Over The Edge New Writer of the Year - WINNERS!

The winner in the Fiction category, and 2019 Over The Edge New Writer of the Year, is Molly Harris from St. Louis, Missouri for her story 'The Last Long River Sigh'. Molly  studied creative writing at the 2019 NUI Galway Irish Studies International Summer School.

Molly Harris - 2019 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year

Molly receives €700 in prize money, a hamper of books from Kenny's Bookshop, Galway, and will be a Featured Reader at an Over The Edge: Open Reading in the first half of 2020. Turas Press will read, without prior commitment to publish, a collection of short stories submitted to them by Molly. 

The runner-up in the Fiction category is Helena Farrell from Cork for her story 'The Journey of A Breath'. 

In third place is Eamon McGuinness from Dublin for his story 'Our Names Into The Sea'. 

The winner in the Poetry category is Stephen DeBúrca from Galway for his poem 'Scoping'. Stephen is currently studying creative writing in Florida. 

Stephen De Búrca - 2019 poetry winner

Stephen receives prize money of €300 and Salmon Poetry will now read, without prior commitment to publish, a collection of poems submitted to them by Stephen. Stephen will also read his work at an Over The Edge event during 2020. Stephen's winning poem will appear in the next issue of Skylight 47. 

The runner-up in the poetry section is Kathryn Burke from Dublin, for her poem 'Sherbrooke Street Pantoum'.

In third place is Evan Costigan from Galway for his poem ‘The Trouble with Snow’.

The shortlist from which the winners were chosen is available here.


A huge thank you is due to our competition judge this year Liz McSkeane.

Over The Edge would also like to warmly thank Charlie Byrne's Bookshop, Kenny's Bookshop & Gallery, Ward's Hotel, and Clare Daly MEP. for again sponsoring our competition this year.

October Over The Edge: Open Reading presents Brexit Special PLUS the announcement of the winners of the 2019 Over The Edge New Writer of the Year

The October ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ takes place in Galway City Library on the politically significant, and potentially calamitous, date of Thursday, October 31^st, 6.30-8.00pm. To mark the occasion Over The Edge presents a non-fiction and poetry Brexit special; however, crucially, poems and stories on any subject under the sun are still totally welcome at the open-mic. And Over The Edge is always specially welcoming to new readers who have never done our open-mic before. The Featured Readers are Martin Hayes, Jerry Fitzpatrick, & Eoin Ó Murchú. There will as usual be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished.  The evening will also see the announcement of the winners in this year’s Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition, which received a large number of entries again this year. This year’s competition judge is Liz McSkeane. The shortlist can be read here.

Martin Hayes was born in London and has lived along the Edgware Road area, near Grenfell Tower, all his life. He has worked in the courier industry for over 30 years and is the author of four books of poetry: Letting Loose The Hounds, (Redbeck Press, 2001), When We Were Almost Like Men, (Smokestack, 2015). The Things Our Hands Once Stood For, (Culture Matters, 2018) and Roar! (Smokestack, 2018).  He is currently a little more depressed than usual as his place of work has just moved from a 15 minute stroll up the road from his home to Whitechapel - an hour away – each fucking way! – on the stinking packed £2.90 each way tube!

Jerry Fitzpatrick explaining the reality of the situation

Jerry Fitzpatrick was born in the UK to Irish parents and now lives in County Cavan where he is married to poet, fiction writer, and literary events organiser Kate Ennals. In the 1970s Jerry was National Secretary of the Anti-Nazi League and an initiator of the hugely successful, and iconic, Rock Against Racism, for which he was Carnivals Organiser. He was organiser of the Anti-Nazi League’s Lewisham demo that stopped the nazi National Front marching through the area in August 1977. Beating Time magazine said “Jerry could organise everything from a riot to refreshments for 100,000”. Later, he took Rock Against Racism bands to Belfast during the hunger strikes to Rock the H Blocks. A former trade union official and one time Parliamentary Officer for now Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP, Jerry is close to the thinking of the UK Labour leadership.

Eoin Ó Murchú

Eoin Ó Murchú was the political editor of Raidió na Gaeltachta for nearly 20 years and, more recently, was a regular – and always entertaining – panellist on Tonight With Vincent Browne. Currently a columnist with Tuairisc, Ó Murchú challenges the group think of the Irish Establishment and argues for a nationally independent Left politics. For many years an activist in first the Republican Movement and then the Communist Party, Eoin has been a strong advocate of socialism and of opposition to the neoliberal European Union.

As usual there will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the ongoing generous financial support of Galway City Council, Poetry Ireland, & The Arts Council.