As historical advisor on the film Jimmy’s Hall, Donal Ó Drisceoil is happy the incredible story of Jimmy Gralton is reaching a new audience with a stage version at the Abbey

In this ‘Titanic enterprise’, Simon Sebag Montefiore is not afraid to suggest that something of what made the Romanovs powerful remains in the Russian psyche and Russian leadership today, writes Mary Leland.

Ryle Dwyer says Bitter Freedom is, a thoughtful and balanced history that exposes the need to be wary about what actually happened around 1916 before we engage in an unquestioning orgy of centenary celebrations. 

Support for the hard left and hard right is receding across Europe, as voters and political parties inch back towards the centre, writes Kyran Fitzgerald.

A man accused of stealing more than £700,000 (€914,000)worth of rare Faberge antiques today declared his name was Lee Harvey Oswald – the man who assassinated John F Kennedy.

A scrap metal dealer who bought a golden egg at a US bric-a-brac market discovered it is an ultra- rare Fabergé egg worth around €24m.

A deal to buy a Faberge egg, said to be worth around €23m, that was to be sold for scrap was done in a "potato field in Kerry", according to one of the people who played a vital role in the negotiations.

After the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are obviously worries about the West intervening in Syria and Egypt. But it is the right thing to do, writes former British prime minister Tony Blair.

Ryle Dwyer recalls his 1996 Béal na mBláth oration and the views he held then

Faith, hope, Smuda. That was the headline in a Polish tabloid newspaper ahead of last night’s passionate clash between Poland and Russia, the words featuring atop a picture of national coach Franciszek Smuda charging on horseback, sabre in hand and wearing a 1920s Polish army uniform.

THE head of Italy’s highest court slammed Silvio Berlusconi’s “neurotic” accusations that the justice system was biased yesterday as the prime minister awaits trial for abuse of power and having underage sex.

THE present financial crisis has given rise to at least two interesting side effects:

WITH the growing international tension over Georgia some have been bemoaning the lack of strong statesmen. George W Bush professes to be an ardent admirer of Winston Churchill who was man of the century for a great many people.

There is a “high probability” that bones found recently in Russia belonged to a daughter and son of the last czar, an official said today.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order today granting Russian citizenship to the daughter of the general who led the anti-Bolshevik troops against the Red Army during the Russian Civil War.

A German general was sacked today for praising a speech by an MP accused of anti-Semitism when comparing the actions of Jews in the Russian revolution with those of the Nazis.