There was a lot of expectation riding on Lisa Hannigan’s debut: she’d already acquired a high profile through her work with Damien Rice and on the exquisite Cake Sale duet ‘Some Surprise’, and had celebrity fans like Dido raving about the timbre and range of her voice. But the biggest surprise was her songwriting maturity and sonic vision: Sea Sew was a beautifully crafted and yet handmade-sounding record that oozed melody and diversity, evoking Van Morrison, Nina Simone and Tim Buckley.
Elsewhere, the songwriters won out (Duke Special, The Swell Season, Damien Dempsey), and even the rock and pop acts, domestic and foreign (Kings Of Leon, Snow Patrol, Duffy, The Script) betrayed a staunchly orthodox approach to the aesthetics of composition, recording and live performance (fractious debutantes Fight Like Apes being the sole notable exception). Bruce Springsteen put the seal on his mid-life rebirth (and this was before Workin’ On A Dream was released), basking in the glory of a series of extraordinary live shows. He didn’t want for competition though: similarly grizzled craftsmen like Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and Seasick Steve also polled well. Yet more proof that London, Berlin and New York may cleave towards the innovators, experimentalists and bright new things, but Irish audiences remain staunchly traditionalist in their tastes. No country for old men? You must be joking!

THE FULL READERS' POLL RESULTS

Irish Band
1. The Script
2. Snow Patrol
3. Swell Season
4. U2
5. Bell X1
6. The Blizzards
7. Fight Like Apes
8. Republic Of Loose
9. Ham Sandwich
10. Fred
Irish Male
1. Duke Special
2. Damien Dempsey
3. Bono
4. Mick Flannery
5. Danny O'Donoghue
6. Van Morrison
7. Adrian Crowley
8. David Holmes
9. David Kitt
10. Luka Bloom

Irish Female
1. Lisa Hannigan
2. Cathy Davey
3. Roisin Murphy
4. Sinead O'Connor
5. MayKay (Fight Like Apes)
6. Enya
7. Imelda May
8. Laura Izibor
9. Mary Black
10. Mary Stokes

Irish Track
1. Lisa Hannigan - 'I Don't Know'
2. The Blizzards - 'Trust Me I'm A Doctor'
3. The Script - 'We Cry'
4. The Coronas - 'Heroes Or Ghosts'
5. Snow Patrol - 'Take Back The City'
6. Duke Special - 'Sweet Sweet Kisses'
7. Fight Like Apes - 'Jake Summers'
8. Republic of Loose - 'I Like Music'
9. Mick Flannery - 'Tomorrow's Paper'
10. Jape - 'Phil Lynnott'

Irish Album
1. Sea Sew - Lisa Hannigan
2. A Hundred Million Suns - Snow Patrol
3. Domino Effect - The Blizzards
4. Vol IV Johnny Pyro & The Dance of Evil - Republic of Loose
5. The Script - The Script
6. I Never Thought This Day Would Come - Duke Special
7. Fight Like Apes And The Mystery Of The Golden Medallion - Fight Like Apes
8. Ritual - Jape
9. And Winter Came - Enya
10. The Holy Pictures - David Holmes

Irish Most Promising Act
1. Mick Flannery
2. Laura Izibor
3. Fred
4. The Flaws
5. Concerto For Constantine
6. The Kinetiks
7. Heathers
8. Noise Control
9. One Day International
10. The Revillions

Irish Gig
1. The Swell Season @ The Olympia
2. Divine Comedy vs Duke Special @ Vicar St
3. Republic Of Loose Academy Series
4. Damien Dempsey @ The Music Show
5. The Script @ Oxegen
6. BellX1 @ Vicar St
7. The Coronas @ Sony Ericsson Cois Fharraige
8. Cathy Davey @ Tripod
9. Roisin Murphy @ Olympia Theatre
10. Lisa Hannigan @ Vicar St

Irish Songwriter
1. Duke Special
2. Damien Dempsey
3. Bono/U2
4. Glen Hansard/Marketa Irglova
5. Mick Flannery
6. Paul Noonan
7. Gary Lightbody
8. Jinx Lennon
9. Richie Egan
10. Niall Breslin

Folk/Trad
1. Damien Dempsey
2. Kila
3. Colm Mac Con Iomhaire
4 Martin Hayes and Denis Cahill
5. Sharon Shannon
6. Altan
7. Christy Moore
8. Mary Black
9. Liam O Maonlai
10. Donal Lunny

Dance Act
1. Japanese Popstars
2. Messiah J and the Expert
3. Annie Mac
4. Donacha Costello
5. Mr. Spring
6. Timmy and Tommy
7. Micky Model
8. Fish Go Deep
9. Brian Kearney
10. John Averill

Irish Music DVD
1. Damien Dempsey – Live At Vicar Street
2. Kila – Once Upon A Time
3. The Sawdoctors – The Melody Tent Sessions
4. The Swell Season – Live From the Artists Den
5. The Dubliners – Late Late Show Special Tribute

Irish Debut Album
1. Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew
2. Fight Like Apes –Fight Like Apes And The Mystery Of The Golden Medallion
3. The Script – The Script
4. Imelda May – Love Tattoo
5. Ham Sandwich – Carry The Meek
6. The Aftermath – Friendlier Up Here
7. Rarely Seen Above Ground – Organic Sampler
8. Dirty Epics – Straight In No Kissing
9. David Turpin – The Sweet Used To Be
10. Ian Whitty & The Exchange – Lucky Caller

Comedian
1. Tommy Tiernan
2. Dave O'Doherty
3. Andrew Maxwell
4. Dara O Briain
5. Neil Delamere
6. Pat Shortt
7. Joe Rooney
8. Deirdre O'Kane
9. Eleanor Tiernan
10. Colin Murphy