Tag Archives: Shulagh Colleran

THE very first creative writing award in honour of legendary Tuamgraney author Edna O’Brien was presented at Scariff Community College.  The inaugural winner of the Edna O’Brien Creative Writing Award, which was initiated by teacher Shulagh Colleran in collaboration with Ms O’Brien’s family, was Sixth Year student Emily Chen. Emily’s poem ‘They Say’, is a highly creative reflection on the importance of trees and forests in sustaining human life. Described by judge and fellow poet Luke Morgan as outstanding among all of the entries, ‘They Say’ emerged as the clear winner. “It’s creative, it’s daring and ambitious, and it’s topical,” Mr Morgan said. “Congratulations to the poet who wrote it, I am very jealous!” Ms Colleran said that all kinds of writing are encouraged and the aim is to develop the competition year-on-year. “We want all students at Scariff Community College to look at the trophy and to think, ‘I’d like to win that before I leave the school’,” Ms …

THE festival calendar for East Clare has suffered another major blow with the cancellation of the Feakle Festival, due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Organisers said they decided to cut this year’s event – which would ordinarily attract thousands to the region at the height of the summer season – “with deep regret,” in order to minimise the risk to the general public. Already, the legendary Spancilhill Fair has been called off, with organisers deciding that they could not guarantee social distancing at the event which draws thousands annually on the now immortalised date of June 23. A number of smaller community festivals, including the Bodyke May Bank Holiday Weekend, have also been shelved, with hopes of postponing some of them as the government’s road map for the re-opening of public life begins to unfold. In Feakle, a world-class programme of traditional music had been under wraps since February and there is widespread disappointment that the hugely popular festival won’t go ahead …