Independent photographer’s fourth time to receive this prestigious award, having first received the accolade in 2009.

His winning portfolio with seven images shows a good variety of humour and emotion within Irish life.

His first place entry in the News category, Goodbye, depicts the tragic yet touching scene of the youngest survivor of the Carrickmines halting site fire, Thomas Connors, grief stricken at the funeral of his parents and siblings.

Mark, who cut his teeth with The Avondhu and later with The Corkman, features prominently throughout the exhibition, being highly commended in Portraits, with D-Day, as well as in Daily Life and People with The Blacksmith, My Little Bonnie and his light hearted depiction of the Stations of the Cross re-enactment in Ballymun Town Centre, Carrying the Cross.

In Politics, he was commended for The Rising, showing the Dublin 1916 commemorations, and again in News for his romantic Sealed with a Kiss.

Full story on this week’s Print & Digital Edition