THE ESB HAS been named as the overall winner at the Published Accounts Awards, an event held each year by the Chartered Accountants Leinster Society.

Some 29 Irish companies, not-for-profit organisations and charities competed in eight categories designed to recognise excellence in financial reporting.

The ESB also won in the statutory unquoted companies category at a ceremony in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin yesterday.

Building materials group CRH received two awards, one in the category for large quoted companies and one for the reporting of its social responsibility policy.

Media group UTV took the award in the small/medium quoted company category, while fruit distributor Fyffes won the Enterprise Securities Market category.

The award in the charities and not-for-profit organisations section was given to Concern, while Magna Financial won the investment funds category.

Elan received the gong for the branding, communication and marketing of its accounts.

This is the 34th year of the Published Accounts Awards, which Chartered Accountants Leinster Society chairman Frank Gannon said were designed to “recognise and reward the commitment shown by Irish companies in seeking excellence” in their financial reporting.

Deirdre Somers, chief executive of the Irish Stock Exchange, which sponsors the awards, said the winners were Irish companies that sought to deliver the standards demanded by the international investment community.