Today, Wednesday May 11 at The Mansion House, The Lord Mayor of Dublin Críona Ní Dhálaigh was on hand to honour the finest young writing talents the country has to offer at the national awards ceremony of the Write Here, Write Now competition.
As part of Dublin City Council's Two Cities, One Book Festival – which this year partnered with Belfast to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising – Hot Press had invited the nation's aspiring scribes to share their work. The competition is supported by Dublin City Libraries, in association with Libraries NI and the Ireland 2016 office, along with Paperblanks.
Entrants were encouraged to draw inspiration from this year's Two Cities One Book selection, Lia Mill's Fallen, in creating A Story Of Ireland. They responded in their droves, which left the esteemed judging panel – which included Hot Press Editor Niall Stokes, Contributing Editor Olaf Tyaransen and authors Christine Dwyer Hickey, Glenn Patterson and Joe O'Connor alongside Mills – with the toughest of decisions.
Before The Lord Mayor unveiled the overall winners and regional runners-up, the shortlisted students enjoyed a wonderful interview with Mills, conducted by Hot Press' own Roisin Dwyer, in which the author offered advice to aspiring scribes in attendance as well as looking back on her own life and work. She also took time to commend the extraordinary talent displayed by the entrants. "I wish that at your age I was as together as you all are," she smiled. "I'd have saved myself a lot of time!"
Hot Press Editor Niall Stokes said: "Hot Press has always been about supporting emerging Irish creativity – which is why a competition like Write Here, Write Now is so important to us”, he said. "It seemed particularly appropriate this year, 100 years on from the momentous events of the Rising of 1916, to ask students to explore the idea of Irish identity, and what it means to this new generation, by writing A Story of Ireland.
“Students all over Ireland set about what was a difficult challenge with great determination and commitment. However, what’s really gratifying, for me as an editor, and as one of the judges, is that the quality of the entries was so high. It is wonderful to see so many young writers – some of them still in their mid-teens – who are capable of delivering powerful, original material, in a unique voice."
Deputy Dublin City Librarian Brendan Teeling added: “It is enormously reassuring to see the depth of young writing talent, which is reflected in the Write Here Write Now competition. Literature is so important to the life of a nation and indeed, as Lia Mills has illustrated so well with Fallen, to the life of a capital city like Dublin. Dublin City Libraries are at the heart of the drive to ensure that we never forget the value of reading. Not only that: one of our core objectives, through the Dublin UNESCO City of Literature Office, is to encourage writers – which is why we are so proud to have been involved in the success of the Write Here, Write Now competition.”
The overall winners' prizes include an internship during 2016 with Hot Press, the country's leading music and lifestyle magazine, as well as a €250 cash prize. They also received a beautifully crafted personal journal from Paperblanks, perfect to hold the thoughts, notes and ideas of all budding writers.
Regional winners from each province were also chosen in both Second Level and Third Level categories, as well as a selection of entries chosen as Very Highly Commended – each of these receiving a special prize from Paperblanks too.
Roisin Cullen, a second level student from Carlow, was honoured with the Readers' Award. All the shortlisted entries can be read at [link]hotpress.com/writeherewritenow[/link].
But, without further ado, the overall winners of this year's Write Here Write Now competition are…

Third Level
Barry Neenan
Carlow-born Barry, a student of Trinity College Dublin, has enjoyed writing since childhood and has a particular interest in “humour, superheroes, and humorous superheroes”. He hopes to make a living writing novels and writing for television – though failing that, a library job will suit him just fine.
Niamh Twomey
 Originally from the countryside of East Clare – but loving the rich culture of her adopted home of Cork City – Niamh is a second year student in UCC, where she studies English and French. Unsurprisingly, reading and writing feature heavily in her spare time, while other interests include playing the harp.
Regional winners
Connaught – Tiernan Cannon (DCU)
Dublin – Rachel Cunningham (TCD)
Rest of Leinster – Ronan Bartley (UCD)
Munster – Fenagh Mahony (IT Tralee)
Ulster – Peter McGoran (Queen’s University)

Highly Commended
Laura Berrigan, Darragh Smith, Chantelle Harvey, Kylie Noble, Anna Stockdale, Leyla Hehir

Second-Level
Rose Keating
 A Leaving Cert student at St. Angela's Secondary, 18-year-old Rose hails from Waterford and is determined to be a writer – a fitting calling, since she identifies her main hobbies as writing things down and sleeping. Having developed her craft through local creative arts group, Waterford Young Arts Critics, she's had various pieces published in the local press.

Sean Delaney
While Sean’s main focus is on developing as a playwright, he also enjoys writing fiction and poetry. When not indulging his passion for writing, the student of Duiske College, Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny can be found reading, listening to music, and having very deep, philosophical discussions with his dog Marley.
Regional Winners
Connaught – Aoife Kearins
Dublin – Fiona Monks
Rest of Leinster – Rachel Bolger
Munster – Aoife Gallogly
Ulster – Callum Lavery / Megan Kimberley Carroll
Highly Commended
Matthew Magill, Caoimhe Deveney, Eimear Kelly, Emer Lorenz, Amy Hampton

Write Here, Write Now: A Story of Ireland forms part of the 1916 Centenary Programme, Ireland 2016. It is run by Hot Press in association with Dublin City Libraries, Libraries NI, Dublin UNESCO City of Literature and the Two Cities One Book Festival 2016. The competition is supported by Paperblanks.