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This fourth Anthology of Original Writing from Ireland's Own includes 40 short stories and memories pieces from the latest annual writing competitions run by Ireland's leading family magazine, supported by Dublin self-publishing company Original Writing. This collection reveals again the level of untapped writing talent there is out there just waiting to be discovered, with contributions included from seventeen Irish counties and from Britain. These stories touch on many aspects of Irish life from the past and in the present day, with joyful themes interspersed with bereavement and emigration, told with pathos, nostalgia and a dash of humour. The memoirs included vary from the famous Jacobs Jim Figgerty advertising campaign of the 1960s to an unusual spreading of the ashes in Cork, and they will evoke a response from many people. Some of the writers have been published before, but for the first timers this may be a first step on the road to a literary adventure. Foreword By Claudia Carroll Former Fair City star and now international bestselling author A VERY WARM welcome to the fourth Ireland's Own anthology of short stories and can I just say what an absolute honour it is to have been asked to write the foreword for it? Huge thanks to the wonderful team, not only at Ireland's Own, but also at Original Writing, for your continued support and encouragement to writers everywhere. You've no idea how much it means and long may your magical tradition of storytelling continue. Can I also say warm congratulations to all the fantastic writers whose stories are published in this anthology? It's a truly amazing thing, actually seeing something you've written there in black in white and taking its first baby steps out into the world. I'm not a mother, but I imagine it must be the very same feeling a mum gets when she sees her little newborn for the very first time. And I also know that the standard for this year's anthology was incredibly high, so you all deserve to feel proud as punch and to go out and celebrate! One of the questions I'm often asked is, how come Ireland produces so many writers? You only have to look at bestseller lists everywhere and even the Booker Prize longlist to see how we somehow manage to punch well above our weight internationally. And I think the reason is we're all such incredible talkers. Is there anything we all love more than a good natter? (If you saw the whopping size of my phone bill, you'd see the proof of that!) And when we sit down to write our stories, then something magical starts to leap off the page. You only have to have a flick through this anthology to see what I mean. I always think a short story is probably the most difficult craft of all to master. Winston Churchill once wrote, 'I'm sorry for the long letter, I didn't have time for a short one!' Easy to see just what he meant, isn't it? A longer story, maybe even one where you've got the luxury to pad it out to a full-length book, is in many ways so much easier to tackle than facing the challenge of distilling your ideas into a short story, with beguiling characters, a gripping story and an ending that lingers. And yet every published writer here has achieved just that, each in a wonderfully unique way. Massive congratulations once again to you all, may this anthology sell by the truckload and fly off shelves - and long may Ireland's Own and Original Writing continue to soar and fly! Warmest wishes to everyone and happy reading. Claudia Carroll.