THE stars have aligned to facilitate a new round of discussion around the possibility of Irish reunification; the possibility that, at last, the four green fields might be as one.

Gerald Barry’s operatic take on Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice tale is about to get its Irish premiere, writes Cathy Desmond

It was the place to be seen if you’re Irish and in the movie business: Hollywood royalty, many with family ties to Ireland, partied hard at the now legendary Oscar Wilde pre-Oscar party.

Want to stay closer to home for Valentines? There are plenty of options, writes Ciara McDonnell. 

A pet dog was found under a tyre with his tongue cut out, his stomach cut open, and his hair black from being set on fire in wasteground.

AT FIRST glance, no attorney would have been a better choice to defend James Joyce’s masterpiece, Ulysses, from the charge of obscenity in 1921 than Irish-American John Quinn. 

Despite success with previous productions, John O’Brien’s new opera wasn’t granted the funding for an extended run, writes Cathy Desmond

Oscar Wilde was the most famous — and notorious — of his family but they were already a wild bunch long before his scandalous downfall. Mary Leland reads between the lines of a chronicle of fortune and misfortune.

Ireland is home to four Nobel Laureates of literature and four winners of the Man Booker Prize.

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Frankenstein’s monster is a Hollywood horror icon, but Paul McGuigan’s Victor Frankenstein (12A) attempts to give Mary Shelley’s tale a fresh spin. 

Harper Lee isn’t the only author who wrote a worldwide bestseller yet decided not to try to repeat that success. Brian Moss and Lorraine Murphy look at other members of this elite club

I noticed that the trees at the corner of Merrion Square, which blocked the view of the sculpture of Oscar Wilde, have just been cleared.

A week ago, University College Cork reminded us how much creative talent exists within this country when it awarded doctorates to notables from the design and art world.

A former teacher charged with gross indecency — under the same 19th century law which writer Oscar Wilde was jailed for — claims he is being discriminated against because a woman cannot be charged with the same offence.

Eddie Redmayne is being tipped for an Oscar for his role as Stephen Hawking, says Keeley Bolger

Stephen Hawking’s ex-wife has told how the physicist’s fame and success damaged their relationship.

Abbey Theatre

Oscar Wilde’s greatest contribution to our culture is not his writing but the invention of celebrity. JP O’Malley is not entirely convinced.

Including how to eat muffins.

Lonely Planet has urged its millions of readers to take in a game of hurling as part of the perfect Irish hangover cure.

Shaw’s satire of the rich who ignored the rumblings of WWI is still relevant, says Padraic Kileen

Eibhear Walsh

A man who gave evidence in the murder trial of Catherine Nevin cannot continue a legal action against a newspaper over an article stating he tried to sell it photographs of him and Mrs Nevin naked in bed together, the High Court has ruled.

Olivia Wilde and her fiance Jason Sudeikis have welcomed the birth of their first child.

Welcome to your Thursday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

Belfast native Marty Rea relishes playing Lord Goring in Oscar Wilde’s comedy An Ideal Husband, says Pádraic Killeen.

Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall and saxophone player Chris De Margary have reached a settlement with a neighbour over hunting rights in Co Donegal.

Brendan Behan died 50 years ago today. Alan O’Riordan remembers his flawed brilliance

FÁILTE IRELAND is a successful sales organisation that shapes Irish identity more than most.

James Fox’s character, Joseph, in the film A Long Way from Home has been married to his wife Brenda, played by Oscar-winning Irish actress Brenda Fricker, for half a century.

STALWART of Cork theatre, Michael Twomey, is directing Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband to celebrate 50 years of the Everyman Theatre Company.

Gravity *****

Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis are expecting their first child.

Classics, whether in music, literature or theatre, are surely best enjoyed as originally conceived?

In 1663 the French playwright and actor Molière wrote in La Critique de l’École des Femmes that “it’s an odd job, making decent people laugh”.

It is hard to imagine that Ireland was once the university of Europe, an island of learning and classical scholarship that outshone anything the continent had to offer.

Drama, music, comedy and family events will dominate the autumn/winter programme at The Everyman Theatre.

As the Cannes Film Festival opens, Irish photographer John Minihan retraces the highlights of a career spent capturing some of Hollywood’s biggest names, and his Oscar party trip this year