Aoife McArdle’s experience doing a video for U2 and a Super Bowl ad have been useful for her first feature film, writes Esther McCarthy.

Justin Timberlake’s enthusiastic portrayal of an East Village folkie in the 2013 Coen brothers movie Inside Llewyn Davis was confirmation that there was more to the pop star than McDonalds-boosting funk-pop and Janet Jackson-attendant Superbowl controversies.

Some of the ace faces of the Irish scene tell Jonathan deBurca Butler about their musical highlights of 2017.

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What’s it like working on Ireland’s top festivals? Ciara McDonnell meets the people behind your summer calendar who share what it’s like backstage at this year’s hottest tickets.

Here’s what’s going on this weekend. 

Cork-born musician Eoin French was on the verge on moving to America for a career designing buildings when fate took a hand, writes Ed Power. Now, he’s about to release a stunning debut album.

Those who have to decide who gets the RTÉ Choice Music Prize tonight face a difficult task picking an album of the year from a very strong line-up, writes Ed Power

RTÉ has received more than 640 complaints over controversial columnist Katie Hopkins’s planned appearance on The Late Late Show tonight.

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MUSIC NEWS: After Body & Soul and Castlepalooza, the muddy fields of the midlands take a break from festival season this weekend. Probably for the best as Beyonce gets her Beyhive in Formation for a show that’s not quite sold out at Croke Park tomorrow.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of The Meteor Choice Music Prize, with the winners announced at a live event Thursday, March 5 in Dublin’s Vicar Street.

The ham and turkey leftovers are diminished, Santa Claus has been and gone, and the countdown to 2015 has well and truly begun.

“Well she said yes! Thank f**k!

“Well she said yes! Thank f**k!

A new three day festival has been announced to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Dublin.

FKA Twigs has had to cancel an Electric Picnic performance after

Electric Picnic has sold out in record time.

MUSIC NEWS: Beyoncé has posted a short teaser trailer for the upcoming 50 Shades Of Grey movie on her Instagram account — although it seems fairly ironic that the singer, a key figure in the ‘Ban Bossy’ campaign for young girls, should lend her support to a film based on a book which has been criticised for its portrayal of women and overt sadomasochist themes.

Organisers of the Electric Picnic have added 23 new acts to the bill of the three-day arts and music festival.

GIG WISE: All roads lead to Longitude in Marlay Park, Dublin, this weekend, and stage times are available on the festival’s website.

Kentucky songwriter Sturgill Simpson plays the Kilkenny Roots Festival, reports Gerry Quinn.

Sugar Club, Dublin

A group set up to highlight social and economic issues affecting young people has released a video in response to the ‘Ireland Inspires’ tourism initiative that went viral last week.

Tourism body Fáilte Ireland have released a gorgeous video highlighting the best of Ireland ahead of St Patrick’s Day on Monday.

JAMES Vincent McMorrow thought he would breeze his way to the top. He didn’t and is endlessly grateful.

Live music: Whelan’s Ones To Watch - Whelan’s, Dublin

The Forbidden Fruit Festival kicks off in Dublin City Centre today.

Preparations are underway for some 30,000 revellers expected at the Forbidden Fruit festival in Dublin this weekend.

The line-up has been announced for this year's Forbidden Fruit festival in Dublin - with acts including New Order, Wilco, Leftfield and James Vincent McMorrow.

NEW YORK’S Carnegie Hall, London’s Barbican, and the Cork Opera House are all celebrating the 75th birthday of Steve Reich, the great American composer.

IT could be said Bell X1 live are like Velcro. In that you just want to storm the stage and stick yourself quite forcefully to leadman Paul Noonan.

More acts have been confirmed for this year's Electric Picnic Festival in Co Laois.

SUMMER arrived early in more sense than one as Cork Opera House began its push for a bright season of music, drama, comedy and festival performances.

NORTHERN group Two Door Cinema Club were last night named winner of the Choice Music Prize for best Irish album of the year for Tourist History.

DUBLIN singers Imelda May and Cathy Davey are among the top acts battling it out for the Irish Album of the Year 2010.