Alice Kinsella named inaugural AIS Alumni Creative Writing Competition winner 

Alice Kinsella, from Claremorris, Co. Mayo pictured above has been named as the winner of the first-ever All Ireland Scholarships

Alice Kinsella named inaugural AIS Alumni Creative Writing Competition winner 

JP McManus

Alice Kinsella, from Claremorris, Co. Mayo, has been named as the winner of the first-ever All Ireland Scholarships (AIS) Alumni Creative Writing Competition award. The competition, which was run late last year, was open to all recipients of the All-Ireland Scholarship Award since its inception in 2008.

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Alice’s short story, ‘Window’, about the unique connection between mother and newborn son, was unanimously chosen by judges Sinéad Gleeson, Donal Ryan and Joseph O’Connor from a shortlist of 12 entries narrowed down from the near-100 submissions initially received. Alice will be awarded a prize of €1,000 for her short story. 

‘The competition invited both short fiction or creative non-fiction entries of no more than 2000 words. Alice was awarded an All-Ireland Scholarship in 2011 after completing her Leaving Certificate in Balla Secondary School, Co. Mayo. She went on to study English Literature and Philosophy at Trinity College.

Speaking about Alice Kinsella’s Window, the judges said: “Window by Alice Kinsella is an exquisitely nuanced and original piece of writing. It reveals an accomplished and beautifully crafted style with mesmerising attention to detail and a real gift for depicting the specificity of human experience. The descriptions and preoccupations of the narrator are utterly captivating, and the atmosphere of the narrative is compelling, clever, tender, and wise.”

?The winner of the inaugural AIS Alumni Creative Writing Competition is…@AliceEKinsella's 'Window'.

'Window', about the unique connection between mother and newborn son, beat competition from 11 other shortlisted entries. All 12 can be read here: https://t.co/vsZpSqlSTC pic.twitter.com/oLg27eA0V2

— All Ireland Scholarships (@AIScholarships) March 8, 2021

All Ireland Scholarships sponsor, Mr. JP McManus, said, “I would like to offer my fullest congratulations to Alice Kinsella and the runners-up on a terrific achievement. The judges have been clear in their admiration for the quality of the entries received so it’s an incredible achievement to be named the very best of them. I would like to sincerely thank the judging panel, chaired by Prof Sarah Moore, for the time and enthusiasm they have invested in our inaugural writing award and indeed to all the other Alumni who submitted an entry.”

To date, 1,496 students from across Ireland have received an All Ireland Scholarship, which is awarded to the best-performing students in any given year that meet set criteria. Recipients of the All Ireland Scholarship receive full financial support for the duration of their third-level studies.

Several other entries have been named as runners-up and all 12 shortlisted stories can now be read HERE

For other stories about the All Ireland Scholarships go HERE