Tadhg Coakley ‘s collection of short stories, The All- Ireland, has been nominated for the Mercier Press Fiction Competition – https://www.mercierpress.ie/news/press-release–twenty-authors-make-the-mercier-press-fiction-competition-long-list-/. Twenty writers have been chosen for the long list.  The winner will be offered a publishing deal for 2018 and a €1000 cash prize. The short-list will be announced in May.

Tadhg started writing his collection while on the MA in Creative Writing (he graduated in February) and submitted some of the stories in his collection – set around a fictional All-Ireland hurling final – for his final thesis.  PhD candidate Fiona Whyte’s story, “Entrusted”, is showcased in this  month’s issue of Long Story, Short Journal. https://longstoryshort.squarespace.com/stories/.

Robert Feeney (class of 2015/16) adds to his publication tally with a story in the current issue of The Rose Magazine – https://www.therosemagazine.com/issue-3.  “The Deer at Nara”  is about the after-effects of the 2011 Japanese earthquake on a group of English teachers.

Meanwhile, our MA students, past and present, feature prominently in the third issue of the Quarryman, –  https://www.facebook.com/quarrymanjournal/ – just out. Bridget Sprouls, Beth Buchanan, Mark Kelleher, Nora Shychuk, Kelly Warburton, Eileen O’Donoghue, Jacqui Corcoran, Sue Dukes, and Una Ni Cheallaigh are all represented alongside work from PhD candidates, Kathy D’Arcy, William Wall and Afric McGlinchey.