The Advertising Standards Authority, the independent advertising self-regulatory body responsible for promoting, regulating and enforcing the highest standards of marketing communications in Ireland, has appointed Ann Marie Lenihan, Clare Mulcahy, and Michael O’Keeffe to its Board.

 

The appointments of Clare Mulcahy and Michael O’Keeffe to the Board represent a significant milestone for the Advertising Standards Authority, introducing independent, non-industry perspectives that will enhance its mission to ‘Foster Trust in Advertising for all’.

 

Ann Marie Lenihan is CEO of NewsBrands Ireland, a representative body for national news publishers. Since her appointment to the role in 2016, Ann Marie has led the organisation in successful lobbying for the abolition of VAT on both print and digital newspapers, a change reflected in the 2023 Budget. More recently, she spearheaded efforts that resulted in the publication of the Defamation (Amendment) Bill, which aims to reform Ireland defamation laws.

 

Ann Marie is a member of the supervisory board of the World Association of News Publishers and vice-chair of its directors committee. She is also a director of News Media Europe, the voice of the news media industry in Europe, and serves on News Media Europe’s copyright and media freedom task forces.

 

With over 25 years’ experience in media and communications across Ireland, the UK and South Africa, Ann Marie is a UCD graduate of Psychology and holds a Diploma in Counselling from Maynooth University.

 

Clare Mulcahy is Head of Consumer Affairs at the Irish Aviation Authority and was also previously a member of the Advertising Standards Authority Complaints Committee. An accomplished leader in consumer protection and regulatory compliance, Clare has also worked with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, where she managed compliance for water, electricity and gas markets. Clare also served as the Retail Regulatory Operations Manager for a major telecommunications operator, where she ensured regulatory compliance in product development, retail operations and advertising campaigns.

 

In her current position, Clare plays a pivotal role in ensuring that airlines, airports and the broader travel industry comply with aviation consumer laws. She also handles escalated consumer protection issues within Ireland and across the EU, collaborating with European counterparts to ensure the effective application of consumer protection laws.

 

Clare holds a Law Degree (LL.B) from Trinity College Dublin, a Master’s in International Business from University College Dublin, and an MBA from Trinity College Dublin.

 

Michael O’Keeffe is the former Chief Executive of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), having worked in this role for the BAI and its predecessors between 1991 and 2021. While in this role, Michael served as a member of the Advertising Standards Authority Complaints Committee.

 

Michael worked with Coimisiún na Meán (formally the BAI) in a consultancy role from May 2023 – June 2024 to oversee the administration and management of the Commission’s Commercial Radio Licensing Plan and a range of the Commission’s broadcasting compliance functions.

 

Michael has separately undertaken selection interviewing processes with the Public Appointments Service (PAS) and the Houses of the Oireachtas, where he has acted as Independent Chairperson of the Board on a number of senior management selection processes. He is also a member of the Greyhound Racing Controls Committee of Rásaíocht Con Éireann having being appointed by the Minister for Agriculture in 2022 to serve a four year term.

 

Commenting on the appointments, Orla Twomey, Chief Executive of the Advertising Standards Authority, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Ann Marie, Clare and Michael to the Board. Each appointee brings a wealth of expertise to the role. Their insights will be invaluable to the wider Board of the Advertising Standards Authority and their combined knowledge will offer expert guidance on the dynamic advertising landscape.

 

Commenting on the appointments, Miriam Hughes,(Chair of the Board said

“We are very much looking forward to working with Ann Marie, Clare and Michael in the future. Clare and Michael’s appointments, in particular, are an important milestone for the organisation. Their independent voices will bring fresh perspectives to the Board’s deliberations, enriching our decision making process and strengthening our commitment to safeguarding consumers from advertising that is harmful, offensive, or misleading.”

 

The Board is responsible for oversight of the Advertising Standards Authority’s business activities and performance. They also contribute towards drawing up and implementing the Code of Standards for Advertising and Marketing Communications in Ireland.

