Updated directory of current Irish literary journals (2023)

I first compiled this directory of Irish journals in 2016. Since then some journals have become defunct, and others have sprung up, particularly during the lockdown, so I thought it was time to update it. For writers just beginning to submit work, I recommend trying the newer journals first. Those who have already had work published, you know the ones to go for! But even if you’re a more established writer, it might be good karma to support the new journals too. Besides, some of them might go places.  Comments always welcome.

This artwork by Jeanie Tomanek, titled Security, appears in the Spring 2021 issue of Spontaneity. You can view more of her work here.

So, here’s the updated list:

 

Abridged                                                                                                              http://www.abridged.one                                                                                                                        

Beautiful product. And the themed submission calls are irresistible, poems in themselves. This is an online and also a 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/new-home-page

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                                                                  https://bansheelit.tumblr.com

A gorgeous journal, Arts Council funded, 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.

Beir Bua Journal                                                                      https://beirbuajournal.wordpress.com

An Irish, inclusive, journal for the  avant-garde; postmodern, asemic, experimental, surrealist, visual poetry, poetry object, & art. Not familiar with this one yet, but curious to check it out.

Boyne Berries                                                                                 http://boyneberries.blogspot.ie/ 

This long-standing journal came out of a writers’ group and has grown legs since, although it appears to have shut up shop since the lockdown.

Burning Bush 2                                                                                  https://issuu.com/burningbush2 

A good reputation, but went underground for a bit. Had work in this. Not sure if it’s still happening, although the website is still online.

Channel

https://channelmag.org

 

This journal of environmentally-themed poetry, prose, and criticism, seeking to channel climate concerns and natural preoccupations into writing. Its third issue was published at the end of 2020 and the team are currently working on issue four.

Cold Coffee Stand                                                                  https://coldcoffeestand.wordpress                                      

‘Make it new, wrong, broken and brilliant’ invites this journal, which seems to have been around since 2017, although it’s new to me. ‘Cold Coffee Stand is, and always will be, open to all voices.’ They are ‘dedicated to amplifying work from every facet of Irish culture and society.’ Their submission call is always open, so that’s handy.

Crannóg                                                                                http://www.crannogmagazine.com/  

Established in 2002, and Arts Council funded, Crannóg receive about a thousand submissions for each of their three issues per year. One of the first to publish a poem of mine, so I have a soft spot! And they pay. The editors are Sandra Bunting, Tony O’Dwyer, Ger Burke and Jarlath Fahy, all of whom read each submission.

Crossways Magazine                                                                        https://crosswaysmagazine.com

Crossways is a literary magazine that deals in original poetry, short-fiction, and book reviews. Established in early 2018, its aim is to publish high quality work from authors in Ireland and around the globe. The magazine is available in both print and digital formats. You can email your submissions to: crosswaysmagazine@gmail.com. The editor is David Jordan

Cyphers                                                                                                                 http://www.cyphers.ie/

An esteemed print journal, founded by Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin and the late Macdara Woods and Leland Bardwell. One to aim for. Glad to have work in this. They pay.

Drawn to the Light                                                              https://drawntothelightpress.com/about/ 

Drawn to the Light Press is a magazine of contemporary poetry edited by Orla Fay. It will be published thrice yearly in October, February and June. The first issue, launched this Valentine month, is aptly enough, all about love. There’s artwork too.

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 (a busy man! He also edits Panning for Poems, below.)

Gorse                                                                                                                        http://gorse.ie/

Gorse a well-established literary journal interested in experimental fiction and smart writing. It looks for blended fiction, memoir, and history, personal essays, and fiction in translation. Haven’t sent work to this one yet, but looks interesting. Curated by Christodoulos Makris.

Icarus                                                                              http://www.icarusmagazine.com/editorialteam/

Icarus is a student literary and arts magazine based in Trinity College, Dublin. They publish two or three issues per academic year and accept submissions of poetry, prose, drama and visual art from students, staff and alumni of Trinity College. As I’m not an alumna, don’t know this one.

