Laois creatives set for limelight with Short Film and Mentoring Programme awards
Pictured (L-R): Mo O'Connell, Kate Heffernan and Willie White (Short Film Award Recipients), Cllr Barry Walsh, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Eddie Critchley, Irish Writers Centre National Mentoring Programme awardee, Muireann Ní Chonaill, Arts Officer Laois County Council and Julie Bergin, Director of Finance and Culture Laois County Council.
THE Laois County Council Arts Office has announced the recipients of 2026 Laois Short Film Award and Irish Writers Centre National Mentoring Programme Award.
The 2026 Laois Short Film Award has been awarded to a film entitled , written by Kate Heffernan, produced by Willie White and directed by Mo Ó Connell.
is inspired by producer Willie White's mother, Mary Egan, and her life in 1950s Portlaoise. It is a moving narrative, an unsentimental exploration of childhood loss.
The accomplished team has a longstanding history in the arts: Willie White is from Abbeyleix and has more than two decades’ experience across broadcasting and the performing arts; writer Kate Heffernan is a theatre artist from Portlaoise; and Mo O’Connell is a filmmaker and the founder of the production company 3 Hot Whiskeys.
Filming starts on location in County Laois this August. A public screening of the film will be arranged locally by Laois Arts in association with Dunamaise Arts Centre.
The Laois Short Film Award offers funding of €10,000 to support the making of a short drama or short documentary film. The film must be developed by a Laois born or Laois resident producer, writer or director and be filmed on location in Co. Laois.
The adjudicators of the 2026 Laois Short Film Award, Jean Rice and Deirdre Levins, are both film industry professionals. They work in film education and production.
Muireann Ní Chonaill, arts officer at Laois County Council, said that film and writing are central to the Laois Arts Programme: “We, in the Arts Office, are heartened by the commitment and dedication shown by individuals towards developing their art.
“These awards are two of a number of opportunities for arts funding in Laois and demonstrate our commitment to supporting artistic endeavours across the county”.
The Arts Office has also awarded the Irish Writers Centre National Mentoring Programme 2026 to Eddie Critchley.
Eddie holds a BA in English and Creative Writing from University of Galway. He works mainly in the short story form, drawing inspiration from writers such as Kevin Barry, Edna O’Brien and Flann O’Brien.
His work was nominated for the SMEDIAS short story of the year in 2025. He was selected as a Young Writer Delegate for Cúirt International Festival of Literature in April 2026.
On receiving the award, Eddie commented: “I am incredibly excited to start the Irish Writers Centre National Mentoring Programme in 2026 and to be under the guidance of Thomas Morris for the upcoming year.
“I feel this is very important at this time as I hopefully begin a successful writing career and I would like to thank the Laois County Council Arts Office for supporting me in my mentoring journey”.
Funding for the Laois Short Film bursary and the Irish Writers Centre are managed by the Laois Arts Office, with funding from the Arts Council and Laois County Council.
