Laois TY student shortlisted for prestigious national award

A YOUNG Laois Transition Year student who has been acknowledged for her playwriting skills, has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

Taylor Fogarty, from Saint Fergal’s College, Rathdowney along with six other students from around Ireland, is among the shortlisted entrants in this year’s RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival Transition Year Schools Playwright Competition.

Now in its 12th year the competition is in its 12th year, this year’s theme was ‘Care’ and attracted entries came from an initially14 counties.

The winner will be announced on Tuesday 6 May 2025 in the Dean Crowe Theatre, Athlone with prize money sponsored by the Athlone and Castlerea Credit Union.

The shortlisted students will attend the awards along with their teachers, family members and some TY scriptwriting classmates. 

The top seven scripts came from counties Dublin, Laois, Cork, Roscommon, Kildare.

The winning play will be performed after the awards ceremony, by an experienced cast directed by Alfie Kilduff and Joe MacCarrick.

Taylor’s playwright entry was ‘Finding Home’.

Guest speaker at the ceremony and Chairperson of The Drama League of Ireland and Culinary Lecturer in the Southeast Technological University, Waterford Edward Hayden will address the students on the benefits of scriptwriting and the positive link that gives vision and depth to student interest.

Competition co-ordinator Margaret Egan said: “Participants are all winners in that they have had an opportunity, as TY students, to engage with aspects of the launch of the 2025/26 new Senior Cycle subject – Drama, Film and Theatre Studies.

The judging panel which is led by Billy Nott are Joe MacCarrick, Evelyn Breen, Caroline Coyle, Clive Darling, Paddy Martin and Billy Nott.