Arts and Culture

64th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals
Tom Dunne: How Andrew Watt became the hottest producer on the planet
Watt is the speaker of truth to Paul McCartney, Elton John, Madonna, Lady Gaga and many more — but it could have been different

Wed, 12 Aug, 2026

Holy Holy: Tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey recall their days with David Bowie
Holy Holy: Tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey recall their days with David Bowie
In advance of their Irish gigs, the duo tell Richard Purden about their work with the late music legend in the era around The Man Who Sold the World

Wed, 12 Aug, 2026

Luke Healy: 'I have a big beef with rom-coms that have realistic endings'
Luke Healy: 'I have a big beef with rom-coms that have realistic endings'
Dublin cartoonist Luke Healy tells Don O'Mahony about his canine take on the romantic comedy

Wed, 12 Aug, 2026

Antonio Banderas on playing 'very mysterious' maestro chef in Anthony Bourdain biopic
Antonio Banderas on playing 'very mysterious' maestro chef in Anthony Bourdain biopic
Antonio Banderas and director Matt Johnson speak to Lynn Rusk about their biopic based on the formative kitchen experiences of Anthony Bourdain

Tue, 11 Aug, 2026

New short film celebrates the music and legacy of Cork’s Eoin French (Talos)
New short film celebrates the music and legacy of Cork’s Eoin French (Talos)
The film revisits Talos’s final Sounds from a Safe Harbour residency and the collaboration that produced ‘We Didn’t Know We Were Ready’

Tue, 11 Aug, 2026

Gareth Hanrahan: Cork author inspired by daughter for latest fantasy novel
Gareth Hanrahan: Cork author inspired by daughter for latest fantasy novel
As well as a plucky young heroine inspired by his daughter, the illustrations for The Dungeon Book have been done by Hanrahan's artist wife Edel Ryder-Hanrahan

Mon, 10 Aug, 2026

Jim's Gems 1996: DJ Shadow, Suede, and REM among the albums of the year 
Jim's Gems 1996: DJ Shadow, Suede, and REM among the albums of the year 
Cork music aficionado Jim Comet selects the best albums marking their 30th anniversary 

Mon, 10 Aug, 2026

A glimpse inside Cork's 'hidden treasures' as buildings throw open their doors to public
A glimpse inside Cork's 'hidden treasures' as buildings throw open their doors to public
The public will get a chance to see inside 42 of the city's most historical and culturally significant buildings for Cork Heritage Open Day this Saturday

Mon, 10 Aug, 2026

Kilkenny Arts Festival: Top-class opening weekend of music, history, and wonder
Kilkenny Arts Festival: Top-class opening weekend of music, history, and wonder
A medieval priory, a 13th-century abbey, and the magnificent St Canice’s Cathedral were the hosts for three concerts of extraordinary scope and beauty

Mon, 10 Aug, 2026

Kaye Donachie: British artist brings her dreamlike work to Lismore Castle
Kaye Donachie: British artist brings her dreamlike work to Lismore Castle
The artist tells Marc O’Sullivan Vallig how she dips into the literary world for inspiration on her pieces 

Sun, 09 Aug, 2026

'A true original': Tributes following the death of Irish singer Cat Dowling
'A true original': Tributes following the death of Irish singer Cat Dowling
The Kilkenny-born, Dublin-based musician, whose distinctive voice and darkly atmospheric songs earned decades of acclaim across the Irish music scene, died peacefully on August 7

Sun, 09 Aug, 2026

Culture That Made Me: Anton Savage of Newstalk selects his touchstones
Culture That Made Me: Anton Savage of Newstalk selects his touchstones
The popular broadcaster includes Hothouse Flowers, Niall Tóibín, and John Steinbeck among his selections 

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

My life in books: I love chance finds and I don’t buy online
My life in books: I love chance finds and I don’t buy online
Adrian Duncan is an Irish artist and writer based in Berlin. His novel 'Love Notes from a German Building Site' won the John McGahern Book Prize. His latest novel 'A Thought Without Collision', published by Tuskar Rock, is out next week.

