Irish-language poet and editor Aifric Mac Aodha has been named the winner of the 2025 Michael Hartnett Poetry Award for her third collection, Old Friends (The Gallery Press, 2024).
Described by judges as “affecting” and “at times dark,” the collection marks a “significant achievement” in Mac Aodha’s poetic career. The poems are written in Irish, with English translations by fellow poet David Wheatley.
Judges Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhaigh and Louis de Paor praised the collection, stating:
“There is an unmistakable linguistic assurance in these poems alongside an agility in poetic form, in which the narratives are often half-obscured beneath the surface of the poem, amplifying the mysteriousness and emotional sensitivity of the work. There is a sense that she is consistently expanding the resources of the language as she continues to sharpen her own poetic idiom. She has a particular gift for finding cadence between words in surprising ways.”
The award, worth €8,000, will be presented on the opening night of Éigse Michael Hartnett 2025, taking place on Thursday, 2 October in Newcastle West, Co. Limerick. The award is supported by Limerick City and County Council and Arts Council partnership framework agreement.
Responding to the announcement, Aifric Mac Aodha said:
“It is a great pleasure and an even greater surprise to receive the Michael Hartnett Poetry Award. In his ‘Poem for Niall, 7’ – a poem full of love and humanity – Hartnett tells us that ‘ink speaks and paper speaks’. Poets can only say what they have to say through their poems, and poetry can be difficult to achieve. For those reasons, it means a great deal to me that the judges have chosen my collection, Old Friends. I am grateful to them, to the festival organisers, and to my translator, David Wheatley.”
Aifric Mac Aodha is the Irish-language editor of Poetry Ireland Review. Her debut collection, Gabháil Syrinx (The Taking of Syrinx), was published by An Sagart in 2010. Her work has appeared in numerous journals, including POETRY for Young Irish Poets, and has been translated into French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Czech.
She has taught in St Petersburg, New York, and Canada, and has lectured in Old and Modern Irish at University College Dublin (UCD). She has received multiple bursaries from The Arts Council. Her latest collection, Old Friends, with translations by David Wheatley, was published by The Gallery Press in 2024. She lives in Dublin, where she works for the Irish-language publisher An Gúm.
David Wheatley, born in Dublin, has published four collections with The Gallery Press and two with Carcanet Press.
Buann Aifric Mac Aodha Duais Filíochta Michael Hartnett, 2025 do Chnuasach Dátheangach Old Friends
Ainmníodh file Gaeilge agus an t-eagarthóir Aifric Mac Aodha ina buaiteoir ar Dhuais Filíochta Michael Hartnett 2025 i ngeall ar a tríú cnuasach, Old Friends (The Gallery Press, 2024).
“Corraitheach” and “dorcha ar uairibh” an cur síos atá déanta ag na moltóirí ar an gcnuasach agus is “gaisce suntasach” é an cnuasach i ngairm filíochta Mhic Aodha. Is i nGaeilge atá na dánta, agus leaganacha Béarla curtha orthu ag an bhfile David Wheatley.
Mhol moltóirí Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhaigh agus Louis de Paor an cnuasach go haer, agus bhí le rá acu:
“Tá ardmhuinín teanga agus aclaíocht foirme filíochta le sonrú go follasach sna dánta seo agus scéalta leathbháite faoi dhromchla an dáin aici a chuireann le mistéir agus le béim mhothálach na filíochta. Braitear go bhfuil leathadh leanúnach á dhéanamh aici ar acmhainn na teanga fad is atá faobhar á chur aici ar a friotal filíochta. Tá bua ar leith aici cling agus uaim agus rím a bhaint as focail ar bhealach nach mbeifí ag súil leis."
Bronnfar an duais, ar fiú €8,000 í, ag oíche oscailte Éigse Michael Hartnett, 2025, a bheidh ar siúl Déardaoin, an 2 Deireadh Fómhair i gCaisleán Nua Thiar, Contae Luimnigh. Tacaíonn Comhairle Cathrach agus Contae Luimnigh agus comhaontú creata comhpháirtíochta na Comhairle Ealaíne leis an duais.
Dúirt Aifric Mac Aodha, mar fhreagra ar an bhfógra:
"“Díol áthais dom an gradam seo. Sa phíosa álainn, ‘Dán do Niall, 7’, dearbhaíonn Ó hAirtnéide go ‘labhraíonn dúch’ is go ‘labhraíonn pár’. Ina chuid dánta a nochtann file ar bith a phriocadh anama féin. Ní furasta dán a chur i gcrích ach ábhar sásaimh/iontais i gcónaí d’fhile nuair a thugann léitheoir taitneamh dá shaothar. Ar an ábhar sin, is rímhór agam é gur roghnaigh na moltóirí Old Friends (The Gallery Press, 2024). Tá mé an-bhuíoch díobhsan, de Peter Fallon, agus de David Wheatley, aistritheoir an leabhair.”
Tá Aifric Mac Aodha ag obair ina heagarthóir Gaeilge le Poetry Ireland Review. D’fhoilsigh An Sagart an chéad chnuasach filíochta léi, Gabháil Syrinx, sa bhliain 2010. Cuireadh dánta dá cuid i gcló ar irisí éagsúla, POETRY Young Irish Poets ina measc. Aistríodh a saothar go teangacha éagsúla, an Fhraincis, an Ghearmáinis, an Iodáilis, an Spáinnis agus an tSeicis san áireamh.
Bhronn An Chomhairle Ealaíon mórchuid sparánachtaí uirthi. Is é Old Friends (The Gallery Press, 2024) an cnuasach is déanaí léi. Tá cónaí uirthi i mBaile Átha Cliath, áit a bhfuil sí ag obair ina heagarthóir cúnta leis an nGúm.