Powers & Irish Times Short Story Comp

indough

$hit floats sometimes

Kinski

Whelpling wrote: »

Anyway - I really enjoyed the winning story. It was obviously a snapshot of a memory, which is fine. Regardless of what "flash fiction 101" might tell you, there really is no prescribed ANYTHING for flash fiction. Really really.

It's not Flash Fiction 101; it's Narrative 101. And while there are no strict "rules" for artistic expression, be that "flash fiction" or something else, when I can see that a writer has tried to conform to a particular generic model, and failed miserably, then it's valid to criticize them from that perspective. As it happens, I don't care for all this Story 101, creative writing programme bollocks, but I suspect this author does; and on this evidence, she sucks at it.

And I didn't enter so I don't really care, but I did listen to her reading, and she broke the one rule that applies to all art - she wasted my ****ing time.

Whelpling

Well, Kinski, I guess you can take away from this that your opinion is, as everyone else's, subjective and not gospel.

Kinski

Whelpling wrote: »

Well, Kinski, I guess you can take away from this that your opinion is, as everyone else's, subjective and not gospel.

That's a cop-out response. I'm obviously aware that my opinions aren't gospel - should I preface every opinion I express with IMHO? But I think I've offered a fairly cogent case for why it's a bad piece. If you want a debate about it, fine, but please engage with that and leave out the little digs.

angaryaintjust

I agree with Kinsky 100%. This is of course my subjective opinion and to get the immediate put downs out of the way, the fact that I entered the competition and had a vested interest in the outcome does not affect my opinion as a writer. I lost, I'm over it. I just cant believe that this is what won. From a technical stand point the winning story is appalling. That has to be the most god awful use of the 2nd person I have ever seen in my life. I was amazed and dismayed to find out the author has a masters in writing. The tenses are are running around the place in a delorean and its not even a story at least 90% of it is badly sprung prose. The last line is agonisingly jarring, and makes no contextual sense to the rest of her "Story". That said, here is my own effort, have at it as you will.

Vestiges of Youth

I remember looking at the stars as a child while we shivered on the freezing earth. Talking in wonder, at how they shone. Like beautiful cold flames that would never hurt to touch. We lay there side by side in wonder. For long ages all we could talk about were the stars, and even then in quiet monotone, as if afraid to break the moment, so we whispered together and watched the heavens, wondering if they were watching us. Then the moment would fade, and we would talk louder, unafraid, of tomorrow and today, of what we'd be when we grew up, we talked with pleasure of our future. Together, we'd fall silent in celestial worship, and just lie there, cold and shivering, gazing at the stars. We lay together in the shadows thrown as they danced in the cold spring sky, and weren't we grateful, under those bright starry lights, to be loved by everyone. We lay in the heavens drifting through the cosmos, and if a voice lit up in time, the wind caught it.
I remember lying on cut grass, in the warmth of summer days, watching the clouds tumble and dance through the sky, seeing pictures spun out of air like the bridal train of the skies, soft and ephemeral. We talked like children, of the skies and other things, pressed close, appreciative of warmth and comfort. We'd talk for a while, and our eyes would close, lulled by the silent roar of the clouds, we would sleep basking in the sunlight, feeling the dappled shadows play across our eyes, as rays shimmered through the leaves like minnows, darting, playful, then your eyes would open, you'd laugh and cry out pointing to the sky, waking me, and I would laugh, because I saw it too, a gift from the heavens, a picture meant for two. How we laughed, enjoying the intimacy of those moments, a natural communion, seen in the clouds, until the wind caught it, and took it far away, maybe we were taken too, to see the world and its wonders, we drifted on the wind. We had dreams then, the wind caught them.
I remember blankets most of all, rough cotton, but still warm and soft as we lay there, under the sapphire sky, struck by that wind. We were older then, but confused by our feelings, no longer children's love, as we lay by one another. Our talk was different then, of each other and our future, jokingly of marriage as I lay on your knees and you sang. We had hopes then, the wind caught them. Then you died, but I remember how we loved, and that is what really matters.

cranlleo

There is no template, no form to good writing.

So many replies are appalled at the winner's sharp, evocative, playful use of words. It's called good writing.Evocative: look it up in a dictionary.Sharp: pointed, economical, telling.

Spare me the undergraduate analysis about tenses, interiority, the comments about how the writer reads. Painful.

