Mercier Press History Award 2014 in association with UCC School of History. To enter the competition the student must submit an essay/ project of 1500-2000 words on a historical subject from one of the topics below: 1. Local/ Regional/ National History: A person, event or attraction that is of historical significance to a particular town, county or Ireland as a whole. 2. Historical Biography: A biography of a historically important persons life covering the historic significance to the area or the country. 3. Women in History Award: The focus here is primarily on women in Irish History, particularly those who may be forgotten by the history books. 4. Illustrated History award: An illustrated guide to local or national history, including documents, photographs, etc. Students are encouraged to visit libraries, archives and relatives to dig out some old documents and combine them to form a historical narrative. Each category will have a winner. The overall winner will be announced on the night. there will be 5 prizes in total. Deadline: 21 March 2014 and an awards ceremony will be held in April. If you have any other queries please ask Ms Cahalane or Mr...

7th Annual Short Story Competition Cork City Libraries celebrate the emerging writer by inviting teenagers aged 13-18 years to enter the Cork City Libraries’ Short Story Competition! There are no theme restrictions, and entries should be between 1000-4000 words. Those short-listed will receive a written critique of their work by local writer Kevin Doyle. The winner will be announced as part of World Book Festival during Teen Day on Thursday, 24 April 2014, in the City Library, Grand Parade. Each story should be accompanied by a cover sheet with the writer’s name, address, email address, telephone number, school address, title of piece and word count. Shortlisted entires will appear on the Writing Room Pick up a cover sheet from your local library or download one from our Teen page. Short story competition 2014 ‌(PDF,...

Cork City Libraries Webisodes  webisodes2014draft Enter our short film competition and you could win a €200 cash prize. There are also two runner up prizes of €50. Closi‌ng date for entries: 22 March 2014. HOW TO ENTER Shoot a short film with your mobile phone, based on a book or story ofyour choice. Upload your video to YouTube and send us the link. Call to your local library for an application form or download one from our Teen...

Graphic novel 2014 Cork City Libraries are looking for writers and artists for their upcoming graphic novel and illustrated story and poetry workshops. Eligible candidates must be secondary school students 15 years of age or older Workshops will take place on Saturday mornings from 10.30a.m. Writers may submit  both short fiction and poetry FIND OUT MORE...

Children’s Book Festival Competitions for Young Writers This year sees three competitions running as part of the Children’s Book Festival. Check them out here .. Young...

What you were doing this time last year I was in Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh. (Sean O Toole.)   An unexpected gift One Monday morning, my mum ran into my bedroom with an extraordinary new look on her face and handed me a parcel with a note from an anonymous person. I opened my parcel and there was a pair of gift cards for a thousand euro. I asked my mom where did you get it and she said I got it through the mail. Set your alarm for 3 a.m., wake up, and write the first thing that comes into your mind Why did I try to get up early?! (Ciaran Meers.)   A lie you were told That I’m good at hurling. (John Mackey.)   How to get rich quick Get on Winning Streak and spin the wheel! (Liam O Connor.)   Death of a journalist It was heartbreaking to hear, my favourite journalist found lifeless in a sidestreet alley. I was devastated. Who would write the business section now and as the chief of the newspaper it was my job to find the replacement! (Tadhg O Corrain.)   Being chased by a killer I would probably run like the wind. If it did happen I would defend myself. Haha!   Your favourite hiding place My favourite hiding place to hide is underneath a giant tumbleweed. (Oscar O Corrain.)   Something you’d like to know about I’d like to know was Jimmy Barry Murphy good in school? (Sean Leisk)   The way the sky looks today Very blue with white clouds. (John)   Waking up elsewhere I went to Dublin for New Year’s Eve. We stayed in a hotel. When I woke up I was knocking on the door outside of the hotel...

