Mary O’Donnell lives near Straffan, County Kildare. Her first three poetry collections were published by Salmon Poetry (Reading the Sunflowers in September; Spiderwoman’s Third Avenue Rhapsody; Unlegendary Heroes). The 2003 collection September Elegies was published by Lapwing Press, Belfast. Her fiction includes Strong Pagans, The Light-Makers, Virgin and the Boy and The Elysium Testament.
Formerly The Sunday Tribune’s Drama Critic, she is a regular contributor to RTE Radio and has presented many programmes on literature, including the European poetry translation series ‘Crossing the Lines’. Her selected poems, The Place of Miracles was published in 2006 by New Island . She is a member of the Irish academy, Aosdana and served on the jury of the Dublin Impac International Book Award 2006.