Bitter : opposite to good.

pickarooney

angaryaintjust wrote: »

I agree with Kinsky 100%. This is of course my subjective opinion and to get the immediate put downs out of the way, the fact that I entered the competition and had a vested interest in the outcome does not affect my opinion as a writer. I lost, I'm over it. I just cant believe that this is what won. From a technical stand point the winning story is appalling. That has to be the most god awful use of the 2nd person I have ever seen in my life. I was amazed and dismayed to find out the author has a masters in writing. The tenses are are running around the place in a delorean and its not even a story at least 90% of it is badly sprung prose. The last line is agonisingly jarring, and makes no contextual sense to the rest of her "Story". That said, here is my own effort, have at it as you will.

Vestiges of Youth

I remember looking at the stars as a child while we shivered on the freezing earth. Talking in wonder, at how they shone. Like beautiful cold flames that would never hurt to touch. We lay there side by side in wonder. For long ages all we could talk about were the stars, and even then in quiet monotone, as if afraid to break the moment, so we whispered together and watched the heavens, wondering if they were watching us. Then the moment would fade, and we would talk louder, unafraid, of tomorrow and today, of what we'd be when we grew up, we talked with pleasure of our future. Together, we'd fall silent in celestial worship, and just lie there, cold and shivering, gazing at the stars. We lay together in the shadows thrown as they danced in the cold spring sky, and weren't we grateful, under those bright starry lights, to be loved by everyone. We lay in the heavens drifting through the cosmos, and if a voice lit up in time, the wind caught it.
I remember lying on cut grass, in the warmth of summer days, watching the clouds tumble and dance through the sky, seeing pictures spun out of air like the bridal train of the skies, soft and ephemeral. We talked like children, of the skies and other things, pressed close, appreciative of warmth and comfort. We'd talk for a while, and our eyes would close, lulled by the silent roar of the clouds, we would sleep basking in the sunlight, feeling the dappled shadows play across our eyes, as rays shimmered through the leaves like minnows, darting, playful, then your eyes would open, you'd laugh and cry out pointing to the sky, waking me, and I would laugh, because I saw it too, a gift from the heavens, a picture meant for two. How we laughed, enjoying the intimacy of those moments, a natural communion, seen in the clouds, until the wind caught it, and took it far away, maybe we were taken too, to see the world and its wonders, we drifted on the wind. We had dreams then, the wind caught them.
I remember blankets most of all, rough cotton, but still warm and soft as we lay there, under the sapphire sky, struck by that wind. We were older then, but confused by our feelings, no longer children's love, as we lay by one another. Our talk was different then, of each other and our future, jokingly of marriage as I lay on your knees and you sang. We had hopes then, the wind caught them. Then you died, but I remember how we loved, and that is what really matters.

There's no story there, just the same line re-written over and over, like a skipping Coldplay CD.

angaryaintjust

cranlleo wrote: »

There is no template, no form to good writing.

So many replies are appalled at the winner's sharp, evocative, playful use of words. It's called good writing.Evocative: look it up in a dictionary.Sharp: pointed, economical, telling.

Spare me the undergraduate analysis about tenses, interiority, the comments about how the writer reads. Painful.

Bitter : opposite to good.

Yeah, posting definitions to words most of us learn as children doesnt actually make you look smarter or validate your position in the slightest, especially when you do it wrong. That is not the definition of evocative, do you need a dictionary. Also defining bitter just suggests you cant even read properly as most of us have stated it's not bitterness but professional opinion. Good writing? You must be joking, I suppose you think Pierre Brasseau is the most talented artist of his generation.
Evocative: to create, stimulate, or evoke a particularly powerful emotional response.
Bitter: Sharp, acrd. The opposite of sweet.
Difficult or distasteful to accept, admit, or bear:
Proceeding from or exhibiting strong animosity:
Resulting from or expressive of severe grief, anguish, or disappointment:
Marked by resentment or cynicism:

MOONlit

So the Datsun was 1981....... 31 years ago subtracted..... by 15 years (by virtue of the rusting bumper!) Its still set over 15 years ago - and thats like - at least 15 years ago! This is how I saw it until I checked the exact wording of the competition guidlines

I copied and pasted the para below:-

''The story doesn’t have to hark back to the past – we’d prefer stories about the here and now, exploring what truly matters to us in 2012. Remember to stick to the word count. “In a good short story, every word has its place, nothing is wasted and there is no room for unnecessary diversions,” says best-selling author Sheila O’Flanagan, who calls the short story a “quick fix of creativity”.