Dear friends, Just a quick reminder that the EUROTEEN POETRY COMPETITION 2013 is still open. The closing date for entries in now September 30th and we’re looking forward to many more entries from across Ireland. The Euroteen Project hopes to encourage teenagers to express themselves artistically through poetry and artwork, by allowing them the opportunity to see their work published in an internationally disseminated anthology. As with last year’s anthology, the entries will be judged and the book edited in conjunction with our Young Editors Project, which involves a selection panel of teenagers who assist in every aspect of the process. The EUROTEEN COMPETITION is open to any young person between the ages of 12 and 19. If the young poet wishes to remain anonymous, they may write “ANON” next to their name on the application form and we will not publish their name in the anthology. The closing date for entries is Monday, September 30th 2013. Please find attached an Application Form for the Euroteen Competition 2013. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. Best regards, Eoin Hurley Project Co-Ordinator Eurochild Project 00353-21-4215176...

The Cloud is always on the look out for eye-catchy art to accompany our posts but also art in its own right. If you like to draw and colour and think you’ve got the knack, send your work to cloudofthink@gmail.com and we’ll certainly consider it for inclusion. Just make it colourful, zany, eye-catching and even deep and meaningful, if that’s your...

For our first ever Imagination Breakdown competition we are calling on all our readers to come up with a name for a Band keeping the following criteria in mind: It has to be suitable for an alternative rock group. The band name must not be already taken. (Google it if you’re not sure) You can enter as often as you like. The closing date is Friday 26th of April. All entries to be submitted to cloudofthink@gmail.com clearly marking Imagination Breakdown competition in the subject field. If your band name is chosen you WIN any album of your choice. (CD or iTunes download)...

This competition is now over The first Cloud of Think May writing competition works like this: There are three categories that anyone can enter: The McCarthy (Fiction) Write a short story about a young guy trying to write a description of himself for a dating website he has just joined. The Dilworth (Non-Fiction) Write a personal essay inspired by your favourite movie, song, book or TV show. The Aftab (Poetry) Write a poem entitled, “Love, and other natural disasters.” Important: Each writer can enter as many categories as he choses but ONLY ONCE; put another way, you can’t enter the same category twice but you can enter more than one category. Important: All entries MUST be original work. Important: Please title your mail: “Cloud ofThink Writing Competition”. The prizes in each category are as follows: 1st Prize: €25 book token 2nd Prize: €15 book token For 1st, 2nd and 3rd years there is the following competition only for them (but they can also enter the May competition): Write an essay entitled: “What people don’t understand about me.” You can write it about yourself of a made-up person. The prize is a €15 book token. The closing date for all entries in each competition is Thursday May 9th 2013: no entries will be accepted after that date. All entries must be sent by e-mail to cloudofthink@gmail.com. Please title your mail: “Cloud of Think Writing Competition”. All 6 winning entries will be posted on the website as may any runners-up we liked a...

Read the site to find the answers to these questions. 1 From which region of Canada does James Cameron come? 2 Davide Gualtieri scored the quickest goal in football history, but what country did he represent? 3 Which story features a shopkeeper being robbed of a slingshot he had for sale? 4 Name the prison cook in the story involving a man on death row. 5 According to the poem writing what damages your IQ? 6 Which poem features the line “Monitors glow a foreboding gold and blue.”? 7 What is the Get A Life Building, as featured in Grand Theft Auto, known as in reality? 8 Which Simple Minds song was the theme song to the film The Breakfast Club? 9 Which two of Top Secret, Airplane and The Naked Gun did Leslie Nielsen appear in? 10 Which bar was taken off the market because, apparently, there were traces of human skin in it? 11 The toilet cubicles have been compared to what event in Irish history? 12 Who are the new sponsors of Cork GAA? 13 When was Mega Man X released? 14 Who acts as Jack O’Connor in the film Argo? 15 With which airline do the staff of the American embassy fly out of Tehran in the same film?  16 What does the word guerrilla mean? 17 Mussolini is believed to be behind the murder of which Italian politician in 1924? 18 Name the story: “To the astonishment of the customers, Leah drained the bottle in one gulp and Spike, overwhelmed by the whole thing, ordered vodka.” 19 As what, according to Peter Fagan,  were the skiers on the nursery slopes affectionately known? 20 “As I cycle past, I hear them loud and clear. The low, nasal sniggers, cacaphonous reminders...

