Niall Williams wins €20k Irish Novel of the Year award
Williams was announced the winner at the opening night of the Listowel Literary Festival, a celebration of literature which features events with acclaimed writers, panels, workshops, and performances across Listowel until June 1.
Now in its 31st year, the award remains one of the most esteemed literary honours in the country, celebrating outstanding Irish fiction.
The award, sponsored by Kerry Group, has a prize fund of €22,000, with €20,000 for the winner and €500 for each shortlisted author.
This year's adjudicators, acclaimed authors Carol Drinkwater and Paul McVeigh, reviewed over 50 submitted novels before selecting the winner from a powerful shortlist that included Christine Dwyer Hickey, Joseph O'Connor, Colm Tóibín, and Donal Ryan.
Niall Williams, winner of the 2025 Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award for his novel Time of the Child, pictured with the winner is Ned O'Sullivan Writers Week. Picture: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD.
McVeigh said that judging the prize this year was no small task and complimented the quality of the entries, which he said 'a testament to an extraordinary time in Irish literature'.
'Any of the shortlisted books could have won but, in the end, Time of the Child by Niall Williams rose to the top,' he said.
'I don't remember the last time I read a book that made me stop, so frequently, unable to continue until I had savoured a sentence. He is an extraordinary writer and a worthy winner of the Irish Novel of the Year.'
Drinkwater described Williams's writing as exciting and exquisite and touched on how he brings his characters to life on the page.
'Reading his sentences was like sitting in a magnificent cathedral and listening to a great soprano singing, notes reaching to the rafters and returning to me, to nestle in my heart. It is a novel full of compassion,' she said.
"The characters are so vulnerable, they tear you apart. It has been several weeks since we chose Niall's novel as our winner.
"Still, I sit at my desk and picture myself in that doctor's surgery. I hear the child crying; I can smell the newly washed nappies; I long for these people, that father and daughter, to be given the miracle they so crave.
'This is the third time I've judged this prize and each time I'm reminded of the richness of Irish fiction today. Ireland truly is a treasure chest of brilliant modern novelists.'
Chief corporate affairs officer at Kerry Group Catherine Keogh praised the continued partnership with Listowel Writers' Week.
'Every year, the calibre of writing reminds us why Ireland continues to lead on the global literary stage,' she said. 'We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Niall Williams on this well-deserved recognition,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
29 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Review: The 'new' Oasis leave Croker in a daze
Oasis' songs about feeling happy and then feeling sad left the Croke Park crowd in a euphoric daze on Saturday night When they walk out as dusk begins to settle on the stage of Croke Park on a glorious Saturday evening, Oasis are greeted with the kind of deafening, delirious roar one might expect if (and when) Mayo finally lift the Sam Maguire again. Somewhere up there in an executive box, Peggy Gallagher of Charlestown was having a very special moment. Because it is she more than anyone else who has made hell freeze over, bang her sons' heads ever so gently together and bring about about this miraculous reunion tour. It hasn't quite been 16 years of hurt since Oasis last played Ireland in 2009 but Saturday's opening show of the band's two-night stand in GAA HQ was easily the most feverishly awaited Irish gig in many years. The return of the unibrow brothers is a very big deal. And yes, we all know, they're in it for the money. There is an atmosphere of giddy euphoria in the evening air and naturally it gives way to a mid-gig eruption of "ole, ole, ole". Man City had hammered Wolves 4-0 just before Oasis hit the stage but the only nod to that is the cardboard cutout of City manager Pep Guardiola standing behind one of the Marshall amps. This was nostalgia with its ya-ya's out. But it was also another business-like, choreographed show from the band as they approach the midway point of their reunion tour. In their now customary act of choreographed filial bonhomie, Noel and Liam stride on stage, arms aloft, hands clenched together, bang on time at 8.15pm to play a 21-song, two-hour set that left two generations of fans in a blissed-out daze. In other words, the old Oasis is well and truly gone. This was a very slick, very polished and very professional show. Not words we'd usually associate with the Manchester band and it's clear that Noel laid down some hard and fast rules before he signed up for this juggernaut of a world tour. The Chief has turned the new Oasis into a tightly-drilled machine. And anybody who might have been expecting some kind of final reproachment between the brothers now that they were back in "home turf" would have left disappointed on Saturday night. Any signs of the age-old power struggle between the Gallaghers was well hidden and other than that opening show of unity, there was very little interaction between the siblings. Not that Liam was going to let that spoil his fun. His in between song patter is akin to scrolling his Twitter feed and equally hard to decipher; we are told we are "lunatics" and that we are the "bollocks" and his static stage showmanship, something he calls "stillism", rarely sees him leave the same spot. We are still not sure if he's going to kiss or headbutt the microphone. Students of Oasis setlists wouldn't have found much to dissect on Saturday night. Nearly