Entrants may submit an unlimited number of poems, in any of the categories, and each poem must be accompanied by a fee of €5 (£4 sterling or $5). Personal cheques (made out to Strokestown Poetry Festival) or postal orders in Euros or Sterling are accepted. Otherwise payment should be in the form of a banker's draft or an international money order.

All poems must be the unpublished, original work of a living author. Poems must not have been previously published, self-published or published on a website or broadcast.

The poems must be typed or very clearly written on one side of the paper only.

The poems, and payment, should be firmly attached to the entry form. The name of the entrant must not appear on the poems themselves.

No alterations can be made to the poem once it has been submitted, and it is regretted that no entries can be returned.

The judges' decisions are final and no correspondence can be entered into regarding those decisions.

The judges' shortlists will be announced in mid March, and the prizes will be announced and awarded during the Strokestown International Poetry Festival, Co. Roscommon, Ireland, which will take place over the first weekend of May 2006. Each shortlisted poet in the two main competitions will be invited to read a selection of his/her work at the festival for a fee of €300 plus €150 travelling expenses. Shortlisted competitors are expected to attend the prize-giving, and each will be invited to read a selection of his/her work at the festival for a fee of €300 plus €150 travelling expenses. A list of the prize-winners will be posted up on this website as soon as they are announced during the festival weekend. 

Copyright will remain with the competitor, but Strokestown Community Development Association reserves the right to arrange first publication or broadcast of selected poems as it sees fit.

Submission of a poem implies the competitor's acceptance of the conditions set out above.