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

Book review: Domestic thriller is a compelling read
Book review: Domestic thriller is a compelling read
Cork author's ninth novel inspired by the real estate term of a stigmatised property

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

Book review: Jewell's 24th novel is her darkest to date
Book review: Jewell's 24th novel is her darkest to date
Fans of the thriller genre should find it easy to dive into Lisa Jewell’s newest release

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

Dermot Bolger reverses plan to retire and sticks to his words
Dermot Bolger reverses plan to retire and sticks to his words
After 14 novels and 18 plays, at the age of 65 Dermot Bolger had written his last — until a short story took hold, and a collection, ‘Imperfect Beings’, followed, writes Sue Leonard

Sat, 08 Aug, 2026

Gael Linn: Irish language films aiming to make the most of a golden era
Gael Linn: Irish language films aiming to make the most of a golden era
In the wake of the success of An Cailín Ciúin and Kneecap, a number of other Irish language films are hoping to also have an impact on audiences, writes Esther McCarthy 

Fri, 07 Aug, 2026

Music Industry Trust Awards - London
William Orbit, pop producer for Madonna, U2, and All Saints, dies aged 69
The musician’s projects included Madonna’s Ray of Light, Blur’s 13 and All Saints’ chart-topping singles Pure Shores and Black Coffee

Fri, 07 Aug, 2026

The Traitors Ireland returns to screens this month — here's what you need to know
The Traitors Ireland returns to screens this month — here's what you need to know
RTÉ has confirmed the return of the popular psychological reality TV show on August 30. Here’s everything you need to know

Fri, 07 Aug, 2026

Five For Your Radar: Dónal Dineen, Beetlejuice, Kilkenny Arts Fest...
Five For Your Radar: Dónal Dineen, Beetlejuice, Kilkenny Arts Fest...
There are plenty events to get you out and about in the coming days 

Thu, 06 Aug, 2026

Cónal Creedon's summer essay: Island Hopping — West Cork Style
Cónal Creedon's summer essay: Island Hopping — West Cork Style
The Cork writer explores Cape Clear and some of the other islands off the coast of his home county 

Thu, 06 Aug, 2026

Glen Hansard death
Tom Dunne: Patti Smith voice note stopped the clocks at Glen Hansard's funeral
The music in St Patrick's Cathedral brought joy to our hearts, but there was no escaping the grief of losing such a gifted friend 

Wed, 05 Aug, 2026

All Together Now confirms 2027 dates and phase one tickets for past attendees
All Together Now confirms 2027 dates and phase one tickets for past attendees
Following another successful festival, organisers have announced that All Together Now will be returning for an eighth chapter in 2027

Wed, 05 Aug, 2026

Hunt for the Wilderpeople: Taika Waititi on 10 years since his Kiwi classic was released 
Hunt for the Wilderpeople: Taika Waititi on 10 years since his Kiwi classic was released 
The New Zealand director also pays tribute to Sam Neill, one of the film's stars, who passed away recently 

Tue, 04 Aug, 2026

Jim's Gems 1986: Nick Cave and Van Morrison among the best albums marking 40 years
Jim's Gems 1986: Nick Cave and Van Morrison among the best albums marking 40 years
Jim Comet may not have room for The Smiths in his Top 10 but has selected an impressive roster of other albums from an impressive year for music 

Tue, 04 Aug, 2026

Yvonne McGuinness,Cillian Murphy
Planning approved for Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness’s Dingle cinema plans
The plans for the future of the historic cinema were delayed following several third-party appeals by local residents earlier this year

Tue, 04 Aug, 2026

St Fin Barre’s: Cork cathedral rolls out literary readings and organ recitals
St Fin Barre’s: Cork cathedral rolls out literary readings and organ recitals
The beautiful cathedral is to host a series of readings and music events over the nex few weeks 

Tue, 04 Aug, 2026

10 live events for August: Electric Picnic, The Wailers, The Weeknd
10 live events for August: Electric Picnic, The Wailers, The Weeknd
The final month of summer has plenty events to get you out and about 

Tue, 04 Aug, 2026

10 new books for August: Cecilia Ahern, Donal Ryan, Robert Harris...
10 new books for August: Cecilia Ahern, Donal Ryan, Robert Harris...
There's a bumper crop of new books being published in the coming weeks 

Tue, 04 Aug, 2026

10 TV and streaming highlights for August: Ted Lasso, Ricky Gervais animation, Outer Banks...
10 TV and streaming highlights for August: Ted Lasso, Ricky Gervais animation, Outer Banks...
The month ahead brings the return of a pandemic-era favourite, while a hard-hitting documentary looks at what happened an undercover British soldier who disappeared during the Troubles 

