Vona Groarke welcomed as the new Professor of Poetry for Ireland
10 July 2025
Author and poet Vona Groarke has been named as the tenth (opens in a new window)Professor of Poetry of Ireland.
One of the most prestigious positions in the Irish creative arts, the role is supported by University College Dublin, Queens University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, and sees a poet of honour and distinction newly selected every three years.
During their tenure Ireland Professor of Poetry spends a year in residence at each of the partner universities engaging with students through a series of workshops and readings, outreach work and one formal presentation, usually in the form of a lecture.
Of her appointment, Vona said: “It may seem strange for the newly minted Irish Professor of Poetry to find herself (almost!) at a loss for words to describe the delight and honour of having been selected for a role some of our finest poets have graced and amplified.
“But I want to express my deep gratitude to the Trust for this opportunity. I hope that my tenure will continue the service of my predecessors in highlighting the work of those who’ve chosen to put the practice of the art and craft of poetry at the very centre of our lives.”
She continued: “I would like my time as Ireland Professor of Poetry to honour all those individuals and organisations, from teachers to libraries, readers to Irish publishers, whose attentions and efforts help to sustain the work of Irish poets.
“Together, we contribute to a sense that Ireland north and south, is a place where poetry happens and continues to matter. I also look forward to engaging with as many aspiring poets and readers of all ages as possible during my time in the role.”
Vona Groarke has been welcomed by the Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust as the new Ireland Professor of Poetry
— IrelandChairOfPoetry (@ChairOfPoetry) (opens in a new window)July 9, 2025
The position will run from September 2025 to November 2028.
Read the full press release on our website (opens in a new window)https://t.co/0khV8JzfGb (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/mcXRD6wgYf
Born in Mostrim, County Longford, Vona has published fourteen books, including eight collections of poetry with the Gallery Press, amongst them Shale (1994), Other People's Houses (1999), Flight (2002), Juniper Street (2006), Spindrift (2009), X (2014), Double Negative (2019), and Link: Poet and World (2021).
A member of Aosdána, and a former editor of the Poetry Ireland Review, she is currently Senior Lecturer in Poetry at the Centre for New Writing at Manchester University, as well as Poet in Residence with the Yeats Society in Sligo and Writer in Residence at St John's College, Cambridge.
She will be the tenth Ireland Professor of Poetry, taking over from the current holder, Professor Paul Muldoon, and her time as Ireland Chair of Poetry will run from September 2025 to November 2028.
Previous holders of the Ireland Professor of Poetry include:
- Professor Paul Muldoon, 2022 to 2025
- Frank Ormsby, 2019 to 2022
- Eilean Ní Chuilleanáin, 2016 to 2019
- Paula Meehan, 2013 to 2016
- Harry Clifton, 2010 to 2013
- Michael Longley, 2007 to 2010
- Paul Durcan, 2004 to 2007
- Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, 2001 to 2004
- Professor John Montague, 1998 to 2001
The Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust was established in 1998 following the award of the Nobel Prize for Literature to Seamus Heaney.
Alongside support from UCD, Queens and TCD, it is backed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
Liam Hannaway, outgoing Chair of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and Chair of the Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust, said: “I am delighted to witness Vona Groarke joining the great line of fantastic Irish poets who have held the position of Ireland Professor of Poetry. I wish her good fortune and I very much look forward to the freshness and energy which she will bring to the role.
“I would also like to acknowledge the work of the previous Ireland Professor of Poetry, Paul Muldoon, and thank him for his contribution over the past three years to the appreciation of poetry in Ireland and beyond. It has been a pleasure to have witnessed him at work in that time.”
Maura McGrath, Chair of the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, and incoming Chair of the Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust, added: “The appointment of Professor Vona Groarke as the next Ireland Professor of Poetry is a moment of celebration for poetry in Ireland. Vona’s work, marked by precision, insight and emotional depth, has long been a cornerstone of contemporary Irish literature.”
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
To contact the News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
