Notre Dame Kylemore Residencies 2026

The Irish Writers Centre is thrilled to announce the third year of our partnership with Notre Dame Kylemore. Four writers will be awarded with a fully catered five-day residency opportunity from Monday March 30 to Friday April 3, 2026 (four nights), 2026 in the beautifully restored Notre Dame Kylemore 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 wheelchair access and accessible toilets.

About the Residency

When does the residency take place? 

Monday March 30 to Friday April 3, 2026 (four nights)

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.

Awardees will receive:

• Private en-suite bedroom (room includes desk space)
• Fully catered meals prepared by an in-house chef
• Access to the abbey grounds, i.e. 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 inspiring scenic views of the Connemara mountains)
• This residency also provides the opportunity to meet with your writing peers as well and learn from a wider community of writers. For further information about the residency, please look on the Notre Dame Kylemore website here.

Last year’s recipients: (left to right) Michelle Nic Pháidín, Sadhbh Moriarty and Roisín Ní Neachtain.

 “It was absolutely superb. We all read on the final night and I was truly blessed to hear Sadhbh and Roisín – they really, really impressed everyone. 

The week was an absolute success and we have a WhatsApp group set up which is chiming constantly so friendships were forged. 

Thank you all again for this amazing opportunity.”

  –  Michelle Nic Pháidín, Kylemore 2025 awardee 

Eligibility

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 four places in total): 

• Established / professional writers who are published or fit the criteria (see criteria here).
• Emerging writers who can demonstrate a commitment to writing e.g. creative writing courses undertaken, journal publications, awards or notable mentions, or other recognisable achievements.
• This opportunity is for poetry writers, fiction writers and non-fiction writers only; acceptable forms/genres are:
  • Fiction:  prose, novel, short stories; plays; screenplays
  • Creative nonfiction: memoir; auto-fiction; essays
  • Poetry

We also encourage writers writing in the Irish language to apply.

Writers who have previously been awarded this opportunity are ineligible.

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.

Please note that it is responsibility of the writer to pay for a carer for the duration of the residency, however Kylemore are able to provide free accommodation for a personal carer.

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

*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.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your application by emailing Emily O’Brien at projects@irishwriterscentre.ie no later than Wednesday 10 December at midnight with the email subject header ‘Application for Notre Dame Kylemore Residencies’:

 In the email, you will be required to attach a SINGLE, collated document (.doc, .docx or PDF file only) that includes the following:

• 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.
• THREE Clearly labelled samples of recent work:
  • TWO different prose samples of up to 1,000 words each, plus ONE work-in-progress piece of 1,000 words, preferably the work you intend to develop during the residency, OR
  • TWO different poetry samples of up to two pages plus ONE work-in-progress up to two pages, preferable the work you intend to develop during the residency.

If you are more than 10% over the word count, your pieces will be ineligible. Please collate all three samples into one single file (.doc, .docx or .PDF).

Documents that are not collated will not be accepted for application.

Deadline for Applications

Apply by emailing projects@irishwriterscentre.ie by midnight on Wednesday 10 December, 2025.

No late applications will be considered. You will receive a email to confirm that your application has been received by an administrator. If you haven’t received a confirmation email within three working days, please send a follow-up email to make sure that your application has been received, or call our office on +353 1 872 1302.

If you do not receive an email confirmation, it may be the case that your application has not been received and, following the deadline date, cannot be accepted.

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by Irish Writers Centre team members in the first round, checking for eligibility. In the second round a selection panel made up 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.

Please note: Due to the volume of applicants we are not in a position to give individual feedback to applicants, unless they have been interviewed, depending on the scheme. This policy extends across all of our calls in the interests of equity and transparency.

The Irish Writers Centre is committed to protecting the privacy of our users in accordance with the Irish Data Protection Act 2018. Any personal data provided will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and our privacy policy.

Access at Kylemore Notre Dame

Access at Notre Dame Kylemore: 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 Notre Dame Kylemore, 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 Notre Dame Kylemore

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.