Wicklow women featured in book of short stories
NOELEEN Foley’s recollection of growing up beside Woodstown Beach in Waterford has been included in a unique collection of short stories celebrating individual connections with Ireland’s rivers, lakes and beaches.
Storytelling is alive and well in all parts of Ireland, as evident from entries to a national story writing competition called ‘Stories from the Waterside’, which ran in April and May during the Covid-19 lockdown.
It focused on collecting stories based on people’s memories and reflections around their local river, lake, wetland or coastal area.
The competition was organised by the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) in partnership with the Heritage Council and the Heritage Officers Programme, Waterways Ireland and Inland Fisheries Ireland. The shortlisted and winning stories have been published in ‘Stories from the Waterside’, a unique collection of personal stories connected with Ireland’s rivers, lakes, estuaries and beaches.
‘Woodstown - Trá Mhillis Summer 1958’ by Noeleen Foley was one of the selected entries to feature in ‘Stories from the Waterside’.
She said: ‘I was overjoyed to be included. It’s the first time I have never been published. It has certainly given me plenty of confidence and I would like to get more of my short stories published. It’s very difficult to judge your own work so I feel a sense of validation now that my short story on Woodstown has been published.’
Noeleen grew up in Co Waterford and moved to Arklow 35 years ago. She first took up writing about five years ago and is part of a local writers’ group in Arklow.
‘I love writing and have always liked English. Our writers’ group used to meet up every two weeks at Arklow Library before Covid. We are very much supported by the library and just prior to lockdown, the library unveiled an in-house banner for us called the ‘Writers Room’. Hopefully we will be able to return to Arklow Library soon enough. I did a course with Eleanor O’Reilly as well, and she has been very supportive too.’
The inspiration behind her entry came from childhood memories growing up in Waterford.
‘I write a lot about my childhood. All these memories just came flooding back to me. I prefer short stories anyway. I love the work of Clare Keegan for example.’
Another County Wicklow writer also features in the book. Erica Birchall of Dunlavin’s ‘ The fish that got away’ recalls the occasion she and her brother attempted to catch a large fish in the river Greese.
Commenting on the winning entries included in Stories of the Waterside, Dónal O’Keeffe, Community Water Officer with LAWPRO, said, ‘It’s great to have had such local interest in a national competition. Congratulations to Arklow’s Noeleen Foley and Erica Birchall from the Dunlavin area for getting their stories into this great publication ‘Stories from the Waterside.’
The book can be downloaded from waterandcommunities.ie and is also available in hard copy.