10 Best Irish Literary Magazines You Must Read And Support

Support Your Local Arts

I’ll admit, I’m a magazine addict and hoarder and love nothing more than a good Literary magazine and at the moment there are plenty of excellent old and new to choose from, most I purchase as regular as I can though some are only released quarterly. But, if you are anyway into literature, art, poetry, fiction, reviews, there is no better way to support the local artists than to buy local Arts magazines.

So here, in no particular order are 10 of the best (that I know of) for you to discover, to buy and read at your local book store even Easons are stocking some of these, I will also post a link to the site where you can purchase and help keep these important magazines pumping life in to the heart of the country. I have recently only discovered a couple of these and if you know of any mags I do not mention, please leave a comment and let me know, love discovering new magazines.

No 1.  The Moth

The Moth is very new to the scene launched in June 2010 and is based in Cavan. A beautiful and elegant print with striking Art cover designs. It is a quarterly magazine and it features quality poetry, short fiction, pictures, and art. They except work from local and abroad up-and-coming.

Each magazine has two interviews from established writers. It appears in March, June, September, and December and at 4euros it is a steal of a magazine and I highly recommend it. Can be purchased also in Easons as-well and most local Book stores. Visit The Moth Magazine for a browse and more information.

No 2.  The SHOp

The SHOp when you read the about page of the site starts with “The SHOp seeks to put good Irish poetry before it’s foreign readers, good foreign poetry before it’s Irish readers” which is a statement I absolutely love. The title of the Magazine is a reference to the last line from a W.B.Yeats poem “The Circus Animals”.

The SHOp brings you poetry from Irish and foreign writers, established and newcomers and likes to group the poetry into similar themes. Each issue will also contain poetry (2-3 poems) in Gaelic with English translations. The magazine comes with impressive cover illustrations. Again, it is a quarterly magazine and the quality of the poetry is some of the best been produced in this country and abroad. Check your local Book store for it, or visit the website The SHOp to take a look and purchase it, it really is an excellent read.

No 3.  Crannog

Crannog is a wonderful (one of my favourite) magazines and is based locally here in Galway in the Language center Bridge Mills and is published 3 times a year, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Crannog publishes excellent local and foreign poetry and prose.

It is available in Local Book Stores and can be purchased from the site and I highly recommend it. You can also download back issues in PDF form for free which is brilliant especially for people who want to publish some work here to get the feel of what is excepted. Visit Crannog Website here.

No 4.  Cyphers

Cyphers is a neat little magazine and is based in Dublin. It has been around a long time, actually, one of Irelands longest established Literary Magazines and was founded in 1975 and still is as popular as ever. It publishes quality poetry, prose, reviews and displays amazing graphics.

Cyphers also publishes work in Gaelic and translations from many languages. It is available in many Book Stores and you can also purchase it from the website. Visit Cyphers website here.

 No 5.  WOW!

I just purchased the anthology of this magazine yesterday in Charlie Byrne’s Bookstore and it is only a new discovery for me, loving it so far. WOW! stands for ‘Words on the Web’ and is an award-winning magazine that provides a poetry and fiction competition, and with the winners produces the magazine anthology by publishing the winners and runners up, great idea. You can now buy this is selected Bookstores or visit the WOW! Anthology website for more details.

No 6.  Boyne Valley Berries

Boyne Valley Berries is a journal produced from the Boyne Writers Group twice a year (March and September) and it mostly produces prose and poetry excepting work from Ireland and abroad and is a wonderful read.

The writer’s group was established in 2006 in Meath for people interested in Creative Writing, meeting twice a month, reading to each other and offering constructive criticism. It is available in Antonia’s Bookshop, Trim, Spar, Trim and in Galway in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop. As always you can purchase of the website and also you can read the back issues on the site or in PDF form. Visit The Boyne Writers Group website for more details.

No 7.  Stinging Fly

Just bought the New York Edition of the Stinging Fly and loving it, highly recommend for the great read and yes, this is another favorite of mine. Established in 1997, it likes to produce the best in Irish and international poetry, prose, short fiction, book reviews but really want to provide quality short stories to a hungry audience.

They produce 3 editions a year and is of the highest quality. The magazine also likes to give new emerging writers a chance to publish their work and take submissions between January 1st and March 31st. For excellent short stories, this is well worth the 7 euros and can be purchased in many local book stores as well as the website. You can also read back issues on the site. Visit The Stinging Fly website.

No 8.  Poetry Ireland Review

Poetry Ireland Review is one of the best known literary journals in Ireland and has an excellent informative website which is well worth subscribing to. The journal is available quarterly and looks to share the work of emerging and established poets, Irish and international.

A new editor is appointed after every 4-8 issues which helps keep the journal fresh and spirited. This is an excellent journal and a must for all serious writers. The website has a ton of amazing information and likes to help create performance and publication opportunities for writers especially poets. There is also information on Poetry readings and news aswell as education opportunities.  You can buy the journal in most Bookstores or you can visit the excellent site to order. Visit the Poetry Ireland Review website for more details.

No 9.  Shamrock Haiku Journal

This is a fantastic little journal that is produced quarterly but only on the web. Founded in 2007, it produces quality Haiku, Senryu and Haibun in English from Irish and international poets (as a huge Haiku fan I love this gem).

Shamrock Haiku Journal has also produced a print version of the 20 issues of the journal with 248 authors from 38 countries with classic and experimental Haiku, Senryu and Haibun as-well as selected essays on Haiku. As far as I can see it is only available to buy online but I may be mistaken. It is a wonderful book to by and collect so visit Shamrock Haiku Journal website for more details and some quality Haiku.

No 10.  The Dublin Review

The Dublin Review is again one of my favourite and another quarterly magazine. It is packed full of reading and includes essays, travel writing, memoir, fiction, criticism reportage.

It is published in book format and is a must for serious readers and writers, always packed full of interesting topics. It welcomes submissions in fiction and non-fiction but no poetry. This book can be purchased in most book stores or again, just visit The Dublin Review for more details.

Here you have an interesting and exciting list of Literary Magazines and Journals available and been produced in our homeland and should be supported by us. The Arts are important to the Irish identity. These magazines do not make a lot of money yet still work socks off to bring us the voices of young, old, new and established writers, artists, and musicians.

So help by purchasing one from your local book store (equally important) and let’s keep these magazines going strong, you never know, you might discover a magazine to fall in love with as I do regularly. Also, if you have a Literary Magazine you read and is not on this list, leave a comment below and I will gladly add it, and then more than likely go buy it.

Go Here To See 12 More of the Best Irish Literary Magazines You Should Read and Support

Save