Subscriber OnlyThe 100 best Irish books of the 21st century: No 25 to No 1A panel of more than 60 experts (authors, critics, academics, festival curators and booksellers) select their favourite Irish novels and short stories of the years 2020-2025By Martin DoyleSat Mar 15 2025 - 06:00
BooksUnravelling an Irish-American family mystery: my great-grandfather arrived in the US in 1922, on the run as an IRA manDelving into her family history led author Ali Watkins to explore one of the least known and most effective gunrunning operations in contemporary American history, and the ways the Irish diaspora view Ireland By Ali WatkinsSat Mar 15 2025 - 06:00
Subscriber OnlyA Room Above the Shop by Anthony Shapland: A potent work above frustrating love that dispels initial scepticismI’m willing to overlook the author’s refusal to name his two male protagonists, who end up in an sexual relationship neither anticipated
StageThe Book of Mormon: ‘We put all of these subversive things into a familiar box for people. And we swear a lot’ Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s hit musical is about to begin a month-long Irish run. It features jokes about FMG, Aids and child abuse but has goodness at its core
FilmOscar winner Gints Zilbalodis: ‘It’s really cool that we can make these films with free software’Flow, which the self-taught director made for $3.5m, beat Pixar and DreamWorks to take the Academy Award for best animated feature
Three things we give up when we turn away from CatholicismUnthinkable: Asking whether we have lost something from our lapsed Catholicism is not about rushing back to the past. It’s about facing the future with greater self-awarenessBy Joe Humphreys
Fiddler Martin Hayes: ‘I come to the table with whatever little bit I managed to bring off the side of the mountain’The acclaimed musician reimagines his album Peggy’s Dream with the National Symphony Orchestra this St Patrick’s weekendBy Siobhán Long
Fontaines DC win RTÉ Choice Music Prize album of the year Jordan Adetunji crowned artist of the year, with rap trio Kneecap named breakthrough artistBy Ella Sloane
Steven Wilson: The Overview review – A wonderful album infused with the spirit of Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here By Ed Power
Gracie Abrams in Dublin review: No nepo-baby here. A real star stands before usArmed with an acoustic guitar and her breathy vocals, Abrams proves herself worthy of star statusBy Ella Sloane
Lady Gaga: Mayhem review – An awkward attempt to re-create the magic of Bad Romance and Born This Way By Ed Power
Lisa: Alter Ego review – Blackpink superstar’s solo debut is a clumsy lurch towards pop maximalism By Ed Power
Oscar winner Gints Zilbalodis: ‘It’s really cool that we can make these films with free software’Flow, which the self-taught director made for $3.5m, beat Pixar and DreamWorks to take the Academy Award for best animated featureBy Tara Brady
Rosie O’Donnell calls Trump a ‘cheater’ and ‘Russian asset’ after Oval Office insultDonald Trump renewed feud with comedian and actor after her move to IrelandBy Ronan McGreevy
Sister Midnight review: An endlessly inventive marriage of perfectly pitched comedy and deranged ambience By Donald Clarke
The Electric State: Netflix gives the Russos $320m and this is all they have to show for it? By Tara Brady
Black Bag review: Soderbergh’s spy flick starring Blanchett and Fassbender beats streaming rivals hands down By Donald Clarke
The 100 best Irish books of the 21st century: No 25 to No 1A panel of more than 60 experts (authors, critics, academics, festival curators and booksellers) select their favourite Irish novels and short stories of the years 2020-2025By Martin Doyle
Unravelling an Irish-American family mystery: my great-grandfather arrived in the US in 1922, on the run as an IRA manDelving into her family history led author Ali Watkins to explore one of the least known and most effective gunrunning operations in contemporary American history, and the ways the Irish diaspora view Ireland By Ali Watkins
Dancing with the Stars finale: When is it on, who are the front-runners, what dances will feature and moreTelevision: The DWTS final will see four celebrities battle it out for the Glitterball Trophy this weekend - here is everything you need to knowBy Ed Power
Claire Byrne’s inner klaxons sound when a former Trump ambassador raises Enoch Burke’s imprisonmentRadio: Michaél Martin’s White House visit gives a dispiriting glimpse of the prism through which the Maga movement sees IrelandBy Mick Heaney
Dope Thief review: This is one of Apple’s best shows - gritty, violent, funny and well-pacedTelevision: This dramedy lands like a chaotic mash-up of Breaking Bad and The Wire. It would be a sure-fire smash on Netflix or DisneyBy Ed Power
Catherine Fulvio’s St Patrick’s Way review: Glorified advertorial is a blizzard of bland. It’s a disservice to the celebrity chefTelevision: Fizzy documentary by numbers has all the weight and insightfulness of a shamrock shake or a fake leprechaun beardBy Ed Power
The Book of Mormon: ‘We put all of these subversive things into a familiar box for people. And we swear a lot’ Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s hit musical is about to begin a month-long Irish run. It features jokes about FMG, Aids and child abuse but has goodness at its coreBy Deirdre Falvey
Paul Mescal in a Streetcar Named Desire: Known for portrayals of hurting hunks, he is ferocious as Stanley KowalskiIn this revival of Tennessee Williams’s story, Mescal’s half-despised, half-beloved brute has but one decent emotionBy Jesse Green
Project Sheela: International Women’s Day art trail highlights Ireland’s ‘open wounds’Anonymous sheela-na-gig artists will reveal a new series of plaques from todayBy Ella Sloane
Artist Jack Vettriano dies in France aged 73Scottish artist was self-taught, reaching international acclaim with works such as The Singing Butler
