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Mairéad Ní Shúilleabháin

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2020

Stories (6)

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6 Stories

125 karma pts

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The Hierarchy

Mairéad Ní Shúilleabháin

Submitted to Contest #72

‘What did they say?!’ said the Manager. He banged his fists on the table a few times for good measure. He was in charge after all. ‘Donate it to charity,’ said the other Manager, with a casual flick of his hand, a raised eyebrow and pursed lips. He was in charge after all. ‘Donate? To charity?!’ ‘That’s what they said.’ ‘Let me get this straight, they got the most sales in the last six weeks, so you offered them the prize and they said-‘ ‘Donate it to charity.’ ‘Did they say why?’ ‘They just said they didn’t want it.’ ‘Didn’t want it? But,...

5 likes

The Early Train

Mairéad Ní Shúilleabháin

Submitted to Contest #68

Sophia had her coat draped over her like a blanket to try and catch up on the sleep she’d missed being up in time for the 5am train. But she could not seem to drift off. Instead, she watched vague lights pass by the window and thought deeply about nothing in particular. More passengers got on in Mallow and the once near empty carriage turned half full. A man about her own age sat in the seat across from her. He was wearing a black coat made of some quality material, like the kind your mother would buy you for mass on Christmas eve, and he ...

15 likes

The Warning

Mairéad Ní Shúilleabháin

Submitted to Contest #67

Ó Síocháin had a drop taken he knew that, but he knew also what he saw. Sergeant Moyles was taking it all down in a notebook. Ó Síocháin took a sip of the tea Moyles had made him. His hands were shaking. ‘Ok I’ll say back to you what I have here,’ said the sergeant. ‘You were walking home just now from Flaherty’s, and when you were nearing Healy’s old house you saw a woman running towards you-‘ ‘That’s right.’ ‘And you didn’t recognise her?’ ‘No it was too dark, she’d long hair alright, and was wearing a dress I think, but I couldn’t mak...

12 likes

Night Visiting

Mairéad Ní Shúilleabháin

Submitted to Contest #65

The air is different. Fresher, cooler, purer. The air feels like something is happening. There is another feeling. They are close. The ones I lost. I walk through a field. Already dew is forming on the blades of grass. The moon is full. How apt. I can see my way clearly. A fox watches me from the corner. He is well hidden. He knows that I know he is there. I reach the ditch and climb over it. I am on a road. I know this road. I turn right and follow the twists and turns. In the distance I can hear fireworks and dogs howling. Lights c...

11 likes

The Sergeant

Mairéad Ní Shúilleabháin

Submitted to Contest #59

A body washed up on the shore. Sergeant Moyles was perplexed. None of the fishermen had heard anything about a boat in distress, or a man gone overboard. ‘We can’t leave him there Sergeant or he’ll wash away again,’ said Jimmy Herlihy, the fisherman of fifty odd years who had alerted Moyles to the grim flotsam. Moyles nodded. ‘Anything of forensic value is long washed away.’ Jimmy helped carry the body to the Garda station. Moyles offered him a cup of tea but Jimmy said he’d have to be getting home, the dinner’...

16 likes

Zeal

Mairéad Ní Shúilleabháin

Submitted to Contest #58

She’ll be roaring and shouting for another hour at least. I don’t know why anyone listens to this shite. I’ve heard a lot of this shite in fairness, but not because I really wanted to. I’m looking at the box that contains all the trip switches. I don’t know the name for it. I’m looking for the one that put out all the lights, if such a thing is possible. And would that be enough? Do you need to see someone spouting hate speech to hear them? Maybe it’s not enough. It’s rotting their already feeble brains...

6 likes