Directory of Irish poetry journals

Poetry journals appear and disappear. So I thought I’d compile a list of all the ones currently active on the island of Ireland.  If you see that any are missing, please leave me a comment, and I’ll amend.  I’m not including those published once a year, with winning competition poems. I’d love opinions on which you think have charisma, are outrageous or cutting edge, or excellent, or who are not keeping up with the times. The ones with the best covers and visual art, like this one, from Spontaneity’s latest issue:

 

Untitled, from the series ‘Essays on Love’ by Alicia Martín Fernández © 2016. 

 

What are your favourites? Would love you to add your comments below.

So, here’s the list:

Abridged                                   http://abridgedonline.com/    Beautiful product. Online and print journal, based in the North (but we’re being inclusive here!) Besides, they’ve taken poems of mine, so they’re right up there in my estimation!

A New Ulster                            https://sites.google.com/site/anewulster/ The editor, Amos Grieg, hopes that this journal ‘will act as a reflection of the changing times in which we live in and grant you the reader a doorway into other worlds of the imagination.’ The journal appears monthly and has been in publication since September 2012.

Banshee Literary Journal     http://bansheelit.tumblr.com/   A gorgeous new journal, with three editors who are happening writers themselves: Laura Jane Cassidy, Eimear Ryan and Claire Hennessy. They have taken poems of mine. And they pay! Going places.

Bare Hands anthology           http://barehandspoetry.tumblr.com/post/139858526498 This one went into hibernation for a bit, but it’s back! Isn’t it, Kerrie O’Brien? Another sparkling journal. Bit like herself.

Blowing Raspberries               http://www.blowingraspberries.org/submissions/ New journal from N.I. that is accepting both published and unpublished poetry – with a nom de plume!  Obviously, with such a title, they’re looking for stuff that is upbeat, irreverent,  dark but not bleak. Have fun with this one. 

Boyne Berries                               http://boyneberries.blogspot.ie/   This journal came out of a writers’ group and has grown legs since.

Burning Bush 2                            https://issuu.com/burningbush2  A good reputation, but went underground for a bit. Had work in this. But not sure if it’s still happening.

Cork Literary Review                 http://www.bradshawbooks.com/cork-literary-review/A quality journal, published annually. I never see submission calls for this, and have never been in it. Maybe the editor invites submissions only.

Crannóg                                          http://www.crannogmagazine.com/   A dynamic journal, one of the first to publish a poem of mine, so I have a soft spot! And they pay.

Cyphers                                           http://www.cyphers.ie/    An esteemed print journal, edited by Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Macdara Woods  – and Leland Bardwell. A veteran, but a feisty one!  One to aim for. And yes! I have a poem in the next issue. They pay.

Dublin Poetry Review                  http://dublinpoetryreview.com/section2-issue22/88-editors/162-issue-22-c    Flattered that they published a poem of mine alongside Jane Hirshfield!  Has numerous ‘executive’ guest editors from around the world. Not keen on the layout or masthead, but interested to see where this one goes. Started by Emmanuel Jakpah,  who is based in Ireland. One of the Irish editors is Elaine Feeney.

 FourXFour                                        http://www.poetryni.com/fourxfour.html A quarterly online journal of new poetry from Northern Ireland, committed to highlighting the up-and-comings. Edited by Colin Dardis.

Gorse                                                    http://gorse.ie/   Haven’t sent work to this one yet, but looks interesting. Essays, interviews, fiction, poetry. Curated by Christodoulos Makris.

Icarus                                                    http://www.icarusmagazine.com/home Another one I don’t know, but will look into – can’t resist the name! Connected to Trinity University. The editorial team is currently headed by Dean McHugh.

Idler                                                     http://www.idler.ie  A brand new journal, just started this year. Promises ‘regularly updated fresh, engaging, thought provoking and entertaining writing, including stories, poems and essays.’ The editor is Barbara Clinton. Although there’s no pay, Idler provides a link back to the writer’s own blog or website.

Irish Pages                                           http://www.irishpages.org/submissions.php
Based in Belfast. Editor is Chris Agee. I haven’t sent work to this journal yet, but it’s well-regarded.

Outburst                                               http://www.outburstmagazine.com/     A journal that’s beginning to get on its feet after some hit-and-miss issues with unfortunate formatting. Editor is Arthur Broomfield.

Panning for Poems                    http://www.poetryni.com/panning-for-poems.html   A new micro-poetry print and online journal, edited by Geraldine O’Kane, based in the North. Nice to have an outlet for those tiny poems.

Poethead                                    https://poethead.wordpress.com/   An excellent poetry blog by Christine Murray, who is compiling a valuable and  extensive index of women poets. Great resource, and influential.

Poetry Ireland Review             http://www.poetryireland.ie/writers/submission-to-pir/   The ‘journal of record’ in Irish poetry. You’re on the official literary radar once you’ve managed to get work between these pages. Current editor is Vona Groarke, who is shaking things up a little. Looking forward to her issue on the Rising poets – thrilled that I am included! They pay contributors.

Sixteen                                         http://sixteen.ie/   ‘Stab me with your dreadful words.’ A new online journal, started specially for the commemoration year. Rising prompts. Archive photographs give a wonderful atmosphere. And they’ve taken my work! Edited by Simon Lewis.