Tue, 04 Aug, 2026

Tim Goulding: West Cork-based artist takes stock with new exhibition at 81 
Tim Goulding: West Cork-based artist takes stock with new exhibition at 81 
Many of the pieces in the VI Decades exhibition were inspired by the landscape around his home in Allihies

Mon, 03 Aug, 2026

All Together Now review: Kneecap steal the show across weekend of exceptional music and art
All Together Now review: Kneecap steal the show across weekend of exceptional music and art
Irish acts at the festival proved that music in all its various forms is in rude health in this country

Sun, 02 Aug, 2026

All Together Now in pictures: The best of the images from the Co Waterford Festival 
All Together Now in pictures: The best of the images from the Co Waterford Festival 
Greta Thunberg, Pulp, and Gurriers feature among the best photographs from the 2026 festival at Curraghmore Estate 

Sun, 02 Aug, 2026

All Together Now day 2 review: Kneecap and Greta Thunberg among the highlights in Waterford
All Together Now day 2 review: Kneecap and Greta Thunberg among the highlights in Waterford
On the Saturday of the Co Waterford festival, Christy Moore also paid tribute to the late Glen Hansard 

Sun, 02 Aug, 2026

Culture That Made Me: Fair City actor Liam Carney picks his touchstones 
Culture That Made Me: Fair City actor Liam Carney picks his touchstones 
He plays property developer Con Rafferty in the popular soap, but his culture selections include Kris Kristofferson, Queen, and La Haine 

Sat, 01 Aug, 2026

All Together Now 2026 - Friday
All Together Now 2026, first day review: Traffic, Pulp, and other talking points
Despite the delays en route to the site at Curraghmore, Co Waterford, the festival got off to a fine start on Friday 

Sat, 01 Aug, 2026

My life in books: ‘I’m a firm believer in the right book finding you at the right moment’
My life in books: ‘I’m a firm believer in the right book finding you at the right moment’
Author Jane Casey says booksellers and librarians have the best recommendations  — 'don’t leave it to an algorithm'

Sat, 01 Aug, 2026

Book review: Unusual plot with a surprising ending
Book review: Unusual plot with a surprising ending
The 10th book in Steve Cavanagh’s series featuring criminal defence attorney Eddie Flynn is a compelling and gripping read

Sat, 01 Aug, 2026

Book review: Debut inspired by personal story
Book review: Debut inspired by personal story
Author Louise Powell delivers originality and empathy in spades in ‘Underdogs’ — an ode worthy of a community she is ‘incredibly proud to be part of’

Sat, 01 Aug, 2026

The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door
Our TV picks: Theresa May features in documentary on The Salisbury Poisonings
Plus the search for a British army Captain who was killed by the IRA

Sat, 01 Aug, 2026

Platinum Jubilee
Ed Sheeran sets up musical youth project in Cork and Belfast
The project will focus on songwriting, performance, and community engagement – encouraging young musicians to blend influences and genres

Fri, 31 Jul, 2026

Film reviews: Spider-Man is back and at his best in the action-packed Brand New Day
Film reviews: Spider-Man is back and at his best in the action-packed Brand New Day
Full of heart and plenty of treats for true fans of the MCU, Brand New Day is Spider-Man at his best.

Fri, 31 Jul, 2026

Children’s book reviews: From sacrifices for ballet, to dinosaur adventures, and war
Children’s book reviews: From sacrifices for ballet, to dinosaur adventures, and war
Pet O’Connell rounds up a selection of the latest children’s books, including a tale of the sacrifices required to succeed in a Russian ballet school, fun for dinosaur-obsessed children, and a story of young lives changed utterly by needless war

Fri, 31 Jul, 2026

Five For Your Radar: All Together Now, Spider-Man, Ye Vagabonds... 
Five For Your Radar: All Together Now, Spider-Man, Ye Vagabonds... 
The bank holiday weekend brings plenty of arts and entertainment options 

Thu, 30 Jul, 2026

Film Title: Wind That Shakes The Barley.
The Wind That Shakes The Barley at 20: Magic memories of the Cork-set film 
Screenwriter Paul Laverty tells Esther McCarthy about his happy days working on the 2006 Cannes-winner 

Thu, 30 Jul, 2026

Glen Hansard death
'Glen was a legend to many of us': Musicians gather for memorial busk tribute to Glen Hansard
Musicians assembled at the statue of folk singer Luke Kelly near Grafton Street to sing songs made famous by Hansard, including a rousing rendition of 'Falling Slowly' as books of condolence open in Dublin and Cork

Thu, 30 Jul, 2026

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