Hot 100: Spring's best movies, music, fashion, food, books and much more
Death on the Nile
Spy thriller in which CIA agent Jessica Chastain embarks on a suicide mission. Penelope Cruz co-stars.
WWII thriller about a scheme to deceive the Nazis about the Allied invasion of Sicily. Colin Firth stars.
Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr) employs Cyrano (Peter Dinklage) to woo Roxanne (Haley Bennett). Joe Wright directs.
Twenty-five years after the Woodsboro murders, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) investigates a new slasher-killer. Courtney Cox co-stars.
Evicted from their neighbourhood, Big Bird & Co. need help to foil the dastardly Mayor. Anne Hathaway stars.
Kenneth Branagh directs an autobiographical tale of a young boy growing up in 1960s Belfast. Jamie Dornan stars.
An expert manipulator encounters a dangerous psychiatrist. Guillermo del Toroâs psychological thriller stars Bradley Cooper and Rooney Mara.
Marvelâs Morbius stars Jared Leto as a biochemist who transforms himself into a vampire. Michael Keaton co-stars.
All-singing, all-dancing animation, with impresario Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) seeking out the reclusive Clay Calloway (Bono).
With the moon on a collision course with Earth, Halle Berry sets out to save the day. Roland Emmerich directs.
More lowbrow high-jinks in the final outing from the Jackass pranksters.
Johnny Knoxville stars.
Pop superstar Kat (Jennifer Lopez) decides to marry unassuming nobody Charlie (Owen Wilson). Sarah Silverman co-stars.
On holiday in Egypt, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) investigates a murder. Gal Gadot co-stars.
Treasure hunter Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) travels the world solving historical mysteries. Mark Wahlberg co-stars.
Heist-gone-wrong thriller in which the thieves steal a getaway ambulance. Jake Gyllenhaal stars.
Charming buddy-buddy movie featuring an Army Ranger (Channing Tatum) and his beloved dog. Tatum co-directs.
Robert Pattinson dons the cape and goes up against The Penguin (Colin Farrell) and The Riddler (Paul Dano).
The Crawley family and various attendants pack up and head for the South of France. Michelle Dockery and Hugh Bonneville star.
Londoners Hannah John-Kamen and Douglas Booth are persecuted by homicidal goblins when they move to Ireland. Jon Wright directs.
Romance novelist Sandra Bullock gets kidnapped in the jungle, with Brad Pitt and Channing Tatum lurking in the undergrowth.
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Epic fantasy, in which the wizard Dumbledore (Jude Law) sends Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) on a mission to defeat the evil Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen).
A Viking prince seeks revenge for his murdered father. Alexander SkarsgÄrd and Anya Taylor-Joy star.
More high-speed adventures with the computer game hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) and his nemesis Dr Robotnik (Jim Carrey).
Dramatisation of the rescue of a young Thai football team trapped in a flooded cave network. Colin Farrell stars.
A London cleaning lady (Lesley Manville) travels to Paris in search of the ultimate Dior dress.
Claire Cottrill tours her wonderful second album, Sling â inspired by 20-something angst and her new dog.
Acclaimed indie band from Dundalk bring their dreamy wall of feedback south
Enya-esque maximalist pop
Solo instrumentalist guitarist acclaimed for experimental compositions.
Eclectic UK alternative band.
Ellie Rowsell and bandmates show case their fantastic Blue Weekend LP.
Her album Flock was a tour de force of progressive indie â and now she brings it on the road.
The spirit of Joy Division and of 1990s electronica is conjured with by Manchester multi-instrumentalist, Julie Campbell.
Eighties hitmaker goes out on the road.
Poet turned indie star from Limerick.
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Tamara Lindemanâs glossy meditation on climate change, Ignorance, was one of 2021âs most searing albums.
Former Kinsale resident Amos opens her Irish date in Cork, touring a new album, Ocean To Ocean, which features a shout out to Skibbereen.
Thereâs no killing the vibe of the Norwegian pop star.
Sisterly trio from Watford leaven their acoustic pop with layers of introspection.
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Set to be one of 2022âs break-outs, Sarah Faith Griffithâs specialists in genre-bending pop.
Haunting experimental music from San Fransisco artist Liz Harris.
Before they go on open-ended hiatus a chance to farewell to the X Factor stars
Springsteen-esque heartland rock.
