Annaghmakerrig Residencies 2025

In keeping with the Irish Writers Centre’s 2022-2026 Strategy, this scheme seeks to create new opportunities, grant access and develop networks that connect writers to each other. This programme directly correlates with the objectives of Strategy Goal 2, which is to enhance opportunities for people across all communities to explore and participate in creative writing, as well as Strategy Goal 3, which is to cultivate an engaged community of writers and strategic alliances that support our ambitions. support writers to advance their craft and career with confidence and resilience.

About the Annaghmakerrig Residencies

The five selected writers will spend seven nights all-inclusive, from Monday 18 August 2025 to Sunday 24 August 2025 at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, in County Monaghan. Check out will be on Monday 25 August 2025 by 11am.

The main aim of this residency  is to provide an opportunity for writers to spend time working on their projects  without the stresses of everyday life. There will also be an opportunity to build a network and community with the other writers on the residency.

Each writer will be allocated one of the five self-catering cottages located behind the main house itself.  Although these are self-catering, meals will be provided in the main house. We will ask you to specify in advance if you have dietary requirements. You do have the option to cook for yourself in your cottage, but please notify the kitchen in advance.

There will be a common studio assigned to the five writers to meet during their stay to share their experiences with each other.

Each of the writers will have the opportunity to share a piece of their work (either a new piece of work or previously completed piece) at a small event, held at the end of the residency on Sunday 24 August 2025, with invited members of the Irish Writers Centre, the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and fellow artists staying in the house who will also be invited to perform.

For information about the facilities on offer, please visit Tyrone Guthrie Centre’s website.

Who is it for?

This is an open call for all writers, both emerging and established who are over 18 years of age and resident on the island of Ireland.

Accepted forms of writing:

• Fiction
• creative non-fiction
• children’s/Young Adult fiction
• poetry

Writers of both English and Irish language are welcome to apply.

We encourage writers from backgrounds that are typically underrepresented in Irish literature to apply. We particularly invite applications from people who are D/deaf, disabled, LGBTQIA+, Minority Ethnic, Black & Persons of Colour, Roma, a member of the Travelling Community, and from working class backgrounds.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying, please submit the following to  Submittable:

• A cover letter (Max. one A4 page) including your personal details and statement of artistic intent, clearly and concisely outlining the project you would like to focus on during your time at Tyrone Guthrie Centre.
• A Writer’s CV (max. two A4 pages). See our guide to a Writer’s CV here.
• Clearly labelled samples of recent work: up to THREE short samples of no more than 500 words each or between 4-6 poems PLUS ONE sample from the work-in-progress you propose to focus on during the residency.

Note: Please compile all relevant documentation into a single Word doc or PDF attachment. (Incorrect collation may result in ineligibility.)

What is Submittable?  

Submittable is an online platform that the Irish Writers Centre uses to collect and review submissions and applications. To submit your application via Submittable, applicants will need to create a Submittable account. It’s free and easy to use but if you have any issues with Submittable, please email projects@irishwriterscentre.ie.

Applications will be acknowledged via an automatic email. If you don’t receive a confirmation of receipt, please contact us (projects@irishwriterscentre.ie) to check if your application has gone through.

Selection process

Applications will be reviewed by a selection panel made up of Irish Writers Centre team members and the Tyrone Guthrie team for eligibility, expression of intent, and the range and quality of writing samples provided.

All applicants will be notified about the outcome of their application. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not able to give individual feedback to applicants, unless they have been interviewed, depending on the scheme. This policy extends across all our calls in the interests of equity and transparency, and because, as a small team, we don’t have the capacity to give individual responses.