Waterford poet named as one of ten winners of coveted artists award

A Waterford poet is one of ten recipients of an award offering artists funding of up to €25,000 to develop their craft. 

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, this week announced the winners of the Markievicz Award for 2023, with Áine Uí Fhoghlú of An Rinn succeeding under the category of Irish Literature. 

The award is designed to support the development of an artist's craft in order to produce art that recognises and commemorates the role of women in the historical period of 1912-1923. 

Uí Fhoghlú - who is the Poet Laureate for Dungarvan - has written three poetry collections, a number of fiction books as well as a memoir. 

According to Poetry Ireland, prizes won for her writing include the Michael Hartnett Poetry Award at Oireachtas na Gaeilge Literary awards, and Strokestown Duais na Gaeilge award at Listowel Writers’ Week.

Speaking about the news, Minister Martin said, "The 10 artists announced today as Markievicz Award recipients join the 32 artists already in receipt of the Award since it began in 2019. The Award honours Constance de Markievicz – herself an artist – and provides valuable support to artists from all backgrounds and genres to develop their craft and produce new work that reflects on the role of women in the period covered by the centenary commemorations and beyond.

"This is the fifth year of the Award and I am grateful to the Arts Council for both administering the award and for providing additional support to facilitate access for artists to the Award. 

"Each of the artists I met in Dublin recognises the importance of acknowledging, understanding and highlighting the vital role played by women individually and collectively in our history. I look forward to following the progress of this latest group of Markievicz Award artists and to encountering the work they produce as a tangible legacy of the Decade of Centenaries Programme."

She added: "Creative expression is a vital outlet and resource for our society, in articulating contentious history and informing our present thinking and future aspirations. We value this resource highly in Ireland and are fortunate to have over 100 years of artistic output that reflects us, challenges us and inspires us as an independent nation with our own distinct identity on the world stage.”

The Arts Office at Waterford City & County Council congratulate Áine Uí Fhoghlú on her success.