Idler                                                                                                                 http://www.idler.ie

Another one I don’t know. But their website says that ‘Idler brings the very best of short-form writing to mobile device and other online users. Regularly updated stories, poems and essays help make those long waits shorter… Because time is a terrible thing to waste.’

Impossible Archetype                                                  https://impossiblearchetype.wordpress.com/

An international journal of LGBTQ+ poetry edited by Mark Ward, it was founded in January 2017. They publish two issues a year and are accepting submissions until the 1st March. This is one I’m not familiar with.

Irish Pages                                                                                                          http://irishpages.org/

Based in Belfast, this journal promises ‘outstanding writing from Ireland and overseas’. Somewhat dry-looking, it is nevertheless substantial and impressive. The editor is Chris Agee. The journal is in English & As Gaeilge. I noticed that Ruth Padel, Morten Strøkness, John F Deane, Greg Cambridge, Moya Cannon, Greg Delanty, Tisja Kljalović Braić, John Glenday, Meg Bateman, Benjamin Keatinge, Slavenka Drakulić and other interesting names are among others in the current issue.

Mandrake                                                                                      https://www.mandrakejournal.com

Mandrake is a new online Dublin journal featuring the gothic, the supernatural and the weird. They are looking for fiction, non-fiction and poetry. They claim to be ‘concerned with the exploration of philosophical pessimism through gothic and horror narratives.’ Think Edgar Allen Poe, Angela Carter, Baudelaire, Mary Shelley, Beckett, David Lynch, Doestoyevsky,  Shirley Jackson, Emily Brontë. The editor is Eoin Rogers, a  graduate of a Masters in Creative Writing from NUI in Galway, and now based in Dublin. Should be interesting!

Panning for Poems                                                                    http://www.poetryni.com/panning-for-poems.html

A micro-poetry  (poems 3 – 8 lines long) broadside and online journal, edited by Geraldine O’Kane, sub-edited by Colin Dardis, based in the North. Nice to have an outlet for those tiny poems and a source for inspiration, too.

Paper Lanterns                                                                                             https://paperlanternslit.com

Paper Lanterns is a new literary journal, founded in 2020 by Grace Kelley, Amy O’Sullivan and Ruth Ennis. Short stories, flash, art, poetry and features. It got a splash in The Irish Times and on RTE when it was launched, and is Arts Council supported. It aims to promote the voices of young people in Ireland and across the world, and provide new and exciting content for teen and young adult audiences. it has beautiful artwork and is published four times a year. Three issues of Paper Lanterns have been published thus far and there are a lot more to come. Good luck to the editors – they’ve found a niche here.

Poethead                                                                                     https://poethead.wordpress.com/

An excellent poetry blog curated by Christine Murray, who is compiling a valuable and  extensive index of women poets, both Irish and international, contemporary and deceased. Great resource, and influential. So sorry to see that it’s now closed for submissions, but it’ll remain online as an archive. 

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. The current editor is Colette Bryce. The latest issue features work from Denise Riley, Kayo Chingonyi, Luke Morgan, Katie Donovan, Nick Laird, and Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh, among many other excellent poets, as well as Ailbhe Darcy’s perceptive analysis of documentary poetry in performance, focusing on Kimberly Campanello’s MOTHERBABYHOME and a tribute to the much-mourned Eavan Boland. They also have a pamphlet, Trumpet, which is sent to subscribers, where more reviews are featured. They pay contributors.

Riverbed Review                                                                   https://riverbedreview.wordpress.com

Riverbed Review is another new journal sprung from the lockdown. It publishes pieces inspired and informed by the natural world, particularly waterways and rivers. Looking for stories and poetry based around this theme, its current submission window for its second issue is open until March.

