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Explore a diverse range of Irish literature in English, from the sixteenth century to the present, taught by a world-leading faculty of experts in the field.
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About this MPhil
The MPhil in Irish Writing was established by the influential critics Terence Brown and Nicholas Grene in 1985. It was the first taught master’s programme in the English department at Trinity, and it remains one of our flagship courses. The programme covers Irish writing in English from the late sixteenth century to the present day, exploring fiction, poetry, drama, and life-writing, and the varied historic, political, social, and cultural complexities which have inspired, enriched, challenged, and sustained literary production on the island. It is an intellectually demanding, culturally stimulating programme which offers those with a special interest in Irish writing unique opportunities to study and experience it in the heart of Dublin.
Our city
There are vital and unbroken connections between the work we do in the seminar room and the cultural life of the city that surrounds us. Our students benefit from Trinity’s location in central Dublin, a UNESCO City of Literature. In addition to sites and institutions of major historical importance for scholars of Irish writing, such as the National Library, Marsh’s Library, and the National Archives, students can immerse themselves in Dublin’s famously vibrant contemporary culture. Trinity is in walking distance of the Abbey, Gate, and Smock Alley Theatres, the Project Arts Centre, and the Irish Film Institute. The city’s bookshops, cultural organisations like Poetry Ireland, and annual events like the Dublin Book Festival play host to literary events throughout the year.
MPhil in Irish Writing
Trinity's School of English runs a world-leading master's programme in Irish Writing. Meet Christopher Morash, Seamus Heaney Professor of Irish Writing, to learn more.
The core module Perspectives in Irish Writing runs across two semesters, providing a chronological spine to the MPhil and introducing students to key issues in and contexts for Irish writing, including the Act of Union, the Famine, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the Celtic Tiger, and major critical narratives and debates, including those addressing gender, sexuality, race, and class. It also encourages students to interrogate overarching assumptions about Ireland, Irishness, and Irish writing.
In the second semester, students take Conditions of Irish Writing, examining the publishers, periodicals and institutions through which Irish writing has been produced and mediated, through extensive engagement with archival material in the Trinity’s Library and the National Library of Ireland, which is just a short walk from our city-centre campus.
In addition to these compulsory modules, students choose modules from a broad range of options on the Irish Writing programme – typically these include Single Author modules on writers such as Maria Edgeworth, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, and Eavan Boland (after whom the College’s main library is named), and on prominent genres in Irish writing, such as short fiction or life-writing. Students may also select modules from other MPhil programmes offered in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Trinity, allowing them to offset their study of Irish writing with broader multidisciplinary perspectives.
Teaching on all MPhil modules is through seminars. For the final stage of the programme, students work independently on a research project of their choice, with one-to-one supervision, to produce a dissertation of 12-15,000 words.
The teaching faculty on the MPhil includes internationally recognised critics and editors of Irish writers including Samuel Beckett, Maria Edgeworth, Oliver Goldsmith, Seamus Heaney, James Joyce, Sheridan Le Fanu, Louis MacNeice, Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, and W. B. Yeats. Literary criticism in the School of English takes place amidst a vibrant and longstanding culture of Creative Writing, and our teaching staff also includes some of Ireland’s leading contemporary writers.
The School of English at Trinity is consistently ranked in the top 30 English departments worldwide. It is the leading English department in the European Union. We have a diverse postgraduate community and students on our taught masters’ programmes are encouraged to participate fully in the academic culture of the School, and to engage with the thriving calendar of events hosted by the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute.
Students of many different nationalities and from diverse backgrounds have successfully completed the programme. Applicants should have an Honours Bachelor degree (at least of upper-second class standard or GPA of 3.3) or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject (such as English, History, Art History, Irish Studies, Modern Languages).
Applications for admission in 2026/27 open in November 2025. Candidates are encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible, as applications are reviewed on a rolling basis as they arrive. If an offer is made, candidates wishing to secure a place (and to be considered for any funding opportunities that may be available) should confirm the acceptance of the offer as soon as possible.
Classes will begin in early September 2026.
The Fitzroy Pyle Bursary
The School of English is delighted to announce the Fitzroy Pyle M.Phil Bursary is now open to offer holders intending to begin their studies in September 2026.
Professor William Fitzroy Pyle (1907-89) was a central figure in the Department of English at Trinity College Dublin, and a scholar of Renaissance English Literature, with a particular interest in Shakespeare and Milton. The Fitzroy Pyle M.Phil Bursary is supported by his family in his honour, and is open to MPhil offer holders in the School of English who are undertaking an M.Phil. in Irish Writing, Children’s Literature, or Modern and Contemporary Literary Studies. The Award will commence in September 2026.
The Fitzroy Pyle Postgraduate Bursary will cover fees and a stipend for one year.
For further details and instructions on how to apply please see here: Fitzroy Pyle Bursary Information Applications must be received by 31 March 2026. Your MPhil application must also be fully completed by 31 March 2026.
European Excellence Awards
The €1,000 awards are open to applicants with EU fee-status who hold an offer letter for a Postgraduate Taught programme in Trinity College Dublin. Further information can be found here.
Details of further funding opportunities from TCD can be found here.
Brontë Prize
This prize was founded in 1921 by a bequest from Miss A.G. Woolson of Portland, U.S.A. It is awarded triennially by the Board on the recommendation of a committee for the best essay on either (a) an English author of Irish descent, or (b) the seats of learning in Ireland prior to 900 A.D. or (b) the seats of learning in Ireland prior to 900 a.d. The committee consists of the Regius Professor of Greek and the Professors of Latin and English Literature. A candidate must be of Irish birth or have been domiciled in Ireland for at least ten years. The candidate must also be an undergraduate of Trinity College Dublin or a graduate of not more than five years’ standing. The next award will be made in 2025 and essays must reach the Registrar before 1 October 2025. Value, €1,905.
Whether you're moving to Dublin from Ireland or abroad, the biggest problem you're likely to face is just getting set-up in the city. Below, you'll find web links providing advice on getting accommodation, placing deposits, household utilities, looking after your finances, and general tenancy agreements.
https://www.tcd.ie/students/living-dublin/
https://www.internationalstudents.ie/info-and-advice/practical-information/cost-of-living
