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Irish Coffee Winners!

The choices for our second short story contest were fantastic! The entries were chosen for their unusual slant, appropriate titles, excellent endings, creativity and originality, an international "flavor" and/or just plain ol' outstanding writing. You'll find humor, surrealism, real voices, and a touch o' the Irish in unexpected places and times throughout these short stories.

We had so few entries, we asked the writers what they would like to do - cancel the contest or take a smaller prize. To our delight, the writers were quite happy with a smaller prize. The majority were just pleased to meet the challenge and to have their works judged. We're so honored to know these great minds! That said, the competition was no less tough than it would be in a larger contest - we reduced the number of entries that would be selected for honorable mention, also. Plus - we were well informed that this was a tough subject to tackle.

The final winners were chosen by Bridget Haggerty. She writes, "While there were very few entries, you and Hugh should be pleased with the overall quality; that said, several of the offerings relied way too much on stereotypical " Irishness"...others started off well, but the endings were weak. Of all the writing genre, the short story is one of the most difficult. So, my hat's off to everyone who made the effort."

Get a hat rack, because we feel gratitude to all the entries. Here's our winners and runners-up:

$100 First Place: Paul Alan Fahey - Coffee in Glandore

Coffee in Glandore: Bridget Haggerty says: "...Both #1 and #2 are excellent and deciding who should get first was tough; I read both stories several times before tipping my hat to Glandore because it evoked such a strong emotional response...it's a great read - and a very sensitive/unusual treatment of a difficult topic."

Paul Alan Fahey is a learning disabilities specialist at Alan Hancock college in Santa Maria, California, and also editor of their new literary magazine Mindprints, A Literary Journal. He is most recently published online in the April issues of The Paumanok Review, Furious Pen, Mocha Memoirs and The Vestal Review. Paul has a short story coming up in both Potpourri and The MacGuffin.

$50 Second Place: Jane FitzGerald - The Curse of the Coffees

The Curse of the Coffees: Bridget Haggerty says: "...it was in the #1 spot for a long time. It's creative, well-written and adheres to all of the required criteria. In the end, I went with gut feelings - now there's an Irish judge for you!"

Jane FitzGerald studied journalism but fell into advertising working as a copywriter for 20 years before starting her own company which produces customized on-hold message programs for business telephone applications. She still writes, not for her own company, but for fun. This is the first time she's entered a short story contest, but it won't be her last!

$25 Third Place: John Kraft - God Bless Joe Sheridan

God Bless Joe Sheridan: Bridget Haggerty says: "...this one made me laugh out loud! Thoroughly enjoyable; this author did a great job and I think he/she deserves the recognition."

Editor's Note: Bridget, of course, had no idea who the writers were when she judged the stories.

John is a writer living and working in San Francisco, deep within the belly of the California Beast. John has had a checkered career as a writer. He has written fiction and nonfiction, textbooks, lively patter for cabaret performers, political commentary, how-to books, theatrical productions and, at long last, his first full novel. John also says about himself that he "cleans up real nice and promises to behave himself in public."

Runners-Up (In alphabetical order):

Dublin Live by Julie Douglas. Bridget Haggerty says: "...This one gave me the willies; very imaginative treatment. Knowing how it ends, I especially like the title."

Home for the Christmas by Hazel Larkin. Bridget Haggerty says: "Juxtaposing "old Ireland" with the Celtic Tiger of today is an interesting approach - and the author has a good grasp..."

Impact by Matthew Blake. Bridget Haggerty says: "When I began reading it, I was impressed with the style, the quality of the writing, the originality - it had all the earmarks of a finalist."

The Luck of the Irish by Richelle Putnam. Bridget Haggerty says: "... great sense of humor which set this one apart from the other "romance" offerings."

View by the Window by Christine A. Verstraete. Bridget Haggerty says: "...intriguing concept."

About our Judge

By profession, Bridget Haggerty is a freelance advertising copywriter. She is also the author of "The Traditional Irish Wedding" which was published in Ireland by Wolfhound Press and in the United States by Irish Books & Media. This book is now out of print, but you can order a used book through Amazon. She is currently working on her next book which will focus on issues about growing up Irish. Visit her article about Irish Coffee here at CoffeeBeanShop. For many other articles about Ireland, visit Bridget's Web site, Irish Cultures and Customs. Remember to bookmark this site, as you'll lose yourself in Bridget's website!

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