Lily Allen has confirmed a nine-date UK tour.

A recovery in trade in one of Cork’s city centre’s under-performing streets — Academy Street — is heralded with the opening this weekend of a new restaurant, CoqBull, which replaces hospitality supremo Jay Bourke’s long-established Cafe Bar Deli.

Deep down music has always been the root of me.

Bill Callahan plays the Olympia in Dublin next month. When the American played a smaller venue, The Academy, a few years ago, it was packed, as was Whelan’s a few years before that, when Callahan made his last appearance under his alias, Smog.

MUSIC NEWS: In recent years, Morrissey has been battered by ill-health and dogged by lack of record company support, but his forthcoming autobiography is still the most eagerly anticipated rock book in years.

ELECTRIC PICNIC: For many people, this week has revolved around the back to school shenanigans, but a lucky few thousand were preparing bags of a different kind as they set out for the Electric Picnic.

GIG WISE: One of the big announcements this week was The Who bringing their tour to the O2 in Dublin on Saturday, Jun 8.

MUSIC NEWS: Lupe Fiasco is a brave man.

MUSIC NEWS: Thom Yorke of Radiohead has unveiled some tracks from his Atoms For Peace project during a DJ set in the US.

What I do: Filmmaker

MUSIC NEWS: Noel Gallagher managed to win his own gold medal for sibling wind-ups at last week’s Olympics closing ceremony.

MUSIC NEWS:

THE progressive Dimona is the hopeful nap choice in the www.thetote.com Kingdom Gold Cup Handicap at Killarney this evening.

SHOULD we be outraged by Alma Lopez’s depictions of the Virgin Mary at UCC?

FOLLOWING two cracking efforts at Punchestown and Navan, Willie Mullins’ Popcorn got off the mark over flights when landing the Holy Cross Maiden Hurdle at Thurles yesterday.

Auden wrote off his odds-on Brighton defeat by taking the NGK Spark Plugs EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket today.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel today called on Europeans to take a joint stand against Islamic terrorists and defend what she called the European Union’s core values of democracy and tolerance.

Singer Annie Lennox has donated a number of her old report cards to her former school.

Sheffield United have announced a loss of almost £2m (€2.8m) for the last financial year.

Fugazi have postponed their forthcoming tour of the UK and Ireland.

Fugazi have postponed their forthcoming tour of the UK and Ireland.