RTÉ’S CRIME DRAMA ‘Love/Hate’ has emerged as the big winner at this year’s Irish Film and Television Awards, which were held in Dublin last night.

The acclaimed series took seven awards, including the main prize for best TV drama series, best director for David Caffrey, best TV writer for Stuart Carolan and best editor for Isobel Stephenson.

Aiden Gillen (John Boy Power) was named best lead actor in a TV drama, with Tom Vaughan Lawlor (Nidge) taking the supporting actor award, and Denise McCormack (Linda) taking the best supporting actress gong.

Ruth Negga – who also appears in the series – won the Best TV Actress award, for her portrayal of a young Shirley Bassey in the Welsh TV biography ‘Shirley’.

• GALLERY: Check out the red carpet arrivals at the IFTAs 2012

Other TV awards were taken by RTÉ’s ‘Prime Time Investigates’, for its expose on the Home Care Scandal, while Brendan O’Carroll’s ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ was named the best entertainment programme.

‘ICA Bootcamp’ was the best reality programme, while the Eamonn Coghlan ‘Man on a Mission’ documentary was the best sporting programme of the year.

The best TV moment of the year, as decided by a public vote, was Stephen O’Donnell’s penalty for Shamrock Rovers – aired on Setanta Sports – which secured a 2-1 away win at Partisan Belgrade and secured qualification for the group stages of the UEFA Europa League.

In the film categories, ‘The Guard’ was named best film, while director John Michael McDonagh took awards for Best Director and Best Screenwriter.

Fionnula Flanagan, who was also presented with a lifetime achievement award by President Michael D Higgins, also won the best supporting actress award in film categories for her role as Brendan Gleeson’s mother in that film.

Irish co-production ’Albert Nobbs’ also took four awards, with Glenn Close named best international actress, as well as taking score awards for Brian Byrne, make-up awards for Lynn Johnston and best sound.

Michael Fassbender was named Best Actor in film categories for his acclaimed role in ‘Shame’, while Saoirse Ronan took the parallel actress award for her title role in Joe Wright’s ‘Hanna’.

Chris O’Dowd was named best supporting actor for his role in Hollywood hit ‘Bridesmaids’.

‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ was named best international film, while Ryan Gosling was named best international actor for his leading role in ‘Drive’.

The 2012 IFTA winners – in full

Film Categories

• Best film: The Guard – Chris Clark, Flora Fernandez Marengo, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe (Reprisal Films / Element Pictures)
• Director film: John Michael McDonagh – The Guard (Reprisal Films / Element Pictures )
• Script film: John Michael McDonagh – The Guard (Reprisal Films / Element Pictures )
• Actor – film: Michael Fassbender – Shame (Momentum Pictures)
• Actress – film: Saoirse Ronan -Hanna (Universal Films)
• Supporting actor – film: Chris O’Dowd – Bridesmaids (Universal Pictures)
• Supporting actress – film: Fionnula Flanagan – The Guard (Reprisal Films / Element Pictures )
• George Morrison Feature Documentary Award: Bernadette; Notes on a Political Journey- Lelia Doolan, (Digital Quilts)
• Special Irish Language Award: Corp + Anam – Paddy Hayes (Magamedia)
• Animation: The Boy in the Bubble – Kealan O’ Rourke (Igloo Films)
• Philips Short Film Award: Foxes- Lorcan Finnegan (Lovely Productions)

International Categories:

• International film: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)
• International actor: Ryan Gosling – Drive (Eclipse Pictures)
• International actress: Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs (Parallel Film Productions)

Television Drama categories

• Best drama, in association with BAI: Love/Hate – Suzanne McAuley & Steve Mattews (Octagon Films)
• Director, TV drama: David Caffrey – Love/Hate (Octagon Films)
• Writer, TV drama: Stuart Carolan – Love/Hate (Octagon Films)
• Actor – television: Aidan Gillen – Love/Hate (Octagon Films)
• Actress – television: : Ruth Negga – Shirley (Prospect Cymru Wales)
• Supporting Actor – television: : Tom Vaughan-Lawlor – Love/Hate (Octagon Films)
• Supporting Actress – television: : Denise McCormack – Love/Hate (Octagon Films)

Craft / Technical Categories (Film / TV drama)

• Costume design: Consolata Boyle – The Iron Lady (Eclipse Pictures)
• Director of photography: Seamus McGarvey – We Need To Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)
• Editing: Isobel Stephenson – Love/Hate (Octagon Films)
• M.A.C. Make-up and hair: Lorraine Glynn / Lynn Johnston – Albert Nobbs (Parallel Film Productions)
• Original score: Brian Byrne – Albert Nobbs (Parallel Film Productions)
• Production design: Anna Rackard – Stella Days (Newgrange Pictures)
• Sound: Albert Nobbs – Brendan Deasy, Niall Brady, Michelle Cunniffe, Steve Fanagan (Parallel Film Productions)

Craft and Technical Categories (TV)

• Director: Gary Keane – The Writing in the Sky (Real Films)
• Director of Photography: Peter Robertson – Waterways (Tile Films)
• Editing: Ray Roantree – The Ashes of 9/11 (RTÉ)
• Sound: The Writing in the Sky – Killian Fitzgerald/Aza Hand (Real Films)

TV Categories

• Children’s/Youth Programme: The Importance of Being Whatever – Martina Niland & David Collins (Accomplice TV)
• Current Affairs/News: Prime Time Investigates: The Home Care Scandal – Adrian Lydon (RTÉ)
• Documentary series: Waterways – Stephen Rooke (Tile Films)
• Documentary: The Blood of the Travellers – Liam McGrath (Scratch Films)
• Entertainment programme: Mrs Brown’s Boys – Brendan O’Carroll & Justin Healy (BBC / RTÉ)
• Factual programme: The Only Viking In The Village – Anne Heffernan & Bernadine Carraher (Mind the Gap)
• Reality programme: ICA Bootcamp (Independent Pictures)
• Sports: Eamonn Coghlan – Man on a Mission – (Motive Television)

GALLERY: Check out the red carpet arrivals at the IFTAs 2012 >