The first issue of The Stinging Fly appeared in March 1998. It was edited by founding editors Aoife Kavanagh and Declan Meade, and consisted of 28 A4 pages with five short stories and about twenty poems. Aoife had the sense to get out after two issues, but Declan kept going and has yet to think of a better way to spend his days.

The main objective in setting up the magazine was to work towards bringing out a well-designed publication that would provide a forum for the very best new Irish and international writing. That objective has not changed. We believe that there is a need for a magazine that, first and foremost, gives new and emerging writers an opportunity to get their work out into the world. We are particularly concerned to provide an outlet for short story writers: each issue features several short stories and we also devote entire issues to new fiction when the mood takes us.

Three issues of the magazine are published each year. In 2000 we introduced an author interview slot. Eabhan Ní Shúileabháin became poetry editor in September 2001. In Issue 11, published in December 2001, we incorporated book reviews for the first time. In 2004 we toyed with the idea of giving it all up, but in 2005 came shuffling back with the first issue of a new volume, introduced a new format, and the story continues . . .

Thus far The Stinging Fly has published new work by a number of highly acclaimed Irish and international writers: people like Simon Armitage, Philip Casey, Emma Donoghue, Eamon Grennan, Kerry Hardie, James Liddy, Toby Litt, Medbh McGuckian, Paula Meehan, Sinéad Morrissey, Bernard O'Donoghue, Dennis O'Driscoll, Caitriona O'Reilly, Marge Piercy, Keith Ridgway and Fiona Sampson. We remain convinced, however, that The Stinging Fly's lasting contribution will be the opportunities it continues to give to new writers.