Barry Keoghan and Nicola Coughlan provide star power for Fastnet Film Festival in West Cork

Schull may not have had Cannes-style weather over the weekend, but pound-for-pound the film festival in the West Cork village punched way above its weight in terms of star power. The usual population of about 700 was swollen to capacity for the Fastnet Film Festival, with the great and the good of the film world … Read more

Psychiatric care left wanting — ‘I lost so much’ as a psychosis patient

When  Mary Ann Kenny’s husband John collapsed and died while out running near their home in Co Dublin, she was blindsided by the sudden and devastating loss. But for Mary Ann, the nightmare was only beginning. The circumstances of John’s death and having to tell her two young sons had a profound impact on her … Read more

Prodigal son gets standing ovation at mighty Vicar Street gig 

Ryan Adams came back to Dublin, for the first time since 2017, under a couple of clouds. There’s the infamous 2019 accusations of sexual harassment which Adams initially denied and then apologised for, and then there’s last Saturday night in Belfast.  Described by a reviewer as “one of the most uncomfortable, shambolic experiences I’ve ever … Read more

‘Three arteries were blocked and they wouldn’t let me out of hospital’

After going to the GP with what he thought was indigestion last year, bestselling children’s author Michael Morpurgo found himself undergoing a triple heart bypass – and an enforced break from writing. “We all have this cliché that you’ve got pains in your chest and it’s agony. Oh no, I went to my wonderful NHS … Read more

‘A lot of the sadness hits you when the good things happen’

I am with a friend, watching clips of Andrew Scott on the red carpet. “I bet he’s totally sound in real life,” she says, as on screen, Scott hops from one foot to another, his eyes bright and crinkly, engaging enthusiastically with the interviewer. Clip after clip, he’s there, with his eyebrows waggling, always in motion, … Read more

Patrick Kielty’s tribute, Cian Ducrot and reuniting the Italia 90 squad

It’s been a difficult week for Patrick Kielty as he said goodbye to his beloved mother Mary Kielty. Mary, whose husband Jack was shot dead by the Ulster Freedom Fighters in 1988, died peacefully at home in Dundrum, Co Down, last Saturday aged 84. She was buried on Monday. Opening the show by paying tribute … Read more