Claire Keegan, class of 1992, gave a reading of her work at the Cyril Gray Memorial Hall in Dugort, Achill, on July 23, 2008. She completed her undergraduate studies at Loyola University New Orleans and subsequently earned a master's of arts at The University of Wales and a master's of philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin. Her first collection of stories, Antarctica, was a Los Angeles Times Book of the Year. Her second, Walk the Blue Fields, was published last May. Her stories have won several awards including the Hugh Leonard Bursary, the Macaulay Fellowship, the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, the Martin Healy Prize, the Olive Cook Award, the Kilkenny Prize, and the Tom Gallon Award. She also received the Francis MacManus Award on two occasions.

In June, Claire was awarded the 2009 Davy Byrnes Irish Writing Award and €25,000, approximately $40,000.