The Frances Browne Multilingual Poetry Competition 2025 has now officially closed, and we want to extend a sincere thank you to every poet who shared their work with us this year.

We are delighted to say that we received entries from a remarkable range of voices and places. Poets joined us from across Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, as well as from much further afield — including the United States, Australia, Bulgaria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, and Bangalore, India.

Your support for our small, volunteer-led festival means so much, and it is a privilege to be trusted with your words. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

What happens next

Judging: Our panel will now begin the careful process of reading and considering every poem.

Longlist announced: Saturday 13 September 2025 (published in the Finn Valley Voice and online).

Shortlist announced: Saturday 20 September 2025 (published in the Finn Valley Voice and online).

Awards Ceremony: Friday 10 October 2025, taking place at Kee’s Hotel, Stranorlar, Co. Donegal.

We will contact shortlisted poets directly, and we look forward to celebrating all our finalists and winners in October as part of the Frances Browne Literary Festival.

Invitation to the Frances Browne Poetry Awards 2025

We warmly invite poets and non-poets alike to join us for our Awards Evening on 10 October — a unique celebration where shortlisted poets will read their work in English, Irish, and Ulster-Scots. The Awards form a highlight of our festival calendar and are part of the full weekend programme of the Frances Browne Literary Festival, bringing together voices, stories, and community in Stranorlar.

Thank you once again to everyone who entered this year — your poems remind us why we continue to “treasure each voice.”