Journals and magazines
Where Irish poetry is published: long-running quarterlies, little magazines, student reviews and online journals, north and south, in both languages.
Ireland's literary magazine scene is unusually dense for the size of the population, and unusually volatile: journals launch, go quiet, and revive. Anything here may have changed — check with the journal before submitting.
Primary directory sources: Afric McGlinchey's directory of Irish poetry journals (updated 2024) · Poetry Ireland · RTÉ Culture — The revolution in Irish literary journals
Seven to start with
Poetry Ireland Review
- Publisher: Poetry Ireland (Éigse Éireann)
- Format: Quarterly print, with the Trumpet pamphlet sent to subscribers.
- Pays contributors: Yes.
- Submissions: poetryireland.ie
Cyphers
- Founded: 1975 — one of Ireland's longest-running literary journals.
- Founding editors: Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Macdara Woods, Leland Bardwell (with Pearse Hutchinson).
- Format: Print. Pays contributors.
- Note: Three of the four founders are now deceased (Bardwell d. 2016, Hutchinson d. 2012, Woods d. 2018) — the journal has outlived most of its founders and is still going.
- Web: cyphers.ie
The Stinging Fly
- Founded: 1997 by Aoife Kavanagh and Declan Meade.
- Content: Poetry, short stories, reviews, creative non-fiction.
- Also publishes prose: Kevin Barry, Colin Barrett, Claire-Louise Bennett and Nicole Flattery all appeared early here.
- Press: Stinging Fly Press — approx. 12 books and anthologies.
- Funding: Arts Council. Pays contributors.
- Web: stingingfly.org
The Honest Ulsterman
- Founded: 1968 in Belfast by James Simmons.
- Note: Ran under several editors, lapsed, and was revived online.
- Web: humag.co
Irish Pages
- Base: Belfast. Editor: Chris Agee.
- Languages: English and Irish. Print.
- Web: irishpages.org
Southword
- Publisher: Munster Literature Centre, Cork.
- Format: Now online only (previously print).
- Pays contributors: Yes.
- Archive: munsterlit.ie/southword
Banshee
- Founded: 2014. Editors: Laura Jane Cassidy, Eimear Ryan, Claire Hennessy.
- Funding: Arts Council. Pays contributors.
- Press: Banshee Press — T. S. Eliot Prize-nominated poetry title in 2024.
Current and recent journals — full listing
Grouped by primary character. `Pays` = pays contributors. `AC` = Arts Council funded.
Poetry-first
| Journal | Base | Format | Editor(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abridged | Northern Ireland | Online + print | Gregory McCartney | Themed calls |
| Channel | — | Online | — | Climate and environmental poetry, prose, criticism |
| Crannóg | Galway | Sandra Bunting, Tony O'Dwyer, Ger Burke, Jarlath Fahy | Est. 2002; 3 issues/yr; ~1,000 subs per issue; Pays, AC | |
| Drawn to the Light | — | Orla Fay | 3×/yr (Oct/Feb/Jun); poetry + artwork | |
| Flare | Dublin | Éamon Mag Uidhir | Quarterly; from the Sunflower Sessions readings | |
| Hive | — | Online | Niamh Twomey | Recently launched |
| Howl | — | Róisín Leggett Bowen, Lauren O'Donovan | Est. 2022; AC; partners the Ireland Chair of Poetry Series | |
| Impossible Archetype | — | Online | Mark Ward | Est. Jan 2017; bi-annual; LGBTQ+ poetry, international |
| Skylight 47 | Galway | Broadsheet | Bernie Crawford, Ruth Quinlan, D'or Seifer (adv. Nicki Griffin) | |
| Stony Thursday Book | Limerick | Guest-edited (Victoria Kennefick, 2024) | Est. 1975 by John Liddy and Jim Burke; annual | |
| SurVision | Dublin | Online | Anatoly Kudryavitsky | Est. Mar 2017; bi-annual; neo-surrealist poetry |
| The Haibun Journal | — | Sean O'Connor, Amanda Bell, Kim Richardson, Paul Bregazzi | Est. Apr 2019; haibun form | |
| The Poetry Bus | — | Print + digital + CD | Peadar & Collette O'Donoghue | Forward Prize nominations |
| TwoMeter Review | Dublin | Print + digital | Beau Williams | Poetry + photography; working-class Irish/American voices |
| The Waxed Lemon | Wexford | — | Est. Autumn 2023; Feb & Sep; Pays |
Mixed literary (poetry + prose)
| Journal | Base | Format | Editor(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A New Ulster | NI | Online | Amos Greig | Monthly since Sep 2012 |
| Crossways Magazine | — | Print + digital | David Jordan | Est. early 2018 |
