Billy Idol: ‘The Irish side of my family has got a lot to do with me turning to music’

Ahead of the release of a candid new documentary, the former hellraiser talks about fame, excess and near-death experiences alongside his Cork heritage Billy Idol: ‘Shocking society, being rebellious and loud, that’s part of your MO when you’re 20’. Photo: David Raccuglia The artist and the act, the persona and the person behind it – … Read more

The gang may be ‘back together’ but ‘Ray D’Arcy Daily’ feels like a rerun of a past radio episode

New offering doesn’t feel very new at all, but it does just what you want a podcast to do Ray D’Arcy and Jenny Kelly I can’t remember exactly where I first heard it, but the line stuck with me. A character in some TV show joked that “Opinions are like podcasts – everyone’s got one, … Read more

The Queen: 100 Years, 100 Stories by Michelle Morgan: Enjoyable biography is both gushing and eye-opening

Beside the embarrassments caused by some of her children, Michelle Morgan’s book is not all heavy going with plenty to interest even those ambivalent to the British royals Queen Elizabeth II in 2011. Photo: Eddie Mulholland/WPA Pool/Getty Some people in public life eventually become so iconic that their name is instantly recognisable, even in shorthand. … Read more

A century of television – Ireland’s society-defining TV moments, from launch of RTÉ to funding fiasco

Ireland has gone through so much since the earliest days in black and white RTÉ has produced its fair share of memorable shows and moments over the years This year marks the centenary of the first public demonstration of television. Scottish inventor John Logie Baird invited 50 scientists and a reporter to a London attic … Read more