Congratulations to Elizabeth Moynihan, formely of Grattan St., Youghal, on winning the ZeBBie 2009 Best Radio Script for the ‘Cider Queens’ at last nights (Thur. 26th Nov 2009) glitzy awards ceremony which was held in the Sugar Club, Dublin. Elizabeth featured recently on YoughalOnline.com and was interviewed by Roisin Hally on Youghal local radio CRY last Friday. Click here to listen to the interview where she talks about her upbringing, her play, and advice to other writers. By YoughalOnline.com Arts reporter.

Elizabeth is currently working on stage in London and was unable to attend the prestigious awards ceremony but was delighted with the news as was her family back here in town. If you would like to congratulate Elizabeth on winning the ZeBBie 2009 Best Radio Script Award please feel free to use the comment box below.

The ZeBBies are annual awards created by the Irish playwrights and screenwriters Guild (named in honour of O. Z. Whitehead) to acknowledge the best script(s) written by Irish playwrights and screenwriters during the previous year.

The two-part play was first aired on the  RTE Radio 1 Sunday Playhouse last April 2009. The “Cider Queens” is a poignant two-part radio play, which explores the interlocking lives of three young women in the small-town tedium of 1970s Ireland. A bittersweet Showband soundtrack from the period, all platform shoes and glad-rag Glam rock, brightens an otherwise astringent study of public houses and private violence. The play featured Norma Sheahan, Dawn Bradfield and Jessica Regan.

Senator David Norris was the lively master of ceremonies at the packed and sparkling ceremony where the ZeBBie Award Winners 2009 were announced:

Best Television Script     Frank Deasy for Father and Son (Episode 1)
Best Radio Script     Elizabeth Moynihan for Cider Queens
Best Theatre Script     Elaine Murphy for Little Gem
Best Film Script     Enda Walsh for Hunger
Honorary Services
to Writers Award     Rough Magic Theatre

The Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild, with the support of the Irish Film Institute also held a  presentation of old short films, which included early newsreel, drama and comedy. These films were first seen in the Volta Cinematograph in 1909 under the management of James Joyce. The IPSG and the IFI are delighted to celebrate the cinematic endeavours of Ireland’s greatest writer with this centenary programme, which featured the live musical accompaniment of the highly talented septet, 3epkano.
The Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild is the representative body in Ireland for writers for the stage and screen. The Guild is an organisation run for and by the writers themselves.

Congratulations to actress/playwright Elizabeth Moynihan formely of Grattan St. Youghal, who has been nominated for best radio play the “Cider Queens” at the annual ZeBBies Awards  2009. The ceremony will take place at the Sugar Club in Dublin. The two-part play first aired on RTE Radio 1 Sunday Playhouse last April 2009. Report: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com

The “Cider Queens” a poignant two-part radio play, explores the interlocking lives of three young women in the small-town tedium of 1970s Ireland. A bittersweet Showband soundtrack from the period, all platform shoes and glad-rag Glam rock, brightens an otherwise astringent study of public houses and private violence. The play featured Norma Sheahan, Dawn Bradfield and Jessica Regan.
The awards take place on the Thursday the 26th of Nov. 2009 and Elizabeth’s play is down to the last three in her category.

ZEBBIES LIST OF QUALIFYING SCRIPTS 2008 — 2009

The RADIO list below consists of projects for the stage and screen in Ireland each of which was premiered in Ireland between 1st July 2008 and 30th June 2009, and was written by an Irish writer or a writer normally resident in Ireland.

RADIO Category
10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 7! 8! 9! 10!     Kevin Gildea     RTÉ
Across the Narrow Water (Part 1)     Tom Kelly     BBC7
Across the Narrow Water (Part 2)     Tom Kelly     BBC7
Ainglaíocht     Frainc O Murchadha     RTÉ
Avenues of Eternal Peace     Lucy Caldwell     BBC4
Bogboy     Deirdre Kinahan     RTÉ
Cider Queens     Elizabeth Moynihan     RTÉ
Dead Sea Salt Bake     Hilary Fannin     RTÉ
Dignity     Laura McDaid     BBC4
Echoes of War     Gary Mitchell     BBC3
Honeymooners at 3.3.5pm     Joe O’Byrne     RTÉ
I’m From Here     Billy Roche     RTÉ
Lullaby     Francis Turnly     BBC7
Marrying Dad     Gina Moxley     RTÉ
Níl Tú Ag Siúl Amach le lead ón Northside     Brían O Tiomáin     RTÉ
No Going Back     Ron Hutchinson     BBC4
Numb     Eugene O’Brien     RTÉ
Past Imperfect     Lee Gallaher     RTÉ
Point of Departure     Francis Turnly     BBC4
Rosanna, Night Walker     Martin Malone     RTÉ
Smoke And Daggers     Hugh Costello     BBC4
Swimming Around Ireland     Martin Meenan     BBC4
The Crane     Joe O’Byrne     RTÉ
The Forgetting Curve     Hugh Costello     BBC4
The Forgotten     Anne Devlin     BBC4
The Lottery     Shay Linehan     RTÉ
The Rights Of The Child     Frank McGuinness     RTÉ
The Road Wife     Eoin McNamee     BBC4
The Rough Field     John Montague     RTÉ
The Serpent Bequiled Me     Julie Parsons     RTÉ
The Sweet Smell of Cigarette Smoke     Julie Parsons     RTÉ
Thinking Ahead     Jack Olohan     RTÉ
Tricks of the Trade     Martin Duffy     RTÉ
Will you swap knees with me?     John McManus     RTÉ
Woman On A Beach     Claes Johansen     RTÉ