First Prize
€300
The Darby Ryan International Poetry Contest 2025
CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES IS MIDNIGHT THURSDAY 31ST JULY 2025
The Darby Ryan International Poetry Contest was inaugurated this year by John Grogan and Claire Grogan Williams, descendants of the late Darby Ryan. The prize winner of this year’s competition will be announced during August 2025 and will be invited to give a reading of his/her work during August.
The headstone of the poet Darby Ryan at Bansha old cemetery
About Darby Ryan
Diarmuid O’Ríain (Darby Ryan) was born at Ashgrove, Bansha in 1777 and was a poet and patriot, his most famous composition was undoubtedly The Peeler and the Goat, a ballad or satire which was popularly sung across Ireland and was taken worldwide by emigrants.
Darby composed many songs and ballads across numerous topics not least Irish nationalism. Darby composed both in Gaelic and English and when any event of local or national importance took place, Darby was called on to immortalise it in verse.
Copies of his Tipperary Minstrelsy are to be found in The British Museum and at The Royal Irish Academy. Ryan died in 1855 and is buried in the old Templeneiry graveyard in Bansha where his grave is marked by a carved stone cross depicting a rope and anchor.
Darby Ryan; Descendants of the poet Darby Ryan pictured at the commemoration in Bansha Old Cemetery 
Darby Ryan; Claire Grogan Williams and her brother John Grogan at the grave of Darby Ryan at Bansha Old Cemetery 
John Grogan, at the grave of Darby Ryan with the recenly added poem, which was composed by Martin Quinn 
The Bansha Bard, composed by Martin Quinn, has been recently added to the grave of Darby Ryan 
Darby Ryan; Darby Ryan's Bible with his signature on it. Pic by Martin Quinn 
Darby Ryan; The Desk Dictionary of Darby Ryan. Pic by Martin Quinn 
Darby Ryan; Writing by Darby Ryan inside the cover of his Bible
Prizes
How to enter
Send your entry via email to [email protected]
In the subject line please state “Darby Ryan Competition 2025”
In the body of the email please state;
Your Name
Your address
Your email address
Poem title(s)
Please attach your poem or poems in a single WORD or TEXT file, there should be no identifying features on the file other than the poem titles, No other file types will be opened. (No PDFs)
All entries must be received before midnight THURSDAY 31ST JULY 2025. Entries received after this time will be discarded.
As this is the inaugural year of the Contest no entry fee is applied.
Your poems will not be returned, so do keep a copy.
All entries are judged anonymously so please do not put any identifying features on the poems.
Rules
Poems, in English only, using any of the following themes; Community, Satire, Tipperary, Ireland.
International entries are welcome.
All poems must be the unpublished work of the person entering them into the competition. They must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, broadcast, or have won another competition at any time.
All entries will be considered anonymously by the judge so poems should not have any indication within them to allow for the identification of the poet.
Should the named judge be unable to proceed, we aim to substitute an alternative judge of equivalent standing.
There is a recommended length of not more than 40 lines but we are open to receiving longer poems if the subject matter justifies it.
Poems can be entered by email to [email protected] putting “Darby Ryan Competition 2025” in the subject box.
Your poems will not be returned, so do keep a copy.
Please attach all entered poems in one attachment using a standard Word file
All entries will be acknowledged by email only.
Closing Date for all entries is midnight on Thursday 31st July 2025.
We cannot accept alterations to the poem(s) once it has been submitted.
Poems cannot be withdrawn from the judging process once they have been entered.
Although copyright will remain with the poet, we reserve the right to publish the winning poem on our website or print books for one year from date of announcement of winning poem.
The organisers reserve the right to withhold prizes if such an action is justified.
The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.