The Waterford Poetry Prize 2025 has officially opened for submissions, inviting poets from across the island of Ireland to enter their work for a chance to win prestigious awards and national recognition.
Now a celebrated fixture in the Irish literary calendar, the prize was established in honour of the late Waterford poet Seán Dunne, whose work continues to influence and inspire generations of writers.
The winners will be announced during the closing event of the Waterford Writers Weekend on Sunday, October 26, 2025.
Last year’s top prize went to Abhainn Connolly for the poem The Transgender Mirror. Connolly, an American writer based in Dublin, has been widely recognised for their work, having also been longlisted for the 2024 Edinburgh Short Story Award. In 2024, they received both a Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Emerging Artist bursary and an Agility Award from the Arts Council of Ireland in recognition of their fiction and creative non-fiction.
This year’s competition will be adjudicated by acclaimed poet, essayist, and librettist Jessica Traynor. Traynor is the author of three highly praised poetry collections and serves as poetry editor for Banshee literary journal. Her most recent collection, Pit Lullabies, was named a Poetry Book Society recommendation. Her accolades include the 2024 Tundish Award from Field Day and the 2023 Laurence O’Shaughnessy Award for Irish Poetry. Her forthcoming fourth collection, New Arcana, will be published by Bloodaxe Books in September 2025.
The competition is open to all, with no age limit or entry fee. The winner will receive a €500 cash prize along with a place on a writing course at the Molly Keane Writers Retreat in Ardmore. Second and third prizes are €400 and €300, respectively.
The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on Friday, August 15, 2025.
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