From Belfast, Paul McMahon lives in Cork. His debut poetry chapbook, Bourdon, was published by Southword Editions.  

Paul was awarded The Keats-Shelley Poetry Prize by Carol Ann Duffy and The Nottingham Open Poetry Prize by Neil Astley. Other poetry awards include The Moth International Poetry Prize, The Westival International Poetry Prize, The Golden Pen Poetry Prize, 2nd prize in The Basil Bunting and The Salt International Poetry Prizes, runner-up prize-winner in The Troubadour, The Tom Howard, and The Atlanta Review Poetry Prizes, and bursary awards for poetry from The Arts Councils of Ireland and N. Ireland.  

Twice nominated for the forward prize, his poetry has appeared in journals such as The Poetry Review, The London Magazine, Rialto, Agenda, The Threepenny Review, The North, The Best New British and Irish Poets, Poetry Ireland Review, The Atlanta Review, The Irish Times, The Stinging Fly, and others.