IWC/Kylemore Notre Dame Residencies 2024

The Irish Writers Centre is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Kylemore Global Centre under the auspices of Notre Dame University. Three writers will be awarded with a fully-catered five day residency opportunity from April 15th to 19th, 2024 in the beautifully restored Kylemore Global Centre on the grounds of Kylemore Abbey in Connemara (Co. Galway). Awarded writers will also have access to the Kylemore Estate, Victorian Walled Gardens, Gothic Chapel and museum. One of the residency places will be reserved for a disabled writer who may require accessible toilets and wheelchair access.

In keeping with goals 1, 2 and 3 of the IWC 2022-2026 strategy, this residency opportunity will support emerging and professional writers to advance their craft and career with confidence and resilience while also cultivating an engaged community of writers and the strategic alliances that support our ambitions.

About the Residency

When does the residency take place? 

Monday April 15th to Friday April 19th, 2024 (four nights)

The Residency provides: 

• Private en-suite bedroom (room includes desk space)
• Fully-catered meals prepared by an in-house chef
• Access to the abbey grounds (Kylemore Estate, Victorian Walled Gardens, Gothic Chapel and museum)
• Communal writing spaces: The Classroom (a quiet space with plenty of desks) or the top floor lounge (high tables and sofas with amazing scenic views of the Connemara mountains)

The top floor lounge inside Kylemore Abbey

The stunning beauty of the Connemara landscape provides the perfect setting for inspiration and reflection. Take time to complete a piece of work or continue writing at your own pace in a quiet and comfortable environment. This residency also provides the opportunity to meet with your writing peers and belong to wider community of writers. For further information about the residency, please look on the Kylemore Notre Dame website here.

“I had a wonderful time at Kylemore Abbey and achieved my writing goals while there, finishing my 5th novel. I am planning on returning in April 2024!”  – Mary T Bradford, September 2023 resident 

Please note, the Irish Writers Centre are unable to provide travel expenses for writers travelling to and from the residency.

Who is it for?

This is an open call to writers, over 18 years of age, resident on the island of Ireland.

This opportunity is open for emerging and professional writers (there are three places in total): 

• Professional writers who are published and would qualify as a professional member (see criteria here).
• Emerging writers who can demonstrate a commitment to writing e.g. creative writing training or courses undertaken, journal publications, awards or notable mentions, or other recognisable achievements.
• This opportunity is for fiction writers and non-fiction writers only (acceptable forms/genres are: Fiction: prose, novel, short stories, screenplays; stage plays and Creative Non-Fiction: memoir; auto-fiction; essays). On this occasion, poetry is not included. We also encourage writers writing in the Irish language to apply.

One of the residency places will be reserved for a disabled* writer who may require accessible toilets and wheelchair access. A space for a supporting carer is also possible, as needed.

For further information on Kylemore’s level of access, please read PDF document for a detailed descriptive route with images, including pathways, bedroom, toilet and lift access.

*The definition of ‘disabled’ we are using refers to the Social Model of Disability which holds that people with impairments are ‘disabled’ by the barriers operating in society that exclude and discriminate against them. 

We will also prioritise an additional place for a writer from a background typically underrepresented in Irish literature. We particularly invite applications from Black, POC (person of colour), Traveller, Roma, LGBTQ+, and disabled writers.

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by IWC team members in the first round, checking for eligibility. In the second round a selection panel made up of IWC team members and independent professional writer(s) will select and shortlist writers with consideration to their eligibility, expression of intent, and the range and quality of writing samples provided. The final selection will be made with the panel and a representative of the Kylemore Global Centre.

Selection will be made respecting the priority groupings described above.

If you are interested in applying please submit your application via Submittable here.

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.

In the Submittable form, you will be required to upload the following information:

• A cover letter including your personal details concisely outlining the project you would like to focus on during the residency period. Please be precise to help us to understand your need.
• An updated writer’s Curriculum Vitae (max. two A4 pages) including publications with ISBNs, year of birth, postal address, Eircode/postcode and contact number.
• Clearly labelled samples of recent work (two contrasting prose samples of up to 400 words each, plus a work-in-progress piece of 400 words, preferably the work you intend to develop during the residency).

Deadline for Applications

Wednesday January 10th, 2024 at 5pm. 

Applications are to be made through Submittable and will be acknowledged automatically.

Access at Kylemore Notre Dame

Access at Kylemore Global Centre (where the residency will be taking place)

For further information on Kylemore’s Wheel Chair access, please read PDF document for a detailed descriptive route that provides more information on the level of access at the Kylemore Global Centre, including pathways, bedroom, toilet and lift access.

Access at Kylemore Abbey (the wider grounds where the residency will take place):

The Kylemore estate is partially accessible to wheelchair users and those with reduced mobility. The Abbey offers limited access with six of the nine open rooms accessible.

Unfortunately, the neo-Gothic Church is not accessible for wheelchair users. There is a shuttle bus to the garden which is suitable for wheelchair users and most of the paths in the garden are accessible however there are some steep inclines and steps which prevent full access to some areas of the garden. The shop and Café are fully accessible.

For further information and questions regarding access, please email projects@irishwriterscentre.ie.

About Kylemore Global Centre

In 2015, the University of Notre Dame and the Benedictine Community at Kylemore Abbey formed a partnership which would further their shared spiritual, cultural, and educational missions. Today, Notre Dame Kylemore is a Centre for Education and Growth where the Notre Dame family and the wider Irish community engage in meaningful and authentic ways. Together with our local partners, we strive to provide multi-disciplinary programming for leaders, thinkers, and creators with a focus on nourishing the mind, body, and spirit.