Alternative sensation Mitski Miyawaki hits the road with new album, Laurel Hell.
Liberties superstar brings a post-pandemic pick-me-up to Cork
Gen Z troubadour whose music blends glam pop and confessional songwriting.
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Neil Hannon performs his greatest hits.
Indie star and bandmate of Phoebe Bridgers
New Zealand pop star plays her first ever Irish date
Sturm und drang from alt.pop superstars with a Cork connection via guitarist Byrce Dessnerâs Sounds from a Safe Harbour festival.
Even if everything in his set wonât be laugh-out-loud funny, the Wicklow man is always affable and interesting. Other Munster dates on the tour take in Killarney and Limerick.
Irish National Opera has teamed up with the Irish Baroque Orchestra for a tour of Ireland and the UK with one of Vivaldiâs lesser-known works. The title role is sung by Italian bass-baritone Gianluca Margheri.
The live podcast format has been a welcome addition to the entertainment roster in recent years, and James Leonard and Timmy Long are guaranteed a warm welcome on their home turf. Among the guests on the night will be their fellow northsider, mountaineer Pat Falvey.
The Royal Moscow Ballet bring their production of Tchaikovskyâs classic to nine centres in Ireland, including Cork, Limerick and Dublin. Given the enduring popularity of the music the Russian master composed for the work, itâs difficult to believe it recieved so much criticism at its premiere in 1877.
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The Cameron Mackintosh version of the classic tale of 19th century Paris returns with such songs as I Dreamed a Dream and Bring Him Home.
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Fingers crossed that the Covid trajectory will allow for a âblendedâ festival of live screenings and online viewings, with an extra sprinkle of celebrity visitors.
Pat Fitzpatrick brings his Ask Audrey character to the stage, providing a posh Corkmanâs perspective on the world.
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A rare chance for Irish art fans to see the work of the great 20th century sculptor. Fifty pieces from the artist will span his early years in his native Switzerland upto his later years in Paris.
Currently showing at the National Gallery in Dublin, the annual exhibition of shortlisted entries and winners makes its way south in April. Salvatore of Lucan won the main prize for his picture entitled Me Ma Healing Me, while the Youth prize also has an incredible array of emerging talent.
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One of the many events hit hard by Covid, one of the silver linings of the pandemic will be a renewed appreciation of a festival founded in 1954 that brings thousands of singers to Leeside from all over the world.
The re-opening of the luxury five star Cashel Palace Hotel, in Co Tipperary, on March 1, is one of the most widely anticipated hospitality launches, in Ireland with a huge amount of interest also from abroad, with a spa, restaurant and its own gastropub, Mikey Ryanâs, alongside.
www.cashelpalacehotel.ie
Chef CaomhĂĄn de BrĂâs nomadic food truck has been spanning the country over the last six months serving up tasty treats to great acclaim but the real buzz begins when he finally opens The Salt Project as a fixed bricks and mortar venue in Co Sligo, offering boutique accommodation, restaurant and wellness centre, all located in a truly scenic location.
www.thesaltproject.ie
Tacos, by Lily Ramirez Foran, offering authentic Mexican recipes for glorious tacos using premium Irish produce, is the opening salvo from Blasta Books, a quarterly series of small cookbooks offering a more inclusive take on modern Irelandâs increasingly diverse food culture. blastabooks.com
The world-renowned food guides list of the Michelin-starred restaurants in the world are normally dished out, in autumn for the upcoming year, but the pandemic has played havoc with their schedule. Last year, the 2021 awards were only announced in January, rather than the previous September/October. Why do we care? Well, last year, the only new Irish star went to Dede at the Customs House, in Baltimore, West Cork, and there is a sneaking feeling abroad that we might see more stellar action on Leeside when the next list is announced.
