Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which started last week and runs until this Saturday. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the final episode, Natalie returns to Cork, and ponders what she has learnt

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which started last week and runs till this Saturday. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the eleventh episode, Natalie is back in America for Christmas

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which started last week and runs till this Saturday. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the tenth episode, Natalie prepares to head back to America for Christmas

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which started last week and runs till this Saturday. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the ninth episode, Natalie takes a day trip to Blarney Castle

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which started last week and runs till this Saturday. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the eighth episode, Natalie settles into college life, but there are lots of surprises

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which started last Monday and runs till this Saturday. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the seventh episode, the American visitor finds out about Cork’s ‘soft’ weather...

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which started on Monday and runs till Saturday week. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the sixth episode, Natalie begins at UCC and gets to know her class-mates

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which started on Monday and runs till Saturday week. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the fifth episode, Natalie decides to check out her new university

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which started on Monday and runs till Saturday week. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the fourth episode, Natalie settles into her student abode...

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which started on Monday and runs till Saturday week. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the third episode, calamity strikes for Natalie, then she settles into Cork city life

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which started yesterday and runs till Saturday week. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the second episode, Natalie packs as she prepares for her journey to Cork

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which starts today and runs till Saturday week. Called Hop, Skip, And Stumble, the story is about a woman arriving in Cork from America to study, and slowly adjusting to life here. It was written by Abigail Johnson, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the first episode, we meet the main character Natalie as she reaches a big life decision

The Echo’s latest Summer Soap author, an American studying in Cork, tells COLETTE SHERIDAN about her difficult start to life on Leeside, and about the inspiration for her story which starts in The Echo and on EchoLive.ie on Monday

The funding will be used to help conserve historic buildings and promote re-use of protected structures