Announcing the 2026 Irish Writers Centre Irish Language Poetry Mentorship

Meantóireacht Filíochta Gaeilge Áras Scríbhneoirí na hÉireann 2026

Tá lúcháir ar Áras Scríbhneoirí na hÉireann ár gcéad meantóireacht Gaeilge a fhógairt. I mbliana, beidh an mheantóireacht ann do scríbhneoirí filíochta; beidh béim ar seanraí eile sna blianta atá le teacht.

Is í an file iomráiteach Aifric Mac Aodha a bheidh mar mheantóir againn.

Cáilitheacht
Tá an scéim ar oscailt do scríbhneoir ar bith thar 18 a bhfuil cónaí orthu áit ar bith in Éirinn faoi láthair. Bronnfar trí shéisiúin meantóireachta ar an bhuaiteoir i rith na bliana 2026.

Déantar iarratais trí Google Form.

Amlíne
Beidh glacadh le hiarratais ó 5 pm, Dé Déardaoin 19 Márta go 5 pm, Dé hAoine 10 Aibreán. Nuair atá an scríbhneoir roghnaithe tarraigeofar trí shéisiúin meantóireachta 90 nóiméad dó nó di idir sin agus deireadh 2026.

Treoracha
Roimh gach séisiúin seolfaidh an scríbhneoir suas le 180 líne filíochta chuig an meantóir.
Tá an dualgas ar an scríbhneoir saothar a sheoladh chuig an meantóir in am. Ba chóir go mbeadh go leor ama ag an mheantóir an saothar a léamh agus a mheas (ar a laghad seachtain roimh an dáta comhaontaithe, dhá sheachtain nó breis roimhe más féidir). Nuair atá an scríbhinn curtha isteach don mheasúnú, níor chóir don scríbhneoir leaganacha leasuithe a chur isteach ina dhiaidh sin.

Moltar go bpléifidh agus go n-aontóidh an scríbhneoir agus an meantóir amchlár na gcruinnithe i dtús báire.

Ba chóir go mbeadh meas agus tuiscint ag an bheirt ar am an duine eile agus ba chóir cumarsáid a choinneáil go seoladh saothar ar ríomhphost roimh mheasúnú, socraithe cruinnithe agus seachadadh saothair.

Tá cead ag an mheantóir nótaí agus tuairimí a bhreacadh ar an scríbhinn ach níl súil leis go ndéanfadh sí eagarthóireacht ar an script.

Maidir le cruinnithe béal ar bhéal: nuair atá an bheirt ina gcónaí sa chontae céanna ba chóir dóibh ionad cruinnithe a roghnú atá sásúil don bheirt.

Nuair nach bhfuil an bheirt sa chontae céanna, moltar cruinnithe ar líne.

Faoin Mheantóir
Tá Aifric Mac Aodha ag obair ina heagarthóir Gaeilge le Poetry Ireland Review. D’fhoilsigh An Sagart an chéad chnuasach filíochta léi, Gabháil Syrinx, sa bhliain 2010. Cuireadh dánta dá cuid i gcló ar irisí éagsúla, POETRY Young Irish Poets ina measc. Aistríodh a saothar go teangacha éagsúla, an Fhraincis, an Ghearmáinis, an Iodáilis, an Spáinnis agus an tSeicis san áireamh. Bhronn An Chomhairle Ealaíon mórchuid sparánachtaí uirthi. Is é Old Friends (The Gallery Press, 2024) an cnuasach is déanaí léi. Tá cónaí uirthi i mBaile Átha Cliath, áit a bhfuil sí ag obair ina heagarthóir cúnta leis an nGúm.

Le d’iarratas a chur isteach, líon amach an fhoirm anseo le do thoil.

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Irish Writers Centre Irish Language Poetry Mentorship

The Irish Writers Centre is delighted to announce our inaugural Irish language mentorship. This year, the mentorship will be for writers of poetry; we will focus on different genres in subsequent years.

Our inaugural mentor is acclaimed poet Aifric Mac Aodha.

This mentorship has been made possible by the generous support of Foras na Gaeilge. All Irish Writers Centre’s activity is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.

Eligibility
Applications are open to any writer aged over 18 who is currently resident anywhere on the island of Ireland. The selected mentee will be awarded three sessions over the course of 2026.

Applications are to be made via Google Form.

Timeline
Applications will open on 5pm, Thursday 19 March and close 5pm, Friday 10 April. Once the mentee has been selected, they will offered three 90 mins mentoring sessions that should take place before the end of December 2026.

Guidelines
Before each session, the mentee will send the mentor up to 180 lines of poetry. The mentee is responsible for sending their work to the mentor in good time. It should give the mentor time to read and digest the work (at least a week in advance of the agreed date, ideally two or more). Once the text is sent by the mentee for review, they should not send updated drafts after this point.

We advise that scheduling for all three meetings, each 90 mins, is discussed and agreed between mentee and mentor at the outset. Mentors’ and mentees’ time should be respected, and so email communication should be limited to submitting work by email in advance of meetings, arranging meetings and delivery of work.

The mentor may mark up the script with notes and comments where they see fit, but is not expected to edit or line edit the script. In relation to in-person meetings: where the mentor and mentee are living in the same county, mentor and mentee should aim to meet in a place that is reasonably easy for both to access and mutually agreed. Where the mentee and mentor are living in different counties, we recommend online sessions.

About the Mentor
Tá Aifric Mac Aodha ag obair ina heagarthóir Gaeilge le Poetry Ireland Review. D’fhoilsigh An Sagart an chéad chnuasach filíochta léi, Gabháil Syrinx, sa bhliain 2010. Cuireadh dánta dá cuid i gcló ar irisí éagsúla, POETRY Young Irish Poets ina measc. Aistríodh a saothar go teangacha éagsúla, an Fhraincis, an Ghearmáinis, an Iodáilis, an Spáinnis agus an tSeicis san áireamh. Bhronn An Chomhairle Ealaíon mórchuid sparánachtaí uirthi. Is é Old Friends (The Gallery Press, 2024) an cnuasach is déanaí léi. Tá cónaí uirthi i mBaile Átha Cliath, áit a bhfuil sí ag obair ina heagarthóir cúnta leis an nGúm.

Aifric Mac Aodha is the Irish-language poetry editor of Poetry Ireland Review. Her first poetry collection, Gabháil Syrinx (The Taking of Syrinx), was published by An Sagart in 2010 and her work has been published in various magazines and journals, including POETRY Young Irish Poets. Her poetry has been translated to many languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish and Czech. She has been awarded several bursaries by The Arts Council. Her latest collection, Old Friends, with translations by David Wheatley, was published by The Gallery Press in 2024. She lives in Dublin where she works for the Irish-language publisher, An Gúm.

To submit your application, please fill out our form here.