Internationally renowned Galway literary magazine secures arts funding
The funding aims to continue the support of vibrant, high-quality arts programs that enrich Ireland's cultural landscape.
Crannóg is published twice a year, in March and September, showcasing English-language poetry and short fiction from writers around the globe. Each issue features 10 short stories, 35 poems, and an in-depth interview with a selected author.
Artists whose work is chosen to be published in the magazine are compensated above industry standards. In addition, one contributor per issue is awarded the Crannóg Bursary, sponsored by poet Marian Kilcoyne. The editorial team also nominates contributors for prestigious awards like the Forward Prize and the Pushcart Prize.
The mission of the magazine is to 'publish the work of Irish writers alongside the best available worldwide and to show how well such writing sits with the best available internationally' says editor Tony O'Dwyer. He is one of the three editors who diligently read, review, and select writings from over 800 submissions per issue.
'This has the dual effect of giving writers a world platform to have their work read in print and also brings work of an international standard to the attention of an Irish audience. It has a particular interest in promoting the short story form, which is in more robust health than many realise.' He added.
Crannóg traces its roots back to the mid-1980s, when members of the Galway Writers' Workshop gathered in an upstairs room of the Bridge Mills building. Inspired by the surrounding waterways of the River Corrib and canals, they named the publication Crannóg – a term for a fortified dwelling built on a lake primarily for defence purposes.
Mr. O'Dwyer emphasizes the magazine's 'duty to Galway's cultural ecosystem,' with a strong focus on highlighting the community around them.
'Each issue is launched with a night of readings by contributors, both local and from elsewhere, sometimes from abroad, in The Crane Bar in Galway and has become a permanent feature of Galway's cultural calendar.'
The reading event highlights the 'high literary standard' of the submissions and the work of the writer's while being 'relaxed and unpretentious' in the upstairs of one of Galway's best-known traditional music pubs.
Looking forward into the horizon of 2026, Mr. O'Dwyer says the publication of issues 64 and 65 will no doubt be a highlight to look forward to. Plans are also under way for the annual workshop in which experienced writers can contribute their work for critique, mentorship, and affirmation further enriching 'cultural life and [the] public image of Galway as a cultural city'.
The grant will help fund this new workshop and support the continued production of the magazine that has continuously run for over 20 years.
What began as a local writers' collective has grown into an internationally recognized and read literary publication—one that continues to honour its roots while embracing voices from around the world.
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