In 2011, I visited Máire Uí Mhaicín at her home in Dublin. She had been commissioned by Deirdre Davitt of Foras na Gaeilge to take portraits of Irish writers and academics. I spent a lovely afternoon in Máire’s company, drinking coffee in the kitchen and chatting in her garden. I was really struck by her warmth and openness, her humour and energy.

Sadly, Máire passed away in 2013. Part of her legacy is the 140 portraits she took, some of which have been published recently by Leabhair COMHAR in a beautifully designed book.

There is also a bilingual website which is easy to navigate and gives a sense of the variety and volume of writers who work in the Irish language today. Here is a link to the index of writers. Aside from the portraits, there is biographical information and samples of work. I’m sure it’ll prove to be a great resource for anyone interested in writing in Ireland.