Skylight 47                                 https://skylight47poetry.wordpress.com/    ‘Possibly Ireland’s most interesting publication’. Based in Galway. Current editors: Bernie Crawford, Nicki Griffin, Marie Cadden and Ruth Quinlan. Interesting, newspaper-style journal. They published a glowing review of my first collection, and also some poems, so I have a crush!

Southword                                  https://southword.submittable.com/submit  The best online journal to be in!  Easy to navigate, a history of all your submissions, reviews etc on your page. Updated bios and pics. It’s a great archive and resource for all poets/scouts. Cork-based, connected to the Gregory O’Donoghue international poetry competition. Rotating editors. Current editor is Matthew Sweeney. They pay contributors.

Spontaneity                               http://spontaneity.org/issue-9/haunts/  A delicious new journal, curated by Ruth McKee. Ekphrastic responses to visual art. This one’s going to get better and better.

Stanzas                                     http://stanzas.ie/Upcoming/  Connected to the Stanzas festival in Limerick, curated by Shane Vaughan, this is a monthly ‘chapbook’, looking for poems, graphics and stories. They welcome work by newcomers.

Stony Thursday                          http://www.writing.ie/guest-blogs/submissions-for-stony-thursday/    An annual anthology from Limerick. It doesn’t seem to have an online website. I have had work published in this, but found out about it via writing.ie, a very useful website.

The Bohemyth                           http://thebohemyth.com/   Based in Dublin, editor is Michael Naghten Shanks. I don’t know much about this one yet, but it’s a quarterly online journal, publishing poetry, fiction, photography, essays. It also has links to interesting Irish and international journals and publishers. Here you go: http://thebohemyth.com/links/

The Brain of Forgetting            http://www.brainofforgetting.com/   A gorgeous, Cork-based journal, curated by Bernadette McCarthy, who has a PhD in archaeology. Wonderfully-named, The Brain of Forgetting ‘provides a forum for writing and artwork that relates to heritage and memory.’ Thrilled to have work in this journal. 

The Dublin Review                     https://thedublinreview.com/   The Irish Times called this ‘a world-class forum for the literary essay.’ A quarterly magazine of essays, memoir, travel writing, criticism, fiction and reportage. Founded and edited by Brendan Barrington, it is highly regarded. Published in book format and is assisted by The Arts Council of Ireland. (I bet they pay.)

The Galway Review                     http://thegalwayreview.com/   ‘Committed to excellence in the extraordinary art of the written word.’ Not familiar with this journal, but as it’s based in my the city of my birth, must check it out! A number of editors.

The Honest Ulsterman              http://humag.co/    Connected to the Verbal Arts Centre in Derry. Don’t know much about this long-standing journal at all, but big names are mentioned in the February issue. Wish the website was a little more aesthetic. But they have poetry, prose, an ‘observatory’ and promise a podcast.

The Incubator                                https://theincubatorjournal.com/submissions/  ‘We do not know until the shell breaks what kind of egg we have been sitting on.’ — T.S. Eliot. Well. Got to try that! Issues alternate fiction and poetry, flash fiction and memoir.

The Irish Examiner                       http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsfilmtv/the-tuesday-poem-in-the-pub-many-voices-322604.html     Patrick Cotter of the Munster Literature Centre selects poems to publish in the Tuesday Poems. Not sure if you can submit. But they pay.

The Irish Literary Review            http://irishliteraryreview.com/index.html    Haven’t submitted yet, but I will. Clean. Classy.

The Irish Times                                   http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/poetry   The new home for Hennessy New Irish Writing, with a chance to be shortlisted for the coveted Hennessy awards.  And they pay contributors.

The Moth Magazine                             http://www.themothmagazine.com/ Associated with the Ballymaloe poetry competition, and includes artwork. Considered one of the most tasteful journals around. Another one to aspire to. Glad I’ve had work published here.

The Penny Dreadful                                http://thepennydreadful.org/   ‘It does not have stars in its weeping eyes nor a particularly idealistic soul. There is only the void.’ Editors are John Keating and Marc O’Connell. I’m working on getting the stars out of my eyes so I can get IN to this damn journal! Although they did accept my review of Kimberly Campanello’s collection…

The Pickled Body                                        http://thepickledbody.com/   Editors are Dimitra Xidous and Patrick Chapman. An online poetry and art magazine ‘that plays with the senses.’ Each themed issue presents work from the surreal to the sensual and points in between – ‘poems that not only sound as good as they look, but taste as good as they feel.’ I concur.

The Poetry Bus                                              http://thepoetrybusmag.wix.com/change#!submissions/cgyc  Published by Peadar and Collette O’Donoghue, this print journal gets bigger and more ambitious with each issue. Had a poem published both in print and on the CD that accompanied the journal. And they nominated it for the Forward Prize! Cool.

The Stinging Fly                                            http://www.stingingfly.org/  I’d say this is one of the most rated journals in Ireland today. Hard to get into – took me four attempts! A lot of acclaimed names seen between these pages. Often themed. The English poetry editor is Eabhan Ní Shuilleabháin, but there are also guest editors. The current one is Mia Gallagher. English and Irish language stories, reviews, essays and poetry. And they pay contributors.

 The Sunday Independent:                           http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/the-sunday-poem-anthony-cronins-personal-anthology-34512641.html Like the Irish Examiner’s Tuesday Poem, The Sunday Poem might well be selected by the editor. Not sure if you can submit for it. If anyone can confirm this, that would be helpful. They probably pay.

 

 

 

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