What's these days called 'some personal news' - I was delighted to have been chosen for a Mayo County Council Arts Service Artist Bursary Award for 2023. This bursary allowed me to avail of some mentoring from the Irish Writers Centre. The mentor I chose - Mary-Jane Holmes - proved to be a real gem as she got to the heart of some of the things that most challenge me as a writer.

My short play, Beckett’s Last Throw, written and directed by Mirror Theatre, was shortlisted in the Claremorris Fringe Festival and performed at Claremorris Town Hall on Friday, March 15th.

The production was led by producer Tommy Morahan from Louisburgh, who also took on the role of Samuel Beckett. The talented cast included Brian Joyce (Ballinrobe), Faith Lally (Srah), and Siobhán Campbell (Ballinrobe).

Thanks to Joan Geraghty and the team at The Mayo Advertiser for featuring me - and plugging my book-signings on Dec. 22 and 23 - in this week's edition.

I'm doing two book signings in the run-up to Christmas 2022:

Mayo Arts Service hosted a talk on publishing in Breaffy House Resort on Saturday last (November 26). There was a good turnout including would-be and already-are novelists, poets, short story writers, memoirists. The four speakers were Mariel Deegan of New Island Books,  Matthew Parkinson-Bennett of Little Island and Lisa Frank and John Walsh of Doire Press. All four were remarkably open and honest in their contributions. Orlagh Heverin and her colleagues in the Mayo Arts Service deserve great credit for organising the event - saved us all travelling to the larger urban centres.

It is time to write a blog. Important topics to contemplate roaming the secret landscapes of my mind include Would I Marry Myself, Where does an In-between Man Find Fire, Why No is the New No and Neck Is a Great Thing Too, Isn't It?