The Frances Browne Literary Festival
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The Frances Browne Literary Festival
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The Frances Browne Literary Festival
About The Frances Browne Multilingual Poetry Competition
The successful Frances Browne International Poetry Competition, pioneered by Celine Mc Glynn and Dr. Pauline Holland, has been an established event since 2008. The competition is unique in its tri-lingual approach, welcoming poets writing in the English, Irish and Ulster-Scots languages. Since the very first year, the team has been astounded by the volume of entries, and the high quality of the poetry. We realised that it fulfills a real artistic need to for our communities to express themselves in their venacular languages.
The awards ceremony, traditionally held on the Friday night of the festival, is a truly unique and magical night of poetry, song, celebration and friendship. It enshrines the Frances Browne Literary Festival motto 'Treasure each Voice' with live readings of new poetry in all three languages in a single venue. It celebrates and preserves our different voices, helps to brings new talent to the fore, and recognises that we are all connected by our literature and our land.
2024 Poetry Competition
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2023
Frances Browne Poetry Competition
Placed Poems
Our judges would like to thank everyone who submitted poems to the Frances Browne Poetry Competition. It was an extraordinary year and we were overwhelmed by your response. We hope to hear from you all in 2024.
Ulster Scots
First: Chalk, Anne McMaster, Co Derry
Second: The Wumman Who Birthed Seaborn, Angeline Kelly, Co. Antrim
Third: Postlude, Glen Wilson, Co Armagh
HC: Gowan-Like, Caroline Johnstone, Ayrshire
HC: Sheddas, David Atkinson, Co. Londonderry
HC: Tha Deeds, Glen Wilson, Co Armagh
HC: Tha Watch-Hoose Atap Tha Cliff, Angela Graham, Co Antrim
HC: The Back Medda, Fionnuala McNicholl, Co. Derry
Irish
First: Fear Raice, Ailbhe Nic Giolla Bhrighde, Co na Gaillimhe
Second: Foighid, Realtan Ni Leannain, Dublin
Third: Atlantach, Caitriona Lane, Co Galway
HC: Haiku, Cuimhní Cinn, Paddy Donoghue, Donegal
HC: Iníon, Eibhlís Carcione, Cork
English
First: Disguises, Deirdre Hines, Co Donegal
Second: Taking the Gloves, Paul Hennessy, Co Wexford
Third: God’s Garden, A.M. Cousins, Co Wexford
HC: Dust, Anne Rainey, Co. Antrim
HC: Hawthorn, Catherine Kay, Co Donegal
HC:Those Graveyard Sundays, Deirdre Hines, Co Donegal
HC:Travelling Dresses, Anne Rainey, Co. Antrim,
Local Category
Ulster Scots (1st): Sweetay Monae, Niall Iósaf Ó Gallochobhair, Co Donegal
Irish (1st): Tiomna an Chrainn Daortha, Anna Colhoun, Co. Dhún an nGall
Irish (HC):Cnoc an Bhogha, Niall Iósaf Ó Gallochobhair, Co. Dhún an nGall
English: The Eilish Carroll McBride Award (1st)
My Grandfather, Seamus McDermott, Co Donegal
Treasure Each Voice Award
Glen Wilson, Co Armagh
Spirit of the Festival Award
Angeline Kelly, Co. Antrim
2023 Poetry Awards - Readings
The motto of the Frances Browne Literary Festival is 'Treasure Each Voice'. A really important part of our Festival is hearing poets read their own works. We invite all our poets to attend our annual Awards event, where Highly Commended and Winning poets read to a live audience. We also ask them to make a special recording so they can share their works direct with you. You will find some of these recordings below.
Some of these poets are experienced and even published authors. Many are not.
2023 Poetry Competition - Closed for entries
The 2023 Frances Browne Multilingugal Poetry Competition closed for entries on 20th August 2023.
Poetry Categories and Prizes
We welcome poems in the following categories from poets all over the globe.
For 2023 we are introducing an additional three new 'local' prizes in each of the categories!
- English Language - First Prize - €250, Second Prize - €100, Third Prize, €50
- Irish Language - First Prize - €250, Second Prize - €100, Third Prize, €50
- Ulster Scots Language - First Prize - €250, Second Prize - €100, Third Prize, €50
- The Eilish McBride Award - English Language - Local - Sponsored by Edel MacBride - Winning Poem €100
- Irish Language - Local - Winning Poem €100
- Ulster Scots Language - Local - Winning Poem €100
Definition of 'Local'
The ‘Local’ category is open to individuals who were born in and/or are currently living in the Lifford-Stranorlar Municipal District of County Donegal. For details of this area please refer to the link o the Donegal County Council website, or contact the festival committee for confirmation. The Frances Browne Literary Festival Committee reserves the right to verify the information provided by the entrant as eligibility for this category. As the entry fee is per poem, there is no additional fee for entering poems in both the main and local categories.
Past Poetry Competitions
2022 Poetry Competition
Thank you to everyone who entered our 2022 poetry competition.
Yet again we were overwhelmed by the number and standard of the entries. With poets from all over the world taking part we are delighted that our competition is not only multilingual but multinational.
Spirit of the Festival Award
Hills - Jennifer Leong, Singapore
Treasure Each Voice Award
Meid - Anthony Doogan, Moville, Co. Donegal
Irish
1st Place - An chéad áit - An Bhean san Uisce, Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha, Co Donegal
2nd Place - An Fear a Leag an Sceach Gheal. Eibhlís Carcione, Cork
3rd Place - Ainmhí - Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha, Co Donegal
Ardmholadh
Gealfhinne Máire - Anthony Doogan, Co Donegal
Ulster Scots
1st Place - Threads - Stephen Dornan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
2nd Place - Draim Leid - Glen Wilson, Co Armagh
3rd Place - Whit Wid Mamie Think? - Fionnuala McNicholl, Derry
Highly Commended
For a rebal maun scrieve on his rubber - Alan Millar, Co. Antrim
Ma Wee Dug - Elizabeth Kearney, Glasgow
English
1st Place - The Beloved - Tony Devlin, Dublin
2nd Place - You and Bonny Mary - Margaret Galvin, Co Wexford
3rd Place - Portballintrae - Glen Wilson, Co. Armagh
Highly Commended
Her Story - Laura Ní Néill, Co Waterford
Money Back Bottles - Seamus McDermott, Co. Donegal
Mountain of Desire - Clare McKay, Co Antrim
The Carer - Noreen Hunter, Co. Donegal
The New School - Breda Logue, Co Donegal
2021 Poetry Competition
Thank you to everyone who entered our 2021 poetry competition.
Irish
1st Place - An chéad áit - An Bhean san Uisce - Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha, Co Donegal
2nd Place - An Fear a Leag an Sceach Gheal - Eibhlís Carcione, Cork
3rd Place - Ainmhí - Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha, Co Donegal
Ardmholadh
Gealfhinne Máire - Anthony Doogan, Co Donegal
Ulster Scots
1st Place - Apsley's Newsagents Est 1903, Angeline King, Co. Antrim
2nd Place - Aa life is breath, Anne McMaster, Co Derry
3rd Place - Granda's Smittie Tongue, Fionnuala McNicholl, Derry
English
1st Place - Takings - Caroline Bracken, Dublin
2nd Place - Benedictus - Sandra Mary Chambers, Staffordshire, England
3rd Place - Indigenous - Ruth O'Shea, Limerick
Frances Browne Literary Festival Committee © 2023