After a two year hiatus because of ⊠yeah, you got it, Irelandâs premier cooking competition for professional young chefs returns, kicking off later this month. Open to all professional chefs under 28, competitors will begin a series of educational activities, producer visits and workshops to support and guide them to the semi-finals and finals, later in the year. www.euro-toques.ieÂ
If youâre done with the hairshirt of new yearâs resolutions but are still loath to leave home, why not kick back with a fun and educational Virtual Cheese and Wine Evening (Jan 21), hosted by Kevin Sheridan and Enrico Fantasia, with a selection of cheese and crackers and two very special wines delivered in advance. And if youâre determined to see that resolution through to the end of the month, thereâs another round of same in February (Feb 18). Single ticket can be used for groups of up to four in the same household. https://sheridanscheesemongers.com
On foot of a soft opening at the tail end of last year, Corkonians are set to discover the next stage in the commendably innovative Brian McCarthyâs ever-evolving sustainable urban farming enterprise, which is a new Cork Rooftop Farm shop, on the Coal Quay, on the ground floor of the network of buildings hosting the rooftop farm, with their own no-dig market garden also in operation just outside Cork city. The shop will sell their herbs, vegetables and micro-greens, own eggs and a large range of packaging-free dried goods including nuts, berries and grainsâyou bring your own container and simply refill thereby ensuring zero waste packaging. There is also an in-house coffee shop and a range of houseplants. Cork Rooftop Farmâs 2022 CSA scheme is also now open for applications: you pay an advance sum to guarantee a weekly box of produce throughout the growing season. www.corkrooftopfarm.ie
We balked at a term now being bandied about in the US, âReductetarianismâ, but applaud the principle which is set to become bigger again this year, as more and more consumers adjust their dietary habits to make their own small contribution in the fight against climate change. This doesnât mean going entirely vegan; rather it is about reducing meat consumption, eating less and sourcing premium meat that is not industrially farmed, and having some days of eating entirely plant-based meals â but not factory-produced products including 30 ingredients industrially produced on the other side of the world. Keep it simple, eat local, fresh and seasonal and buy directly from the producer whenever at all possible, keeping your money in the local community.
The introduction of food service robots has already become a major talking point in global hospitality and with so many companies invested in developing same, that interest is only set to rise. However, Iâm not sure if theyâll ever replace a flesh and blood server, for all their current scarcity in the sector and with all the drama that can come with hiring an an actual human being. The venerable old Jasmine Palace Restaurant on OâConnell St, in Limerick, recently introduced BellaBot, a service robot that delivers trays and drinks from one part of the room to another but as you canât order from the robot it is little more than an âelectronic trolleyâ and youâd be inclined to suspect that it delivers far more as a marketing device, in terms of attracting public attention and getting a restaurantâs name out to the wider world.
When the pandemic shuttered restaurant kitchens, many switched over to cooking for takeaway. In the US, some chefs took it a step further and began to develop virtual brands for delivery-only models or âghost kitchensâ, sometimes offering menus for several different cuisines, all branded as different ârestaurantsâ, all cooked in the same anonymous kitchen, usually in some industrial location, and only available for delivery. Several Irish startups are developing kitchen spaces and accompanying technology and seeking to attract clients from the Irish hospitality sector but it has yet to take flight in this country. Iâd be inclined to hope it stays that way!
Organised on behalf of Design & Crafts Council Ireland, this yearâs hybrid event sees a digital element added to the RDS physical fair. Expect more than four hundred Irish brands to exhibit, offering manufacturers, designers, and craft makers the opportunity to exhibit their new collections. Trade only.
www.showcaseireland.com
Registration is open for Junk Kouture 2022 - a national contest for second-level students to create striking designs and wearable art from everyday junk. Live regional finals take place in March with a Dublin final in May and coveted spots to win at the Junk Kouture World Final.
INFO: www.junkkouture.com
Hosted by VOGUEâs first sustainability editor Clare Press, The Wardrobe Crisis podcast looks at ethical fashion and how we can make a difference in the world.
Weekly episodes (numbering over 150) feature interviews with international guests about the pressing issues facing the rag trade.
thewardrobecrisis.com
In Marc Jacobâs first online fashion design class, the 11-time CFDA Award winner teaches his hands-on process for creating clothes that push boundaries and set trends. Learn Marcâs construction techniques, how he creates unique shapes and silhouettes, and how you can develop your ideas from the first sketch to the final piece. Price: Starting at âŹ16/month (billed annually). Unlimited access to 100+ instructors.
www.masterclass.com
Centenarian style icon Iris Apfel teams up with H&M for a much-anticipated collaboration. Iris Apfel x H&M launches in early 2022 with a capsule of colourful, eclectic clothing and bold accessories designed for all ages and sizes and made with circularity in mind. www.hm.com.