Ropes                                                                                            http://www.ropesliteraryjournal.com

This literary journal gets a new lease of life each year as it is passed down to the next generation of students on the MA in Literature and Publishing course at NUI Galway. Publishing poetry, prose, and visual art, Ropes aims to give emerging writers a space to platform their work, while donating its proceeds to a chosen charity; this year’s charity is COPE Galway – what better reason to support it?

Skylight 47                                                                          https://skylight47poetry.wordpress.com/

Their blurb states that they are ‘possibly Ireland’s most interesting publication’. Based in Galway. Current editors: Bernie Crawford, Nicki Griffin, Marie Cadden and Ruth Quinlan. Interesting, broadsheet-style journal. They published a glowing review of my first collection, and also some poems, so I have a crush!

Silver Apples                                                                                                                  https://silver-apples.squarespace.com                                                                                    

This one is new to me, but here’s what the About paragraph says on their website: ‘We publish writing across all genres and mediums. Do you have prose, poetry, or a one-act play? Because we want it. Do you dare to defy genres or mediums? Because we publish those pieces, too.’ They also have a competition, which is currently open for entries.

Sonder Magazine                                                                                                https://sonderlit.com

Love their blurb: “The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.” Here’s what they say about the magazine: ‘We publish short stories, flash fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry, all based around the individual and how we interact with each other. We want you, the writer, to get into the mind of someone sitting across from you on the Dart home, or the fella who just asked to bum a lighter, or even the Aisling wearing runners to work. Submission guidelines are in the Submissions tab. Have a gander. Slide into our DM’s. See you on the flipside.’ Already smitten!

Southword                                                                      https://southword.submittable.com/submit

The Munster version of Poetry Ireland Review, Southword is a print literary journal that publishes new international writing. Southword has published the work of Medbh McGuckian, Helen Ivory, Haruki Murakami, James Lasdun, Kim Addonizio, Tess Gallagher, Colm Tóibín and Vona Groarke, among other acclaimed poets and writers. The 2021 spring issue features prizewinning and shortlisted entries from the Gregory O’Donoghue and Seán O’Faoláin competitions, both organised by The Munster Literature Centre, as well as specially commissioned work. Submissions of poetry and short fiction (for the autumn issue) are open as follows: POETRY: December 1st, 2020 ‒ February 28th, 2021. FICTION: January 1st ‒ March 31st, 202. Although no longer an online journal, the online archives are still available: https://munsterlit.ie/Southword/issues_index.html

Splonk                                                                                                                           https://splonk.ie/about/

Founded in May 2019, Splonk is an online flash fiction journal dreamed up by a group of flash writers in Ireland. The word ‘splonk’ is the anglicised form of the Irish word ‘splanc’: noun fem. flash, spark. A splaincín (derived from splanc) is a spirited, fiery female. The editor is the award-winning author and poet, Nuala O’Connor. I’m including it here because the micro fictions here are pure poetry. Go for this one.

Spontaneity                                                                                                     http://spontaneity.org

‘Where everything connects’ – a beautiful online journal, curated by Ruth McKee, specialises in ekphrastic responses to visual art. The forthcoming issue (see illustration above) will be in response to the separation of families at the US border. Artists and writers from Ireland and around the world contribute their words and pictures to the magazine by responding to an image or words from the previous issue. I’ve had work in this journal and love both the premise and the product.

SurVision                                                                                                  http://survisionmagazine.com

This is an independent international online magazine founded in March 2017 and based in Dublin, Ireland. Edited by Anatoly Kudryavitsky, SurVision publishes neo-surrealist poetry and comes out in January and July. The deadlines for these issues are 31st December and 30th June. Submissions of not more than five poems are considered at any time. SurVision have now begun publishing surrealist chapbooks too. they’ve published my chapbook, Invisible Insane and also work of mine in an anthology of surrealist poetry called Seeds of Gravity.

