The winners of the 2025 Dingle Lit Short Story Competition
Gearrscéalta Gaeilge
An Chéad Duais: Sorcha Ní Dhubháin, ‘Tóraíocht i dToronto’
Is múinteoir bunscoile í Sorcha Ní Dhubháin, atá ag marachtaint agus ag obair in Iarthar Duibhneach. Tá céim sa Bhéarla agus sa Ghaolainn aici. Scríobhann sí go minic do ‘Seachtain’ , an forlíonadh Gaeilge le nuachtán an Irish Independent, agus foilsítear ailt dá cuid ar an suíomh ‘Nós’ chomh maith. Tógadh Sorcha i nGaeltacht Chorca Dhuibhne, mar sin, scríobhann sí go príomha trí mheán na Gaolainne. Baineann sí ana thaitneamh as cúrsaí aclaíochta, as a bheith ag aisteoireacht, ag amhrán agus ag snámh sa bhfarraige chomh minic agus is féidir léi.
An Dara hÁit: Gearóidín Nic Cárthaigh, ‘Cúlú’
Tá Gearóidín Nic Cárthaigh ag cur fúithi in Iarthar Chorcaí. Scríobhann sí splancscéalta, gearrscéalta agus dánta. Tá saothar dá cuid foilsithe in irisí éagsúla. Tá a cnuasach splancscéalta Geansaithe Móra foilsithe ag LeabhairCOMHAR, agus roghnaíodh é mar Leabhar Ficsin Gaeilge na Bliana ag gradaim An Post 2024.
An Tríú hÁit: Liam Mac Peaircín, ‘Ná hAbair Faic le Maim!’
Scríbhneoir is ea Liam Mac Peaircín as An Teampall Uachtarach, Co. Thiobraid Árann. Tá duaiseanna Oireachtais buaite aige. Foilsíodh Mo Thaibh-Bhéithe, a chéad chnuasach filíochta, i 2024
Short stories in English
First prize: Laura-Blaise McDowell, ‘The Next World’
Laura-Blaise McDowell is a writer from Dublin, with an MA in Creative Writing from UCD. Her short stories and poetry have appeared in The London Magazine, Banshee, Poetry Ireland Review, BBC Radio 4, The Irish Times, and Still Worlds Turning, an anthology of new Irish writing from No Alibis Press, among others. In 2019, she was shortlisted for the Writing.ie Short Story of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. In 2021, she was first runner-up in the Costa Short Story Award. In 2023, she received a bursary from Listowel Writers Week to spend a week at Cill Rialaig and an Agility Award from the Arts Council of Ireland to support the development of a short story collection. She is represented by Zoë Waldie at RCW Literary Agency.
Second prize: Miriam Needham, ‘Everywhere You Go’
Miriam Needham is a writer from Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim. Her short stories have been published in Banshee and HOWL New Irish Writing. She took part in The Stinging Fly Six Month Workshop 2023/2024 and was one of 39 writers selected to participate in the Irish Writers Centre National Mentoring Programme 2024. She is working on her first collection of short stories.
Third prize: Laura Slattery, ‘Some Vintage Marine Ideal’
Laura Slattery is a journalist from Dublin. She has worked for The Irish Times for more than 20 years and now writes features and a weekly culture column for the title, having previously reported on the media industry and the economy. She started writing short stories in 2024.
