Deadlines for All Literary Submissions are 30 May 2026

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Poets Meet Painters 2026

Poetry in Conversation with Visual Art

Organised by Mill Cove Gallery, Poets Meet Painters brings poets into direct creative dialogue with painters and visual artists. Participating poets will respond to a curated selection of artworks created for the project.​​

Selected poems will be published in the Poets Meet Painters 2026 Anthology, with public readings and awards presented during the Kenmare Arts Festival 2026 at the Carnegie Arts Centre.

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Out of the Quiet: Queer Lives in Irish Writing

An Anthology of Short Stories & Poetry

Out of the Quiet is a landmark literary project celebrating older Irish gay men, whose lives, histories, and creative voices have often been overlooked.

The anthology will feature short fiction and poetry grounded in lived experience, exploring themes such as:

Memory, identity, resilience, sexuality, ageing, displacement, community, loss, joy, and belonging.

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The Kate O'Riodan Prize for Short Fiction 2026

Open Call – Open Voices

The Kenmare Arts Festival Short Story Competition 2026 is open to everyone, welcoming submissions from emerging and established writers alike.​​

The resulting Short Story Competition Anthology will be launched at the Festival, alongside readings by selected writers.

The prize fund for this competition is €1,000

Kenmare Connected

Stories Rooted in Place

Kenmare Connected, in collaboration with the Kenmare Chronicle, invites writers to explore Kenmare in the past, present, or future, through short stories, personal reflections, or imaginative narratives.​

This project celebrates community, memory, and imagination, capturing the evolving spirit of Kenmare and its people. Selected works will be published in the Kenmare Connected Anthology, which will be launched during the Festival.

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Publication, Prizes & Festival Launches

All four projects will result in printed anthologies, launched publicly during Kenmare Arts Festival 2026, with readings, discussions, and awards events taking place at the Carnegie Arts Centre.

A prize fund will be awarded across some of the literary events, with full details to be announced following confirmation of sponsorship.