Go Rail - Volume 10 No 3 - The Coronas

6 / GO FOR IT

A rundown of what's hot and happening around the country.

16 /TRAIN NEWS

Up-to-date train news from Iarnród Éireann.

19 / MY FAVOURITE TRAIN JOURNEY

Lisa McInerney discusses her new book, The Rules Of Revelation, and travelling from Gort to Galway.

20 /THE CORONAS

With the Dubliners riding high

CONTENTS

again in the charts, singer Danny O'Reilly talks to us about his equally famous mum, Niall Horan, Bono and affairs of the heart.

24 /COLIN FARRELL & BRENDAN GLEESON

The Irish stars chat to Roe McDermott about their roles in The Banshees Of Inisherin, Martin McDonagh's critically acclaimed new comedy-drama.

26 / DONAL RYAN

The award-winning writer on

The Queen Of Dirt Island, a novel set in his hometown of Nenagh.

28 / CELEBRITY TABLE

Go Rail meets 2fm DJ Bláthnaid Treacy at Lennan’s Yard restaurant in Dublin for a chat about her fascinating broadcasting career and life story.

32 / MARCO PIERRE WHITE

We meet the legendary chef to hear his thoughts on the contemporary culinary scene.

Laura Klepeisz offers a guide to the Austrian city, which is celebrated for its music, old town and alpine setting.

40 / GO FASHION

Your guide to the essential style trends this autumn and winter.

46 / REVIEWS

Our team of reviewers cast their eyes over the latest album, book and film releases

Photo: Lucy Foster

O’Toole

Russell

Hot Press 100 Capel Street Dublin 1

Eimear O'Connor

Rachael McGinty

Madden

SALES

Editor’s Letter

DIRECTOR

Hannah McGovern, Caoimhe Neeson, Anastasia Rigaud

PHOTOGRAPHER

WHEN AUTUMN LEAVES START TO FALL

We are lucky in this country to live in a temperate climate. But, as recent events in Creeslough confirmed, winter has other ways of working itself into our hearts...

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness! That gorgeous, timeless first line of John Keats’ wonderful ode ‘To Autumn’ feels exactly right for this glorious October moment. Trees and plants and shrubs are a riot of colour, red, russet, amber, brown and soft yellows replacing the green of the summer. We’ve seen rain, but nothing too elemental. Over the past few days, the wind has been moderate – not even ‘to fresh’ – and the sun has been making an appearance, delivering a feeling of genuine warmth, if you can find a spot to luxuriate in it.

Go Rail is published for Iarnród Éireann by: Osnovina Ltd 100 Capel Street, Dublin 1

It is true that, in Ireland, we live in an especially beautiful and convivial part of the world. There is so much to savour and enjoy here. We are free, generally, of the weather and temperature extremes that make living closer to the equator an enormous trial for much of the year, with one season rolling into another often without a shade of difference. Nor indeed do we really know what cold means here, even compared to places on the same latitude, like Newfoundland in Canada to the West, or Berlin, parts of Poland and Russia to the East.

As the news emerged across the national airwaves, it was heartbreaking for the local community, fam ilies and friends of the ten people who had died in such frightening and yet poignantly everyday cir cumstances. Others local people were badly injured and taken to hospital.

The wider community in Donegal rallied around to the greatest extent possible. There was no hope of finding meaning or solace of any kind amid the terrible turmoil. But good people did their best nonetheless to offer kindness and support. It was all that could be done.

In his immediate statement, President Michael D. Higgins captured what so many were feeling across Ireland. “May I, as President,” he said, “express what I know will be the shock shared by all people throughout the country on learning of the terrible tragedy which has unfolded in Creeslough, Co Donegal.

“All of our thoughts must go out to all of those who have been affected. Those who have received news of the loss of a loved one, those injured and, most of all, those who are waiting with anxiety for news of their loved ones.

