Following the success of its Artist-in-Residence programmes held between 2023 and 2025, the Yeats Thoor Ballylee Society is delighted to offer one Literary Arts residency this summer, running from Friday, 31st July to Friday, 14th August.
The Thoor Ballylee artist residency highlights W.B. Yeats’s genius for poetry, drama and literature. Artists working in any of these areas are encouraged to apply.
About Thoor Ballylee
Described by Seamus Heaney, fellow Nobel Prize Laureate, as the most important building in Ireland, Thoor Ballylee, a Hiberno-Norman tower nestled on a river bank in Ballylee, near Gort in County Galway, is a place of history, poetry, and idyllic beauty. Surrounded by lush landscape. the poet W. B. Yeats spent summers with his family here and was inspired to write some of his most beloved work making the tower his permanent symbol.
The Studio opened in 2019 as a space for educational and cultural workshops.
What the residency will offer:
For the two-week residency, the successful candidate will receive accommodation and a daily stipend of €80. Accommodation will be located in Gort, approximately 7km from Thoor Ballylee.
The artist will have access to The Studio at Thoor Ballylee where they can work during their residency. The Studio will be available during opening hours of Thoor Ballylee, from 10am to 5pm every day.
Transportation:
The successful candidate will organise and pay for their transportation between their home and the accommodation in Gort. As Thoor Ballylee is located approximately 7km from their accommodation, it is useful if the successful candidate has their own means of transport. .Alternatively, they will need to organise and cover the cost of their transport between their accommodation and Thoor Ballylee. Note: A bus service between Gort and three local sites of historic and tourist interest is planned for summer 2026; details to be confirmed.
What the artist will provide:
During the residency, the artist will engage with local literary groups and artists at agreed times. They will also be expected to engage with the wider public by offering a workshop and/or a reading or performance of their work.
When is the deadline?
The deadline for applications is Friday, 22 May 2026 and the successful candidate will be notified by Monday, 15 June 2026.
How do I apply?
Send the following items in PDF format to yeatsstudioresidency@gmail.com.
- Cover Letter – Briefly describe your artistic practice and how your work would connect with the work of W.B. Yeats and how you would benefit from the residency.
- CV
- Short extract of your work or a link to your website
- Confirm that you will be available for the residency from Friday, 31st July to Friday, 14th August.
The closing date for receipt of applications is: Friday, 22 May 2026
Funded by the Galway County Council Arts Office