 

Visit adstandards.ie to learn more about the Advertising Standards Authority

 

To keep up to date on Advertising Standards Authority activity, follow the organisation on:

 

X                      @AdStandardsIRE

Instagram        @adstandardsireland

LinkedIn          @Ad-Standards-Ireland

• Key drivers of growth include Increased investment in Online Video, TikTok, Out Of Home and TV

 

• Increase mirrors global patterns also seen in the U.K. where ad spend has experienced robust growth

 

• Predicted increase in News Media consumption for US Presidential Election and Irish General Election

 

Following a strong first half of 2024, Core, Ireland’s largest marketing communications company, has upwardly revised its full year advertising expenditure forecast from 4.1% to 6.94%.

Earlier this year, Core predicted in their initial Outlook that the market would grow by around 4.1% to €1.472bn. Now, in a Revised Outlook Update, the business is forecasting growth of 6.9% in advertising expenditure to €1.57bn.

The key drivers of this growth include stronger than anticipated performance across digital, particularly driven by increased investment in Online Video and TikTok, Out Of Home (OOH) and TV. According to Core, these channels have performed better than anticipated due to increased investment from categories such as FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), Retail and Utilities / Telecommunications.

This mirrors global patterns, particularly in the U.K., where ad spend has experienced robust growth driven largely by digital investment and overall increased investment across traditional media channels such as OOH and TV.

 

 

Medium	2023	2024	YOY
Digital	€912.84	€1,001.36	9.70%
TV	€246.49	€253.70	2.93%
Radio	€154.86	€159.08	2.72%
OOH	€81.15	€93.93	15.75%
Press	€74.96	€65.15	-13.08%
Cinema	€4.58	€5.39	17.75%
Total	€1,474.89	€1,577.26	6.94%

 

Video:            +4.62% (€291.13 million)

According to Core’s latest report, the business anticipates that video advertising will increase by 4.62% this year to €291.13m. This comes as time spent viewing TV has increased by 1% to year-end July 2024, largely in part to the recent success of the Irish Olympic Team in Paris. Over the summer months, viewership among younger audiences also increased reaching 24% at its peak. Additionally, streams across all broadcast digital players averaged growth of 17%, however, Core predicts this will slow down slightly from September due to less live sport content compared to the same time last year.

 

Out Of Home (OOH): +16.0% (€93.9 million)

The OOH sector has recovered post pandemic, with significant growth across all formats and sectors including Retail, Media and Food. There has been significant investment by the OOH sector in upgrading sites nationwide, continued investment in digital and securing transport contracts.

 

Digital:          +9.7% (€1,001.4 million)

As reported by tech companies, increased investment in AI has helped revenues in digital grow beyond expectations, with major players including Google, Meta, Amazon and TikTok all reporting significant growth. Advertisers’ key watch out will be growing inflation in some of these platforms to counter changing consumer behaviours, especially as lines begin to blur between search and social for users. TikTok’s long-teased move into long-form video will also be something to watch for, as Core predict it could potentially disrupt video investment.

Audio:           +3.39% (€176.35 million)

According to Core, audio investment across radio and partnerships is expected to increase by 2.73%, with the primary drivers in spend being Government, retail and motors. Digital audio is also expected to increase by 10%, however, predictions for this medium have shifted downward versus an initial prediction of 18% growth. This is due to competition in the digital landscape, such as video streaming taking share, and radio continuing to be cost effective whilst delivering strong audience numbers.

Core anticipate that podcasting and streaming will continue to witness strong growth as brands continue to search for incremental reach within the audio landscape.

 

News Media:   -9.44% (94.15 million)

As we enter into the second half of 2024, Core predicts that news content consumption will increase with the US Presidential Election in November and a potential General Election at home in Ireland before the year end. Online outlets are now the main source of news in Ireland for the first time ever, as stated by the latest Reuters Institute Digital News Report. There has been small growth in ad revenue across display / video on news media channels, this, along with potential increased government spending towards the end of the year, will offset some of the decline expected in print.

