Writing award in honour of our Con

A NEW journalism competition has been launched to honour the legendary writer Con Houlihan.

Listowel Writers' Week will this year present a Con Houlihan Young Sports Journalist of the Year award for excellence in sports writing.

The award has been designed to foster and promote the sports writing genre and will be open to writers aged 20 or younger.

Organisers of the writer's week have teamed up with the Con Houlihan Archive and Radio Kerry to present the award for budding young sports journalists.

"I was delighted when Listowel Writers' Week approached us to put in place this creative writing competition," Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan said.

Applications

His department is involved in the Con Houlihan Archive.

Applications for the €500 award can be a report or feature piece on a sports topic or personality. The deadline for applications is March 29.

Con Houlihan died in August last year following a distinguished career and life as a writer.

The Irish Independent has been running a five-part magazine series to celebrate the life and times of the veteran journalist.

The first edition of 'Con Houlihan's Ireland' was free with last Saturday's paper and the series will run for four more weeks.

hnews@herald.ie