PATRICK KAVANAGH RURAL & LITERARY RESOURCE CENTRE
INNISKEEN, CO. MONAGHAN
Tel: 00353(0)42 9378560 E-mail: infoatpkc@eircom.net www.patrickkavanaghcountry.com
Kavanagh Prize Winner
The winner of the 2009 Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Prize is Martin Dyar.
Born in 1976, Dyar grew up in Swinford in County Mayo. He has worked as a special needs teacher, a teacher of creative writing, and as a lecturer in
medical ethics. He holds a PhD in English Literature from Trinity College
Dublin.
In 2001 he won the Strokestown International Poetry Award 2001 and in 2007 the Raftery Award. His play about the life and work of Thomas Moore,
entitled Harp of My Country, was performed at the National Concert Hall in 2004.
The €1,000 prize was presented by Peter Murphy, Chairman, Patrick Kavanagh Society at the Patrick Kavanagh Centre in Inniskeen, Co.Monaghan on Friday, 27th November.
Joint second prize winners were Teresa Lally, of Inchicore, Dublin and
Shirley McClure, of Bray, Co Wicklow. Michael Farry, of Trim, Co. Meath and Justin McCarthy, of Cloughboley, Co. Sligo were given Special Commendations.
The judge was the poet, novelist, screenwriter and publisher of the Duras
Press, Brian Lynch. He described Dyar as ‘a new and original voice in Irish
writing, an exciting poet at the beginning of what is bound to be a big
career’
.
