As we dust off our gladrags for the summer’s festival calendar, Ellie O’Byrne asks what Irish music festivals are doing to go green this year.

An impressive debut EP and a deal with Virgin have marked the trio out as ones to watch, writes Ed Power.

Our regular contributors select their highlights of the year.

Joe O’Leary, formerly of the band Fred, runs Levis Corner House in Ballydehob, Co Cork. On Friday, the pub hosts two shows by Steve Poltz as part of the Culture Night celebrations.

Chloë Sevigny takes Amanda Fortini on a tour of her native Connecticut, taking in her school and her teen hangouts. 

Caoilian Sherlock is a musician and artist based in Cork city who triples up as a DJ as well as being one of the organisers of the Quarter Block Party. That arts and music festival takes place around North Main and South Main streets this weekend.

SATURDAY

Leah Hearne is from Cork city and is the co-ordinator for Cork County Culture Night which is coming up as part of the nationwide event on Friday, September 16.

Noel Baker samples the laid-back atmosphere in Skibbereen’s luxury haunt for visiting celebrities. Even Luke Skywalker has been a guest...

A global event celebrating whistleblowers and freedom of expression will be held to mark the fourth anniversary of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's stay in the Ecuadorean Embassy.

Before his death from Aids at the age of 42, Robert Mapplethorpe challenged the stigma of being gay, and left a rich body of artistic photography, writes Richard Fitzpatrick

Julie Kelleher, from Carrigaline, Co Cork, is the artistic director at the Everyman Theatre, as well as being a theatre director. She is producing an upcoming production of Juno and the Paycock at the Everyman Theatre, running from February 10–20.

With Annie Leibovitz shooting the 2016 Pirelli calendar, it continues a change of recent times, writes Ellie O’Byrne

YOU’RE not supposed to judge a book by it’s cover, but in the case of The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty, the mysterious cover is incredibly fitting for this enigmatic psychological thriller.

Cork-bound Alexander Balanescu was born in Romania but has lived in the UK for most of his life. He fronts the Balanescu Quartet, a group that broke through with their classically-tinged cover versions of tunes by Kraftwerk. 

Lionel Richie stole the show at Glastonbury yesterday, with huge crowds singing and dancing along.

WEST CORK has a few iconic bars with a reputation spreading over the waves — and the Algiers Inn is definitely up there with the best of them, hosting celebs, slaking thirsts and appearing in movies, ads and TV shows.

Tom Verlaine has his own theory as to why New York was such a hotbed of creativity in the mid-70s, writes Ed Power

The Who are to close Glastonbury Festival 2015.

CORK-BASED artist Suzy O’Mullane has a performance/video/sound event at The Guesthouse, Cork, with Harry Moore on Saturday at 3pm. She will also have a solo exhibition entitled ‘There Was Nothing Good About Good Friday’ at the Origin Gallery in Dublin from March 12.

Rose Mary Roche explores the theory that character, from which genuine coolness is derived, is much more fascinating than pure good looks. Faddy fashions peak and then die while genuine cool is consistent and enduring.

Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone

Thanks to Angelina Jolie's BAFTA tux, androgyny is back. Get ready for masculine tailoring, cropped hair and brogues.

In 2008 evidence uncovered by an Irish law student led to the release of a man who had served 26 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Now Niamh Gunn has a new mission — to create a National Wellbeing Centre for Ireland in the stunning surrounds of Liss Ard estate.

William Burroughs’ centenary occurs this month. The West Cork-based photographer John Minihan recalls meeting the controversial author in London

Lou Reed, the punk-poet of rock who influenced generations of musicians with the Velvet Underground and who remained a vital solo artist for decades, died yesterday at the age of 71.

American singer Rhiannon Giddens will perform work by three African-American composers at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.

WOMEN in the music industry have always exerted a major influence on how other women want to look.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O thinks Lady Gaga is unoriginal.

The beautiful Skibbereen estate has revamped its hospitality business and is also free for walkers, writes Tommy Barker

Iggy Pop , Cuchulainn and a suicide cluster have influenced Peter Murphy’s second novel, he explains how and why they got there to Declan Burke

MUSIC NEWS: He hasn’t gone away, y’know.

MARIA Tecce is the new Nuala — the latest to join comedy singing trio, The Nualas.

One Direction have jammed with Johnny Depp.

Pierce Turner’s seventh album has a guest spot by Philip Glass, but he remains a niche artist, says Joe Dermody

Goth legends The Cure were one highlight of Electric Picnic 2012.

Showers swept through the Stradbally estate in Co Laois as the early arrivals at Electric Picnic began pitching their tents yesterday morning.

The new-look Liss Ard Festival was launched yesterday outside Skibbereen in West Cork.

Johnny Depp helped Patti Smith record the title track of her new album, 'Banga'.

Crystal Castles, SBTRKT and Squarepusher are among the 14 acts that have been added to the Electric Picnic lineup today.

Patti Smith has penned a musical tribute to Amy Winehouse.