Arts Council announces Westmeath Writer in Residence at the University of Galway
Kinnegad author Nicole Flattery has been selected as on of the recipients of the 2026 Artist in Residence awards. The Arts Council announced the recipients of the 2026 Artist in Residence awards today. 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.
Nicole's debut short collection Show Them A Good Time was published by the Stinging Fly Press in 2019 and her novel Nothing Special by Bloomsbury in 2023. Her work has appeared in The Stinging Fly, the London Review of Books, the New York Review of Books and Harpers, amongst others. She lives in Dublin.
She is one of 12 artists across seven universities will benefit from the 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 NíBhriain
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:PatrickHolloway
University of Limerick
Arts Council Digital Artist in Residence: Aoife Dunne
The artists and organisations undertaking residencies in Children and Young People’s Arts for the 2025 – 2026 academic year are:
Atlantic Technological University
Mónica Muñoz Marín
Jacquelyn Whitman
Dublin City University
Cliodhna Noonan
The Ark
Marino Institute of Education
Joanna Parkes
Edwina Guckian
Technological University of the Shannon Ecec Programme
Cathriona Walsh
Dundalk Institute of Technology
Graffiti Theatre Company Ltd
O'Donoghue Centre For Drama, Theatre and Performance
Galway Community Circus
University College Cork
Karen Power