Exciting Opportunity for Poet in Residence as Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann returns “home” to No 11 Parnell Square
About Poetry Ireland
Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann is Ireland’s resource organisation for the promotion and development of Irish poetry at home and abroad. A major project currently in hand is the development of Poetry Ireland House / Áras Éigse Éireann House which will open at No. 11 Parnell Square in spring 2026. The restoration of No. 11 is an integral part of a visionary project to fulfil Poetry Ireland’s ambition to create a permanent public home for Irish Poetry at the heart of the Capital City. The location in the north inner city, an area with high public footfall, is culturally rich and diverse and located within a densely populated hinterland.
Through the tenures of our two Poets in Residence, Catherine Ann Cullen and Anne Tannam, the poet in residence model has evolved and adapted to the needs of the communities which the programme has focused on, within Dublin northeast inner city, the wider Dublin city area, online and through recent national tours, all over Ireland. Supported by the Adrian Brinkerhoff Foundation, the poet in residence has been facilitating live and online workshops with people of all ages and backgrounds, readings and events with local community groups and schools and work in multi-disciplinary settings, partner organisations and with the Poetry Ireland team to present live online readings and public engagement initiatives.
Context for Poet in Residence
Anne Tannam, our 2023 – 2025 poet in residence supported by the Adrian Brinkerhoff Foundation, completed work with Poetry Ireland in May 2025. Hers has been an enriching residency and she has been a powerhouse of ideas and energy. Many of her residency projects have been oversubscribed. One to one coaching sessions with poets, creative writing workshops, work with former prisoners and young people, the residency has touched thousands of people, all over Ireland.
Our location in the Northeast Inner City is particularly culturally diverse, there are now 130 languages spoken in Ireland and our Poet in Residence programmes enable us to include and celebrate this diversity both at Poetry Ireland House and in our outreach work
As part of ongoing development, we have secured funding from the Adrian Brinkerhoff Foundation to enable us to employ our third Poet in Residence in 2025.
The newly appointed Poet in Residence will be in post in advance of opening Poetry Ireland House, building on the vital connections forged over the previous two residencies. The appointee will activate Poetry Ireland’s new home at No. 11 Parnell Square which will include the Seamus Heaney Poetry Library and build imaginative and creative pathways for both dedicated and new participants and audiences to the world of poetry.
The programmes will be curated, themed and inspired by the work of poets. The Seamus Heaney Poetry Library will serve the committed poetry reader and researcher and will also act as fertile ground out of which to connect with and empower the wider public to reach into and enjoy the world of poetry. The library will comprise comprising Seamus Heaney’s private library (kindly bequeathed by Seamus Heaney’s family), the Austin Clarke collection, the John Jordan collection, a contemporary Irish poetry collection and, an American Poetry Library, created with the support of the Adrian Brinkerhoff Foundation.
It will provide resources for readers to explore a rich living poetry legacy. The connection with the wider “potential” poetry reading public will be integral to the work of the 2025 – 2027 newly appointed poet in residence.
Details of position:
Job Title: Poet In Residence.
Contract: Part-time 26 hours per week, including 5 hours personal writing time, it will be permanent for two years, subject to renewal, with a six-month probation period. This role is not suitable for hybrid working.
Salary: 25,000 euro per annum plus project budget. Annual leave is calculated as 8% of hours worked.
Other Benefits: Dedicated time and space to develop new work as well as opportunities to collaborate with Ireland’s leading poets, artists, and literary institutions.
Public recognition and career development support through Poetry Ireland’s platforms.
This role is ideal for a poet with a passion for community engagement and literary advocacy, offering a unique platform to inspire and be inspired by Ireland’s rich poetic tradition.
See job description for more details.
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