Arts and Culture

Film reviews: Saipan — Roy Keane teetering on the brink of a very Irish tragedy
Film reviews: Saipan — Roy Keane teetering on the brink of a very Irish tragedy
Keane, the superb athlete is hawk-eyed in his pursuit of winning

Sat, 03 Jan, 2026

6 shows our tv reviewer is looking forward to in 2026
6 shows our tv reviewer is looking forward to in 2026
Is 2026 going to be a bumper year on the telly? Here are some new shows that will set the tone.

Sat, 03 Jan, 2026

Book review: A particular kind of courage
Book review: A particular kind of courage
The narrative of 'Seized' is vulnerably raw and deeply human, documenting not only illness but the endurance required to live alongside it

Sat, 03 Jan, 2026

Book review: Hurling, land, and legacy
Book review: Hurling, land, and legacy
Conor Power's 'Hurling 1810' is a short glimpse into the life of early 19th century rural Ireland

Sat, 03 Jan, 2026

Book review: That was then, this is now in mingling of the personal and the polemical
Book review: That was then, this is now in mingling of the personal and the polemical
Westerners dismiss their ancestors, individually and en masse, as 'racists, thieves, and murderers', but this brown-skinned woman from North Africa has come to tell whitey to get over himself

Sat, 03 Jan, 2026

France Sarkozy Legion of Honor
Book review: When a president goes to prison
The overarching sentiment of this book is that a former French president should not have to suffer the indignity of being classed with with other detainees inside Paris’ La Sante prison

Sat, 03 Jan, 2026

Beginner’s pluck: Insurance broker worker Deidre O’Neill
Beginner’s pluck: Insurance broker worker Deidre O’Neill
'Remnants of Our Past' gives a real sense of Ireland’s social history

Sat, 03 Jan, 2026

International Booker Prize 2025 Award Ceremony in London
Books of the year: Berlin millennials, Belfast mothers, crime, and word-of-mouth successes
Social media malaise, moral reckoning, art and faith, crime fiction at its peak, and a quietly devastating debut all feature in Marjorie Brennan’s selection of the best books of 2025

Fri, 02 Jan, 2026

Books of the year: Novel of the year ‘Nesting’ an achingly real story for women
Books of the year: Novel of the year ‘Nesting’ an achingly real story for women
Critic Deirdre McArdle selects her best books of the year, featuring Irish writers, an AI office romance, and a brilliant book for children and parents alike

Fri, 02 Jan, 2026

10 live events for January: Joanne McNally, Christy Moore, Biffy Clyro, and more... 
10 live events for January: Joanne McNally, Christy Moore, Biffy Clyro, and more... 
There are plenty of events to get you out and about over January 

Fri, 02 Jan, 2026

Quiz symbol, Contest, Question Answer game, Glittering Background, Speech bubble, Ask, Problem, Solution
Culture quiz: Which Irish author fears arrest in Britain? Where is the Biennale being held?   
10 questions to test your knowledge of recent books, art, etc

Thu, 01 Jan, 2026

5 For Your Radar: Dancing With the Stars, First Fortnight, West Cork gig... 
5 For Your Radar: Dancing With the Stars, First Fortnight, West Cork gig... 
There are plenty of entertainment options to ease you into 2026

Thu, 01 Jan, 2026

Hamnet, Toy Story, Peaky Blinders, Dune... 20 films for 2026 
Hamnet, Toy Story, Peaky Blinders, Dune... 20 films for 2026 
There's a bumper year ahead for lovers of cinema, writes Esther McCarthy 

Thu, 01 Jan, 2026

10 books for January: A selection of the new titles being published over the next few weeks  
10 books for January: A selection of the new titles being published over the next few weeks  
Tanya Sweeney and Dave Rudden are among the authors with new books in January  

Thu, 01 Jan, 2026

Tom Dunne: Looking forward to the year ahead by looking back on The Ramones 
Tom Dunne: Looking forward to the year ahead by looking back on The Ramones 
Amid the significant anniversaries coming up in 1976, I'm particularly excited to dive in to The Ramones and the birth of punk 

