Tag: Art

Writing Awards, Writing Life, Writing News

Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig

I was honoured to have been awarded the Jack Harte Bursary 2025 for professional writers and am delighted to report that I had a most wonderful productive week of writing at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig.

To have an entire week free from everyday obligations and distractions, a week dedicated to thinking and talking about writing…and in gorgeous surrounds, with delicious and healthy food, and to be able to engage in new writing and editing is such a rarity. It was great also to connect with other creatives in a variety of disciplines, and an honour to visit some of the visual artists in their studios and see stunning work in progress. I am most grateful to Jack Harte, The Irish Writers Centre and Anna and her team at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig for this award – the gift of a week immersed in creativity.

Below are a few photos from walks around the house, grounds, and lake.

Photograph of the bell, wall, and flowers at the entrance to the house, the name plate to the fore. Photograph by Shauna Gilligan (c) 2025.
Photograph of the house in the evening – with some lights on in the house and grass to the fore. Photograph by Shauna Gilligan (c) 2025.
Photograph of the hallway and stairs through the mirror with a beautiful green house plant to the fore. Photograph by Shauna Gilligan (c) 2025.
Close up of a yellow (sun) flower in bloom in the gardens of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. Photograph by Shauna Gilligan (c) 2025.
View of the beautiful Annaghmakerrig Lake from just outside the house Shauna Gilligan (c) 2025.
A glimpse of some of the treasures in the Tyrone Guthrie library, a beautiful room which overlooks the lake. Photograph by Shauna Gilligan (c) 2025.
Close up of lilac foxglove. Photograph by Shauna Gilligan (c) 2025.

Book launch, Collaboration, Writing Festival, Writing Life, Writing News

Fire: New Anthology Cover Reveal

Editors Niamh Boyce and Shauna Gilligan are delighted to reveal the cover for Fire: Brigid and the Sacred Feminine (Arlen House: Dublin, 2024)

Save the date:

Fire: Brigid and the Sacred Feminine an anthology of art and writing (Eds Niamh Boyce and Shauna Gilligan) will be launched at Naas Library and Cultural Centre at 6.45pm on Thursday, 26th September by Lucina Russell, Lecturer in Art & Design Teacher Education, Limerick School of Art. This is part of the Kildare Readers’ Festival 2024. Copies of a special limited edition to celebrate 50 years of Arlen House will be available at the launch only!

We are thrilled to feature “Snakelady” by the brilliant Noël O’Callaghan as the cover art – see more of her work here. Keep posted for more on this exciting new anthology on the themes of Brigid, the Sacred Feminine and the heritage of Kildare.

This anthology  – the result of the Holy Cows Project started by Shauna Gilligan – was made possible with a 2024 Brigid 1500 / Kildare County Council Arts Act Grant.

Collaboration, Writing Life, Writing News

Holy Cows: The Red Book of Kildare – Astonishing response to call out

The Holy Cows Panel is truly grateful and overwhelmed with such a wealth of work from all across the world. The call out received an astonishing response with hundreds of individuals submitting beautiful writing, poetry, and visual art exploring themes of the Sacred Feminine, Brigid, and the Heritage of Kildare. 

The submissions window is now closed! We will spend the next few weeks continuing to read and examine your work with the care it deserves. Expect to hear back from the panel by March 15th.

  • PLEASE CHECK BACK ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE FOR REGULAR MONTHLY UPDATES. THANK YOU!