 

Cinema: +17.8% (€5.4 million)

Overall, cinema admissions in the year to date are down 8%, but, with the final quarter of the year set to see some larger blockbusters released such as Joker 2 and Gladiator 2, Core expect the industry to have a busy end to the 2024.

 

Speaking on the revised Outlook Report, Christina Duff, Managing Director of Core Investment, said: “Towards the end of 2023, the expectations were that 2024 was to be another turbulent year. War in Ukraine and the Middle East were top of the news headlines. Talks were very much focused on a potential recession, while declining interest rates and declining inflation were never far from our minds.

Closer to home there have been some positives. Interest rates were recently cut by the ECB for the first time in two and a half years, inflation fell to a three-year low of 2.2% in June and held this position again in July, and consumer confidence is at its highest level in two and a half years according to the Credit Union Consumer Sentiment Report, in partnership with Core Research.

Although there is a still a sense of caution across the industry, the positive news is that Core evaluates the market as performing stronger than initially predicted. The market has demonstrated even greater resilience, leading us to revise our forecast upwards an anticipate market growth of 6.94%.”

 

Notes to Editor:

 

Core employs a team of 330 people and consists of nine Practices – Creative, Data, Investment, Learning, Media (comprising of Spark Foundry, Starcom, and Zenith), Research, Sponsorship, Performance and Strategy. All Practices work towards a single purpose – to expand the possibilities of what brands can achieve. By truly embracing collaboration, sharing ideas freely and empowering one another, the business creates work that is more powerful and transformative than individual efforts can ever be.

www.onecore.ie

 

• One of the most significant private investments in a fleet of this nature in Ireland underpins ATC’s long-held commitment to its ‘Driving Green Strategy’ and sustainability goals

 

• Nine battery-electric Volvo Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) added to ATC’s European fleet – allowing ATC to lead the way for a greener future for transport and logistics in the data centre industry across Europe

 

• €500,000 secured from the Zero Emission Heavy Duty Vehicle (ZEHDV) Purchase Grant Scheme, funded by the Department of Transport and administered by Transport Infrastructure Ireland

 

ATC Computer Transport & Logistics (ATC), a leading Irish company providing highly specialised transport, logistics, and technical services to hyperscale data centre operators, high-tech freight forwarders, and original equipment manufacturers worldwide, has today unveiled a landmark investment of €22.5 million over five years to support its companywide ‘Driving Green Strategy’ including the ongoing transition of its HGV fleet from traditional combustion engines to battery-electric power.

 

The announcement, which is one of Ireland’s most significant private investments in a zero tailpipe emission transportation fleet, positions the business as a global leader in the Green Logistics sector. It is also an important milestone in ATC’s ambitious target of achieving net zero by 2030.

 

As part of the announcement, ATC has recently taken delivery of five state-of-the-art battery-electric Volvo HGVs and two additional Volkswagen ID. Buzz’s for their Irish cloud logistics and technical services operations, adding to their European fleet of 142 vehicles. Four further battery-electric Volvo HGVs have also been integrated into the European fleet.

 

ATC availed of the Zero Emission Heavy Duty Vehicle (ZEHDV) Purchase Grant Scheme, funded by the Department of Transport and administered by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, to support the acquisition of battery-operated HVGs for the Irish-based fleet. The €500,000 grant is awarded to facilitate companies and enterprises who wish to purchase zero-emission HGVs.

 

Headquartered in Dublin, ATC has a footprint across Ireland, Europe and New Zealand, with major offices in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and London. Employing over 250 people from over 31 nationalities, the business plans to increase headcount to 300 by 2026, and add two further international offices.

 

As pioneers in the cloud logistics and technical services industry, ATC has significantly strengthened its commitment to its ‘Driving Green Strategy’ this year to create a more sustainable business model for the future. The business has grown its ‘Driving Green Strategy’ to assist clients in reaching their own sustainable goals by reducing emissions across services and decarbonising the final mile of customers’ supply chain.