Ok. On a second reading ,after the event, i do see the ambiguity in the first sentance. what does PREFER mean in the context? Not what i thought it meant last April.
I see it now as a kinda cute hoor of a sentance
Is it - like we wouldnt mind now a story from 1981 or whatever but like it id be better now like if the story was like in the present maybe -.
What kind of gombeen ****e is that?

Excuse my coarse words - but yep, i see now that they just flung those words there in a mindless way and eejits like me actually heeded them as if they were the truth.

Now, I dont believe the competition was judged or stories read in any competent way at all. They shouldnt get away with that - those highly paid professionals.
I promise its my last complaint about that competition+ judges as I have resolved it now to an extent for myself.

Kinski

pickarooney wrote: »

There's no story there, just the same line re-written over and over, like a skipping Coldplay CD.

But isn't that any CD skipping? Coldplay ones repeat the same line over and over even when playing correctly...

D-FENS

This was my entry. As you'll read, I opted to try and follow the cheesy, feel good style of last year's winner and shameless product placement. I'm pretty embarrassed by how it reads now but it's the first bit of writing I’ve done this year so I’m grateful to the competition for encouraging that in me.
Be gentle people

(I didn't title it either)

Chris could hardly believe he had gotten the part as he thanked the director again and left the theatre, the feeling of surprise then followed by relief and happiness. After more than a year of trying, he was finally an employed actor.
As he walked towards Dame Street, arranging by text to meet a friend in a pub to celebrate, he thought of all the failed auditions since finishing drama school. His parents had never shown much interest in what he did. Although he was grateful they had left him to it, he also wished they had encouraged him
However, his opinionated friend Ronan the banker had laughed at his career choice and later suggested that Chris give up what he called a pipe dream. “It’s time to face up to the real world and get a proper job. How much money do you think you can make acting anyway? You would have to be really good at it”.
Chris remembered this as he entered the busy pub and spotted his smug friend, holding court at the bar with some equally loud colleagues from work,
“Ah, here’s the thespian now!” Ronan said sarcastically, with approving laughter from the group. “So, the road to the Oscars starts here”
“Hello, Ronan…Folks” Chris nodded “Well it’s just a start but it’s a part in a play from a really good Irish playwright ...”
Ronan cut him off as he shoved a drink in his hand. “Never really into the theatre, Chris, you know that. Anyway, got you a drink, thought you’d want a Powers, since it’s a celebration. Although seeing you standing there with a whisky and that scarf, I can’t decide if you look like an actor or my Grandfather”.
More snickering from the work crew, but Chris ignored them as the comment seemed to rouse him. He finished his drink, left twenty euros on the bar and excused himself quickly
“Sorry Ronan but I just remembered I have to be somewhere, get the next one on me and have fun, yeah?”
‘Don’t tell me, you’ve realised you’ll have to start rehearsing straight away…” Chris did not hear the rest as he quickly left the pub.
He made his way across town by bus and an hour later walked into his surprised Grandfather’s room at his nursing home, carrying a bottle of Powers.
“Hi Grandad, do you remember you once told me to decide what to be and go be it? Well I did. And I wanted to come tell you all about it”
The elderly man smiled as he stood up to get two glasses.

echo beach

D-FENS wrote: »

This was my entry. As you'll read, I opted to try and follow the cheesy, feel good style of last year's winner and shameless product placement. I'm pretty embarrassed by how it reads now but it's the first bit of writing I’ve done this year so I’m grateful to the competition for encouraging that in me.
Be gentle people

As you said it is a tad on the cheesy side and it might have been more realistic if his 'friends' engaged in good-natured slagging rather than open ridicule but there is a good story there. Work at it again without the word count hanging over you and I'd say you'll produce something worthwhile from it.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I thought the real challenge in this competition was trying to come up with a complete story, that would hold the readers' interest, in just 450 words. That is very different to simply writing a couple of beautiful paragraphs of prose, which is really what the winning entry is. Therefore I don't think it actually rose to the specific challenge of this kind of competition.

I suspect the writer realised this herself but, instead of reworking the piece to add an extra layer that would turn it into a story, she simply took the easy option and tagged on a clunky last line to try and put some definition on the piece.

