I went to see an excellent production of Sive in the Gaiety Theatre recently. Written by John B Keane in the 1950s, it tells the story of a teenage girl who is sold into marriage with a much older, albeit wealthy man, and is one of my favourite plays, writes Louise O’Neill.

“If the written word could cure rheumatism I think hers might, like a dock leaf laid on a sting”

Literary inspirations shaped some of this season’s finest fragrances, says Rachel Marie Walsh.

If Parker printed an inventory of her wardrobe and bound it in her favourite colour it would be a bestseller.

Driven by technology and customer demand, ‘see now, buy now’ will be the biggest shake-up the fashion world has seen since ready-to-wear hit the catwalk, says Carolyn Moore

Kerry theatre maker Dick Walsh goes beyond the conventional, while retaining his comic world view, writes Pádraic Killeen

THE flaneur is the emblematic figure of urban life, and even more so of psychogeography; the interested ambler, wandering wherever the city’s currents take him. 

AUTHOR and actor Michael Harding does not seek the solace of certainty.

Niall MacMonagle taught English enthusiastically for over 30 years but his determination to share the beauty of poetry is undimmed. He spoke to Sue Leonard about his anthology marking the 1916 Rising centenary.

Headlining the main stage at a major festival is all part of a day's toil for Florence and the Machine's Florence Welch.

Bridget Christie, who’s married to fellow comedian Stewart Lee, is a refreshingly new feminist voice in standup and her witty monologues leave Suzanne Harrington in stitches

Check out our guide to tonight's top TV shows.

Given the noses in the southwest which were put out of joint last Friday by Conor McCarthy’s piece in these pages, should we start with off-field competition?

Jeremy Hutchinson is one of those people who changed the world they were born into. Dan Buckley on a sparkling career and a wonderful man still going strong at 100.

Christine Dwyer Hickey is a woman in a hurry — she fears she might run out of time before she gets to write all the books she wants to. She spoke to Sue Leonard about her race against time and her latest book.

SPANNING 1925 to 1941, this richly imagined novel of Virginia Woolf delves deep into her psyche, drawing perhaps too heavily on the biography written by Hermione Lee, which lends it enormous accuracy.

Rebecca Solnit

FROM a 15th century book of hours to photographs of the Co Clare RIC, the Fonsie Mealy rare book and collectors’ sale, in Dublin next Tuesday, goes on view today.

Cork v Waterford is the classic modern hurling rivalry but it’s hard to see past the Rebels tomorrow.

Suzanne Harrington asks should we really ban terms like ‘bossy’ and ‘domineering’?

Damon Galgut

WHEN it came to writing novels, Laurence Sterne, born in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, 300 years ago this week, certainly enjoyed experimenting. Pages strewn with long dashes, asterisks and the odd hand sign; a torn out chapter; two pages completely smudged with printer’s ink; and a section playfully left blank for the reader to write their own character description.

Black Vodka & Other Stories

Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, Melissa McCarthy and John Travolta will present at the Oscars.

Carry the One

Suzanne Joinson

SARAH CROSSAN

The Granta Book of the Irish Short Story

THE 2008 Leaving Certificate began with a morning of English exams for more than 50,000 students, but most had a free afternoon to prepare for today’s second paper in the subject.

DR MARTIN MANSERGH TD refers to a private communication from Brian Girvin as proof that Elizabeth Bowen’s secret reports to the British government about Ireland during the war were not spy reports (Letters, September 26).

Nicole Kidman is to make a cameo appearance in cosmetic surgery drama 'Nip/Tuck', playing a nose job patient.

JOHN OXX’S once-raced Alarazi gets the vote to take the Group Three 2000 Guineas Trial Stakes at Leopardstown this afternoon.

Hollywood star Nicole Kidman is to make a cameo appearance in cosmetic surgery drama Nip/Tuck, playing a nose job patient.

NICOLE KIDMAN is the best-paid actress in Hollywood.

The media circus was gathering in Australia today for Nicole Kidman’s weekend wedding to country music star Keith Urban.

Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman said she enjoyed a “boring” 39th birthday with family in Australia today ahead of her widely-anticipated weekend wedding to country music star Keith Urban.

Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman arrived in Australia today amid widespread speculation that she and fiancé Keith Urban will tie the knot in Sydney this weekend.

TIPPER ROAD, fresh from a career-best performance at the Curragh on Sunday, can do the business again in the Adare Handicap at Limerick this evening.

Golden Cross gained a hard-fought win under Johnny Murtagh in the Leopardstown November Handicap.

EXACTLY 30 minutes after the first bomb blast at Edgware Road, a bomb tore the roof off a red number 30 double decker bus packed with commuters forced above ground after the Tube network had been shut down.

Sahara Princess was a battling winner of the Listed Blue Square Stakes at the Curragh this evening for trainer Jessica Harrington.

DR JULIAN, trained locally by Michael Hourigan, can enjoy a first success over fences in the Holmes O’Malley Sexton Novice Chase at Limerick tonight.