Looking back at 2009

I had thought I'd do two blogs for my review of the year - one detailing the successes, the other detailing the failures. Then, on the basis that the latter would be too long, I decided to simply go for the former. The following list may not be spectacular but it will serve as a guideline for 2010.

Launched A Flash of Orange, my book of mainly humorous verse.
Three poems appeared in Sean Fitzpatrick's book "Shelbourne Cult Heroes"
"On boarding a Ryanair flight to Oslo" shortlisted in the Strokestown Humorous Poetry Competition (it eventually finished second) This was my third shortlisting in four years.
Won "Ryanair and Aer Lingus to wed" Baffle Limerick Competition
Essay "32 hours to Guangzhou" highly commended in Kaixin prose competition.
"Weathering" published in Revival.
"Chief Inspector Mulligan" accepted for publication in a Forward Press Children's Anthology.
"Mick" accepted for Southword 17. I read the poem at the Dublin launch in the Irish Writers Centre.
"Bankers" shortlisted in the Boyne Writers Swift Satire Competition.
Prizewinner at Comfortas Filiochta 2009 run by Meath County Libraries for my poem "Shrinking World" Prize was a workshop run by Noel Monaghan.
"Mysterious ways" published in Lighten up Online
"Villanelle Villanelle" published in Snakeskin October 2009
"Marie Antoinette" commended in Lighten Up Online competition
"The Pyramid" commended in Lucidity International Poetry Competition.
"The First Noel" commended in Lighten up Online Christmas competition.
Became Baffle Bard 2009 in Loughrea with "The Ballad of Isaiah Turner."
Had three poems published in Phoenix Ink 3, the magazine of the Dublin 15 Writers Group (of which I am a member)