Mary O'Donnell (born 1954) is an Irish novelist and poet, journalist, broadcaster and teacher.
Her Monaghan-born mother Maureen (née Macklin) was an accomplished singer and actor on the amateur circuit.
[2][3] O'Donnell left teaching to work as a Drama Critic and journalist for the Sunday Tribune (1988–1991).
She has also taken part in several RTE radio programmes she scripted and presented, and won several awards for her writing in both fiction and poetry.
The work Giving Shape to the Moment: the Art of Mary O'Donnell, Poet, Novelist & Short-story Writer includes a selection of essays responding to her writing in each genre, an interview from Irish academic Dr Anne Fogarty, and offers a powerful overview of her contribution to Irish letters.