Write a ‘Letter’ to The Irish Times and win €3,000

In April 2022, The Irish Times deputy foreign editor Dave McKechnie died unexpectedly. He was a highly valued colleague who left behind a rich journalistic legacy. A gifted editor with a background in subediting, Dave McKechnie was also an accomplished reporter and writer. As well as landmark reports from Colombia and Myanmar, he also had a long track record in sports journalism. His work across all subjects showed considerable insight and flair and no little humour.

To commemorate his work, The Irish Times is launching a journalism prize in his memory.

The Irish Times Dave McKechnie Memorial Journalism Prize will take the form of a writing competition and will be awarded for the entry that most impresses the judging panel.

The competition is open to anyone who is over 18.

Entrants are required to write an article in the form of a “Letter” to the World News section of the The Irish Times. The “Letter from…” format, used regularly by correspondents and contributors in The Irish Times, allows the writer to look at any aspect of life in any place in the world they have visited and observed. The approach can be analytical or simply observational, the tone serious or humorous.

The article should be no more than 800 words in length.

Here are some examples of “letters” written by Dave McKechnie and published in The Irish Times when he covered the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/s-o-paulo-letter-emergency-averted-after-iphone-family-meeting-and-a-visit-to-local-hospital-1.1833189

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/fortaleza-the-home-of-fabulous-beaches-and-coconuts-1.1851805

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/faith-a-rite-of-passage-to-world-domination-for-devout-brazilians-1.1823835

The prize for the winning entry will be €3,000.

The judging panel will be Irish Times foreign editor Chris Dooley, education editor Carl O’Brien, and Dave’s wife Lilian Dorst.

Entries should be submitted by June 30th, 2024, by email to McKechniePrize@irishtimes.com

Paste your entry into the body of the email. Entries submitted by attachment will not be accepted.

Make sure to include your name and contact details.

The winning entry will be featured on Irish Times digital platforms and will also be published in the print edition

The winner will be announced in late July.

Term and conditions apply. See below.

The Irish Times Dave McKechnie Memorial Prize: Terms & Conditions

1. The competition is open to anyone aged 18 years or over, except employees of The Irish Times, their families, agents or anyone professionally connected with the competition.

2. A valid entry consists of a “letter” as described in the prize information, emailed to McKechniePrize@irishtimes.com, accompanied by the entrant’s name, email address and a phone number. The “letter” (article) should be no more than 800 words in length.

3. No applications from agents, third parties, organised groups or applications automatically generated by computer will be accepted. No incomplete, illegible, or corrupted entries will be accepted. No entries not in accordance with the entry instructions will be accepted.

4. The competition will run from 01/06/2024 to midnight on 30/06/2024 inclusive.

5. All entries must be received by The Irish Times no later than midnight on the closing date. All competition entries received after the closing date are automatically disqualified.

6. Competition limited to one entry per person.

7. By submitting an entry, you are agreeing to be bound by these terms and conditions.

8. Responsibility will not be accepted for entries lost, damaged or delayed as a result of any network, computer hardware or software failure of any kind. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. Entries will become the property of the promoter.

9. The prize is €3,000. There will be one winner.

10. The promoter shall not be liable for any loss, damage or consequential damage of any nature in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise caused by the acceptance of the terms and conditions or in connection with the prize.

11. In the event of unforeseen circumstances the promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize for an alternative of equal or greater value.

12. The winner will be notified by phone. The winner must claim the prize within 30 days of the notification. If the prize is unclaimed after this time, it will lapse and the promoter reserves the right to offer the unclaimed prize to a substitute winner selected in accordance with the competition rules.

13. The promoter’s decision is final and binding in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into.

14. The winner’s details (name and county) and entry will be published on irishtimes.com, in The Irish Times and on its digital platforms and social media channels in late July.

15. The winner may be required to participate in unpaid publicity arising from this promotion.

16. The promoter will only process your personal information as set out in https://www.irishtimes.com/policy-and-terms/privacy-policy and as set out in these terms and conditions.

17. Prizes are non-transferable.

18. These terms and conditions shall be governed by Irish law and the Courts of the Republic of Ireland shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

19. Promoter and Data Controller: The Irish Times DAC, The Irish Times Building, P.O. Box 74, 24 – 28, Tara Street, Dublin 2.

20. The promoter reserves the right to hold void, suspend, cancel or amend the promotion where it becomes necessary to do so.