In a competition with such a large prize and impressive number of entries, I really don't think the judges should have let her away with this.
Not knocking her talent as a writer, but I just don't think her piece met the criteria for this specific competition.
Call it begrudgery if you like, but that's my honest opinion.

anngee

I liked your story D-FENS! It's not unlike my entry which also celebrated with a wee dram at the end. Feels kind of corny now having read the winning entry. I loved her description of the rain on windscreen - totally evoked memories for me and it won on that alone.
Btw does anyone know how I can get hold of long list? Emailed Irish Times to no avail.
Keep the faith D-FENS!

angaryaintjust

echo beach wrote: »

As you said it is a tad on the cheesy side and it might have been more realistic if his 'friends' engaged in good-natured slagging rather than open ridicule but there is a good story there. Work at it again without the word count hanging over you and I'd say you'll produce something worthwhile from it.

Yeah! I thought so too D-fens (loving the falling down reference btw) but the character Ronan is very agressive. Is he angry or jealous the protagonist is doing something towards his dream?

c68zapdsm5i1ru

D-FENS wrote: »

This was my entry. As you'll read, I opted to try and follow the cheesy, feel good style of last year's winner and shameless product placement. I'm pretty embarrassed by how it reads now but it's the first bit of writing I’ve done this year so I’m grateful to the competition for encouraging that in me.
Be gentle people

(I didn't title it either)

Chris could hardly believe he had gotten the part as he thanked the director again and left the theatre, the feeling of surprise then followed by relief and happiness. After more than a year of trying, he was finally an employed actor.
As he walked towards Dame Street, arranging by text to meet a friend in a pub to celebrate, he thought of all the failed auditions since finishing drama school. His parents had never shown much interest in what he did. Although he was grateful they had left him to it, he also wished they had encouraged him
However, his opinionated friend Ronan the banker had laughed at his career choice and later suggested that Chris give up what he called a pipe dream. “It’s time to face up to the real world and get a proper job. How much money do you think you can make acting anyway? You would have to be really good at it”.
Chris remembered this as he entered the busy pub and spotted his smug friend, holding court at the bar with some equally loud colleagues from work,
“Ah, here’s the thespian now!” Ronan said sarcastically, with approving laughter from the group. “So, the road to the Oscars starts here”
“Hello, Ronan…Folks” Chris nodded “Well it’s just a start but it’s a part in a play from a really good Irish playwright ...”
Ronan cut him off as he shoved a drink in his hand. “Never really into the theatre, Chris, you know that. Anyway, got you a drink, thought you’d want a Powers, since it’s a celebration. Although seeing you standing there with a whisky and that scarf, I can’t decide if you look like an actor or my Grandfather”.
More snickering from the work crew, but Chris ignored them as the comment seemed to rouse him. He finished his drink, left twenty euros on the bar and excused himself quickly
“Sorry Ronan but I just remembered I have to be somewhere, get the next one on me and have fun, yeah?”
‘Don’t tell me, you’ve realised you’ll have to start rehearsing straight away…” Chris did not hear the rest as he quickly left the pub.
He made his way across town by bus and an hour later walked into his surprised Grandfather’s room at his nursing home, carrying a bottle of Powers.
“Hi Grandad, do you remember you once told me to decide what to be and go be it? Well I did. And I wanted to come tell you all about it”
The elderly man smiled as he stood up to get two glasses.

Well written, DFens, but it switched suddenly from Ronan to the Grandad with nothing but a spurious remark by Ronan connecting the two. I felt the last couple of paras felt like they were tacked on from a different story. If you're rewriting it I would stick with Ronan and the pub and bring that to a witty/reflective/stinging conclusion. Personally, I think that would work better.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Apparently the book is being launched the second week in October, so we will finally get to read all fifty stories.

kilrush claire

Thanks for letting us know.

D-FENS

angaryaintjust wrote: »

Yeah! I thought so too D-fens (loving the falling down reference btw) but the character Ronan is very agressive. Is he angry or jealous the protagonist is doing something towards his dream?

