Four Irish authors honoured with stamps celebrating their work
Books by Colm Tóibín, Emma Donoghue, Claire Keegan and John McGahern featured on new An Post stamps
Colm Tóibín
Seán Farrell wins John McGahern Prize for debut Irish fiction
Frogs for Watchdogs described by judge Colm Tóibín as ‘pitch-perfect, tonally seamless, utterly immersive’
Fearless! Vincent Browne’s Magill and Ireland in the 1980s: Skilful acknowledgment of a valuable legacy
Kevin Rafter narrates tale of an Ireland seeking public accountability, a new assertiveness in the media, and impetus towards liberalism and tolerance
It matters that Ireland is an island. That makes its past and present different from many other countries
Integrating island thinking into every area of public policy, from economy and security to education and the arts, is an exercise in connection not withdrawal
The Bridge by Colm Tóibín: A painful chronicle of relationships in collapse
In his latest work to be set in Catalonia, Tóibín’s men pour their deepest tenderness into their animals while their human connections fail
Sebastian Barry: ‘My mother was interesting, extravagant. It was difficult to be a child of such a person’
The author on his latest novel, The Newer World, his difficult relationship with his parents, and feeling out of place growing up as a Dublin Protestant
Meg Mason: ‘It’s really warping, all these people who don’t know you, who feel like they do’
Meg Mason, the author of bestseller Sorrow and Bliss, returns with Sophie, Standing There, a meta novel about a lonely literary-festival worker’s parasocial relationship with a famous writer
The Writer’s Writer: A dive into John McGahern’s literary archive shows his huge impact
Leitrim writer’s archive features words of praise from Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel and Colm Tóibín, while Claire Keegan and Anne Enright also speak of his influence
Snap happy: Irish photographers on the story behind their favourite photographs
From supermodels to scenes of everyday life – powerful images chosen by those who captured them
Ireland’s coastline – erosion in Wexford: ‘There’s nobody protecting my land for me’
More than a third of the county’s sandy coastline is deemed at risk of erosion, leaving businesses and homes ever closer to the edge
Hundreds of Irish writers set to share millions of euro after €1.31bn Anthropic settlement
Artificial intelligence giant settles copyright infringement case
Testament review: A grippingly intense Mary in new opera with libretto by Colm Tóibín
Galway International Arts Festival 2026: Tarik O’Regan’s eclectic musical expression powers adaptation of Tóibín novella
John McGahern Annual Book Prize shortlist celebrates best Irish debuts
Three books in running for £5,000 John McGahern Annual Book Prize judged by Colm Tóibín
New arguments against abortion surface in a ‘retro’ Kieran Cuddihy Liveline show
Radio: When the Liveline host revisits reliably contentious subjects, he’s not just indulging in nostalgia
I am off my phone and in the world – all it took was no internet. Depressing
I’ve learned you can’t expect to automatically ask ChatGPT every idiotic question that slouches across your brain
Hamnet’s Maggie O’Farrell: ‘I turned down an OBE because I didn’t want British Empire as part of my name’
After the ‘bonkers’ Oscars, the Co Derry-born author of Hamnet is poised to publish Land, a novel inspired by her own family history in post-Famine Ireland
The Queer Bookshelf: A Reader’s Guide – a useful framework, but by its nature a book of omission
Author Layla McCay excludes queer Irish writers who have more than earned their place in any survey of LGBT culture
No ‘Tolkien’s Epic Pooh’: Top books list is rage bait but it’s of the highest quality
The Guardian’s much talked-about ‘100 best novels’ ranking is a surprisingly old-fashioned list largely composed of long-established greats
‘Second Irish literary renaissance’ documented in new book of interviews
‘Extraordinary testimony’ to Irish writing includes Roddy Doyle, Anne Enright, Sally Rooney and dozens more
Spending a penny has become very expensive indeed: Drivetime investigates €6m loos
Radio: Newstalk host Andrea Gilligan discusses a topic rarely aired in public, which is surely illuminating for male listeners
The News from Dublin by Colm Tóibín: Stories by a writer with complete command of the craft
New short story collection ranges over territories familiar to Tóibín’s readers: Wexford, Catalonia, Argentina and the US
A Beautiful Loan by Mary Costello: Timely homing in on sorrows particular to women
In Costello’s novel the protagonist looks back on her life in an effort to determine ‘why we do what we do, or tolerate what we tolerate, or love who we love’
Here’s what you’ll be reading in 2026, according to Irish booksellers
With new titles due from the likes of Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Colm Tóibín and Donal Ryan, booksellers expect 2026 to be a ‘bumper year’
Colm Tóibín on the writer Mary Lavin: She removed the props by which we might read her women easily
The great short-story writer’s female protagonists often do the opposite of what they intend. Being unmoored by loss affects their every thought
The best fiction of 2026 to look forward to: Books from Louise Kennedy, Donal Ryan, Sebastian Barry and more
A comprehensive round-up of fiction from Irish and international authors due out this year
Brendan O’Connor wears his RTÉ Radio 1 crown lightly as the new pretenders arrive
Popular yet provocative host is RTÉ Radio 1’s big performer
Colm Tóibín on The Poems of Seamus Heaney: ‘A process of finding echoes and associations’
This book contains Heaney’s unpublished poems plus all those from his single books of poetry published
Colm Tóibín: ‘I am much less sociable now, as I don’t drink any more’
For the author of A Long Winter and Ship in Full Sail, inspiration often comes subliminally. But he has also brought his inner self to the surface through therapy
A Long Winter, and Ship in Full Sail by Colm Tóibín: A brain of serious range
Keen readers of Tóibín’s fiction will find interesting insights into the genesis of many of his most important works
Sinn Féin may reject commemorating the Normans, but there are some suspiciously Saxon names in its ranks
Take a look at centuries of Irish revolutionaries and you’ll find links to Norman history
Zealous book bans and brilliant writers forged strong Irish Penguin links from the start
The publisher celebrates its 90th anniversary this month
Author Joseph Birchall: ‘Crime fiction can bring us something we don’t often see in reality - justice’
With one novel published and two more on the way, the author discusses the investigating duo he created, his brush with cinema success and the best writing advice he’s heard
Ryan Tubridy still has the Tiggerish verve and breezy name-drops. So why does it feel sour?
Radio: An upbeat air on his London-based show contrasts with RTÉ’s continuing struggles
Éilís Ní Dhuibhne is new Laureate for Irish Fiction
The writer takes over the laureateship from author Colm Tóibín
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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