RTÉ Short Story Competition

From the 2023 shortlist, read by Aaron Monaghan, in the words of the judges an “extraordinary feat of imagination,” and “an original and funny fantasy with a lake as the protagonist”

From the 2023 shortlist, read by Marty Rea, in the words of the judges “a breath-taking, captivating and authentic immersion into a teenage boy’s involvement in a street protest”

From the 2023 shortlist, read by Rory Nolan, in the words of the judges “funny and sad and thoroughly engrossing; a triumph of atmosphere”

From the 2023 shortlist, read by Janet Moran, in the words of the judges “a captivating, poignant tale of a young woman dealing with the loss of her eccentric mother”

From the 2023 shortlist, read by Andrew Bennett, in the words of the judges "a beguiling and subtly-observed portrait of hope, resignation and resilience"

A story encompassing the intimacy and vulnerability of motherhood, and a mother's love for her son

A teenage girl, driving to the south of France with squabbling parents and the family dog

A father and son holidaying in Madrid overhear a couple in a museum discussing the merits of a particular masterpiece

A deserted house, an unlikely friendship and a small-town Ireland we can all recognise

Inspired by an ancient landscape, this is a story of coming to terms with grief and a changing relationship between father and son

A playful and surreal send-up of the fairy and folk tales we all know so well

The conflicting emotions that arise from a family member's death from a drug overdose

A coming-of-age tale of a mother/daughter relationship, this is a story that grew out of the writer's experiences working with young people during the pandemic. She says "in a world of constantly evolving risks it really highlighted for me the need for us all to keep talking"

In this story, a young man thinks he is Christ, a character ready to disrupt a familiar time and place

In a story about memory and loss, the narrator clears out her dead parents' house and when the job is done she comes across a fixture in the house that hides a family secret she cannot cast off. (photo by: Bríd O'Donovan)

The Night Call - a doctor and her driver run over and badly injure a dog late on New Year’s Eve and seek help in finding a way to dispatch him mercifully - was written by Helen O'Neill and is read by Jane Brennan

The Johns - Jenny, a young woman on the brink of romance with her colleague Emma, sees graffiti about ‘John and Cleo’ which leads her to meditate on grand displays of love and commitment - was written by Rachel Walshe? and is read by Kathy Rose O'Brien

We Must All Be Kind - an isolated man, still grieving the loss of his parents, ruffles feathers on his work Zoom calls by dressing outlandishly - was written by Hugo Kelly and is read by Ronan Leahy

The Pines - a suburban couple wage covert war on their neighbor who persists in occupying his (false) balcony looking down on their garden - was written by Paul Lenehan and is read by Norma Sheahan?.

A Hurt Like That - the story of a woman who has fallen off a ladder as she contemplates life, death and marriage and the delicious feeling of being on the brink between existence and non-existence - was written by Paul Boyle and is read by Derbhle Crotty.

Muddlers - the story of two young Belfast women’s friendship forged by, among other things, a mutual obsession with Henry Joy McCracken, Wolfe Tone, and more figures from Irish history - was written by Gráinne O'Hare and is read by Ali White.

People Over There - the story of Sura, a young Iraqi woman who grew up in Ireland, experiences culture clash as she visits her cousins in Baghdad for the first time - was written by Doaa Baker and is read by Rachel O’Byrne.

The joint 2nd prizewinner to the RTÉ Short Story Competition 2021: Windsea - the monologue of a misjudged teenager as he holds his landlord, who has shot his dog, at gunpoint - was written by Donal Minihane and is read by Aaron Monaghan.

The joint 2nd prizewinner to the RTÉ Short Story Competition 2021: Mamó - the interior monologue of an incapacitated woman enduring a visit from her daughter and grandchildren. Written by Sara Keating and is read by Ingrid Craigie.

The winning entry to the RTÉ Short Story Competition 2021: The Third Day - a young GAA player whose team have just won the senior final seeks to prolong the celebrations, long after his teammates have called it a day - was written by Kevin Donnellan and is read by Éanna Hardwicke.