 

The ‘Driving Green Strategy’ is designed to help ATC clients gain visibility of their carbon emissions in their Scope 3 emissions for subcontracted transport and logistics services. ATC works with clients to design decarbonisation strategies, ranging from strategic supply chain management and sustainable warehousing, to alternative fuels, zero emissions, and waste and recycling management. The ‘Driving Green Strategy’ enables clients to implement emissions reduction options into their operations without constraining business growth.

 

Keith Young, Managing Director of ATC, says: “Today’s announcement is a significant milestone for ATC, and we are incredibly proud to be at the forefront of a more sustainable future in the logistics industry. Since ATC was founded 45 years ago, customer service, quality, and innovation have been at the heart of what we do and now, with these investments, sustainability is also at the very heart of what we do.

By integrating state-of-the-art battery-electric vehicles into our operations, we are reducing our environmental impact and enhancing the efficiency of our services across Ireland and Europe. ATC will continue to be an important partner for our clients as we continue working together to meet their sustainability goals by decarbonising the final mile of their supply chains.”

 

Rainer Hoerbst, Head of Green Logistics at ATC, says: “ATC’s investment in zero tailpipe emission vehicles is a significant step towards meeting our net zero 2030 targets. The addition of five new battery electric Volvo HGVs to our global fleet positions us at the forefront of green logistics both at a national and international level. ATC is aligning with global environmental standards and setting new Green Logistics targets.

 

By transitioning to a greener fleet, we are helping our data centre clients to decarbonise their supply chain, showcasing that a more sustainable business model is possible for the logistics business. It also proves for our business that decarbonisation can be decoupled from economic growth. As a result, we look forward to seeing this investment’s positive impact on our operations and clients.”

 

James Lawless, Minister of State at the Department of Transport and at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, says: “This significant investment by ATC is a strong testament to the private sector’s role in driving Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy. The move towards zero emission HGVs is crucial in achieving Ireland’s climate goals, and it’s encouraging to see industry leaders, like ATC, take proactive steps to be more sustainable. This announcement not only supports our national sustainability targets but also sets a benchmark for others in the transport and logistics sector.”

 

Visit www.atc-logistics.com to learn more about the ATC

 

To keep up to date on ATC activity, follow the organisation on:

LinkedIn           @ATC Computer Transport & Logistics

Facebook         @ATC Computer Transport and Logistics

• 300 domestic and international game developers, publishers, investors and service providers will gather for live stage content, roundtable discussions and networking events exploring the games industry ecosystem

 

• Capacity for Ireland’s leading games industry conference doubles since debut event last year to welcome growing international audience

 

• Participating organisations include Xbox, Google, NetEase Games, Epic Games, 2K Games, IDA Ireland and more

 

300 industry leaders, professionals and investors from the Irish and global gaming sector are set to attend NEXUS Games Conference, Ireland’s only games industry conference, in Dublin this September.

 

Created by the team behind GamerFest, Ireland’s leading consumer gaming and esports festival, NEXUS Games Conference is taking place at the RDS on Thursday 26^th September, with capacity for the event doubling in size this year after a highly successful debut event last year.

 

Game developers, publishers, investors and service providers from across the globe will gather to explore the thriving global games industry, and the incredible opportunities for job creation and economic growth for Ireland. Attendees will also have the chance to hear from industry thought leaders and engage in valuable knowledge-sharing and networking. The conference is set to be one of the highlights of the annual gaming conference calendar for Irish, European and global games industry professionals alike.

 

Consisting of live stage content, roundtable discussions and networking events, topics on the agenda include:

• User Acquisition and Emerging Technologies
• AI in Gaming
• Funding and Investment in Gaming
• Ireland’s Developing Games Industry

20+ speakers are confirmed for NEXUS Games Conference including:

• Diarmuid Murphy – Director of Strategy for Xbox 1^st Party Games
• Thomas Shibley – Director of Globalisation operations at NetEase Games
• Elaine Reynolds – General Manager at Black Shamrock, a Virtuous Studio
• David Eckelberry – Senior Vice President at Scopely
• Chris Vossen – Head of Narrative at Larian Studios
• Nikki Lannen – Studio Head at Electric Square
• Rick Kelley – Tech Exec and former MD of Meta Ireland
• And many more!

