Budding Irish Journalists Are Being Invited To Apply For A Grant Worth €18,000

Irish journalists are now being invited to submit proposals for investigations in order to avail of the Mary Raftery Journalism Fund.

Applications are welcome from both staff writers and freelance journalists from all strands of the media as well as ‘starter’ journalists with less than two years’ experience. Up to €40,000 will be available for allocation and the maximum payable to any applicant will be €18,000.

A panel of independent judges will decide on the allocation of funds, including Conor Brady, former editor of The Irish Times; Dr. Mary Corcoran, Professor of Sociology at NUI Maynooth; and Sheila Ahern, researcher and former colleague of Mary Raftery. The panel will be chaired by journalist Olivia O’Leary.

The Mary Raftery Journalism Fund was created as a result of an initiative by the family and friends of investigative journalist Mary Raftery, who died in January 2012. The aim of the fund is to promote more in-depth investigative coverage of issues close to Mary’s heart.

Successful projects from the past have included ‘Mental Health Care in the Community’ by Irish Times chief reporter Carl O’Brien; ‘Sex education in Irish schools - What are children being taught?’ by freelance journalist, Peter Maguire, ‘The Methadone Market,’ by broadcast journalist Della Kilroy.

If you or someone you know would like to apply for the fund, the deadline for applications is Friday, November 27 at 5pm.

For full details of the Mary Raftery Journalism Fund or examples of successful projects from previous rounds, click here. Any questions you might have about the fund can be directed to [email protected].