This year’s theme used the extraordinary stories of Angela and Madris, two brave mothers from Honduras and Kenya who featured in Trócaire’s 2020 Lenten Campaign who are supporting their families by standing up for their right to earn a living on their own land.
These brave women are battling enormous odds, including threats like violence, intimidation and drought, to provide food for their children and to keep them in school.
The winners and runners-up are across six categories: adult published, adult unpublished, primary junior, primary senior, post-primary junior and post-primary senior.
Given that this has been such a difficult year, with schools closed since early March, Trócaire was delighted with the volume and the quality of the response to this year’s theme.
As a physical awards ceremony isn’t possible due to Covid-19 restrictions, the winners of the competition will be celebrated with a streamed video event on Poetry Ireland’s YouTube channel at 6.00pm on Culture Night – Friday 18 September.
A booklet of the winning poems is due to be published in 2021.
This year’s winners are:
Adult Published Category
Winner:‘Protest Song’ – Cliona O’Connell
Runners-up:
‘Well Water’ – Christine Broe
‘Arenaria Ciliata’ – Marie Whelton
‘The Kiss and the Betrayal’ – Margaret McCarthy
Adult Unpublished Category
Winner: ‘Declaration Winner’ – Marie Struder
Runners-up:
‘Everything beautiful is cruel’ – Michael Ray
‘Women Sing at the Court of Justice’ – Christine Park
‘Amal’ – Priscilla Cassar
Primary Junior Category
Winner: ‘She’s Standing her Ground’ – Ruairí Heeney
Runners-up:
‘She Stood Tall’ – Eibhlín Milmoe O’Reilly
‘Too much to ask’ – Liam York
Primary Senior Category
Winner: ‘Gaia’s Stand’ – Rosie Penn-Chester
Runners-up:
‘Dear Mrs Sheey Skeffington’ – Iseult McGovern
‘The Girl’ – Veronika Fitzsimons
Post-Primary Junior Category
Winner: ‘Suo Tempore’ – Sineád O’Reilly
Runners-up:
‘Seas do Thalamh’ – Lucy Dillon
‘No More’ – Siobhan Fitzgerald
Post-Primary Senior Category
Winner:‘Home Comforts’ – Liam Hannigan
Runners-up:
‘The Lighthouse’ – Hannah Nic Eindrí
‘Wolves’ – Rachel Durcan