Among the organisations attending are:

• Havok
• Xsolla
• 2K Games
• IDA Ireland
• Epic Games
• PlayStation
• Google
• Screen Ireland
• Dept. of Finance and Dept. of Enterprise

NEXUS Games Conference is taking place in conjunction with pivotal industry partners such as IDA Ireland, Havok, Xsolla, Skillnet, and IMIRT.

 

Stuart Dempsey, CEO of NEXUS Games Conference, says: “Following a really successful first year, we’re delighted to be returning for year two of NEXUS with an even bigger and better event. We had great success last year and expect to see the continued growth of NEXUS year on year as we look to become a destination event for the global games industry. The conference presents a unique opportunity to shine a light on the incredible potential and talent within the Irish games industry.

 

“With a range of incredible speakers across all corners of the gaming space, it’s an opportunity for our industry to come together, playing an important part in the growth of the space. NEXUS will facilitate invaluable conversations, knowledge sharing and networking amongst investors, developers, studios and more.

 

“The global games industry is now worth more than the music and film industry combined, with the estimated value expected to reach over $385bn in the coming years. Ireland has all the ingredients to continue developing a world class games industry and we want NEXUS to play an important role in that journey.”

 

NEXUS Games Conference takes place on September 26^th ahead of its sister consumer event GamerFest, which is happening in the RDS, Dublin on October 19^th and 20^th, with 6,000 gamers from Ireland and beyond expected to attend.

 

Since the event was founded seven years ago, GamerFest has welcomed over 30,000 visitors to its Irish events to experience all things gaming, including the latest gaming releases from Irish developers and international partners, multiple live stages, esports tournaments and more.

 

NEXUS Games Conference takes place from 10am to 5pm on Thursday 26^th September at the RDS, Dublin

Standard ticket prices start at €145.00 and discounted indie developer tickets cost €40.00 – Tickets available at www.nexusdublin.ie

Find us on X – @NexusDublin

Find us on LinkedIn – @Nexus Dublin Games Conference

 

Twenty dynamic and exciting Irish fiction authors feature in a new initiative from the An Post Irish Book Awards called ‘New Voices 20 Best New Irish Writers’.

Focused on showcasing a new generation of incredible Irish writers who are reshaping the literary landscape with their fresh perspectives and captivating storytelling, the list was curated through nominations from publishers, booksellers and librarians nationwide.

 

This new wave of Irish writers is infusing the literary landscape with vibrant voices that blend tradition with modernity. Their sharp, insightful prose has garnered much acclaim, resonating with both Irish and global audiences. This new literary talent is not only preserving Ireland’s rich storytelling heritage, but also pushing its boundaries, making contemporary Irish literature even more dynamic and globally relevant than ever before.

 

The nominated authors could be working in any genre of fiction, must have had no more than two books published over the past decade, and be Irish by birth, citizenship or long-term residence. A panel of literary experts then selected the 20 authors, highlighting some of the most exciting new talents in contemporary literature.

 

The list, of which there is no overall winner, will also be promoted nationwide in bookshops and libraries during September to celebrate the 20 authors ahead of the An Post Irish Book Awards 2024 campaign.

 

The 20 authors featured in this collection, in alphabetical order, are:

 

Aingeala Flannery

Aingeala Flannery is a writer and broadcaster. Her critically acclaimed debut novel The Amusements was published by Penguin Sandycove in 2022. She is also the current writer-in-residence at Dublin City University.

 

Alan Murrin

Alan Murrin is an Irish fiction writer based in Berlin. In 2021 he was the winner of the Bournemouth Writing Prize for his short story The Wake, which was later shortlisted for Short Story of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. He is a graduate of the prose fiction masters at the University of East Anglia and also writes for the Irish Times, Times Literary Supplement and Spectator.

