The University of Limerick (UL) has unveiled a new competition in memory of the late journalist and GCN contributor, Joe Drennan. The award, developed in partnership with The Irish Times, was announced on Thursday, March 14, and in the spirit of the 21-year-old aims to recognise work platforming the voices of marginalised communities.

Open to all UL students, the competition will run annually, starting in the 2024/25 academic year. Applicants will be required to write a 1,000-1,500 word article, suitable for multimedia use, and the winner will be selected based on criteria like impact, originality, depth of investigations, news gathering and research, and quality of writing. The awarded journalist will have their piece published in The Irish Times and receive a perpetual trophy presented by members of the Drennan family.

“We are so grateful to University Limerick for honouring Joe in this way. The writing competition is a wonderful tribute to his memory, he would have been so thrilled,” his mother Marguerite said.

“We are so very proud of Joe and what he accomplished in his life; he loved writing and UL. It makes us so proud to know that he will continue to be an inspiration for others.”

She continued: “It’s an excellent competition – one he would have been so eager to compete in himself. It’s a fitting way to remember his passion for journalism and especially the inclusivity that he felt was so often forgotten. He would be so proud to be associated with this competition.”

Thank you to @UL for inviting us to the launch of @LimerickVoice newspaper and big congrats to Molly and the team. Today, as the Joe Drennan Memorial Competition for Inclusive Journalism has launched, we remember our late friend and colleague Joe. pic.twitter.com/rj3Ka6wJNN

— Gay Community News (@GCNmag) March 14, 2024

Dr Kathryn Hayes, associate professor for UL’s BA in Journalism and Digital Communication stated, “Joe was committed to pursuing stories that would foster a deeper understanding of marginalised communities, whom he believed were often overlooked in some mainstream media. His desire for change is evident in the journalism work he produced and the vision he had for his role as editor-in-chief of Limerick Voice.”

According to Dr Hayes, Joe encouraged reporters to “find a voice that they themselves had not heard before”.

“We believe this competition will help contribute to a more inclusive and diverse media landscape and is a fitting tribute to Joe,” she added.

Speaking about the competition, Mark Hennessy, Ireland and Britain Editor of The Irish Times, explained: “As journalists, it’s not only our duty to report the news, but to illuminate the stories often overlooked, amplify the voices of the marginalised and strive for a more inclusive narrative.

“The Joe Drennan Competition serves not only as a tribute to the life of a young journalist whose passion for social justice was cut short, but also as a beacon for more inclusive journalism.

“This competition will honour Joe Drennan’s spirit of curiosity and empathy and I’m sure the entries will challenge stereotypes, and foster a deeper understanding towards marginalised communities, ensuring that their voices will be heard in The Irish Times.”

The Joe Drennan Memorial Competition for Inclusive Journalism was launched alongside the publication of UL’s student newspaper, Limerick Voice. The 48-publication pays tribute to Joe on the cover and throughout, and features an interview with his mother and sister about how their family is coping with his tragic death.

 

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At the launch event, Limerick Voice Managing Editor Molly Cantwell remembered her friend and colleague.

“Our team has had an incredibly tough year dealing with the loss of our Editor-in-Chief, Joe Drennan,” she shared.

“However, as his Co-Editor and Managing Editor of Limerick Voice, I really believe we have done him proud. The LV team of 2023/2024 have put together one of the biggest issues of the paper to date, full of articles which perfectly match the mission statement chosen by myself and Joe Drennan: ‘Stories That Speak’.”

Cantwell continued: “We have done our utmost to ensure the vision Joe had for the paper was followed and that we worked with as much passion as we know he would have. I’m incredibly proud of the work we are putting forward to the people of Limerick and genuinely hope everyone enjoys reading each and every line.”

From Mountrath in Co. Laois, Joe was tragically killed in a hit-and-run incident at around 9:30pm on October 13, 2023, while he waited at a bus stop on Dublin Road in Castleroy. In January 2024, a 20-year-old man was charged with dangerous driving causing death, as well as driving without insurance or a licence. 

He was a promising young journalist who, as mentioned above, carried out his studies at UL where he was also the Editor-in-Chief of the Limerick Voice. He was a regular GCN contributor both online and in print, and spent several months interning with the organisation.

As described by magazine editor Peter Dunne, Joe “was confident and focused and completely reliable. He was also incredibly sweet, funny, gracious, and so, so cool.”

Peter added, “You could say his voice being silenced is a loss to the writing community, the queer community, his hometown, but none of those would say enough. It is the world’s loss.”