Turas go Port Láirge. Ar an 15ú lá de mhí na Samhna chuaigh grúpa daltaí ón gceathrú bliain go Port Láirge chun taitneamh a bhaint as bheith ag caint as Gaeilge lasmuigh den seomra ranga. Bhailíomar le chéile ag ceathrú chun a hocht ag an scoil. D’fhágamar ag a hocht, nuair a bhí gach duine den 43 dalta i láthair. Bhí an aimsir ceomhar agus an trácht trom ach faoin am a shroicheamar An Trá Mhór ghlan an ceo agus tháinig an ghrian amach. Is é an chéad rud a bhí le déanamh againn ná surfáil. Chuamar go dtí an scoil tonnmharcaíochta Freedom. Chuireamar éadai surfála orainn agus shiúlamar go dtí an trá. Ansan mhínigh na ceannairí dúinn cad a bhí le déanamh. Tar éis tamaill chuamar isteach san fharraige ar feadh uair a’ chloig. Bhí an-spórt againn. D’fhilleamar ar ais go dtí an bus agus d’itheamar ár lón ar an slí chuig Nemeton, is é sin comhlacht teilifíse a bhfuil freagarthacht orthu cláranna spóirt TG4 a dhéanamh – mar shampla Rugbaí Beo. Thaispeáin siad dúinn conas a oibríonn an comhlacht agus chonaiceamar na scannáin, an ‘set’ ina mbíonn na tráchtairí agus na satailítí go leir. Bhí sé an-suimiúil agus thaitin sé go mór linn. Ina dhiaidh seo thánamar abhaile ar an mbus. Bhain gach éinne taitneamh agus tairbhe as an lá, a bhuíochas leis na múinteoirí agus na daoine i Freedom agus Nemeton. Ta súil agam go mbeidh turas eile mar seo eagraithe arís mar is turas luachmhar é. Gavin O’...

Identify which movies the following famous quotes originate from. Closing date Monday, March 18 2013. First 20 correct answers to Mr Cooney wins the prize.   1. ‘Bhfuil tusa ag caint liomsa? 2. Beidh bád níos mó ag teastáil uait. 3. Gach éinne!!!!!!! 4. Bhios agat ag ‘Dhia dhuit.’ 5. Táim lán dáiríre agus ná tabhair Shirley dom. 6. Bain do chrúba lofa díom, a ápa salach! 7. Is í mháthair an cara is fearr atá ag buachaill. 8.Tá fhios agat conas feadáil, nach bhfuil Steve? Níl ann ach do bheola a chur le chéile agus séideadh. 9. Lean ort, cuir áthas ceart orm. 10. Is breá liom boladh napailme ar maidin. 11. Tá sé am dhiultú 12. Abair Dia dhuit le mo chara beag. 13. Seo chugainn Johnny!! 14. Beidh mé ar ais. 15. Déarfainn gur caint dhána í sin do fhear ramhar atá ar leathshúil. 16. Ná tabhair amaideach orm. 17. An bhfuil tú chun tafann a dhéanamh ar lá ar fad, a mhaidrín bhig, nó an bhfuil tú chun manta a bhaint? 18. Chun a bheith macánta leat a stór, is cuma sa diabhal liom. 19. Is é atá anseo againn ná teip cumarsáide. 20. Maidin amháin lamhach mé eilifint agus na pitseámaí orm. Ní heol conas a chuaigh sé isteach sna pitseámaí....

Poetry Ireland / Trócaire Poetry Competition   Deadline: 22nd Mar 13 Poetry Ireland and Trócaire are inviting entries for their second all-Ireland poetry competition. This year’s theme is Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s World. Closing date for entries is Friday 22 March 2013 and the competition will be judged by John F. Deane, Éamonn Meehan and Mary Shine Thompson. Download the competition entry form or apply...