Mayo artist awarded €30,000 Arts Council residency at Dublin university

Author Colin Barrett from Knockmore has been announced as new Mayo Writer in Residence at Dublin City University.

Barrett has penned two short story collections, Young Skins and Homesickness, and the novel Wild Houses. His short fiction has been published in The New Yorker, Harpers, Granta and the Stinging Fly, and in many other journals and magazines. Wild Houses won the 2024 Nero Prize for Debut Fiction and was longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize.

He was born in Canada but his parents moved to Mayo when he was four years old. He played Gaelic football for Knockmore, where he grew up. 

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The Arts Council is delighted to announce the recipients of its 2026 Artist in Residence awards.

These awards, which are jointly funded by the Arts Council and partner universities, provide artists with dedicated workspaces and vital finances to develop their work, acquire resources and further Ireland’s vibrant creative scene.

This year, twelve artists across seven universities will benefit from this flagship programme. Their upcoming work will reflect the diversity and richness of Ireland’s creative landscape, with programmes spanning English and Irish-language Literature, Film, Digital Arts and Traditional Arts.  

This year marks a particularly exciting opportunity for Digital Artists, who have, for the first time, been included in the programme through three pilot residencies across University College Cork, the University of Galway and the University of Limerick.

The Artists in Residencies programme is a cornerstone of the Arts Council’s commitment to fostering artistic excellence and enriching educational environments.

The successful applicants will take up their positions in early 2026.

Maura Mc Grath, Chair of the Arts Council, congratulated the successful applicants: 

“As Chair of the Arts Council, I am delighted to congratulate the new Artists in Residence across our universities. These programmes support artists to deepen their practice while bringing fresh creative energy into teaching, research and campus life. By connecting students and staff with professional artists, they spark new ideas and show how creativity can enrich every discipline. We are very grateful to our university partners for their ongoing commitment to these residencies.” 

These 12 new artists join an additional 10 awardees who took up residencies in Children and Young People’s Arts across seven Higher Education Institutions at the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.

Altogether, the total investment from the Arts Council for all residency programmes at third level institutions in 2026 is €417,000. Partner universities have together contributed €105,000, bringing the combined investment to €522,000 – over half a million euros. 

The 2026 residencies will be hosted across prominent institutions, including: 
 
University College Cork 

Arts Council Film Artist in Residence: Brendan Canty 
Arts Council Traditional Artist in Residence: Aoife Ní Bhriain 
Arts Council Writer in Residence: Dean Browne 
Arts Council Digital Artist in Residence: Alan Butler 

Dublin City University  

Arts Council English-language Writer in Residence: Colin Barrett
Scríbhneoir Cónaithe Gaeilge na Comhairle Ealaíon / Arts Council Irish-language Writer in Residence: Le fógairt go luath / To be announced shortly 

University of Galway 

Arts Council Writer in Residence: Nicole Flattery 
Arts Council Digital Artist in Residence: Jane Cassidy 

University College Dublin 

Arts Council Writer in Residence: Oisín Fagan 

Trinity College Dublin 

Arts Council Writer Fellow: Sarah Maria Griffin 

Maynooth University 

Arts Council Writer in Residence: Patrick Holloway

University of Limerick 

Arts Council Digital Artist in Residence: Aoife Dunne 

The Arts Council of Ireland is the national government agency for funding, developing and promoting the arts in Ireland. Its role is to advocate, advise, invest and work in partnership with others, to cultivate a vibrant arts environment at the heart of Irish society.

Established by Statute in 1951, the Arts Council is guided by the Arts Act 2003 and is an expert, autonomous body. 

 The Arts Council recognises that the arts have a central and distinctive contribution to make to our evolving society. Our current strategic focus is on supporting artists, public engagement, strategic investment, spatial and demographic planning, and developing capacity.