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We are pleased to announce the winners of the Irish Gothic story competition. Thank you to everyone who submitted their stories. We were blown away by the sheer quality and range of pieces, which explored themes as varied as haunted houses, ghostly train passengers, cursed wells and domestic abuse.
You can read the judges' reports on each winning story below. Please follow the links to download the stories.
Joint First Place: Deirdre Parkes, "The Mirror at Harwood Hall"
Judges' report:
"Familiar Gothic tropes are given a fresh twist in Parkes’ submission, a well-crafted story about a family cursed by the haunted mirror in their ancestral home. The piece is noteworthy both for its spooky atmosphere and for the quality of its construction. Economy of language and repetition of imagery allow this story to pack a lot of drama in a compact narrative. The neat structure of the piece—it opens and closes with stories being told—offers a satisfying symmetry. There was also a genuine shiver factor here, which Parkes effectively manipulates through the partial and then full reveal of the mirror’s chilling reflection at the end of the story."
Download "The Mirror at Harwood Hall" (
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Joint First Place: Dermot Kelly, "Ogeous Handlin’"
Judges' report:
"A jogger out for his morning run becomes increasingly suspicious that he is being followed by a ghostly presence in Kelly’s deceptively simple and chilling story. This piece has a strong sense of place, established through a nicely controlled use of local vernacular and a subtle rendering of the Irish landscape. There’s also a great sense of voice here too—short and spare sentences evoke the narrator’s heart-pumping reflections, only to give way to a heart-stopping discovery: he is accompanied by a ghostly apparition. The narrator's guilt over Ciarán, along with the sense of redemption at the end, makes this a soulful and affecting story. This is not just a ghost story but a kind of love story."
Download "Ogeous Handlin’" (
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Third Place: Devin Kennedy, "'Roadside Remembrances"
Judges' report:
"This account of a lonely walk home on a stormy night stood out to readers on account of its rich descriptive language and skilful characterisation. First-person perspective is used to good effect here, drawing us into the plight of the narrator and her attempt to survive the elements as she seeks a lift home. This original story is artfully structured: Kennedy plays with the element of surprise, offering up an unexpected twist and yet another before the story comes to an end."
Download "'Roadside Remembrances’" (
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Highly commended: Lindsey Mitchell, "Back Passage"
Judges' report:
"Set in a pub, this piece drew readers’ attention on account of its lively energy, earthy imagery and unique Irish flavour. Mitchell skilfully renders the growing disorientation and then panic of Mad Declan, for whom a slight spook in the pub’s storeroom gives way to an unexpected demonic encounter, all of which is comically undercut by a playful closing punchline."
Congratulations to all winners!
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