Wed, 31 Dec, 2025

10 TV and streaming highlights for January: The Night Manager, Bridgerton, Room to Improve... 
10 TV and streaming highlights for January: The Night Manager, Bridgerton, Room to Improve... 
The latest Game Of Thrones spin-off also features among the new TV shows on offer in January 

Wed, 31 Dec, 2025

STRANGER THINGS: SEASON 5
Watch: Stranger Things finale trailer released ahead of New Year's Day premiere
The anticipated finale will see Eleven fight one last time in an attempt to destroy Vecna

Wed, 31 Dec, 2025

Oasis, Zach Bryan, Dua Lipa... These were the 16 best gigs of 2025
Oasis, Zach Bryan, Dua Lipa... These were the 16 best gigs of 2025
From summer spectaculars to intimate indoor affairs, 2025 was quite the year for gigs in Ireland. Here are some of the highlights, and feel free to share your own memories of the best days out 

Wed, 31 Dec, 2025

Six highlights from the world of comic-books and graphic novels in 2025  
Six highlights from the world of comic-books and graphic novels in 2025  
The Cork Comic Creators collective impressed again this year 

Tue, 30 Dec, 2025

Heroes, hits, and controversies: 13 talking points from the world of music in 2025 
Heroes, hits, and controversies: 13 talking points from the world of music in 2025 
A new crop of home-grown stars emerged, and the issue of Palestine shared the stage with many acts 

Mon, 29 Dec, 2025

Music Quiz neon label. Colorful handwritten text. Speech bubbles frames set. Luminous pink alphabet. Vector illustration
Music quiz 2025: Which band had a hit with 'Killeagh'? Who chanted 'Death to the IDF'?... 
The year gone by has brought some great music, and some sad losses. Here are 15 questions to test your knowledge 

Mon, 29 Dec, 2025

Culture That Made Me: Cork radio broadcaster Lorraine Murphy of 96FM 
Culture That Made Me: Cork radio broadcaster Lorraine Murphy of 96FM 
Lorraine Murphy includes REM, Annie Mac, and Nora Ephron among her touchstones

Sun, 28 Dec, 2025

Film reviews: Can Timothée Chalamet take on any role and make it his own?
Film reviews: Can Timothée Chalamet take on any role and make it his own?
This week's reviews include Marty Supreme, The Housemaid and Bowie: The Final Act

Sat, 27 Dec, 2025

Beginner’s pluck: Food entrepreneur Eunice Power
Beginner’s pluck: Food entrepreneur Eunice Power
'My Irish Kitchen Table' is much more than just a book of easy-to-follow recipes, it also includes anecdotes and memories from Eunice’s life

Sat, 27 Dec, 2025

Book review: Touching memoir of EB sufferer’s life
Book review: Touching memoir of EB sufferer’s life
When she was born, Emma’s parents were told she wouldn’t survive infancy yet, despite countless obstacles, aged 41, she is now the oldest Irish person living with butterfly skin

Sat, 27 Dec, 2025

Book review: Short life of Mary mattered
Book review: Short life of Mary mattered
All trace of 14-year-old Mary Doherty faded from view days after her brutal murder in 1844 yet her presence is evident on every single page of this moving book

Sat, 27 Dec, 2025

Poetry review: Poems where the seemingly mundane can reveal itself as spiritually radiant
Poetry review: Poems where the seemingly mundane can reveal itself as spiritually radiant
'Jonah and Me' is a chance for readers to sit with poet John F Deane as he reflects on an immense career, a life lived in service of his art and his faith

Sat, 27 Dec, 2025

DNA structure anniversary
Book review: Rich and rewarding biography of a brainiac
Francis Crick was a prolific writer, always happy to advance theories, and biographer Matthew Cobb continues that work of sharing the ideas that try to map our world and existence

Sat, 27 Dec, 2025

29th Annual Critics Choice Awards – Reception
Books of the year: There’s beauty and there are beasts in real world and fiction
Chloe Barrett selects her books of the year, from a tender, beautiful story about beating the odds to one that exposes what really goes on behind the scenes of the global tech elite

Fri, 26 Dec, 2025

Books of the year: Poetry and polished prose probing power and privilege
Books of the year: Poetry and polished prose probing power and privilege
Laura Cassidy’s books of the year include intricate yet accessible poems, a Cork City-based crime thriller, the Giller Prize winner 2025, and a top grade campus novel

