Limerick native Ainne Fawcett-Henesy was announced as recipient of Creative Writing Bursary at the University of Limerick

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the BEALTAINE/Age & Opportunity annual festival, in association with the Creative Writing programme at University of Limerick and Listowel Writer’s Week, a scholarship was made available to applicants aged 60 plus, offering the opportunity to participate in the MA programme at UL, which is now entering its second year.  

The bursary of €3000 (plus partial fee waiver) was initiated to support an older person to undertake the programme led by Professor Joseph O'Connor, with the aim of enabling applicants to fulfil a long held ambition to take a formal writing course, mentored by the MA in Creative Writing programme at the University of Limerick.  The bursary was awarded to Limerick native Ainne Fawcett-Henesy whose background is in nursing but who is also a regular contributor to Newstalk Radio on medical matters. Ainne has faced some significant health challenges of her own but is inspirational in the value that she now places on being healthy. She is immensely looking forward to the challenge of taking on the MA Programme. 

Pictured Liz Kelly, Director of Bealtaine, Age & Opportunity 2015, Ainna Fawcett-Henesy, Bealtaine Bursary recipient and Professor Joseph O'Connor UL. Picture: Alan Place/FusionShooters.

Speaking at an event at UL marking the awarding of the bursary, Ainne said:  ‘I have had a burning ambition to undertake a Masters level course to develop my creative writing skills for a very long time. Due to personal circumstances it has not been possible for me to do so, before now’. She has already self-funded a 12 week on line course on Creative Writing and has also been a regular attendee at the Kate O Brien Weekend (Limerick Literary Festival) for the past several years.

The Master of Arts in Creative Writing at UL is taught by internationally successful authors including Professor Joseph O’Connor (author of the million-selling Star of the Sea), Donal Ryan (The Spinning Heart) and Giles Foden, (The Last King of Scotland). This one-year programme enables students to develop their skills in creative writing through careful consideration of the work of established writers; through study of the elements of a piece of creative writing; through assignments that enable students to master strategies for revision of their work; and through an understanding of the requirements of the submission and publication process.

Students experience teaching-visits from leading contemporary authors. The 2014/15 class enjoyed sessions with Colum McCann, Claire Keegan, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Paul Lynch, Colin Barrett and science-fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson. Students gain practical experience through working on the literary journal The Ogham Stone and in the preparation of their dissertation portfolios.