The Bangor Literary Journal                                                              https://thebangorliteraryjournal.com

Another new NI journal, this one is currently on its thirteenth issue. They’re interested in photography, flash fiction and poetry, and welcome hybrid / experimental work. They also have several competitions. Check them out.

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. I think it’s on hiatus during the lockdown.

The Dublin Review                                                                                 https://thedublinreview.com/

The Irish Times called this ‘a world-class forum for the literary essay.’ A quarterly magazine of  fiction and non-fiction: essays, memoir, travel writing, criticism. Founded and edited by Brendan Barrington, it is highly regarded. Published in book format and assisted by The Arts Council of Ireland. Although they don’t accept poetry, I couldn’t not include them here.

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. I do wish they’d jazz up the look of their website though.

The Haibun Journal                                                                                https://thehaibunjournal.blog

The Haibun Journal, launched in Ireland April 2019, is a print journal specialising in the haibun literary form. The journal appears in April and October each year. The editors are: Sean O’Connor, Amanda Bell, Kim Richardson and Paul Bregazzi. Just had my first haibun accepted by them and looking forward to seeing the journal.

The Irish Literary Review                                                   http://irishliteraryreview.com/index.html

This journal, edited by former BBC journalist and Oxford Creative Writing Masters graduate Catherine Higgins-Moore, features poetry, fiction and interviews and keeps an archive of interviews. Clean. Classy. Currently closed for submissions, but I’m going to keep an eye on this one. 

The Irish Times                                                                        http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/poetry

Always worth submitting to this one if you’re unpublished. It’s a big deal to get selected for publication in New Irish Writing at the The Irish Times, as it means you’re in with a chance to be shortlisted for the coveted Hennessy awards. (I was a Hennessy winner, and trust me, there’s nothing like it.) You can email your entry to hennessynewirishwriting@irishtimes.com or post it (with a stamped addressed envelope) to Ciaran Carty, Hennessy New Irish Writing, The Irish Times, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2. Submissions are open to unpublished writers who are Irish or resident in Ireland. All accepted stories will be printed in the Irish Times, as well as being considered for the Hennessy Literary Awards, with prizes of €1500 and €2500, as well as a trophy. And even if you are published, you can submit for the Poem of the Week. They pay contributors.

The Liminal Review                                                                                 https://www.liminalreview.com

Another new one! The Liminal Review is a literature and arts journal that is looking for the things that are made in the in-between spaces. The Liminal Review was founded in December 2020 by Alix Berber and Shauna Smullen. ‘Two queer artists looking to carve out a new space for marginalised voices in Ireland and beyond. The project emerged from a curiosity for the concept of liminal spaces, transition and temporality.’ They’re open to fiction, short prose, reviews, poetry, creative nonfiction, marginalia, and illustrations. 

The Moth Magazine                                                                                        http://themothmagazine.com/

This is a print magazine, associated with the renowned Moth Poetry Prize (one of the biggest prizes in the world for a single unpublished poem) and includes artwork. Slim, but classy. Considered one of the most beautiful and tasteful journals around. Another one to aspire to. Glad I’ve had work published here.

The Ogham Stone                                                                            https://theoghamstoneul.com/

This is a literary journal run by the Masters students of English and Creative Writing at the University of Limerick, featuring poetry, art and fiction. I noticed Mary O’Malley’s and Sinéad Morrissey’s names on the masthead.

 

The Pickled Body                                                                              http://thepickledbody.com/

A clean, aesthetic 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 editors are Dimitra Xidous and Patrick Chapman. Submissions are currently closed, but that could be a lockdown thing.

The Poetry Bus                                             http://thepoetrybusmag.wix.com/change#!submissions/cgyc

‘Curating the world artfully, inclusively, fairly.’ claims the journal. Published by Peadar and Collette O’Donoghue. They’ve also published a ‘grimoire’ by Fiona Bolger, and may do more.        I had work published both in print and on the CD that accompanied the substantial journal. And they nominated my poem for the Forward Prize! 

