Caroline Brady wins Amergin Short Story Award

Eblana Chairman Caroline Brady was the proud recipient of the Amergin Short Story Award 2007. Val Mulkerns - announcing the award - said it was a deserving winner and the high quality of Caroline's writing shone through. "Writers, when they are starting off, think that the Short Story is an easy option." Val Mulkerns went on to say, "However, in many ways it is much more difficult. The reader has to be grabbed right from the start and there is no room for mistakes." About the Judge Dubliner, Val Mulkerns, is a prominent novelist and short story writer and associate of many well-known literary figures. She was associate editor of literary magazine, The Bell . Her short stories are collected as Antiquities (1978), An Idle Woman (1980), and A Friend of Don Juan (1988). Her novels include A Time Outworn (1951), A Peacock Cry (1954), The Summerhouse (1984) and Very Like A Whale (1986). She jointly won the AIB Prize for Literature in 1984. She is a regular broadcaster and has recently completed a memoir. She lives in Dalkey.

The Amergin Awards are now in their 15th year and kick off Drogheda Writers Festival - packed full of readings and workshops for adults and children. The awards were hosted by the Lord Mayor, shown here with Short Story judge, Val Mulkerns.

About the Award

The Amergin Creative Writing Awards were founded by Drogheda Creative Writers and in their 15th year, are now well-established as one of Ireland's leading literary competitions. The Awards are named after the first poet on record in our island. Amergin was bard and chief druid to the sons of Miled when they invaded Ireland in distant pre-history. Though wrapped in myth and legend - the Milesians are credited with defeating the Danaans, the ancient gods - a small number of his poems have survived, including an invocation:

I invoke the land of Ireland
Shining sea
Fertile mountain
Gladed gladed wood
Abundant river, abundant in water
Fish-abounding lake

And the winner is...

Back row L-R Caroline Brady, Caroline O'Connell and Hester Casey

Toasting Caroline's success

L-R Pamela Brady, Sinead Brady, Caroline Brady, Hester Casey and Caroline O'Connell

Photos: Chris Warren