RECIPIENT OF THE 9TH PHELIM DONLON PLAYWRIGHT’S BURSARY & RESIDENCY 

Irish Theatre Institute (ITI) in association with Tyrone Guthrie Centre are delighted to announce that the recipient of the 9th Phelim Donlon Playwright’s Bursary & Residency is the duo of Micheal Patrick and Oisín Kearney. 

On making the announcement Niamh O’Donnell, Director of Irish Theatre Institute, said: 

“From a huge number of talented applicants, our artists panel had the difficult task of shortlisting to just three places and have chosen four immensely skilled writers: Clare Monnelly, Meghan Tyler, and the duo of Micheal Patrick and Oisín Kearney.

The 2024 Phelim Donlon Playwright’s Bursary & Residency goes to the wonderful duo Micheal Patrick and Oisín Kearney.  This bursary, alongside the two-week residency with our partners in Annaghmakerrig, will give them time to reflect and work towards developing a new work which is a companion piece to their wildly successful debut show, My Left Nut. We know the show they write will include their signature dark humour alongside heartfelt warmth. 

ITI also want to thank the runners up Clare Monnelly and Meghan Tyler. We are very confident we will continue to see their great writing produced in the future.”

ABOUT THE AWARD

This award is named in honour of Phelim Donlon, former Drama Officer at the Arts Council and a dedicated member of the first Irish Theatre Institute (ITI) PLAYOGRAPHYIreland Advisory Panel, in acknowledgement of his valued contribution to Irish theatre.   

The award provides a professional playwright with time, physical resources and mentoring towards writing a new play.   

The recipient of the 2024 award receives an ITI writers’ bursary of €2,000 and a 2 weeks’ fully resourced residency in Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Annaghmakerrig.  

The shortlisted artists Clare Monnelly and Meghan Tyler each receive €500.   

We would like to thank our selection panel, artists Fionn Foley and Oonagh Murphy, who were assisted in the process by ITI’s Artist Supports and Playography Manager, Katherine Murphy and ITI’s Interim Programme Manager, Lisa Nally.   

All open calls with Irish Theatre Institute are read and selected by a peer panel of artists. These artists are chosen through a random selection process from ITI’s artist community.   

Previous playwrights awarded this bursary & residency include Caitríona Daly (2023) John O’Donovan (2022) Stephen Jones (2021) Sonya Kelly (2020), Karen Cogan (2019), Amy Conroy (2018), Carys D. Coburn (2017) and Fiona Doyle (2016). 

Further information on the award and previous recipients is available here.  

ABOUT MICHAEL PATRICK AND OISIN KEARNEY 

Michael Patrick (writer/actor) and Oisín Kearney (writer/director) are a creative partnership working across Theatre, Radio, TV & Film, that make original work that is bursting with humour and heart, whilst having something important to say about life now. Their plays My Left Nut (now a BBC Three series), The Alternative (nominated Best New Play, Irish Times Theatre Awards), The Border Game have toured Ireland. They are alumni of ITI’s Virtual Attic, Bewley’s Cafe Theatre ‘Percolate’ New Writing group, Prime Cut’s REVEAL programme, BBC Writers’ Room Belfast Voices, The MAC’s Hatch & Scratch, and recipients of an Abbey Theatre Commemoration Bursary and the IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship. They are represented by Curtis Brown.   

ABOUT PHELIM DONLON (1936 – 2014)   

Phelim began work at the Arts Council in 1983, and served as Film, Drama and Opera Officer, retiring in 2001. He was also Director of the Auditoria review of the built infrastructure for the performing arts throughout Ireland. In retirement, his commitment remained undiminished, and he served on the boards of many performing arts organisations. Learn more about Phelim and his impact here.