A hard-hitting documentary from north Mayo has beaten off strong competition to take the overall prize at Circom, the network of regional European broadcasters. An Píopa (The Pipe), commissioned by TG4 with funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and theIrish Film Board, had already taken the

best documentary category at Circom and was awarded the Grand Prix, the overall winner prize, announced at the weekend in Timisoara
This is the latest major international award for An Píopa, director Risteárd Ó Domhnaill's documentary chronicling the story of the small Rossport community, some of whose members have taken on the might of Shell Oil and the Irish authorities.
It has already won the prestigious Audience Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary at the 2010 Galway Film Fleadh, the documentary category at the 2011 Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA) and Best Factual Documentary at last month's Celtic Media Festival held in Scotland.
Circom is the European-wide federation of regional television broadcasters and has a membership of over 300 television stations across 38 states.
Its programme competition for the best and most original work from all of its members is one of Europe's most prestigious and is keenly contested.
Welcoming the awards and congratulating all involved in the project, TG4 commissioning editor Proinsias Ní Ghráinne said this latest prize further enhances the channel's established reputation as an acknowledged creator and supporter of excellence and innovation in programme-making.
"TG4 has been a consistent winner at Circom over the past decade," she said, "and this latest recognition proves the quality of our programmes resonates with our European colleagues."