You may find the following attitude strange from an ex-theatre critic

Even at a time of much cross-fertilisation between the literary and journalistic worlds, it was a brave and radical idea to run a regular creative-writing page in a daily newspaper. In pursuing this, David Marcus nurtured many young talents

Fintan O’Toole: The erection of the portal linking night-time inner city Dublin to daytime New York was a heroic act of denial

Theatre: At the Abbey, Tom Creed recasts Brendan Behan’s prison comedy entirely with female and nonbinary actors. The effect is teasingly ambiguous

Tom Creed’s new production of Brendan Behan’s play – the first at the theatre for almost 40 years – features a cast of all female and nonbinary actors

Television: As an outsider who associates Baggot Street with rugby fans, traffic jams and office workers, it is a revelation

Theatre: This revival of Rosaleen Linehan’s one-woman show throws the singer in at the deep end, but she delivers a highly entertaining evening

The best movies, music, art and more coming your way this week

Borrowing words

Swimming in the bay with the famous writer

Bacteria levels are rising

A new book explores Dublin’s literary past, an active part of living or working in the city

Working-class Dublin was intrinsic to the creative output of a highly individual writer who was born a century ago this week

Thursday marks the 100 year anniversary of Irish playwright’s birth

Picture Brendan Behan and you probably imagine a man with shirt wide open and a pint in his hand. But the writer was far more complicated than that

A new book enters into conversation with Sean O’Faolain’s publication, which offered a creative space to mid-century Irish writers

The image of The Laughing Boy has become a mantra of the Greek Left

An Irishman’s Diary

A story about Brendan Behan’s lighthouse painting days is amusing enough to be true

Laura Samani wins best director for Small Body and Udo Kier takes best actor