The 10th Ireland’s Own Anthology of Short Stories and Memories has just been published and has a strong Clare connection.
The publication includes 40 winners and highly commended entries from almost 500 participants in the long-running Ireland’s Own writing competitions. There are two entries that have won through for inclusion from Clare this year, and both of them are from Clonlara.
The stories and memories cover many facets of Irish life, from bereavement, emigration and joyful celebration, to recollections of old time card-schools, joyriding in a green Volkswagen Beetle and the delights of annual carnival week.
Editor and compiler, Phil Murphy, who retired after nearly 20 years as Ireland’s Own editor, says: ‘The popularity of our writing competitions and the Anthology itself continues to grow and this volume contains entries from 14 Irish counties and various parts of England’.
Kildare is again the county with most entries at six, followed by Dublin with five and Wexford with four. The foreword is contributed by international best-selling author Cathy Kelly, who writes – It speaks to and for people, and to write a story, or a long-held-onto memoir, for the much-anticipated yearly anthology is a huge goal to aim for. The wonderful writers in this anthology have done just that.’
Ireland’s Own, the popular family magazine, has been published without a break since November 1902 and is still thriving at a time when much of the print media is finding life difficult.
The Ireland’s Own 2019 Anthology of Winning Irish Short Stories and Memories is published by Three Sisters Press at €14.99 / £13.99 and widely available through bookshops and from www.irelandsown.ie
Beginners Short Story runner-up
Death, The Leveller, by Marion Fenton, Doonass, Clonlara, Co. Clare.
The late Paddy Finnigan has had a long and ultimately losing battle with alcohol and now his former wife, his very few friends and some acquaintances have gathered to bid him a final farewell and to reflect on his life and times …
Marion Fenton lives in Co. Clare. She is married with two grown up children. She retired recently from nursing. She has done a few courses in creative writing and has written a few short, autobiographical fiction stories over the last few years. This is her first entry in a writing competition.
Memories Runner –up:
The Sunday Game, by Liam Cahalan, Aughboy Clonlara, Co. Clare.
There was a ‘Sunday Game’ in rural Ireland long before the popular RTE television GAA highlights programme hit the airwaves forty years ago. The weekly card games played in neighbours houses, and all the little rituals attached, were part of the social fabric
Liam Cahalan is retired about five years now. Originally from North Tipperary, he now lives in lovely East Clare. Married to Deirdre, they have four adult children, and three grandchildren. He has been writing on and off since he retired, and has been lucky enough to win the Memoir section of the Ireland’s Own Writing Competition once, and was runner-up on two occasions. He has had about a half dozen memories pieces published in the Ireland’s Own magazine. He is a keen hill walker, and plays the guitar and concertina.