ROONEY PRIZE FOR IRISH LITERATURE

The 'Rooney Prize for Irish Literature' was created in 1976 by the Irish-American businessman, Dr Dan Rooney, president of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The prize is awarded to Irish writers, aged less than 40 and who are published. Although often associated with individual books, it is intended to reward a body of work.
Recipients include

★ 1976: Heno Magee

★ 1977: Peter Sheridan

★ 1978: Desmond Hogan

★ 1979: Kate Cruise O'Brien, ''A Gift Horse'' (short stories)

★ 1980: Bernard Farrell

★ 1981:

★ 1982: Medbh McGuckian; Special prize awarded to Sean O Tuama and Tom Kinsella for ''An Duanaire / Poems of the Dispossessed''

★ 1983:

★ 1984: Ronan Sheehan

★ 1985: Frank McGuinness

★ 1986:

★ 1987: Deirdre Madden, ''Hidden Symptoms'' (novel)

★ 1988: Glenn Patterson, ''Burning Your Own'' (novel)

★ 1989: Robert McLiam Wilson, ''Ripley Bogle'' (novel)

★ 1990: Mary Dorcey, ''The Portable Virgin'' (poems)

★ 1991: Anne Enright

★ 1992: Hugo Hamilton

★ 1993:

★ 1994: Colum McCann, ''Fishing the Sloe-Black River'' (short stories)

★ 1995: Philip MacCann

★ 1996: Mike McCormack, ''Getting It In The Head'' (short stories); additional Special Award presented to Vona Groarke and Conor O'Callaghan

★ 1997: Anne Haverty, ''One Day as a Tiger'' (novel)

★ 1998: David Wheatley, ''Thirst'' (poems)

★ 1999: Mark O'Rowe, ''Howie the Rookie'' (play)

★ 2000: Claire Keegan, ''Antarctica'' (short stories)

★ 2001: Keith Ridgway, ''Standard Time'' (short stories)

★ 2002: Caitríona O’Reilly, ''The Nowhere Birds'' (poems)

★ 2003: Eugene O'Brien, ''Eden'' (play)

★ 2004: Claire Kilroy, ''All Summer'' (novel)

★ 2005: Nick Laird, ''Utterly Monkey'' (novel) and ''To a Fault'' (poems)

★ 2006: Philip O Ceallaigh, ''Notes from a Turkish Whorehouse'' (short stories)
Date of award unknown: Paul Mercier, Neil Jordan, Tom Kinsella.