Written for the party goers of the 1639 Venice Carnivale, Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses was said by one scholar to have enough sex, gore and elements of the supernatural to satisfy the most jaded Venetian palate.

IRELAND’S cultural ambassador, actor Gabriel Byrne, has launched the largest-ever promotion of Irish arts events across the United States.

Culture Ireland has congratulated the Irish theatre artists who have received five nominations in the 2008 Tony Awards for achievement on Broadway.

More than 20 Irish production companies will travel to Los Angeles this month to promote the country’s film industry to some of the world’s top studio executives.