I just wanted him to represent someone who has a conventional 9-5 job and does not understand anyone who does not pursue this way of life, but yes he is basically a character who is bitter, jealous and possibly angry at the main character for trying something different, when he possibly did not have the courage or inspiration to do so.
The main character is basically my nephew to be honest, he is an actor and did not get much encouragement from members of my family at the start, who had the attitude of the Ronan character.
Thanks for the comments

D-FENS

Lilly Prehistoric Tin wrote: »

Well written, DFens, but it switched suddenly from Ronan to the Grandad with nothing but a spurious remark by Ronan connecting the two. I felt the last couple of paras felt like they were tacked on from a different story. If you're rewriting it I would stick with Ronan and the pub and bring that to a witty/reflective/stinging conclusion. Personally, I think that would work better.

The switch was because I wanted to introduce a character who “celebrated what truly mattered” to the main character, the opposite of the Ronan character. I didn’t really want the Chris character to be someone who would rise to the comments made by Ronan, I felt he did enough to show him he didn’t care what he thought anymore by just up and leaving.
The remark by Ronan mentioning a Grandfather was enough for Chris to be reminded of his own one and realise he should be with him. It was intended to be more or less a “twist in the tale” if you get me and the section involving Ronan was always meant to build up to the introduction of the Grandad character. It felt a bit rushed to me too but as Echo Beach said, I had the word count in mind and just wanted to try and get the point of the story across. Thanks for the comments

angaryaintjust

So who wins pickarooneys €2:00 scratchcard? Psicic's is my favourite, probably because I have spent hours listening to jazz and blues with my own father, but they were all good

kieslowski

Got a call from the organisers to say that the book launch was on 9th October in Finnegan's in Dalkey. Anyone longlisted get the call? Hopefully it'll be a good night. I plan to get completely wasted on Powers whiskey

Miranda7

Hi,
I was there last year. It was a really great night. Won't be the same this year without Maeve. However, I didn't see anyone wasted so I wouldn't hold my breath there. Congrats on getting on the long list.

kieslowski

Did you get a story into the book last year, Miranda? If there is no free whiskey I don't mind buying my own!

Miranda7

Yes I did. It was a great night and there was free whiskey but it ended after about 2 hours. I really enjoyed it and met a lot of the other entrants some of whom I am still in touch with. I think two of last years people got into the long list again but it wasn't clear if they would be included in the book and I haven't heard from them. Who is launching it this year?

kieslowski

I don't know who is launching it, with Maeve Binchy no longer with us. The woman on the phone didn't go into much detail except to take my address. Did they post you out an invitation last year? Looking forward to it anyway.

Miranda7

As far as I recall they sent the invitation by email about 10 days before the event but they had informed us by phone about a month before that. When I entered the competition I wasn't aware that there would be a book so the first I knew that I was going to be in it was the phone call. This year everybody knew that there would be a book. I hope you enjoy the night. It was great last year.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

kieslowski wrote: »

Got a call from the organisers to say that the book launch was on 9th October in Finnegan's in Dalkey. Anyone longlisted get the call? Hopefully it'll be a good night. I plan to get completely wasted on Powers whiskey

Yes, I got an email saying I was being included in the book and that it would be launched on 9th October in Finnegans. They said I would get a more formal invite to follow, but haven't received anything yet.

It's really sad that Maeve Binchy won't be there.

kieslowski

Congrats Bella, on your inclusion. I didn't get an email and haven't heard anything since the phone call. Anyway I suppose I can just show up and demand entry on the night!

c68zapdsm5i1ru

kieslowski wrote: »

Congrats Bella, on your inclusion. I didn't get an email and haven't heard anything since the phone call. Anyway I suppose I can just show up and demand entry on the night!

Thanks. Congrats to you too. Given that its in a pub I can't imagine there'll be too strict a control on who can get in and who can't.

brog

Hi Kiesowski,
My story was also in the top ten but nobody from Powers has phoned me. I e-mailed them after seeing here on Boards that the book would be launched in October. 2 different people from Powers e-mailed me back with very vague replies saying I would be contacted nearer the date. I presumed that all the top ten would be included but your experience with Powers differs greatly with mine so I am a bit unsure now whether my story will be in the book at all.

Well done on your story Bella.
Hopefully I will see you in Finnegan's in October.

kieslowski

brog wrote: »

Hi Kiesowski,
My story was also in the top ten but nobody from Powers has phoned me. I e-mailed them after seeing here on Boards that the book would be launched in October. 2 different people from Powers e-mailed me back with very vague replies saying I would be contacted nearer the date. I presumed that all the top ten would be included but your experience with Powers differs greatly with mine so I am a bit unsure now whether my story will be in the book at all.

Well done on your story Bella.
Hopefully I will see you in Finnegan's in October.

