Colin Murphy to join the Trinity Long Room Hub as new Rooney Writer Fellow

Posted on: 09 February 2026

Playwright, screenwriter and columnist Colin Murphy has been announced as the 2026 Rooney Writer Fellow by Trinity Long Room Hub, Trinity’s flagship Arts and Humanities Institute.

Best known for his series of plays about Irish political history, Colin will join the Trinity Long Room Hub’s distinguished fellowship programme supported by Dr Peter Rooney.

A collected volume of his plays, titled Colin Murphy's Political Plays: 100 Years of Irish History was released in early 2026 and is published by Bloomsbury Methuen. It features an introduction from the former President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, who describes the collection as “a timely contribution to all who seek to understand the complexity of our past and to engage with the ongoing work of building a more just and inclusive Ireland”. Murphy’s work, he added, continues in the “long tradition of Irish theatre as a space for political reflection and social change.”

Speaking about his upcoming fellowship, the author said: “The Long Room Hub is a hub of great ideas, fascinating research and good conversation. I’m thrilled to be joining the Hub and looking forward to being provoked and inspired by conversations and encounters there. I also look forward to burrowing away in the library and in my office and doing some good new writing.

"The roll-call of former Rooney Writer Fellows sets an intimidatingly high bar, and it’s an honour to follow in their wake. Writing is a precarious trade; we need supporters like Peter Rooney and the Long Room Hub, whose investment gives us the stability and the institutional support that helps us do our best work.”

The Rooney Writer Fellowship was established by the Trinity Long Room Hub in 2021. Previous fellows have included authors Mark O’Connell, Paul Murray and Caitríona Lally, and poet, pacifist and fabulist Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe.

The Fellowship enables a creative writer to join the research community in the Trinity Long Room Hub and to engage with the institute’s research themes and programmes.

Dr Peter Rooney said: “I would like to personally congratulate Colin Murphy on becoming our newest Rooney Fellow.  He is a fantastic addition to our esteemed list of writers.  I know he will be a valued addition to the great thinkers of the Hub community.”

Professor Patrick Geoghegan, Director of the Trinity Long Room Hub, said: “I want to congratulate Colin Murphy on his appointment as the new Rooney Writer Fellow and we look forward to welcoming him to our community of scholars.  We are excited to see how groundbreaking research in the Arts and Humanities might inspire him in his writing, and also how much we can learn from his incredible experience and insights.  Colin is a multi-talented writer, playwright, screenwriter and journalist and we will benefit enormously from his presence and his contributions."

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