Listowel Writers' Week has announced its shortlist for this year's Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award. Four of the five novels are first novels.
The shortlisted works include The Eskimo in the Net by Gerard Beirne; Schopenhauer's Telescope by Gerard Donovan; All Summer by Clare Kilroy; and An evening of Long Goodbyes by Paul Murray, all first novels, as well as Skin of Dreams by Evelyn Conlon.
Previous winners include William Trevor for The Story of Lucy Gault, John McGahern for That they may face the Rising Sun, and Booker Prize nominee Michael Collins for Keepers of the Truth.
This year the judges, John F. Deane and Emer O'Kelly, compiled a shortlist from over 50 entries.
The winner of what has become a prestigious award, with a prize fund of €10,000, will be announced at the opening of Writers' Week on Wednesday, June 2nd.
Attacks on prison officers' property
Property belonging to two prison officers at Limerick Prison has been targeted in separate arson attacks in recent days, it emerged yesterday, writes Karl Hanlon.
A garage at the family home of one Limerick prison officer was burnt to the ground on Tuesday night while a jeep belonging to another officer was gutted outside his home at the weekend.
Prison sources believe the attacks may be linked to a number of recent serious security breaches at the prison. Officers said last night that they feared a breakdown in law and order at Limerick Prison.
The Irish Prison Officers' Association called for an urgent review of security earlier this week following the discovery of bullets outside an inmate's cell in Limerick.
Four arrested over Limerick raids
Four men were arrested yesterday following a series of armed raids in Limerick city and county earlier this week.
A five-man gang threatened three gardaí at gunpoint with an assortment of weapons including an automatic hand-gun and a machine-gun during a raid at Garvy's Supervalu supermarket in Corbally early on Monday morning.
The gang, who fled in a maroon Opel Vectra, rammed the Garda patrol car as they made their getaway shortly after 4.30 a.m. Earlier that night the same gang targeted four other premises in Co Limerick, making off with a large stash of cigarettes.
Yesterday, following a number of early-morning Garda swoops, four men were arrested following searches in the Southill and Rhebogue areas of Limerick.
Three of the men - all of whom are aged in their 20s - were held for questioning at Henry Street Garda Station.
The fourth was brought to Roxboro Garda Station. All four are being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against The State Act.