The Poetry Now Award is an annual

literary prize A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded Literature, literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award ...

presented for the best single volume of poetry by an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

poet. The €5,000 award was first given in 2005 (reduced to €2,500 in 2013) and is presented during annual

Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown ( ga, Dún Laoghaire–Ráth an Dúin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and the Eastern and Midland Region. It is one of three s ...

poetry festivals. From 2005 to 2011, it was bestowed during the Poetry Now international poetry festival (the latter event was inaugurated in 1996) which was held in March or April each year. In 2012 and 2013, the award was given during the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival, in September ("dlr" stands for "Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown"). The award is sponsored by ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' newspaper.

History

2018

Winner: Leontia Flynn, for ''The Radio'' Shortlist: *

Tara Bergin Tara Bergin (born 1974) is an Irish poet. Career Tara Bergin was born in 1974 and grew up in Dublin. She moved to England in 2002 and by 2012 she was awarded her PhD from Newcastle University with a thesis on Ted Hughes’s translations of Ján ...

, ''The Tragic Death of Eleanor Marx'' * Leontia Flynn, ''The Radio'' *

Conor O'Callaghan Conor O'Callaghan (born 1968) is an Irish novelist and poet. Biography O'Callaghan was born in Newry in 1968 and grew up in Dundalk. His first novel, ''Nothing on Earth'', was published to acclaim in 2016 and was shortlisted for the Kerry Grou ...

, ''Live Streaming'' *

Mark Roper Mark Roper (born 16 March 1958) is a South African writer and film director. He worked mainly as assistant director on more than forty films since 1984. Selected filmography *''Project Shadowchaser IV'' (1996) *''Death, Deceit and Destiny Aboar ...

, ''Bindweed'' * David Wheatley, ''The President of Planet Earth'' Judges: * Fran Brearton, John McAuliffe and

Gerard Smyth Gerard Smyth (born 1951) is an Irish poet, born in Dublin in 1951 and began publishing poetry in the late 1960s when his first poems were published by David Marcus in the New Irish Writing Page of The Irish Press and by James Simmons in The Hon ...

2017

Winner:

Paddy Bushe Paddy Bushe is an Irish poet. Life Paddy Bushe (Paddy de Buis) was born in Dublin in 1948. He lives in Waterville, County Kerry. He writes poetry in both English and Irish. He has also translated Chinese poems into English and Irish. In add ...

, for ''On A Turning Wing''

2016

Winner: Caitríona O’Reilly, for ''Geis''

2015

Winner:

Theo Dorgan Theo Dorgan (born 1953) is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer, translator, librettist and documentary screenwriter. He lives in Dublin. Life Dorgan was born in Cork in 1953 being second child born into a family of 8 boys and 8 girls to pare ...

, for ''Nine Bright Shiners''

2014

Winner:

Sinéad Morrissey Sinéad Morrissey (born 24 April 1972 in Portadown, County Armagh) is a Northern Irish poet. In January 2014 she won the T. S. Eliot Prize for her fifth collection ''Parallax'' and in 2017 she won the Forward Prize for Poetry for her sixth coll ...

, for ''Parallax''

2013

Winner:

Dennis O'Driscoll Dennis O'Driscoll (1 January 1954 – 24 December 2012) was an Irish poet, essayist, critic and editor. Regarded as one of the best European poets of his time, Eileen Battersby considered him "the lyric equivalent of William Trevor" and a ...

, for ''Dear Life'', awarded posthumously (he died in December 2012). Shortlist: * Catherine Phil MacCarthy, ''The Invisible Threshold''. *

, ''Dear Life''. *

Harry Clifton Harry Clifton may refer to: * Harry Clifton (poet) (born 1952), Irish poet * Harry Clifton (actor), American silent film actor * Harry Clifton (footballer, born 1914) (1914–1998), English footballer * Harry Clifton (footballer, born 1998), We ...

, ''The Winter Sleep of Captain Lemass''. * James Harpur, ''Angels and Harvesters''. * Mark Roper, ''A Gather of Shadow''. Judges: Mary O'Donnell (poet and novelist),

Peter Sirr Peter Sirr (born 1960) is an Irish poet, born in Waterford, Ireland. He lives in Dublin where he works as a freelance writer and translator. Life Peter Sirr was born in Waterford in 1960, before moving to Dublin with his family as a child. Sir ...

(writer, editor, translator, and former winner), and Ruth Webster (bookseller).

