The Ireland Fund of Monaco has created a residential bursary, to be awarded annually to a literary writer and an academic writer.

These grants will enable the laureates to come to Monaco for a month, in the spring and the autumn, and to continue with current writing projects in the inspiring and congenial environment of The Princess Grace Irish Library.

The library was created around Princess Grace's personal collection of Irish books and works of art and now holds some 8,000 volumes, chiefly of works from the Literary Revival and decades after.

This year, the Dublin-based committee, presided by Dr Maurice Hayes, on behalf of Mr. A. W. B. Vincent, the President of the Fund in Monaco, has chosen novelist Eoin McNamee and academic writer Angela Bourke, a specialist in Irish folklore.

"It's a great place to work but I've never been here before." A smiling forty-something, Eoin McNamee only knew Monaco by reputation. During his stay, he will give a conference for the Friends of the Princess Grace Irish Library and will meet young students from the Principality.

"We hope to award this bursary on an annual basis," says Mr. Vincent.

The Fund also finances the Library's internet site, a vast bio-bibliographic database for Irish literature

www.pgil-eirdata.org

The Princess Grace Irish Library

One year since the official launch of The Princess Grace Irish Library website in Monaco - Eirdata - and since then it has received over 21,000 visitor hits.

To celebrate this success The Ireland Fund of Monaco held a reception with Her Royal Highness Princess of Hanover (Princess Caroline of Monaco) and Prince Albert in attendance.

A check was presented to Princess Caroline by President of The Ireland Fund of Monaco, A. W. B. Vincent to ensure the continued success of this library.