THE Rooney Prize for Irish Literature is one of the most low profile but most coveted literary prizes around. Previous winners include Neil Jordan, Anne Enright and Glenn Patterson, and this year 31 year old Mayoman Mike McCormack joined their exclusive group. Irish Americans Dan and Patricia Rooney came from the US as they do every year to present the award, which is designed, as Jim Sherwin said, "to be a leg up, a bit of a start".
It also has to be the only literary award anywhere where the winner gets a sports jersey as well as a fat cheque (£5,000) Dan is President of the Pittsburgh Steelers (an American football team) and he presented Mike with one of their team shirts. After the AIB sponsored awards party, the extraordinarily generous Dan and Patricia were off to Newry to present a scholarship before a weekend in Bantry, "Dan's favourite place in the world", according to Patricia.
Mike intends spending this sudden and unexpected windfall on root canal treatment.