ENTRY RULES AND INFO
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CLOSING DATE FOR THE LIMERICK COMPETITION IS MARCH 7, 2026 AND THAT NO FURTHER ENTRIES CAN BE ACCEPTED.
What is the ‘Limerick’ ?
The Limerick is a verse form which originated in Croom, County Limerick in the 18th century . It is a verse which must contain the following elements and structure:
Five lines
Lines 1,2,5 must rhyme.
Lines 3 and 4 must rhyme.
A good Limerick will have a clever unanticipated punch line as line 5 will often have puns, word play or a witty feature as part of it.
*Please note the following rules for entry:
We welcome a maximum of three (3) Limericks per entrant.
The competition is free to enter.
The closing date is midnight on March 7, 2026. Late entries will not be accepted.
Online entries are accepted (through the online entry form at www.shamrockfest.org/limerick).
Entry forms may also be dropped off at the box office at The Park Theatre, 19 Main Street, Jaffrey, NH. Entry forms are available there.
Submitted entries MUST be original and conform to the Limerick rhyme scheme.
Entries will be judged on the quality of the Limerick (form, humor, punch line etc)
Limerick entries should not be x-rated or defamatory.
The judging panel will adjudicate entries and select a long-list of up to 40 Limericks. This long-list will be announced in due course and the authors of those Limericks chosen will be notified to give them the opportunity to compete in the heats of the Limerick Slam live competition on March 17 at The Park Theatre in Jaffrey, NH starting at 7pm.
A series of heats will take place during the Slam and the top three winners of these heats will compete in the final
Only those who can attend the competition in Limerick Slam will be eligible to compete in the heats/final. Therefore, the final prize of $150 will only be available to those who attend the Slam at The Park.
There will be one winning prize of $150.
The judges decision is final.
Employees of The Park Theatre are not eligible to enter.
Best of luck!