Poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa awarded the 2016 Rooney Prize for Irish Literature

Photograph: From left to right: Sara Baume, Trinity Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast, Rooney Prize Winner 2016 Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Anne Enright, and Kevin Barry.

Bi- bilingual poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa, has been awarded €10,000 as this year’s winner of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, intended for emerging Irish writers. Doireann was born in Galway, grew up in Co. Clare and Currently lives in Cork. Ireland Chair of Poetry Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin described Ní Ghríofa as "a poet to watch, with a fresh view of the world".

A special event was hosted in Trinity College Dublin to honour this year’s winner, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rooney Prize of Irish Literature, and to pay tribute to the Rooney Prize benefactors, former US Ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney and his wife, Patricia Rooney. The Rooney’s have supported what is the longest literary award in Ireland

Photograph: Dr Daniel and Mrs Patricia Rooney.

The event was attended by some of Ireland’s best known writers and previous winners of the award, including Frank McGuinness, Fiction Laureate Anne Enright, Kevin Barry and Sara Baume.