Hello and welcome
to this year’s May Winning Writers Annual 2025.
And what a treat we have in store for you this week! We are delighted to feature Christy Moore as he celebrates his 80th birthday. Maxi marks the landmark birthday of the poet, songwriter, wordsmith, singer, guitarist and much-loved legend. In this chat, we learn about the vicissitudes in his life, the early loss of a parent, the bank strike, a trip to England, song listening/singing/writing/, lifelong friendships, dealing with injustice, sell-out concerts, turning points and Joxer’s jump leads!
Also this week we present the winning entries from our annual writing competition. Once again, we are very pleased with the judges’ decisions and we hope that you enjoy reading them too.
She was the incarnation of the poetic heroines that W.B. Yeats used to dream about. He worshipped her from a distance and wrote poetry to her. Eileen Murphy remembers one of the most recognisable female figures from Irish literary history, Maud Gonne.
Jim Nesbit writes about James Patrick McGrenra, the man with Donegal parentage who would play a leading role in one of the most colourful events in American legal history, and who forced a famous actor to quit the USA in his piece on Charlie Chaplin’s connections to Donegal. In her new series on ‘Spouses of Irish Presidents’ Sheelagh Mooney writes about Lucy Kurtz (spouse of 1st Irish President of Ireland 1938-45, Douglas Hyde).
“It is impossible to read through her songbooks and letters without knowing that she had a fondness for Irish music and Irish writers.” On the 250th anniversary of her birth, John Scally remembers the great author that was Jane Austen. Paul Clarke remembers the adored jockey, Fred Archer, who wowed racegoers at The Curragh but tragically died only a few weeks later.
Colum McGrath explores the supernatural legend that is an iconic piece of Belfast’s folklore in his piece ‘The Ghost of Trinity Street’ while in his series on ‘The Irish Priests’ Maolsheachlann Ó Ceallaigh remembers Fr. Edward Dowling, who played a crucial role in the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous.
In his occasional series on ‘The Golden Age of Hollywood Comedy’ Mick Jordan writes about the life and career of Carole Lombard, Chris Hughes explores the Irish roots of singer Boy George and Colm Wallace tells us about famous Irish giants from down the years. In ‘Great Irish Landmarks’ Hannah Huxley writes about the history of Dublin’s iconic ‘GPO’ building. Tony Doyle tells the story of singing sensation Christopher Lynch warmly known as ‘The Voice of Firestone’.
Liam Nolan begins a new series on ‘Legendary Native American Warriors’; Claire Keogh wishes a happy 90th birthday to singer Mary O’Hara and Vivien Igoe pays tribute to Waterford writer, Arthur Power. Ivor Casey returns with the next instalment in his ‘Films of Elvis Presely’ series while John Joe McGinley has more information about Ireland’s ‘Wild Geese’ to share with us.
Columnists Mary Kennedy, Michael Lyster, Cassidy and Dan Conway return with more monthly musings while Miss Flanagan and Kitty the Hare also have new tales to tell. Don Conroy teaches us how to draw some African wildlife and there is plenty for our younger readers to enjoy also.
We have our regular monthly Word Maze and Crossword competitions while the author Patricia Scanlan has given us a collection of her books to be won as she celebrates the release of her latest novel ‘City Girls Forever’. June McDonnell has all the latest information on the music scene in her ‘Irish Music Diary’.
We have all this for you to enjoy alongside regular features Stranger Than Fiction, Catch the Criminal, Just A Memory, jokes, songs, puzzles, Pen Friends, Bookshelf, Readers’ Letters, Marjorie’s Kitchen, Eddie Lenihan, Patrick O’Sullivan, Eddie Ryan, Health Advice with Alex Dobbs, GAA Greats, The Ballad Sheet and much more.
I hope that you enjoy this week’s issue and I will look forward to talking to you all again next week.
Best wishes, Seán Nolan, Editor, Ireland’s Own
