Supporting Writing in Irish: the Arts Council’s policy and strategy for Irish language literature 

The Arts Council is pleased to publish Supporting Writing in Irish. This publication sets out the current policy and strategy for literature in the Irish language as it aligns with the key objectives and desired outcomes of Making Great Art Work. Together with its implementation plan, Supporting Writing in Irish outlines how – over the next three years – the Arts Council will work to increase the visibility of Irish language literature, and affirm its place as a central part of our literary and cultural lives.   

The Arts Council is inspired by the prospect of an Ireland where Irish language literature is read, enjoyed and celebrated, where writers at all stages of their careers are supported to make work of literary ambition and quality, and where Irish language literature is – and is widely acknowledged to be  - a core part of our literary and cultural life.  

The Irish language literature sector is vibrant and culturally important, with active writers, publishers, journals as well as festivals and events throughout the country. The Arts Council’s role in Irish language literature is to support the artform, and it is already a major player in provision for the sector in Ireland. As with literature in English, the Council’s remit for literature includes poetry, fiction, short fiction, children’s literature, critical writing, and some forms of creative non-fiction. The Arts Council’s range of supports create opportunities for both writers and people across the island to create and engage with new writing in Irish. Arts Council support is concentrated on individual writers, publishers, journals, festivals and events, and the Council supports a range of literary resource organisations that provide services and supports to writers working through both Irish and English. 

As there are several different agencies and organisations concerned with promotion of the language, the Arts Council’s specific role is to support the creation of excellent literature in Irish and to enable more people to engage with literary writing in Irish.  

You can read Supporting Writing in Irish here, and its implementation plan can be found here.

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