I'm sure it will be included Brog. If you were shortlisted in the top 10 it would be a nonsense if you were not in the top 50 included in the book! The competition has been a bit haphazard all the way through, I got a call, others got an email, you got no call then two emails. I'm sure we'll all get confirmation and everything will be alright on the night!

Are you gutted about not winning by the way? I only think about the €10k once every hour these days

brog

I was deflated more than gutted. I was on a giddy high after getting the call to say my story was in the top ten and spent the next week feeling like a balloon slowly leaking air until the winner was announced. Ah well. I would only have spent the 10 grand on Cadburys and clothes for my babas instead of furthering my writing career.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I'm sure you're guaranteed to be in the book Brog. I'd imagine they only contacted those not in the top ten to let us know we'd made the final fifty. I still haven't received my formal invitation so I presume they haven't been sent out yet. Look forward to seeing you in Finnegans.

[-0-]

Nice story D-FENS!

I liked the winning story, too. I only read the short list stories and I also liked Verbose by Hugh Hynes.

brog

The book is in Easons. Looks really good. Unfortunately they got my name wrong but at least I made it into print. Congrats to everyone included.

Antilles

I just saw the book by the cashier's desk in Eason's Heuston Station. Would have bought it but didn't have the spare cash!

me-skywalker

Can anyone link me to the winning piece?

Thanks

kieslowski

http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/powers-short-story-competition/2012/05/19/the-powers-short-story-competition-the-shortlist/

Here you go Skywalker. The winner was Apres Match by Christina Galvin.

Anyone know what stories they illustrated?

brog

The 10 illustrated stories are:
The Good Life by Tadhg O'Regan
The Cross Word by Helena Nolan
Plus One by Caroline McCall
Lines Written on a Seat by Joseph Frayne (also cover image)
Heels by Declan McCormack
Harry Ordinary by Conor Williams
Apres Match by Cristina Galvin
Winter Birds by Kieran Byrne
Through a Pane of Glass by Anne Farrell
Together by Ariel di Veroli Silvera

The illustrations are quite nice. In fact the whole production is lovely and well worth buying. I'm a little disappointed they got my name wrong though - not only did they change my gender, they turned me into my father!

kieslowski

Ah shoot, I didn't get illustrated... Would have been nice.

pickarooney

brog wrote: »

The 10 illustrated stories are:
The Good Life by Tadhg O'Regan
The Cross Word by Helena Nolan
Plus One by Caroline McCall
Lines Written on a Seat by Joseph Frayne (also cover image)
Heels by Declan McCormack
Harry Ordinary by Conor Williams
Apres Match by Cristina Galvin
Winter Birds by Kieran Byrne
Through a Pane of Glass by Anne Farrell
Together by Ariel di Veroli Silvera

The illustrations are quite nice. In fact the whole production is lovely and well worth buying. I'm a little disappointed they got my name wrong though - not only did they change my gender, they turned me into my father!

Josephine, Ciara or Ariella?

brog

Ha, that's funny Pickarooney. I'm not one of those ten unfortunately. Hope they got their names right at least. It would have been lovely to get the aul story illustrated alright. The book is really nice and hopefully will make some money for the Hospice Foundation.

D-FENS

Is the full list of who made it into the book available anywhere, other than in the book itself?

kilrush claire

Good stuff, congratulations to everyone who was selected, I know how difficult it is to get that far.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Has anyone heard anything more about the launch?

I bought the book in Easons at the weekend (well, my mother did). It looks nice and was interesting to see which stories from the longlist were chosen.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

D-FENS wrote: »

Is the full list of who made it into the book available anywhere, other than in the book itself?

Oh, go on D-FENS. It's only a tenner and its in a good cause.

D-FENS

Lilly Prehistoric Tin wrote: »

Oh, go on D-FENS. It's only a tenner and its in a good cause.

No, they didn't put me in so they can feck off..til next year

Only joking, I did actually walk up to the Easons in Maynooth but, as usual, they did not have it. But I'm suprised that branch has stock of the daily newspapers, they're cr*p. Anyone see it in Liffey Valley? (I try to avoid Capital City )

kieslowski

Book looks well I must say. Got my invitation in the post so looking forward to a whiskey or two, Tuesday night.

Miranda7

The silence here is deafening. Did ye enjoy the launch on Tuesday night? and Who launched the book?