Students who focused on John Montague and Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin should have been pleased to see both feature on yesterday’s Leaving Certificate higher and ordinary level English exams.

Far From the Madding Crowd ****

Carey Mulligan’s role in a Hardy adaptation marks the latest step up the ladder for the talented actress, writes Susan Griffin

As a child, Carole wrote long diary entries and letters to anyone who would reply, and as a teenager she wrote short stories. Some were published, and others shortlisted in competitions. 

Polly Samson’s novel The Kindness is built around a family secret — the suicide of a beloved uncle. She tells Sue Leonard about it and what it’s like to write songs for her husband David Gilmour’s band Pink Floyd.

As he joins a stellar cast in Fortitude, Christopher Eccleston tells Kate Samuelson why he loved working on the new drama series

A dethroned 16-year-old beauty queen from Burma said she won’t return her bejewelled $100,000 (€76,000) crown until pageant organisers apologise for calling her a liar and a thief-

Rose Mary Roche looks at why we own so many pairs, covet more — and don’t even wear half of those we own.

We revert once again to our dog-eared Soundings poetry book in a vain attempt to encapsulate Paul Galvin’s retirement.

Bellman & Black, A Ghost Story

However England got on last night — it doesn’t matter anyway, since they have decided not to win the next World Cup — it was a long week for the current undisputed holder of the All-England Controvassy title.

IT’S been a wet and dreary winter but already there are signs of spring.

Limerick offers much to tempt collectors this weekend.

All of this, of course, reinforced the compelling message I had picked up in Stronge’s bar. That all of us can access meaning through art.

Bond actress Gemma Arterton has signed up to play the lead role in 'Tess Of The D’Urbervilles', the BBC confirmed today.

AUDIO book publishers are rushing in to get their slice of the billion dollar global iPod market.

Roman Polanski, debuting his new film Oliver Twist in Prague this weekend, said he chose to do the new adaptation of the classic novel because he admired 19th-century English literature and wanted to make a movie his children would enjoy.

A valuable literary collection including letters and a manuscript by WB Yeats will go under the hammer today.

CELTIC manager Martin O'Neill is convinced only a literary giant could encapsulate the attributes of Henrik Larsson in a single sentence.