New updated directory of Irish literary journals
- africmcglinchey
- Apr 29
- 23 min read
Updated: May 6
I first compiled this directory of Irish journals on Wordpress, 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. I'm listing only journals that accept submissions, not anthologies that publish competition-winning poems, such as the wonderful O’Bhéal five-word anthologies, North West Words anthology, Poetry Ireland / Trócaire's anthology, Poets Meet Painters and Poets Meet Politics anthologies. But emerging writers should definitely look up those great little competitions too. Comments and shares VERY welcome!
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Detail from the cover of Flare 26. Artwork by Kathrina Rupit.
So, here's the updated list:
Abridged 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!
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!
Channel https://channelmag.org
This journal of environmentally-themed poetry, prose, and criticism, seeking to channel climate concerns and natural preoccupations into writing.
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 new 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.
Flare http://www.flare.ie
A very cool-looking print journal, published quarterly by The Sunflower Sessions, which take place on the last Thursday of every month (from January to November) in the Lord Edward pub at Christchurch, Dublin. Plenty of names I recognise here. The editor is Éamon Mag Uidhir. For more information, you can check out The Sunflower Sessions on Facebook or email the journal at sunflower_sessions@yahoo.com
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.
This is a new literary journal, edited by Niamh Twomey. As I write this, the first issue is out.
Holy Show https://holyshow.ie/
An annual magazine that presents all flavours of life, society and culture through the eyes of Ireland’s artists and writers. It’s got text, photography, illustration, exhibition, poetry, conversation and more. It analyses, criticizes and entertains. It tells great stories. Brendan McEvilly is the founding editor. Issue 6 is just out.
Edited by Róisín Leggett Bowen and Lauren O'Donovan, this annual journal is a cracker. Each (substantial) journal features poetry and stories from 'the best contemporary writers today.' Although it was only founded in 2022, it is already Council funded, and is working in partnership with the Ireland Chair of Poetry Series.
Icarus is a 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
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.
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.
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. Good luck to the editors - they've found a niche.
Poem Alone https://poemalone.blogspot.com/
This is a blog, curated by Colin Dardis (the former editor of Four by Four and Panning for Poems). The premise is simple: one poem per post. You can submit up to three poems. (Not officially a journal, but an outlet!)
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 journal has recently featured work from Denise Riley, Kayo Chingonyi, 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.
Profiles literary journal https://www.profilesjournal.com/
Another new one. Here's their blurb: 'Profiles is an independent literary and vis-arts journal dedicated to character studies and portraiture. It is a print journal published in Dublin, Ireland. We feature work by writers and artists living in Ireland and abroad.' Edited by Clare Healy & Sarah Sturzel.
Púca www.pucalit.com
Established in April 2021 by Christopher Joyce, Púca is a Dublin-based literary journal. They publish short stories, flash fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry all founded upon selfhood and experience.
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.
Ragaire https://ragairemagazine.com
Ragaire is another new literary magazine based in Galway. The title ‘Ragaire’ is an old Irish word to describe someone who enjoys late night wandering. The blurb says, 'We want our magazine to be a light for those travellers, a place to bring their poems and stories, those lines of life. We are a warm and welcoming home for writers of all stripes and creeds. We love writing that touches the heart. We want to be moved and excited by what we read.'
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?
This one is a home for stories, but as everything is multi-genre these days, I know poets are having a go at everything. So. From Oct 17 to Nov 21, Sans.Press are reading short story submissions for their new collection, Out There! the blurb reads, ' We like magical, unexpected, weird stories. We are looking for stories of any genre that respond to our title and/or cover art. Selected writers will receive a flat rate of €200 for accepted submissions.'
Shooter literary journal https://shooterlitmag.com/
Edited by Melanie Sykes-White, and based in the North, this one seems to have a blog format – but they pay! They accept creative non-fiction and poetry.
