A New Harbour for Creativity
There is something unmistakable about the air on Great Island. It carries the salt of the sea, the clang of the shipyard, and the echoes of stories told and retold across generations. It is a place where creativity seems to rise with the tide, and it is from this spirit that The Great Islander Journal will emerge.
The Great Islander will be more than a publication. It will be a meeting point, a harbour, for poetry, prose, and the creative arts from Cobh and the wider Cork Harbour region. It will celebrate the voices that make this place unique: the dreamers, the storytellers, the painters, the musicians, and those who find beauty in the ordinary moments of island life.
The journal will carry the results and entries of the Cobh International Poetry Competition, preserving and sharing the creativity that flows from that annual event. It will also work closely in conjunction with Cobh Poetry Jukebox, offering a written home for the voices and verses that fill the promenade air. Together, these projects will help to build a living record of the island’s creative spirit, linking public art, performance, and the written word.
Each issue of The Great Islander will feature original poetry, short fiction, creative essays, visual art, and reflections that explore who we are and where we come from. Whether inspired by the lapping water against the quay walls, the laughter of a harbour crowd, or the quiet of a winter morning, the journal will give expression to the deep well of imagination that exists here.
Creativity belongs to everyone. It lives in the rhythm of work, the pattern of conversation, and the landscapes that shape us. The aim of The Great Islander Journal will be to offer a platform for both emerging and established voices, encouraging local artists to share their words, images, and ideas. Through print and digital editions, it will connect creators and readers, building bridges between art and community.
In a world that moves faster by the day, The Great Islander will invite readers to pause. To read slowly. To look again at the familiar with new eyes. To feel the connection between place and imagination. Every poem, story, or artwork published will serve as a small act of anchoring, proof that creativity will always find its place, even in a changing world.
If you live on Great Island, have roots here, or are simply drawn to its creative energy, you will be welcome to be part of this new chapter. Submit your work. Share your vision. Celebrate the spirit of Cobh and Cork Harbour through the written and visual arts.
Celebrating creativity in Cobh and Cork Harbour.
Proudly supported by Great Island Creative Arts CLG.
Great Island Creative Arts 