Cushendall photographer scoops top gong

Cathal McNaughton picked up first place in the portrait section of The Press Photographer’s Year 2010 with his photograph which revealed to the public for the first time how fragile sporting legend Hurricane Higgins has become due to his battle with throat cancer.

The portrait was first published in Northern Ireland in the Belfast Telegraph and sparked a campaign to raise money to help fund treatment for the snooker world champ who has lost his teeth due to treatment for cancer.

Cathal, who now works for the Reuters News Agency, was also highly commended for his photograph of ducks, pheasants and rabbits hanging on a clothes line in Carnlough, Co Antrim

Some 7,713 photographs were submitted to the UK-wide contest with just 16 prizes awarded. A further 119 photographs have been selected to take part in a photography exhibition at the National Theatre in London from July 10 until September 11 and will be featured in a book entitled The Press Photographer's Year 2010.