Cónal Creedon is a novelist, playwright and documentary filmmaker.

Cónal became the first Irish artist to receive the prestigious Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts 2024/25 [The World Cultural Council]. He was subsequently invited to present the 70th anniversary Beatty Lecture 2024 at McGill University, Montreal, Canada – introduced by Nobel Prize laureate, Prof. Omar Yaghi of Berkeley University.

The Beatty Lecture is described as, “from Nobel to Pulitzer, from the Kremlin to Carnegie Hall”. Previous speakers include – President of Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Maria Ressa. December 2025, Cónal was honoured to receive MA in Literature UCC – National University of Ireland [2025]

Recognition for contribution to the Arts

  • The Princess Grace Irish Library Residency Award 2025 [Monaco]
  • The Ireland Funds Monaco Bursary Award 2025
  • Laoch Racaire 2025 [Féile na Laoch]
  • Irish American Award IBAM 2024 [Chicago, USA]
  • CAP Award 2024 [Dublin, Ireland]
  • IP Gold Award 2023 [USA]
  • One City One Book 2022 [Ireland]
  • Lord Mayor’s Culture Award 2020 [Cork Ireland]
  • Eric Hoffer Award 2020 [USA]
  • Writer-in-Residence at University College Cork [2016]
  • Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing UCC [2017]

Cónal Creedon’s body of work is inspired by what he describes as ‘The Spaghetti Bowl of Streets’ in downtown Cork City where his family has lived and traded for generations. This forensic exploration offers a detailed insight into the universal nature of the human condition. Cónal’s work has far reaching international appeal with translations of his work into Chinese, Bulgarian, German and Italian, his stage plays have been produced in China, Europe and America, and his film documentaries have had numerous international screenings from New York to World Expo in Shanghai. Cónal's diverse creative output comes together as a single cohesive body of work that resonates far beyond the inner city streets of his native Cork.

“Good writing knows no ethnicity. Good writing knows no nationality. Good writing is good writing. Not alone is this good writing, it’s excellent writing. Very personal writing. Very humorous writing. They say if Dublin was burnt down it could be rebuilt again by reading the work of James Joyce – well the very same could be said about Creedon’s work – Cork city could be built from his words.”

Malachy McCourt – New York

 

BOOKS

Cónal’s published books include,

  • Spaghetti Bowl (2024).
  • Art Imitating Life Imitating Death (2023) awarded The IP European Gold Award.
  • Pancho and Lefty Ride Again (2021) awarded One City One Book (2022), Bronze Next Generation Book Award USA (2022), on record as the most borrowed adult book from the Cork City library in 2022.
  • Begotten Not Made (2018) awarded the CAP Award for Creative Fiction (2024), Eric Hoffer Award USA (2020), Bronze Next Generation Book Award USA (2020), finalist Montaigne Award USA (2020), nominated Dublin International Book Award (2020). Cited as ‘Book of the Year’ in both Irish Examiner (2020) and Liveline RTÉ Radio.

 

Other books by Cónal include, Cornerstone (2017), The Immortal Deed of Michael O’Leary (2015), Second City Trilogy (2007), Passion Play (1999) cited as ‘Book of the Year’ BBC Radio 4 and voted the ‘Most Popular Book’ by readers at UCC Library (2020), and Pancho And Lefty Ride Out (1995).

“Everyone loves the Irish. It’s a fact. Creedon’s script is a rich fusion of melancholy poetry and affable banter. truly fine piece of theatre, one that is Irish to its core but anything but provincial in its scope. You couldn’t ask for anything more than this.”

Smart Shanghai Magazine, China

Cónal’s short stories have been broadcast extensively and published in newspapers, magazines, literary periodicals and anthology – with adaptations for stage, film and radio. His short fiction has achieved recognition in a number of literary awards including, Life Extra Short Story Awards, Francis Mac Manus Short Story Awards, George A. Birmingham Short Story Awards, One-Voice Monologue Awards BBC, The PJ O’Connor Awards.

Cónal regularly embarks on international reading tours including,

– 7-city coast-to-coast reading tour hosted by the Irish American Cultural Institute (USA), Fudan University (China), Feile na Pobail (Belfast), New York University (USA), 5-city reading tour hosted by Perugia University (Italy), Irish Heritage Centre Chicago (USA), Filthy McNasty’s London (UK), Shanghai Writers Association (China), Madder Market (UK), James Joyce Foundation (Switzerland), Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea (Wales), Shanghai International Lit Festival (China), Zurich University (Switzerland), Literaturwerkstatt Berlin (Germany), Sprachsalz Literatur Tirol (Austria), People’s University Shanghai (China), Florence University (Italy), University of Aveiro (Portugal), and literary festivals in China, Germany, Austria, Italy and UK. Cónal has presented on-line lectures at a number of universities across India.

 

“As written by Cónal Creedon, moments resound with wince-inducing authenticity before they are eclipsed by an inspirational twist – words, inflected with the faintly Scandinavian accent of Munster, soar like a bracing breeze off the River Lee.”

Andy Webster – New York Times

 

STAGE PLAYS

The Trial of Jesus (2000), featured as part of the Irish National Millennium Celebrations. It received two Business to Arts Awards from President Mary McAleese and Nominated The Irish Times Special Judges Theatre Award (2000).

Glory Be To The Father (2001), was produced by Red Kettle Theatre Company, Waterford.

Second City Trilogy of stage plays (The Cure, When I Was God, After Luke (2005) achieved high critical acclaim and were produced a number of times in China and USA, where they picked up several awards at the 1st Irish Theatre Awards New York, including Best Actor, Best Director and nominated Best Playwright. When I Was God, was awarded Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor at ICA Federation Awards 2014. In 2021, When I Was God it was awarded Best Production, Best Actor and Best Director at the Irish National Play Awards.

 

“The highlight of last year’s theatre in Shanghai came all the way from Cork in Irish playwright’s Cónal Creedon’s powerful, punctuated with humour, lyrical and richly colloquial. They were terrific!”
That’s Shanghai Culture Magazine.

 

FILM DOCUMENTARIES

  • The Burning of Cork.
  • If it’s Spiced Beef it must be Christmas.
  • Flynnie The Man who walked like Shakespeare.
  • The Boys of Fairhill.
  • 1916 – Why The Guns Remained silent in Rebel Cork.

His film documentaries have had numerous broadcasts on RTÉ [Ireland’s National Broadcaster] and screenings at Féile an Phobail West Belfast Festival, World Expo Shanghai (China), Origin Theatre Festival New York (USA), Irish National Centenary Commemorations and at NYU (USA) – Cónal’s documentary Flynnie, The Man Who Walked Like Shakespeare was shortlisted for the Focal International Documentary Awards UK.

 

RADIO DRAMA

Cónal has written and produced more than 60 hours of original radio drama broadcast by RTÉ, BBC4, BBC World Service and various international broadcasting corporations.

The Irish Times radio critics cited Cónal’s radio drama as ‘Best Radio of the Year’ in 1996 and 1998.

 

Cónal regularly performs and records spoken-word collaborations with musicians across various genres including: orchestral, choral, singer-songwriter, traditional Irish, sound art performers and  DJ club-mix.

 

Cónal was a columnist with The Irish Times 2000/2001.

Photo credit: John Minihan