Recent revivals of several of Brian Frielâs works have reminded us of the brilliance of the Co Tyrone playwright. This documentary includes contributions from his widow Anne, and such actors as Liam Neeson and Stephen Rea.
As is the way with many American series, the final run of this money-laundering crime drama has been split into two parts. The first seven episodes will pick up the action from last seasonâs dramatic finale when the death of Helen ensures that Marty and Wendy are now closer than ever to the Mexican cartel.
West Cork resident Jeremy Irons plays Neville Chamberlain in a movie take on the British prime ministerâs trip to the Bavarian capital in 1937 to secure âpeace in our timeâ. Spoiler alert: it didnât quite work out.
Julian Fellowes â the creator of Downton Abbey â launches a series set in New York in the 1880s. The city is booming and a go-ahead young woman walks between the worlds of old class values and the emerging new entrepreneurs.
For many people the phrase âsex tapeâ entered their lexicon around 1995 with the scandal around leaked footage of Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and Mötley CrĂŒe drummer Tommy Lee. This miniseries dramatises the coupleâs life at the time.
This adaptation of Sally Rooneyâs first book has many of the backroom people who made Normal People such a success. Cork actress Alison Oliver is among the stars of a tale of the convoluted relationships between a pair of ex girlfriends and an older married couple.
After incredible success over its first two series, Lisa McGeeâs comedy returns for what is expected to be its final run.
Dublin has provided the setting for several recent crime dramas, albeit with mixed results. Hopefully, the presence of a talented cast that includes Jane Seymour, as well as Jo Spain on writing duties, will ensure this is one of the better ones.
Vicky McLure is back in uniform for series that also sees her reunite with some of her old chums in the company that makes Line of Duty. She plays a bomb-disposal expert in a police counter-terrorism unit. Obviously, itâs a role that opens up plenty of opportunities for hyper-tense moments.
Promising comedy-drama series in which RĂłisĂn Gallagher plays a woman back home in Ireland after years of fast living in Dublin which has resulted in her going on âthe dryâ.
Molly Gray, the 25-year-old neurodivergent narrator, has sought solace in her maidâs job at the Regency Grand, a boutique hotel in an unspecified city. Her uniform makes her feel invisible, a relief given her difficulty reading social cues. Things change when she discovers a guest, Mr Black, dead in his bed. Seeing details others cannot, she becomes embroiled in the hunt for the truth. A whodunit with a fresh take on the traditional mystery thriller.
Busy mum of two Susannah has an enviable life; two beautiful daughters, a high-flying medical career, a successful husband, glossy hair and expensive clothes. But sheâll tell no one sheâs struggling to cope with the pressure of being a woman who supposedly âhas it all.â Tragedy strikes one morning when, on autopilot, she leaves her baby daughter in the car on the hottest day of the year. Tried for negligence, a witch hunt ensues. A gripping debut.
A sprawling and ambitious debut novel that chronicles the journey of multiple generations of one American family, from the centuries of the colonial slave trade through the Civil War to our own tumultuous era, by prize-winning poet HonorĂ©e Fanonne Jeffers. Spanning two hundred years, it takes an intimate look at race, feminism, love, and family as told by a line of unforgettable Black women from Americaâs South. Already reviewed to crucial acclaim in the US and an Oprah Book Club pick, no less.
We Were Young follows Cormac, a photographer, approaching 40 and still single. He escaped small-town life, but his peers have all moved on and Cormac is stuck; dating former students, staying out all night and receiving rejection emails for his work. He meets Caroline, an ambitious young dancer and then must weave himself back into the family he left behind - and everything changes. The second novel from this immensely talented Irish writer.
Mia, a psychotherapist specialising in sexual trauma, chooses to tell her personal and difficult history in a compelling literary memoir and vital work about women, trauma, sexuality and consent. Any Girl is a personal account of surviving rape at age sixteen, then sexual exploitation and the sex trade in Ireland as a young woman before she left it behind at 24. Infused with her experience as a psychotherapist, she skillfully integrates past and present in this beautifully radical, must-read book.