Skylight 47 https://skylight47poetry.wordpress.com/
Their blurb states that they are 'possibly Ireland's most interesting publication'. Based in Galway. The current editors are Bernie Crawford, Ruth Quinlan, and D'or Seifer, with Nicki Griffin as advisory editor. Interesting, broadsheet-style journal. They published a glowing review of my first collection, and also some poems, so I'm a fan!
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.'
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. Although no longer an online journal, the online archives are still available: https://munsterlit.ie/Southword/issues_index.html They pay for submissions.
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.
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.
Stony Thursday https://www.limerick.ie/council/services/community-and-leisure/culture-and-arts/open-call-for-poetry-submissions
Founded in 1975 by Limerick-based John Liddy and Jim Burke, this is one of the longest-running and much-loved journals in Ireland, with rotating editors. The 2024 edition, its 46th (no. 20) was edited by Victoria Kennefick.
A new journal edited by Mitch Maroney. Here's the blurb: 'We feel that the arts are crucial in countering this spirit of destruction and nationalistic inward-looking. It is our aim to publish new and emerging writing, but another, equally important, ambition is to publish works in translation. It seems essential that the arts should strive to build bridges, foster understanding and transcend boundaries, and it is our intention that future issues of Swerve will contribute to this ethos. We hope to achieve it by emphasising translated works by international writers and, in conjunction with powerful visual images, create an impactful experience for our readers.’ I’ve just been interviewed by Kemi George Simpson for the forthcoming issue and looking forward to my copy!
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 chapbooks, Invisible Insane and The Throat-Bird, also work of mine in an anthology of surrealist poetry called Seeds of Gravity, so they have my gratitude.
The Bangor Literary Journal
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.
The Bohemyth
Based in Dublin, editor is Michael Naghten Shanks. It's a quarterly online journal, publishing poetry, fiction, photography, essays.
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 Four-Faced Liar https://www.the4facedliar.com
What a great name! It's inspired by the Shandon clock in Cork city, which tells a different time on each of its four faces. The Arts Council-funded journal is an Irish-flavoured, internationally-facing journal publishing an eclectic mix of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, work in translation and visual art. The current editors are Patrick Holloway, Sinéad Griffin, Rosie Morris and Stephen Brophy. Their mission is to showcase emerging writers and artists, helping them on their creative and publishing journey. Where possible, they aim to offer constructive feedback to submitters whose work hasn't quite made the cut. And they are committed to letting every submitter know the outcome of their submission. They pay contributors.
The Galway Review http://thegalwayreview.com/
'Committed to excellence in the extraordinary art of the written word.' 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 I'm in good company!
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
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 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. This journal seems to have gone quiet since Lockdown.
The Pig's Back https://www.thepigsback.ie/
The Pig’s Back (named for Donegal’s Muckish mountain and for the phrase ar mhuin na muice, to be in luck) is a literary prose journal that aims to bring the rest of Ireland - and in turn, the world - to the northwest. It publishes short fiction and essays.
Though they have a particular interest in writing from the northwest, they are eager to read work from all across Ireland, and beyond. Their blurb says, 'Our main aim is to provide opportunities for those voices who have yet to be discovered, to help them define themselves and guide them in their careers.'
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 probably the most rated journal 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. Contributing editors are Dan Bolger, Danny Denton, Olivia Fitzsimons, Mia Gallagher, Roisin Kiberd, and Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe. Previous contributing editors have included Sally Rooney, Mia Gallagher, Thomas Morris, Annemarie Ní Churreáin, Cal Doyle and others. They also publish 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 www.thewaxedlemon.com.
Launched in 2020, The Waxed Lemon publishes two print issues a year. It is co-edited by Joanne McCarthy and Derek Flynn. In 2024, they became the publishing partners of Write by the Sea Festival, Kilmore Quay. They are funded by the Waterford City and County Council Arts Office. They publish poetry, short stories, flash fiction, photography, and art.
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.
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. The editors are Liam Harrison, Seán Hayes and Catherine Hearn. Their first issue arrived in May 2021, and I 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 accepted. It is published both digitally and in print.
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 mention them in the Comments below, with a link. Or if any of these journals don't survive or no longer exist, please 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?
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