Darren is an award-winning poet and playwright from Newbridge in Co Kildare, Ireland. His poetry has been published in many highly regarded journals and magazines including Poetry Ireland Review, Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cyphers, Banshee, and Dedalus Press.
In 2020, Darren received the Dennis O’Driscoll Literary Award from Kildare County Council, and in 2021 he was awarded a Poetry Town Bursary from Poetry Ireland to support the development of his début collection, Secret Poets, which was published in April, 2022 by Turas Press. The poems chart the poet’s journey through illness, and his determination to uncover the sublime hiding within the everyday.
Praise for Darren’s work
Jessica Traynor (Author, Liffey Swim, The Quick, Pit Lullabies) gave Secret Poets this enthusiastic endorsement:
“Wry, witty and surreal, the poems in Darren Donohue’s first collection demonstrate a confidence rare in début poets. Cosmopolitan in his sensibilities and attuned to the complexities of Irish and international history, Donohue is an heir to greats such as Matthew Sweeney; poets who challenge us to look outside our narrow selves and glimpse the world through fresh eyes.”
Darren’s poetry was nominated for a Hennessy Literary Award in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2020.
Darren Donohue, playwright
Darren is also well known as an acclaimed playwright. His plays have been produced in Dublin, London, Edinburgh, Barcelona, Milan, Prague, Baltimore, Washington DC and New York, for many national and international theatres companies and festivals. These include: the Abbey Theatre, Fishamble, Dublin Theatre Festival, Tramedautore Festival, Three Streets Theatre, Crooked House, Irish Rep NCY and more. He won the Bread and Roses Playwriting Award, 2019 and the Radius Playwriting Competition, 2020 in association with Finborough Theatre.
Darren in the Media
To hear Darren discussing his poetry and playwriting work, check out this interview with Nickey Brennan on Community Radio, Kilkenny City, 18th December 2021.
In April, the Kildare Nationalist did a feature article about Darren and his work, in anticipation of the launch of Secret Poets.
To learn more about Darren and his work, visit his website.
Follow Darren on social media
Instagram @darren_donohue_poetry Twitter @DarrenDonohue1