After Matthewâs grandfather dies suddenly, four friends struggle to face their pasts. Leah and Jay, a couple since their school days, find their relationship tested, while Nathan deals with a vast and unrequited love, and Matthew grapples with his sexuality. Matthew begins to unearth his grandfatherâs past. He finds a different life and discovers that he and his grandfather may have had more in common than he once thought. A beautiful, coming-of-age story.
To Nicole and Jamie Maguire, their parents seem the ideal couple â a suburban double act, happily married for more than thirty years. So when Linda and Gerry announce that theyâve decided to separate, the news sends shockwaves through the siblingsâ lives, forcing them to confront their own lives. Claire Powellâs beautifully observed debut novel follows each member of the Maguire family over a tumultuous year. A gripping depiction of family dynamics, love and disillusionment.
Emma Averell loves her life but she worries her crippling insomnia is a sign that sheâs slowly going insane âlike the mother and life sheâs worked so hard to leave behind. Sheâs approaching 40, and is now losing time during the day, just like her mother did in the beginning. Could she end up hurting her family or is she truly losing her mind? Another twisty, mind-bending thriller from the author of Behind Her Eyes.
The long-awaited sibling novel to Jennifer Eganâs Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Visit from the Goon Squad, we meet brilliant tech entrepreneur Bix Bouton who invents new technology, Own Your Unconscious that allows you access to every memory youâve ever had, and to share these in exchange for access to the memories of others.In linked narratives, Egan spins out the consequences through the lives of multiple characters over several decades in a bold imagining of a new world.
We meet Samantha Miller whose influencer career is booming: sheâs just hit one million followers, her new book Chaste is a bestseller. She writes a viral essay about her sexual awakening as a teenager, with her best friend, Lisa, determined to remain transparent with her followers. But Lisa, doesnât remember it that way at all and recalls a much-darker version of events. As with everything Louise writes, this will be unputdownable.
Weâve been hailing Tipperaryâs trending tourism appeal for some time at The Irish Examiner and it looks like the world is cottoning on. The county has recently been named one of the worldâs top destinations according to CondĂ© Nast Traveller offering a major international profile bump to the Premier County. Epics like The Rock of Cashel and the countyâs excellent artisan food producer trails are some of the countyâs top highlights while 2022 sees the much-trumpeted opening of the five-star Relais & ChĂąteaux hotel â Cashel Palace Hotel. tipperary.com
Itâs hot, itâs cold, itâs hot again! And Iâm not even talking about Icelandâs mercurial landscape. In the last few years, the Nordic nation has gone from tourism outlier to Instagram it-spot largely thanks to massively popular budget carrier Wow. But when the airline tanked and the pandemic landed, Iceland felt a distant, pricier land again. But enter, PLAY â a new Icelandic low fares airline which starts flying from Dublin to Reykjavik this summer from about âŹ150 return. Sure, Iceland may be a popular destination for Northern Lights tourism in winter/spring but donât overlook the island for an alternative midsummer escape where you can take advantage of late-night sightseeing without the masses. Flyplay.com
This summer, Aer Lingus can fly you there direct with their Dublin to Seattle route resuming once again in May. Seattle itself makes for an electric city break of Amazonian proportions but its natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest which are the true stars. Looking for the ultimate road-trip? The North Cascades National Park, a glacier, lake and mountain wilderness just three hours miles from the city is an outdoors American dream. Aerlingus.com
Ciao Venezia! Perhaps no other city in the world has become more of a symbol of the pandemicâs impact on tourism than the most bellissima âcity of bridgesâ.
Panini-packed with tourists before the pandemic and a much-billed ghost town during it, today Venice is back with a brand new invention. Day cruise ships have been banned in the city while turnstiles now cap day-tripper surges too, all meaning itâs the best time in a generation to hit the Adriatic. Fly there from Dublin or hop aboard Ryanairâs new direct route from Cork, set to take off from March. Ryanair.com
Irelandâs offshore islands have been one of the tourism success stories of the pandemic with everywhere from Cape Clear to Rathlin Island bustling with tourists during last yearâs summer swelter. That promises to be the same for 2022 which is why weâd like to give you a good six months heads-up to book your high season accommodationâŠnow!
If youâre looking for an alternative to the ever-popular Aran Islands, why not make a break to far-flung Tory Island. The stunning Donegal escape makes the perfect switch-off plus their popular local hotel has refurbishments in the pipeline for this winter, too.
