18 fabulous short stories, by Cork people, for Cork people

CORK Stories is the fourth in a series of short fiction anthologies published by Doire Press.

The idea for a place-specific anthology was conceived by Lisa Frank, co-director of Doire Press, and began with the publication of Galway Stories in 2013.

Madeleine suggested a Cork Stories anthology soon after. Everyone was enthusiastic about the idea, aware of the many talented writers in the county, but we were busy with other projects, so it rested on the back-burner for some time.

Belfast Stories (2019) and Galway Stories (2020) were published before the possibility of Cork Stories was raised again. Not that the literary scene in Cork had been quiet in the meantime! Patricia Looney of Cork City Libraries published three very well-received editions of Cork Words between 2020 and 2023, featuring poetry and prose.

By 2022, Laura’s award-winning novel, Words To Shape My Name (New Island, 2021) was on the bookshelves. Madeleine’s second collection of short stories, Liberty Terrace (Doire Press, 2021), had just been chosen as Cork’s One City, One Book, 2023. It seemed like a good time to take on the Cork Stories project, while continuing to work on other writing projects.

Admittedly, neither of us realised exactly what was involved in compiling an anthology like this and it was probably more than we bargained for!

The first stage of the process in compiling the anthology was to consider how to select stories. Over the years of living and writing in Cork, we have come across many gifted writers.

From 2017 to 2022, Madeleine co-curated Fiction at the Friary, a free monthly fiction event at The Friary Bar in Cork city, with fellow-writer Danielle McLaughlin. This welcomed new writers and established guest authors and provided an open-mic opportunity - with an enthusiastic, encouraging audience! - for those starting out. It clearly indicated there was a wealth of literary talent in Cork.

Laura’s writing workshops in the Crawford Gallery, and her work in UCC previously, teaching undergraduates creative writing, and in her current role as lecturer in medical humanities in the School of Medicine, also provided her with ample opportunities to meet talented new writers.

Following Doire Press’s template for their past anthologies, we made a wish list of writers and added to it constantly. It was regrettable that some writers did not have a suitable story to offer or were too busy to write a new story within the deadline.

Likewise, we were sorry we were unable to feature work by many other wonderful writers as there was a limit to the number of stories we could include. Happily, it suggests there is ample reason to consider another Cork Stories in a few years’ time!

A significant amount of administration was involved. Reading and editing the stories also took time. Some of the work needed very little editorial intervention; in other cases, we asked for extensive rewrites.

But writing a good short story does take time; beyond the initial inspiration lies plenty of hard work, craft and dedication. The stories in the anthology are all set in Cork and written by authors who live here or have a strong connection to the city or county.

One of the most important things we were looking for was a strong, distinctive narrative voice that carries the story. While we were keen to focus on the contemporary, some of the stories are set in the past. A good story is a good story, regardless of its place in time. Here, they present Cork in all its colour and character, along with a healthy dose of Cork humour.

We were delighted to include the work of acclaimed short story writers such as Kevin Barry, Mary Morrissy, Danielle McLaughlin and William Wall. Others, like Jamie O’Connell, Danny Denton, Tadhg Coakley, Mel O’Doherty, Tina Pisco and Gráinne Murphy, perhaps better known for their novels, are also accomplished writers of the short story, as readers will discover.

The anthology also features two well-known writers whose practices often encompass shorter forms; poet Martina Evans and flash-fiction aficionado Marie Gethins.

It is a pleasure to feature writers less well-known at present, whose work demonstrates an intuitive affinity for the form: Anne O’Leary’s subtle tale of an unmoored Hollywood star and his temporary cook in a coastal village; Oonagh Montague’s careful unfolding of a woman’s self-discovery under the Bells of Shandon; Donal Moloney’s quirky road trip from Donegal to Bweeng; Fiona Whyte’s delicately drawn child’s account of a Christmas show in a Cork orphanage; Eileen O’Donoghue’s adroit handling of frayed family relationships in the aftermath of bereavement; and Sean Tanner’s rollicking Carrigaline tale of one man’s struggle with depression and jogging!

There are 18 wonderful stories in this Cork Stories anthology, each unique in its voice and outlook, and set against different backdrops, including the city, coastal villages and rural communities.

We are delighted Doire Press has produced such a beautiful book. Lisa Frank and John Walsh have been a joy to work with, and we thank them for their enthusiasm and attention to detail. We love the cover, designed by Tríona Walsh. We are very grateful to Patricia Looney for her kind support.

As for the present, we are ploughing ahead with our projects. Laura is working on her second novel and a debut poetry collection. Madeleine’s debut novel will soon be out on submission and she is working on a second novel and her third collection of fiction. So not busy at all, not really!

And we still have the launch of Cork Stories to look forward to, on Sunday, April 28, at 3pm in St Peter’s, North Main Street, as part of Cork World Book Festival 2024. Lord Mayor Kieran McCarthy kindly agreed to do the honours. Open to the public, it will feature readings from several of the anthology’s writers, as well as a raffle with unique Cork-produced prizes.

Madeleine D’Arcy is a fiction writer and former solicitor based in Cork city. Her début short story collection, Waiting For The Bullet (Doire Press, 2014) won the Edge Hill Readers’ Choice Prize 2015 (UK). Her second collection of linked short fiction, Liberty Terrace (Doire Press, 2021), was awarded a FAPA Bronze Medal 2022 (US) and was Cork City’s One City One Book 2023.

Laura McKenna is a writer of poetry and fiction. Her debut novel, Words To Shape My Name (New Island, 2021), was a winner at the 2020 Novel Fair and shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, 2021. She has a PhD in creative writing from UCC.