everything they play is from their first two albums and their great compilation record, The Masterplan. Opener Acquiesce sounds particularly vital in the summer night, as does Some Might Say and Cigarettes and Alcohol, two wicked, wicked things that no longer hold much interest for the thousands of young people in Croker. Another stand-out is a blistering D'Ya Know I Mean?, the snarling 1997 single that gave hope to keepers of the Oasis flame that the band had much more to offer. The less than stellar 1995 hit Roll With It gets one of the biggest reactions of the night and clearly it's been adopted as an anthem for a crowd who are here for a good time all the time. Noel's mid-show solo turn is also excellent. Mr melancholia's pleading voice on superior compositions like Talk Tonight and Half a World Away is a highpoint of the evening. A return to the full band wall of sound for the ever great Shakemaker and Live Forever brings the place to its feet again. (The sound on Saturday was very, very good and maybe even made an impression in Croker's nosebleed seats). The encore is, of course, the Oasis power set; there's a mass singalong to Don't Look Back in Anger, a song that still delivers a satisfying wallop all these years later; Liam pours everything into an emotional reading of Wonderwall, which turns GAA HQ into a constellation of mobile phones; and who cares that a spiraling Champagne Supernova ends with the giant screens showing the sun going down over a shimmering ocean. Subtly was never an Oasis thing. So, this is the new Oasis in action - huge energy, military-like precision, not a foot or note out of place . . . Part of their thuggish charm and their eventual failure all those decades ago was their edge and their sense of danger, the unpredictability of it all. That is gone now but these songs about feeling happy and then feeling sad are still very much vital and life-affirming for the two generations of Oasis fans who turned Croke Park into one mass celebration on Saturday night. It was worth the wait.
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
How well do you know Blur?
THIS MONTH MARKS 30 years since Blur headlined Féile festival in Cork's Páirc Uí Chaoimh. It is also, coincidentally, 30 years since the Britpop band topped the UK and Irish singles chart with their hit Country House. Advertisement So, here's a quiz all about Blur. What was Blur's original name before it was changed by their record label? Alamy Stock Photo Focus Circus Seymour Oasis What was the name of Blur's debut album? Alamy Stock Photo Modern Life is Rubbish Leisure Definitely Maybe Think Tank Which Eastenders actor delivers the spoken-word verses on Parklife? Alamy Stock Photo Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell) Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) Danny Dyer (Mick Carter) Phil Daniels (Kevin Wicks) In which Blur song do you hear the famous "Woohoo" chorus? Song 2 Tender Don't Look Back in Anger There's No Other Way Which Blur track features on the Trainspotting soundtrack? Alamy Stock Photo Death of a Party Wonderwall Sing On Your Own In Girls & Boys, which European country gets a mention? Alamy Stock Photo Spain Greece England (Manchester, to be specific) Portugal What band did Damon Albarn co-create with Jamie Hewlett? Alamy Stock Photo Tame Impala Beady Eye Gorillaz Glass Animals What can you find in the fridge AND in the Coffee and TV music video? Alamy Stock Photo Strawberries and cream A pound of butter An egg A milk carton While we're in the kitchen – Blur bassist Alex James collaborated with UK supermarket Asda on what kind of food/drink range? Alamy Stock Photo Hummus Cheese Lasange Wine Graham Coxon left Blur in 2002. What act did he join? Alamy Stock Photo The Seahorses None – he went solo! Oasis Electronic And did Blur last play in Ireland? Alamy Stock Photo 2015 2023 2009 they not playing this weekend? Or am I getting mixed up with another band? Answer all the questions to see your result! Alamy Stock Photo You scored out of ! Woohoo! Full marks – well done. Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy Stock Photo You scored out of ! Think Tank Almost full marks – good job. Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy Stock Photo You scored out of ! Close You're halfway there. Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy Stock Photo You scored out of ! Got Yer! You may need to brush up on your knowledge. Share your result: Share Tweet Alamy Stock Photo You scored out of ! Won't Do It More of an Oasis fan, I assume. Share your result: Share Tweet Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Watch: Moment Liam and Noel Gallagher walk on stage for Croke Park show
The biblical moment Liam and Noel Gallagher walked hand in hand onto the Croke Park stage has been captured on camera. The reunited britpop band played the first of two sold out shows at Croke Park in what, for many, is a homecoming. Their first Irish gig in 16 years, the show was packed full of classic hits from Live Forever to Don't Look Back in Anger. Liam was glad in a green parka and pale trousers, while Noel was dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans as they strolled onto the stage in Dublin before they launched into a set of some of their most beloved tunes. Liam greeted the crowd with: 'Oasis vibes in the area, Dublin vibes in the area" before the band launched into Hello. The singer was in fine form throughout, quipping before Morning Glory: "I think we haven't played here before, have we? What I do know is that this is the soberest I've ever been in Ireland, since I was about four or five or something like that." The set also drew some sweet moments, like when Liam Gallagher dedicated Stand By Me to his mother Peggy Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
