Lonely writers: Despite all the fanfare and plaudits for the first presentation of the €50,000 Frank O'Connor Short Story Award on September 25th (won by the Chinese writer Yiyun Li) it was hard to believe that Cork has any real interest in the short story, to judge by the audiences at the sixth annual Frank O'Connor International Short Story Festival held by the Munster Literature Centre.

This event incorporates the Sean O'Faolain Short Story Award, worth €1,500, and this year the winner was James Moynihan, whose reading was attended by about 15 people.

A musical loss: Busking in Cork will never be the same again, following the death last week of Frank Goodey, who with his wife Elizabeth played classical music at selected corners of the city centre for many years. A native of the west of England but living near Macroom in Co Cork, 88-year-old Frank had been blind since childhood; nonetheless he was a gifted church organist and music teacher, and among his musical connections in England, the composer John Rutter was a special friend. Rutter has dedicated one of his compositions to Elizabeth, and his music featured at the funeral service at St Fin Barre's Cathedral last Wednesday, which was arranged by Colin Nicholls, cathedral organist and Master of the Choristers.