 

Cathy Sweeney

Cathy Sweeney is a writer living in Ireland. Her short fiction has been published in the Stinging Fly, the Dublin Review, Egress, Winter Papers, Banshee and the Tangerine, and has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Her debut short story collection, Modern Times, was published in 2020.

 

Catríona Lally

Caitríona Lally is the recipient of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature (2018) and a Lannan Fellowship for Fiction (2019). In October 2021, she was announced as the inaugural Rooney Writer Fellow at Trinity Long Room Hub. Her first novel, Eggshells, was shortlisted for Newcomer of the Year at the Irish Book Awards in 2015. Wunderland, her second novel, was published by New Island Books in 2021.

 

Claire Coughlan

Claire Coughlan worked as a journalist in Ireland for many years. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from UCD and lives in Co Kildare with her husband and daughter. Where They Lie is her debut novel.

 

Colin Walsh

Colin Walsh’s short stories have won several awards including the RTE Francis MacManus Short Story Prize and the Hennessy Literary Award. In 2019 he was named Hennessy New Irish Writer of the Year. Kala is his first novel and was a number one bestseller. He is from Galway and lives in Belgium.

 

Disha Bose

Disha Bose was born and raised in India, and has lived in Calcutta, London, and Dublin. She worked in the tech industry before joining the Masters in creative writing programme at University College Dublin. She now lives in Cork, Ireland. Dirty Laundry is her debut novel.

 

Ferdia Lennon

Ferdia Lennon was born in Dublin to an Irish mother and Libyan father. He holds a BA in History and Classics from University College Dublin and an MA in Prose Fiction from the University of East Anglia. In 2019 and 2021, he received a Literature Bursary Award from the Arts Council of Ireland. After spending many years in Paris, he now lives in Norwich with his wife and son.

 

Fíona Scarlett

Fíona Scarlett is from Dublin but now lives in Co. Kildare with her husband and two children. She holds an MLitt in creative writing from the University of Glasgow as well as a masters in early childhood education. She works full time as a primary school teacher and Boys Don’t Cry is her debut novel.

 

Louise Kennedy

Louise Kennedy grew up a few miles from Belfast. She is the author of the Women’s Prize Longlisted novel, Trespasses, and the acclaimed short story collection, The End of the World is a Cul de Sac, and is the only woman to have been shortlisted twice for the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award (2019 and 2020). Before starting her writing career, she spent nearly thirty years working as a chef. She now lives in Sligo.

 

Louise Nealon

Louise Nealon studied English literature at Trinity College Dublin, and then completed a masters in creative writing at Queen’s University Belfast in 2016. She lives on her family farm in County Kildare. Snowflake is her first novel and was the biggest-selling debut in Ireland, winning Newcomer of the Year at the 2021 An Post Irish Book Awards.

 

Megan Nolan

Megan Nolan was born in Waterford, Ireland and is currently based in New York. For her debut novel, Acts of Desperation, Nolan was the recipient of a Betty Trask Award, shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award and longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize. Ordinary Human Failings was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

 

Michael Magee

Michael Magee is the fiction editor of the Tangerine and a graduate of the creative writing PhD programme at Queen’s University, Belfast. Close to Home is his first novel and won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature 2023.

 

Michelle Gallen

Michelle Gallen grew up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, a few miles from the border. She studied English Literature at Trinity College Dublin and Publishing at Stirling University. Her debut novel, Big Girl, Small Town was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award. Her critically acclaimed second novel, Factory Girls, won the Comedy Women in Print award and was shortlisted for the RSL Encore Award. Both books are being adapted for TV.

 

Naoise Dolan

Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Her debut novel Exciting Times was a Sunday Times bestseller, widely translated, and optioned for TV. She won the 2021 Hawthornden Prize and has been shortlisted and longlisted for several other prizes. She now lives in Berlin.