The Stinging Fly                                                                                                               http://www.stingingfly.org/

Founded by Aoife Kavanagh and Declan Meade in 1997, this is one of the most rated journals in Ireland today. Arts Council funded. The Stinging Fly publishes English and Irish poetry and also fiction. The journal has published new work by a number of acclaimed writers such as Simon Armitage, Kevin Barry, Emma Donoghue, Claire Keegan, Toby Litt, Colum McCann, Medbh McGuckian, Paula Meehan, Sinéad Morrissey, Paul Murray, Philip Ó Ceallaigh, Sharon Olds, Keith Ridgway and C.K. Stead. Hard to get into – took me four attempts! But I’ve had work accepted a few times now, and each time, it’s a thrill. The English poetry editor is Eabhan Ní Shuilleabháin. There are also contributing / guest editors such as Sally Rooney, Mia Gallagher, Thomas Morris, Cal Doyle, Danny Denton. They are now publishing books as Stinging Fly Press and have published about twelve award-winning books and anthologies. And they pay contributors.

The Tangerine                                                                                    https://thetangerinemagazine.com/

The Tangerine is a new Belfast-based magazine of new writing. It covers culture and politics, and is published three times a year. ‘We want to read work that challenges and excites us,’ they say.The print journal includes features, reportage, commentary, fiction, poetry, illustration and photography. Submissions are currently closed, but Issue 9 (100 pages) is available to buy online. 

The Waxed Lemon                                                                       https://twitter.com/TheWaxedLemon

Love the name! Based in Wexford and launched in Autumn of last year, The Waxed Lemon is an independent journal looking to publish poetry, short stories, flash fiction, photography, and art. Keep an eye on their Twitter page (above) for information about their upcoming submissions window.

rying to get into this one. The journal is published in February and September. And they pay. 

The Quarryman                                                            https://www.facebook.com/quarrymanjournal

This is a literary journal, associated with University College Cork. Originally started in 1920, this journal was revived by the 2015 MA creative writing students, and the first, substantial issue  sold out. Submissions are accepted, via their Facebook page, only for those affiliated with UCC, including alumnae. Email them at quarrymansubmissions@gmail.com

Tír na nÓg                                                                                                       https://tirnanoglit.com

This is a new publication for prose and poetry by writers native or local to Galway that engage in an international dialogue. Its first issue can be found online while submissions for its second issue will open soon.

Tolka

TOLKA is a new literary journal dedicated to publishing ‘formally promiscuous’ non-fiction writing that falls in between the lines – they are currently seeking submissions of essays, reportage, travel writing, auto-fiction, and individual stories. Their first issue will arrive in May 2021, and we can’t wait to watch them go from strength to strength.

TwoMeter Review                                                                       https://beauwilliamspoet.com/2mr/

TwoMeter Review is edited by a Dublin-based American, Beau Williams. Here’s what he says: ‘We are a working-class, grassroots magazine motivated by connection and the elevation of Irish and American voices. We believe poetry is powerful, expressive, poignant, and necessary.’ Submissions for poetry and photography for the second edition are now open. It will be published digitally with physical copies for sale. 

Winter Papers                                                                                   https://www.winterpapers.com

Self-described as ‘a fine cut of a book’, Winter Papers one of Ireland’s foremost arts anthologies, containing fiction, non-fiction, interviews, and in-conversation pieces. It has been described by The Irish Times as ‘a treasure trove of soul fuelled with deep roots in Irish soil’ and was picked as an Irish art book of the year by the Sunday Times. Edited by Kevin Barry and Olivia Smith, its sixth edition was published at the end of last year.

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If I’ve left any journals out, please add them, with a link, in the comments below. Or if any of these journals don’t survive, let me know. But I hope they do. Remember, most of these editors work for no pay. We owe it to them to support them! So please, do subscribe too. Where would we be without them?