mˈɛdb mə ɡˈʌkiənz fˈɜːst mˈeɪdʒɚ kəlˈɛkʃən, ðə flˈaʊɚ mˈæstɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi tˈuː, wˌɪtʃ ɛksplˈoːɹz pˈoʊstnˈeɪɾəl bɹˈeɪkdaʊn, wʌz ɐwˈɔːɹdᵻd ɐ ɹˈuːni pɹˈaɪz fɔːɹ ˈaɪɹɪʃ lˈɪɾɚɹᵻtʃɚ, ɐn ˈɑːɹts kˈaʊnsəl ˈaɪɚlənd ɐwˈɔːɹd bˈoʊθ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi tˈuː ænd ɐn ˈælɪs hˈʌnt bˈɑːɹtlɪt pɹˈaɪz nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi θɹˈiː.
Medbh McGuckian's first major collection, The Flower Master (1982), which explores post-natal breakdown, was awarded a Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, an Arts Council (Ireland) award (both 1982) and an Alice Hunt Bartlett Prize (1983).