Another Brit award for acclaimed band loved in Mayo

Fontaines D.C. have won the International Group of the Year accolade at the Brit Awards for the second time.

The distinction is in recognition of the band's global reach and success.

Fontaines D.C., which includes two Castlebar men - Conor Deegan (bass) and Tom Coll (drums) - accepted the award via a videolink from Australia, where they are on tour.

They said that they were not expecting the award for the second consecutive year.

Last year, they released their fourth album, entitled Romance.

It followed the acclaimed 2022 album Skinty Fia, which reached number one in the Irish and UK album charts.

In a message of congratulations, Castlebar Councillor Harry Barrett said: "This is a proud moment not only for the band but for all of us here in Castlebar, especially knowing that two of its talented members, Conor Deegan and Tom Coll, grew up in our town.

"Their success is an inspiration to all local young musicians, proving that with passion and dedication, anything is possible.

"We look forward to seeing their continued success on the world stage."