2012

Winner:

Michael Longley Michael Longley, (born 27 July 1939, Belfast, Northern Ireland), is an Anglo-Irish poet. Life and career One of twin boys, Michael Longley was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to English parents, Longley was educated at the Royal Belfast A ...

, for ''A Hundred Doors''.Michael Longley wins €5,000 poetry prize
''Irish Times'', 8 September 2012. Shortlist: *

Moya Cannon Moya Cannon (born 1956) is an Irish writer and poet with seven published collections, the most recent being ''Collected Poems'' (Carcanet Press, Manchester, 2021). Life Born in Dunfanaghy, County Donegal, Ireland, Moya Cannon studied history ...

, ''Hands''. *

, ''A Hundred Doors''. * John Montague, ''Speech Lessons''. *

Bernard O'Donoghue Bernard O'Donoghue FRSL (born 1945) is a contemporary Irish poet and academic. Early life and education Bernard O'Donoghue was born on 14 December 1945 in Cullen, County Cork, Ireland, where he lived on a farm. “My father was a terrible and r ...

, ''Farmers Cross''. *

Macdara Woods Macdara Woods (1942 – 15 June 2018) was an Irish poet. Biography Woods was born in Dublin, where he attended Gonzaga College and then University College Dublin. He married the poet Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin. They had one son, Niall, a musician. ...

, ''The Cotard Dimension''. Judges:

Gerald Dawe Gerald Dawe (born 1952) is an Irish poet. Early life Gerald Dawe was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and grew up with his mother, sister and grandmother. He attended Orangefield High School across the city in East Belfast, a leading progres ...

, James Harpur, and Mary Shine Thompson (all poets).

2011

Winner:

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

, for '' Human Chain''.Heaney wins 'Irish Times' poetry award
''Irish Times'', 26 March 2011. Shortlist: * Sara Berkeley, ''The View from Here''. * Ciarán Carson, ''Until Before After''. *

Dermot Healy Dermot Healy (9 November 1947 – 29 June 2014) was an Irish novelist, playwright, poet and short story writer. A member of Aosdána, Healy was also part of its governing body, the Toscaireacht. Born in Finea, County Westmeath, he lived in ...

, ''A Fool's Errand''. *

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

, ''Human Chain''. *

Paul Muldoon Paul Muldoon (born 20 June 1951) is an Irish poet. He has published more than thirty collections and won a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the T. S. Eliot Prize. At Princeton University he is currently both the Howard G. B. Clark '21 University Pr ...

, ''Maggot''. Judges: Brian Lynch (poet, novelist, and screenwriter), Leanne O'Sullivan (poet), and Borbála Faragó (lecturer and critic).

2010

Winner:

, for ''Through the Square Window''. Shortlist: * Ciarán Carson, ''On the Night Watch''. * Vona Groarke, ''Spindrift''. *

, ''Through the Square Window''. *

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin (; born 1942) is an Irish poet and academic. She was the Ireland Professor of Poetry (2016–19). Biography Ní Chuilleanáin was born in Cork in 1942. She is the daughter of Eilís Dillon and Professor Cormac Ó Cuil ...

, ''The Sun-fish''. *

, ''The Thing Is''.DLR Poetry Now 2010
''Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council''. Retrieved: 28 March 2011. Judges: John F. Deane, Alan Gillis, and Maria Johnston.

2009

Winner:

Derek Mahon Derek Mahon (23 November 1941 – 1 October 2020) was an Irish poet. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland but lived in a number of cities around the world. At his death it was noted that his, "influence in the Irish poetry community, lite ...

, for ''Life on Earth''.Mahon wins 'Irish Times' poetry prize for new collection
''Irish Times'', 28 March 2009. Shortlist: *

Colette Bryce Colette Bryce is a poet, freelance writer, and editor. She was a Fellow in Creative Writing at the University of Dundee from 2003 to 2005, and a North East Literary Fellow at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne from 2005 to 2007. She was the ...

, ''Self-Portrait in the Dark''. * Ciarán Carson, ''For All We Know''. * Leontia Flynn, ''Drives''. *

Pearse Hutchinson Pearse Hutchinson (16 February 1927 – 14 January 2012) was an Irish poet, broadcaster and translator. Childhood and education Hutchinson was born in Glasgow. His father, Harry Hutchinson, a Scottish printer whose own father had left Dublin to ...

, ''At Least For a While''. *

, ''Life on Earth''.DLR Poetry Now 09
''Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council''. Retrieved: 28 March 2011. Judges: Kit Fryatt, Sean O'Brien, and Joseph Woods.

