The winner of this year’s Patrick Kavanagh Award for a poet that has not yet published a book is John Mee.
John was born in Canada in 1965 and has lived in Cork since he was seven years old. He works as a professor in the Law School at University College Cork. He published his first poem in 1991 and in 2008 he was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series.
Brian Lynch, judge of the competition and President of the Patrick Kavanagh Society, said that last year John Mee was one of the entrants whose work he had recommended. ‘In the space of a year,’ Brian Lynch said, ‘John has sharpened and focused his considerable natural gifts as a poet. This commitment and improvement is one of the aims of the award.’
He went on to say that University College Cork is proving to be a seed-bed for poets: last year’s winner, John Fitzgerald, is chief librarian at UCC. The runners-up this year also also includes another entrant from Cork, Simon Lewis, who lives in Carlow. The other runners-up are Jane Robinson, from Foxrock in Dublin, Rosamund Taylor, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, and Liza Costelloe, Artane, Dublin.
HIGHLY COMMENDED:
Arthur Broomfield, Upper Iren, Ballyfin, Portlaoise, Co. Laoise
James Patterson, Errigal, Windsor Avenue, Newry, Co. Down
Tom French, Ministown, Laytown, Co. Meath.
Niamh Prior, Lofty Cottage, 4, Bandon Road, Kinsale, Co. Cork.
Victoria Kennefick, 31, Lioscarraig Drive, Caherslee, Tralee, Co. Kerry.
Maureen Boyle, 62, Norn Parade, Belfast, BT72GT
Annmarie Ni Churreain, 110, Ceannt Forti, Mount Brown, Dublin 8
John Harris, ‘Strathmerton, 70, Highfield Rd., Rathgar, Dublin 6.
Ron Carey, 49, Aranleigh Gardens, Rathfarnham, Dublin 1`4.
David Camillns McCrory, 118, Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 5MR
A. M. Cousins, 18, Pineridge, Wexford.
Karina Tynan, 9, Seafield Court, Killiney, Co. Dublin
Peter Tuite, 8, Dodder View Cottages, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
Brian Kirk, 116, Floraville Avenue, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.
Derek Coyle, 34, Centaur House, Carlow
Tom Cooney, 36, The Rise, Boden Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16 E6K8
Paul McMahon, Lisnalurg House, Sligo
Maurice Devitt, 40, Edenvale Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6
Amanda Bell, 10, Leinster Road West, Rathmines, Dublin 6.
Tom Noone, 178, Holywell, Upper Kilmacud Road, Dublin 14
Jackie Gorman, 26A, Shannon Weir, The Docks, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
Kevin Murtagh, 1232 St. Patrick’s Park, Celbridge, Co. Kildare.
SPECIAL COMMENDATION
Paul McMahon, Lisnalurg House, Sligo