Fri, 26 Dec, 2025

Tom Dunne: Women rule in my best albums of 2025 list 
Tom Dunne: Women rule in my best albums of 2025 list 
Rosalia, CMAT, and Big Thief are among the names on my unusually gender-skewed favourite records of the year 

Fri, 26 Dec, 2025

Holiday catch-up: The 20 best films of 2025... and where to watch them 
Holiday catch-up: The 20 best films of 2025... and where to watch them 
It's been an bumper year for movies, but chances are you haven't seen them all. Esther McCarthy suggests 20 highlights right across the genres 

Fri, 26 Dec, 2025

Church at night with lights in the windows under the moonlight
Silent Night: A Christmas ghost story, by Billy O'Callaghan
A beautifully unsettling Christmas ghost story where faith, memory and silence blur in the frost-bitten dark of Cork

Thu, 25 Dec, 2025

Question mark inside old tv
Film and TV Quiz 2025: Who stars in Saipan? Who resigned as presenter of Match Of The Day? 
15 questions to test how closely you've been watching all year 

Thu, 25 Dec, 2025

6 shows our TV reviewer recommends binge-watching over Christmas
6 shows our TV reviewer recommends binge-watching over Christmas
With plenty of family-friendly options

Thu, 25 Dec, 2025

Jessie Buckley on Hamnet, working with Paul Mescal, and her first Christmas as a mum
Jessie Buckley on Hamnet, working with Paul Mescal, and her first Christmas as a mum
Fresh from Golden Globe nominations and the Irish premiere, Esther McCarthy meets lead actress Jessie Buckley and director Chloé Zhao to discuss the extraordinary ‘Hamnet’

Wed, 24 Dec, 2025

30 TV shows to watch over Christmas: The best dramas, documentaries, films, and streaming options 
30 TV shows to watch over Christmas: The best dramas, documentaries, films, and streaming options 
The seasonal TV schedules may not be the big deal they once were, but there are still plenty of highlights on offer across the traditional channels and streaming services 

Tue, 23 Dec, 2025

George Best in Cork: New documentary goes behind the scenes of the superstar's stint on Leeside
George Best in Cork: New documentary goes behind the scenes of the superstar's stint on Leeside
George Best i gCorcaigh on TG4 looks back on the troubled player's brief sojourn at Cork Celtic in 1975 

Tue, 23 Dec, 2025

The Business of Fashion Presents VOICES 2019 — Day 1
Podcast Corner: 10 best international podcasts of 2025
Carole Cadwalladr and Amy Poehler were among the presenters who impressed this year 

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025

Lisa O'Neill review: Cavan singer closes the year with superb gig at Vicar Street 
Lisa O'Neill review: Cavan singer closes the year with superb gig at Vicar Street 
Audience members at the Lisa O'Neill gig included David Simon of The Wire 

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025

The Graham Norton Show - London
Barry Manilow will have surgery for cancerous spot on lung
Manilow will reschedule a string of arena concerts in January.

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025

London Film Festival
'Driving Home For Christmas' singer Chris Rea dies at 74
His famous song 'Driving Home For Christmas' was first released in 1986

Mon, 22 Dec, 2025

'I can't get no sleep': Sister Bliss of Faithless on 30 years of Insomnia 
'I can't get no sleep': Sister Bliss of Faithless on 30 years of Insomnia 
As the classic dance tune marks 30 years, the surviving member of Faithless looks back on those heady days, and laments the loss of her music partner Maxi Jazz 

Sun, 21 Dec, 2025

8 TV shows worth catching up on over Christmas
8 TV shows worth catching up on over Christmas
Here’s what’s worth a watch this Christmas.

Sat, 20 Dec, 2025

Book review: Honest coming of age memoir
Book review: Honest coming of age memoir
The book is written in a careful, compelling, conversational style accessible to its intended teenage audience, and copies ought to sit in every secondary school library in the country

Sat, 20 Dec, 2025

Book review: Secrets emerge from the past
Book review: Secrets emerge from the past
A family mystery is at the heart of this emotional rollercoaster from journalist Ann O'Loughlin

Sat, 20 Dec, 2025

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