Seamus Norris is a storyteller. A great storyteller. His stories come from his exciting and vivid imagination and mainly centre around Sport, Westerns, Romance and Crime or are Irish themed, based on dramatised versions of his own life experiences. The stories range from drama to comedy and he uses multiple platforms of novels, novellas, plays of all lengths, short stories, poetry and song to tell interesting and important stories.
Seamus became interested in writing from an early age. After he received a present of a copybook from his Aunt Mary at about 9 years of age, he started to write his first novel. It was a Western with a working title of “The United Family”. He wrote several chapters in “very bad pencil handwriting – thank God for keyboards” (his own words). The novel is as yet unfinished, but he still has the copybook! His interest in writing, particularly fiction was encouraged by his English secondary teacher in Carrick-On-Suir Vocational School (Mary Fitzgerald), who left his imagination to its own diverse devices.
After secondary school, the writing bug dried up until he joined Piltown Macra Na Feirme in 1987. After watching the club perform in the county one-act drama competition, he decided to become a playwright because although he thought the actors were great, he thought the script was awful and dated. His first play was a comedy farce called “When The Cats Away, Everybody Plays” which was performed in the following years drama competition, even getting to the county final. Seamus directed and cast it himself.
From there, he wrote several more one-act plays and sketches for Macra competitions. He won best director and best actor awards as he took to the stage himself. After Macra, he continued to write more one-act plays but he also advanced to full length plays and then short stories. His one-act plays “Weeping Women” and “Painters Mess” both earned rehearsed readings and subsequently drama group performances.
He also started writing poetry, mainly for the poetry competition at Ireland’s oldest agricultural show, the Iverk Show in Piltown, winning the top prize on a couple of occasions. In the 90’s, he started writing for local provincial newspapers such as the Kilkenny People and Kilkenny Standard which was an opportunity to write more factual content and tackle more serious local items. He was never afraid to write the truth and challenge decision makers on important matters of local interest. Some of his articles were published in national newspapers and he represented his community locally and nationally.
Next up was song lyrics. One of his songs “Let’s Just Kiss” reached the final of the Glinsk Song Contest in 1999. His first novel called “Quest For Justice” was then penned. It has everything from romance, to violence and action, to intrigue to science fiction and is predominantly Irish based. Seamus has built up a decent and varied portfolio which is available to view on his website www.snorris.ie
Seamus is 100% Kilkenny and Irish. His parents both from farming backgrounds and from neighbouring Kilkenny parishes, Piltown and Windgap left Ireland to find work in 60’s and he was born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. He has one sister. He spent every summer in Ireland with the family returning to run the family farm in Windgap for good in the early 70’s. After a time working in Dublin, he married his wife, Sheila Keegan also from Piltown and they have lived there since. They have three children, Jennifer, Jamie and Lisa.
Seamus is adamant that it is the story that is the most important element of writing. The story can resonate with everyone, whether it be spoken, sang or written. The words themselves are for the academics. He has many ideas and stories to tell and output from his wonderfully imaginative mind.
WRITING HIGHLIGHTS
- Short Story “The Pattern Of Seamie O’Connell” – Published in “Gifted”, as anthology by Bridge House (UK) 2023.
- Short play “Power Of Love” – Streamed and performed live by Barnstorm Theatre Arts as part of “Love In Lockdown” 2021/22.
- One-Act Play “Painters Mess” – Drama League Of Ireland New Writings Rehearsed Reading Competition Winner 1997
- Poem “A Goal” – Published in “Soul Searching”. an anthology by Poetry Today, an imprint of Penhaligon Page Ltd. (UK) 1997
- Short Story “Hope Lives” – Published in Irelands Own Christmas Annual 2006
- Short Story “Chasing Donkeys” – Published in the Irelands Own 2006
- Short Story “The Banshee of Ballyhoo” – Published in the Irelands Own 2005
- Short Story “The Banshee of Ballyhoo” – Published in the Kilkenny People 2004
- Poem “The Ballad Of Sam Stone”– Winner of Iverk Show Poetry Competition 2003.
- One-Act Play “Weeping Women” – Kilkenny County Council Play Development Scheme Winner 2001
- Poem “Business In the Sun” – Iverk Show Poetry Competition Winner 1999.
- Song “Lets Just Kiss” – Glinsk Song Contest Finalist 1999