| Holy Show | — | Brendan McEvilly | Annual | |
| Paper Lanterns | — | Print + digital | Grace Kelley, Amy O'Sullivan, Ruth Ennis | Est. 2020; quarterly; teen/YA; AC |
| Profiles Literary Journal | Dublin | Clare Healy, Sarah Sturzel | Character studies and portraiture | |
| Púca | Dublin | Online | Christopher Joyce | Est. Apr 2021 |
| Ragaire | Galway | Online | — | Open, welcoming remit |
| Riverbed Review | — | Online | — | Natural world, waterways |
| Sonder Magazine | — | Online | — | Human connection |
| Swerve | — | Online | Mitch Maroney | New/emerging writing and translation |
| The Bangor Literary Journal | NI | Online | — | Also runs competitions |
| The Bohemyth | Dublin | Online | Michael Naghten Shanks | Quarterly |
| The Four-Faced Liar | — | Online | Patrick Holloway, Sinéad Griffin, Rosie Morris, Stephen Brophy | AC; Pays; gives feedback to emerging writers |
| The Galway Review | Galway | Online | — | |
| The Liminal Review | — | Online | Alix Berber, Shauna Smullen | Est. Dec 2020; liminality, marginalised voices |
| The Pig's Back | NW Ireland | Online | — | Literary prose-led |
| The Tangerine | Belfast | — | 3×/yr; reportage + poetry — closed to subs | |
| Tír na nÓg | Galway | Online | — | Galway-connected writers |
| Mandrake | Dublin | Online | Eoin Rogers | Gothic, weird, supernatural |
Essays / prose (context — mostly no poetry)
| Journal | Notes |
|---|---|
| The Dublin Review | Founded by Brendan Barrington; book-format print; Arts Council funded; does not publish poetry |
| Gorse | Ed. Christodoulos Makris; experimental prose, essays, translated fiction |
| Tolka | Est. May 2021; eds. Liam Harrison, Seán Hayes, Catherine Hearn; "formally promiscuous" non-fiction |
| Winter Papers | Eds. Kevin Barry, Olivia Smith; annual print anthology |
| Splonk | Est. May 2019; ed. Nuala O'Connor; flash fiction — from Irish splanc, "flash" |
| Spontaneity | Ed. Ruth McKee; ekphrastic responses to visual art |
| The Idler | Short-form writing for mobile |
| Sans.Press | Genre-fluid; pays €200 flat |
| Shooter Literary Journal | NI; ed. Melanie Sykes-White; Pays |
University and student journals
| Journal | Institution | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Icarus | Trinity College Dublin | 2–3 issues/yr; TCD students, staff, alumni only. One of the oldest student literary magazines in Europe |
| The Quarryman | University College Cork | Founded 1920, revived 2015; UCC-affiliated only |
| Ropes | University of Galway (MA Literature & Publishing) | Annual; student-run with generational hand-off; donates proceeds to charity (COPE Galway) |
| The Ogham Stone | University of Limerick (MA English & Creative Writing) | Poetry, art, fiction |
Irish-language journals
| Journal | Notes |
|---|---|
| Comhar | Long-running Irish-language literary monthly; publishes poetry |
| Feasta | Irish-language literary journal (Conradh na Gaeilge) |
| An Gael | Irish-language literary journal published from New York |
| Irish Pages | Bilingual — see above |
| Innti | Founded at UCC in 1970 by Michael Davitt; gave its name to the Innti generation of Irish-language poets. Ceased |
Archives and curated blogs (not taking submissions)
| Resource | Curator | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Poethead | Christine (Chris) Murray | Closed to submissions; archive live. Contains an extensive index of women poets — see women poets |
| Poem Alone | Colin Dardis | Blog |
| The Pickled Body | Dimitra Xidous, Patrick Chapman | Quiet since lockdown |
| The Irish Literary Review | Catherine Higgins-Moore | Currently closed to submissions |
Newspaper poetry outlets
- The Irish Times — irishtimes.com; New Irish Writing (unpublished Irish or Ireland-resident writers) and Poem of the Week (published writers). Associated Hennessy Literary Awards (€1,500 and €2,500). Pays.
Which journals pay contributors
Banshee · Crannóg · Cyphers · Poetry Ireland Review · Southword · The Four-Faced Liar · The Poetry Bus · The Stinging Fly · The Waxed Lemon · Shooter · Sans.Press (€200 flat) · The Irish Times
Which are Arts Council funded
Banshee · Crannóg · Howl · Paper Lanterns · The Four-Faced Liar · The Stinging Fly · The Dublin Review
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