Monasteraden writer awarded €20,000 by Arts Council
'Somewhere' by Jessamine O’Connor follows main character Clodagh’s attempt to piece her life back together after a break-up.
Local writer Jessamine O’Connor has been awarded a €20,000 bursary by the Arts Council.
The Monasteraden based writer was awarded the bursary under the English literature stream of funding.
She has won several awards in her career, including the Ireland Chair of Poetry Travel Award in 2025 and the Dermot Healy Award for Fiction and Poetry.
It has been a busy year for Ms O’Connor who recently released her debut novel, ‘Somewhere,’ which tackled issues such as addiction and the housing crisis.
Her debut novel was released to much acclaim, with author and ATU lecture Elske Rahill praising the importance of her book and writer Neil Hegarty describing it as “kaleidoscopic and impressive.”
A total of €4.3m was awarded to 258 artists as part of the Arts Council’s latest round of funding.
The bursary awards support individual artists, allowing them the time and resources to further enhance their arts practices.
Welcoming the latest round of Arts Council funding, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan said:â¯â¯ “In providing over 250 artists from right across Ireland with time and opportunity to develop their artistic practice, these awards recognise the intrinsic value of the arts and the benefits they bring to our society.” â¯â¯
