P J O'Connor Winners

The winners of this competition for a radio play were announced on the Arts Show on RTE Radio.

Overall winner - Dylan, Thomasina and Me by John Austin Connolly. Prize of €3,000. John was also on the shirtlist for the Francis MacManus story this year.

First runner up - Elvis Is Dead by Shay Healy. Prize of €2,000. Shay is an RTE stalwart.
Second runner up - Happy Hour by Ashley Taggart. Prize of €1,000

The three winning dramas will be broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 on Sunday evenings in July.

About 500 entries, wittled down to a shortlist of 14. The judges for this year's competition were: Writer, Eugene McCabe; Actor and Director, Bairbre Ni Chaoimh and Jesper Bergmann, Chief Dramaturge at The Royal National Theatre, Copenhagen.

Lilters and Lovers by James Corbett, Maherafelt, Co. Derry

Brave Day for It by Derek M. Doherty, Beijing, China

Noah's Transportation by Davy Ferguson, Dunmanway, Co. Cork

Working for the Clampdown by Patrick Fitzsymons, Bushmills, Co. Antrim

Taxi by Ciarán Gray, North Strand, Dublin 3 (won in 2007)

After We Got Back by Sinead Hickey, Dundrum, Dublin 14

How I Created a Financial Crisis by Michael Minihan, John's Hill Waterford

Shrewsbury Road by Kevin Murphy, Dalkey, Co. Dublin (shortlisted in 2007)

A Game Of Confidence by Billy O'Callaghan, Douglas, Cork (blog here)

The Come Back by Siobhan Shine, Menlo, Galway

Icarus O'Neill's Rising Dilemma by Nicholas Wilkinson, Annamoe, Co. Wicklow