The Sapphire Group is a membership support group of different writers of different levels, some published, and working in a variety of genres. It is five years in existence and meets at the Writers' Centre on Monday mornings for three ten week sessions during Autumn, post Christmas, and post Easter. The objective is for each member to set their own deadlines and read each others' work. With no facilitator, we operate democratically on the basis of each member emailing work to the group in advance of the meeting, then reviewing the work together with an agreed code of feedback. Part of the meeting time is also devoted to discussing new and emerging ideas and developments of mutual interest.

Membership is subject to a minimal fee to cover costs and to agreement with standard guidelines, including a commitment to attend and contribute and to accept the rotating chair. Anyone interested in finding out more about the group should contact Dawn Goto at dawn.goto@gmail.com

Bealtaine originated in a series of workshops offered by the IWC and Age and Opportunity as part of the Bealtaine Festival celebrating creativity in older people in May 1999. Eithne Strong was the facilitator. Members of the group were so enthusiastic that they continued meeting monthly, losing and gaining members on the way. Their core numbers are eight to ten.

Now, ten years later, they still meet monthly to write, read and workshop poems. They are also poets in residence at The Hugh Lane Gallery. Bealtaine are a democratic group all sharing in facilitating new work and leading workshops. They are open to new members who are older, experienced poets.

"We continue to be hosted by the IWC and we owe our longevity in a large part to meeting in this beautiful and congenial environment."

In 1987, Arlen House, the feminist publishing house, invited a group of twelve women writers to participate in a series of workshops. The initiative was designed to encourage and help Irish women to become serious writers, at a time when it was perceived that women were under-represented in the Irish literary canon. The poet, Eavan Boland, whose own work had been ground-breaking, facilitated most of the workshops in the series; Clare Boylan, the novelist, taught one of them.  When the Arlen House project finished, eleven of the participants decided to continue meeting to peer review their own work. So the WEB Women Writers’ Group was born. 

The group has met monthly since 1987. Initially the workshops took place in members’ homes. Since 1992, however, the group has been happy to use the facilities of the Irish Writers’ Centre for its meetings, which are held once a month, on Saturday afternoons.

Over the years, many of the WEB writers have established successful literary careers. Several have published books, had plays and film scripts produced, and many have won prestigious literary prizes.  The Group is not all hard work: we have holidayed abroad together, attended festivals such as the James Joyce Summer Festival in Trieste, and liaised with other writers’ groups, such as ‘Word of Mouth,’ in Derry.  And there have been quite a few parties!

This writing group meets on the first Thursday of every month at 6.30pm. For more details call 01 8482833. Location: Donaghmede Library.