 

Niamh Campbell

Niamh Campbell’s debut novel This Happy was nominated for the An Post Irish Book Awards, the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, the John McGahern Book Prize and the Kate O’Brien Award. In 2020 she also won the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award for Love Many. In 2021, Campbell won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. She lives and works in Dublin.

 

Nicole Flattery

Nicole Flattery is the author of the story collection Show Them a Good Time. She is the winner of the An Post Irish Book Award, the Kate O’Brien Prize, the London Magazine Prize for Debut Fiction, and the White Review Short Story Prize. A graduate of the master’s program in creative writing at Trinity College, she lives in Dublin, Ireland.

 

Noel O’Regan

Noel O’Regan is from Tralee, Co. Kerry. A recipient of an Arts Council Next Generation Artist Award, his debut novel, Though the Bodies Fall (Granta Books, 2023), was shortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction, the John McGahern Book Prize and Newcomer of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards.

 

Sheila Armstrong

Sheila Armstrong is a writer and editor from the north-west of Ireland. How to Gut a Fish, her first collection of short stories, was shortlisted for the Kate O’Brien Award and longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize. Falling Animals, her debut novel, was chosen for BBC2’s Between The Covers Book Club and shortlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize.

 

Una Mannion

Una Mannion is based in County Sligo Ireland. Her debut novel A Crooked Tree made the Irish bestsellers list, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards and the Dalkey Emerging Writer Award and won the Kate O’Brien Prize. Her second novel Tell Me What I Am was shortlisted for the Encore Awards and was the winner of the prestigious Gold Dagger at the CWA Dagger Awards. In September 2024, Una joins the Oscar Wilde Centre and English Department at Trinity College Dublin teaching creative writing.

 

The judging panel consisted of:

 

• Maria Dickenson, Chairperson of the judging panel and Irish Book Awards board member
• Angus Laverty, Public Affairs Manager at An Post
• Breda Brown, Chair of the Irish Writers Centre
• Dawn Behan, President of the Irish Booksellers Association
• Eileen Morrissey, President of the Library Association of Ireland
• Madeleine Keane, Literary Editor of the Sunday Independent
• Sinéad Mac Aodha, Executive Director at Literature Ireland

 

Maria Dickenson, Chairperson of the judging panel and an Irish Book Awards board member, says: “We are delighted to continue supporting Irish writers, and, this year, to present 20 of the most promising names in Irish literature through the New Voices initiative. As a nation of storytellers, Ireland has an incredible level of writing talent which was showcased through the vast range of amazing authors submitted for this initiative.

 

Irish writing is in great hands with this new generation of authors selected for New Voices. We look forward to celebrating them in the weeks to come, and at our awards ceremony this November.”

 

David McRedmond, CEO of An Post, says “I have always loved the connection between the writers we champion and the community of publishers, booksellers and readers that has grown up around the An Post Irish Book Awards. Now we are taking it a stage further and saying ‘Just take a look at what’s next’.

 

Here’s to the next wave of writers meeting readers, the magic continues.”

 

Now in its 19^th year, the An Post Irish Book Awards celebrate and promote Irish writing to the widest range of readers possible. The initiative brings together a vast community passionate about books – readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians – to recognise the very best of new and established Irish writing talent and 2024 will be no different.

 

Categories in the An Post Irish Book Awards include Novel of the Year, Children’s (Junior and Senior), Cookery, Crime Fiction, Popular Fiction, Non-fiction, Sports, Short Story, Poetry, Teen and Young Adult and Irish Language.

 

The shortlist for this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards will be announced in late October, with the awards ceremony taking place on November 27^th. A television programme will be broadcast on RTÉ One television in December, culminating in one of the 2024 winning titles being announced as the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2024’.

 

www.irishbookawards.ie

Facebook: @AnPostIBAS

Instagram: @anpost_irishbookawards

Twitter: @AnPostIBAS

 

For a range of reading recommendations, check out www.anpost.com/readerswanted