Winners of Creative Writing Competition sponsored by JP McManus announced

THE WINNERS of the 2022 All Ireland Scholarships Alumni (AISA) Creative Writing Competition sponsored by JP McManus have been announced. 

Romana Semler has been unanimously selected as the winner of the competition by a star-studded judging panel for her short story Stringing The Bow. 

The competition was open to all 1,500 All Ireland Scholarship winners, where eight candidates were selected as the finalists.  

Romana, a 2011 All Ireland Scholarship recipient from Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim will be presented with €1,000 prize money with runners-up James John O’Connor from Longford, Katie Lockhart from Antrim and Claire O’Brien from Cork each set to receive €500. 

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The Competition judging panel, chaired by Professor Sarah Moore Fitzgerald of UL included Ireland’s first Prix Jean Monnet winner, Donal Ryan, acclaimed writer Kerri ní Dochartaigh and poet Alice Kinsella. 

All Ireland Scholarships sponsor, JP McManus, said: "We’re delighted to announce this year’s winner of the creative writing award and to congratulate Romana on her extraordinary short story and to commend the runners up on their achievement. 

"Now in its second year, the competition has attracted incredible writing talent and we’d like to sincerely thank Prof Sarah Moore Fitzgerald and the judges for giving their time and expertise to ensuring its success."