2008

Winner:

, for ''Secular Eden: Paris Notebooks 1994–2004''. Shortlist: *

, ''Secular Eden: Paris Notebooks 1994–2004''. * Eamon Grennan, ''Out of Breath''. * Dave Lordan, ''The Boy in the Ring''. *

, ''Reality Check''. *

Matthew Sweeney Matthew Gerard Sweeney (6 October 1952 – 5 August 2018) was an Irish poet. His work has been translated into Dutch, Italian, Hebrew, Japanese, Latvian, Mexican Spanish, Romanian, Slovakian and German. According to the poet Gerard Smyth: "I ...

, ''Black Moon''.DLR Poetry Now 08
''Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council''. Retrieved: 28 March 2011. Judges: Philip Coleman, Sasha Dugdale, and William Wall.

2007

Winner:

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

, for ''

District and Circle ''District and Circle'' is a poetry collection by Seamus Heaney, who received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. It was published in 2006 and won the 2006 T. S. Eliot Prize, the most prestigious poetry award in the UK. The collection also won ...

''. Shortlist: *

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

, ''District and Circle''. *

Medbh McGuckian Medbh McGuckian (born as Maeve McCaughan on 12 August 1950) is a poet from Northern Ireland. Biography She was born the third of six children as Maeve McCaughan to Hugh and Margaret McCaughan in North Belfast. Her father was a school headmaster ...

, ''The Currach Requires No Harbours''. *

, ''Horse Latitudes''. *

Caitriona O'Reilly Caitríona O'Reilly (born 1973) is an Irish poet and critic. Life She earned BA and PhD degrees in Archaeology and English at Trinity College, Dublin, where she was awarded a PhD on American poetry, and was awarded the Rooney Prize for Irish L ...

, ''The Sea Cabinet''. * David Wheatley, ''Mocker''. Judges:

Eileen Battersby Eileen Battersby ( Whiston; 4 June 1956 – 23 December 2018) was the chief literary critic of ''The Irish Times''. She sometimes divided opinion, having been described by John Banville as "the finest fiction critic we have", while attractin ...

, Niall MacMonagle, and

Maurice Riordan Maurice Riordan (born 1953) is an Irish poet, translator, and editor. Born in Lisgoold, County Cork, his poetry collections include: ''A Word from the Loki'' (1995), a largely London-based collection which was a Poetry Book Society Choice and ...

2006

Winner:

, for ''Harbour Lights''. Shortlist: * John F. Deane, ''The Instruments of Art''. * Nick Laird, ''To a Fault''. *

, ''Harbour Lights''. *

, ''The State of the Prisons''. *

, ''Fiction''.Shortlist for 'Irish Times' Poetry Now 2006 prize
''Irish Times'', 28 January 2006. Judges: Patrick Crotty, Gerard Fanning, and

Fiona Sampson Fiona Ruth Sampson, is a British poet and writer. She is published in thirty-seven languages and has received a number of national and international awards for her writing. A former musician, Sampson has written on the links between music a ...

2005

Winner: Dorothy Molloy, for ''Hare Soup'', awarded posthumously (she died in January 2004) for her début collection.Late poet's work wins award
''Irish Times'', 1 April 2005. Shortlist: *

Paul Durcan Paul Durcan (born 16 October 1944) is a contemporary Irish poet. Early life Durcan was born and grew up in Dublin and in Turlough, County Mayo. His father, John, was a barrister and circuit court judge; father and son had a difficult and forma ...

, ''The Art of Life''. * Alan Gillis, ''Somebody Somewhere''. *

, ''The Book of the Angel''. * Dorothy Molloy, ''Hare Soup''. *

, ''Nonetheless''. Judges: Simon Armitage, Selina Guinness, and

Colm Tóibín Colm Tóibín (, approximately ; born 30 May 1955) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, journalist, critic, playwright and poet. His first novel, '' The South'', was published in 1990. '' The Blackwater Lightship'' was shortlis ...

."New voices on poetry shortlist"
''The Irish Times'', 29 January 2005. Retrieved: 5 May 2012. Via

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References

External links

Poetry Now
website for the annual international poetry festival.
Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival
website for the annual book festival. {{Poetry Now Award 2005 establishments in Ireland Awards established in 2005 Irish literary awards Literary awards by magazines and newspapers Poetry awards The Irish Times Poetry festivals in Ireland