LETTERS

The Editor, Go Rail Magazine, 100 Capel Street Dublin 1

While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, the publishers cannot accept any responsibilities for errors. The views contained in this magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those ofIarnród Éireann.

All material © Osnovina 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material without permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited.

In fact, there are parts of Alaska that are on the same latitude as Ireland. But the Gulf Stream, and the North Atlantic Drift that extends its impact into this part of the world, ensures that we suffer none of the 49th States bitter, freezing temperatures.

We are lucky. And yet life is not without its devas tating events, things outside our control that arrive along to ensure that we can never fully forget just how badly we can be unmoored, irrespective of our fortunate place in the cosmos.

At the time of writing, such an event has occurred, in Co. Donegal. Most people will be familiar with the tragic circumstances in which ten people were killed – in what appears to have been a random, awful accidental explosion.

The devastating blast occurred at an Applegreen service station and convenience store in the village of Creeslough.

“This tragedy is a terrible blow to a community that is closely knit and where every loss and injury will be felt by every member of the community and far beyond.”

As the funerals of the ten deceased take place, there is still just a terrible, far reaching sadness. Sometimes, we have to admit it. Tragedy lands in our midst without meaning or warning. The only thing we can do is pick up the pieces and start again. All the while, thinking of the people of Creeslough and knowing just how much harder it will be for them ever again to look at the autumn leaves and revel in their magic and their beauty.

As the old jazz song goes: “Since you went away/ The days grow long/ And soon I’ll hear/ Old winter’s song/ But I miss you most of all, my darling/ When autumn leaves start to fall…”

MÁIRÍN SHEEHY

A RUN DOWN OF WHAT'S

GO For It

DYLAN AND ABLE

BOB DYLAN

In what’s set to be one of the most unmissable gigs of the year, iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan will cap off the European leg of his world tour at Dublin’s 3Arena on November 7. You can look forward to some of the Nobel Prize winner’s latest material from his lauded 2020 album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, as well as selections from across his remarkable discography. Like Dylan’s other shows on the tour, the Dublin gig will be phone-free – meaning concertgoers will be popping their devices in special locked pouches, to ensure a completely immersive musical experience.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: NOVEMBER 7

WHERE: DUBLIN 3ARENA

For best value fares on all intercity services check out irishrail.ie

SCRUMMING ATTRACTION

Munster v Leinster

Thomond Park, Limerick, December 26

In what's become a festive tradition, the great Irish rugby rivals take each other on in the United Rugby Championship. Four-in-a-row champions from 2018 to 2021, Leinster have been making the running again this season and occupying their familiar place atop the table. But there is always an electric atmosphere in Thomond for this derby encounter, and Graham Rowntree's charges will be going all out to secure the bragging rights in front of their passionate home support.

AUTUMN'S UP

There’s some major events on the way for Irish rugby fans – as Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series matches find Andy Farrell’s team taking on South Africa (November 5), Fiji (November 12) and Australia (November 19) at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. It will be the first time the Springboks – who are the current World champions – have played in Dublin in five years, so you can expect the first match in the series to be a particular nail-biter.

FINAL DESTINATION

Last year’s runners-up Shelbourne FC are all set to take on Athlone FC for the FAI Women’s Cup Final 2022 – kicking off on November 6 at Tallaght Stadium, Dublin. Last year’s final saw Wexford Youths ultimately lift the trophy, but the team’s attempts to defend the cup in 2022 were squashed back in September by Athlone, who earned their place in the final with a 3-0 win. Shelbourne, meanwhile, who previously won the cup in 2016, reached their second consecutive final after a 1-0 win over Bohemians WFC. As Shelbourne and Athlone go head to head in November, you can expect an electric atmosphere at Tallaght Stadium.

