Favourite poems provide food for thought for Darina

The lucrative Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize attracts thousands of entries from around the world, writes Colette Sheridan

NOW in its fifth year, the Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize, one of the most lucrative poetry awards in the world, is something that Darina Allen is very proud of.

The celebratory chef, based at Ballymaloe in East Cork, says the prize, worth €10,000 for a single unpublished poem, causes great excitement around the world because poetry prizes in general don’t tend to be very generous.