Paul Cleary's band really could have been international stars, but perhaps Ireland's newest guitar heroes have a better chance of breaking internationally 

It's that time of year for the difficult list of the best albums of the past 12 months 

Shane MacGowan and alcohol were intertwined in a way that wasn't always healthy, but it did result in some great great songs 

Amidst the chaos of The Pogues, it took some of us a while to realise what a genius Shane MacGowan really was 

From music to literature, with CMAT, Sally Rooney and the rest, it's been quite a while since Irish culture has been making such an impact on the UK

Anyone who's read the sleeve notes on the Rolling Stones new album, Hackney Diamonds, will see a lesser-known name credited on some of the songs besides Jagger and Richards 

Joe O'Herlihy began his association with U2 in 1970s as a soundman at the Arcadia in Cork. He's still a sound man in every sense of the word, and it was great to catch up with him at Sphere in Las Vegas 

I was there to see U2 with The Blades at the Baggot, and I look forward to seeing the new show at the sensational Sphere in Las Vegas 

As the big labels flex their muscle and take on the huge problem of false streams, hopefully it'll mean more money trickling down to artists 

Fair play to the Wolfe Tones for their latest moment in the sun, but I admit I'm at a loss to understand it