Beads of rain streak the window beyond which there is a violet tint in the sky as dusk begins to fall. Dim telegraph poles slip by. Then the chequerboard of yellow and black at the edge of a small town, and bubbled letters caught in the floodlights of an AstroTurf pitch. Continue reading
Always in a hurry, the fishmonger would stay in the middle of the street and shout out that he was there. Women rushed out of their houses with their aprons on. Clutching their purses, they queued for the fish wrapped in newspaper. Continue reading
During the night, my brother Brian’s dog never stopped yapping. Early next morning my mother called out and she always used the Irish language pronunciation of my name.
‘Meehawl, your fry is on the table, and you’ll need it. You have a long day ahead of you.’ Continue reading
Her final words are to the homeless and to those who become so because home is not safe: ‘To anyone trapped in a place that does not feel like home, and anyone who has ever been asked the question ‘why don’t you just leave?’ This book is for you. Continue reading
Kathleen, an eighteen-year-old, navigates life after her mother’s death and returning to her childhood home in a coastal Irish town. Given a second chance, she struggles with her volatile nature and connections while pursuing dreams of a beauty salon. Strong performances highlight her quest for love and recognition amidst psychological challenges. Continue reading
Dead Man’s Money, a film by Paul Kennedy, explores familial tension and betrayal as Young Henry fears his wealthy uncle’s courtship with the Widow Tweed. This noir adaptation evokes Shakespearean themes, skillfully blending dark humor and character complexities. The 82-minute film offers a gripping tale of moral ambiguity and human frailty. Continue reading
I have a wee reservation about the title. Neither the play nor the pub are a bit of a lark, in the sense of harmless fun. In my experience, pubs from the time depicted in the play were the pits. Continue reading
Kathleen, an eighteen-year-old, navigates life after her mother’s death and returning to her childhood home in a coastal Irish town. Given a second chance, she struggles with her volatile nature and connections while pursuing dreams of a beauty salon. Strong performances highlight her quest for love and recognition amidst psychological challenges. Continue reading
‘Have you seen the exhibition yet?’ Continue reading
Like Heaney, I too was catapulted back to the powerful impact of reading Wilde’s De Profundis, also penned in Reading Gaol, on me aged 20. Continue reading
Tinteán 