DERRY GO ROUND

Celebrating Derry’s rich culture and history, get ready to immerse yourself in folklore, feasting and festivities, for Derry Halloween! The spirits are invited to party with the living within the Walled City, as locals and visitors alike ring in this traditional Samhain gathering. Taking place from October 28-31, some of the highlights of the programme include the Haunted Harvest Market, Samhain Bandstand, Mayor’s Creepy Céilí, and ghostly gigs from The Alabama 3, Hudson Taylor and more.

SAVOUR THE DATE

One of Ireland’s favourite food festivals, Savour Kilkenny, returns to the medieval city from October 28-31 – celebrating the best of Kilkenny and the surrounding pasturelands’ produce, food and culture. The event will be packed with culinary ideas, as Irish products, and a cast of top chefs and experts, take centre

stage. You can look forward to demonstrations, talks and workshops featuring Kwanghi Chan (above), Derry Clarke, Kevin Dundon, Daniel Lambert, ClareAnne O’Keefe and more.

NEED TO KNOW WHEN: OCTOBER 28–31 WHERE: KILKENNY

BEAST FROM THE EAST

Celebrating Ireland as the birthplace of Halloween, Púca Festival returns to Co. Meath this Halloween – bringing spectacle, storytelling, music, mischief, comedy, feasting and much more to Trim and Athboy, from October 28-31. Working in partnership with Irish artists, seanchaí storytellers and the local community, Púca will feature a dazzling selection of experiences and performances over three days and four nights in Ireland’s Ancient East.

PHOTO: ROS KAVANAGH

WINNING ARTS AND MINDS

Returning for its 20th edition in 2022, TULCA Festival of Visual Arts will be running across multiple venues in Galway city and county, from November 4-20. Curated by Clare Gormley, this new edition of the festival, titled The World Was All Before Them, explores “the notion of futurity” in this moment of great global change. Taking place across a range of art and non-art venues, you can expect the full programme for this unique festival to be unveiled online closer to the time.

TENT TO BE

Having first launched in 2012, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Wexford Spiegeltent Festival. As such you can expect an extra special edition of the iconic multi-genre festival, running in the iconic setting of the Paradiso Spiegeltent from October 22 to November 6. Over the course of the series of shows, you can expect performances from Gavin James, The Academic, Joanne McNally, LYRA, Dylan Moran, Tommy Tiernan, Hudson Taylor and many more.

TRAD TO THE BONE

Dublin’s annual celebration of Irish music makes its eagerly anticipated return in 2023, as TradFest Temple Bar gets set to host over 50 live performances in some of the area’s most beloved pubs, venues and historical landmarks. Running from January 25-29, the festival has already confirmed sets from Matt Molloy & Seán Keane, Dani Larkin, Eimear Quinn, Lisa Lambe, Judy Collins, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Moxie, Dervish, Kíla and more.

ALL THAT JAZZ

Returning for its 44th year, Cork Jazz Festival is set to take over the city by the Lee from October 28-31, with a host of new acts, venues and experiences, including some of the biggest names in jazz. Over 32 years after they performed one of Cork’s most memorable gigs at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, The New Power Generation will be returning to celebrate their mentor, Prince, as part of the festival. Other highlights include Denise Chaila, Seun Kuti and Fela’s Egypt 80, Jazzanova, GoGo Penguin, Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo, Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton and more.

SPIN CYCLE

Some of the top names in international cyclo-cross are set to descend upon Dublin this winter, as the Sport Ireland Campus in Blanchardstown plays host to a key round of the 2022-2023 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup on December 11. The first event of its kind to be hosted in Ireland, it’s likely to be a major draw for cycling enthusiasts – with cyclo-cross, which takes place over rough terrain, considered one of the most fast-paced and thrilling forms of bicycle racing.

LET IT LEE

In the run-up to Christmas, Cork’s Fitzgerald’s Park is playing host to a special series of live outdoor music and comedy shows, as part of Magic Nights By The Lee. From December 21-23, you can look forward to appearances from some of Cork’s most acclaimed performers, including True Tides, Fish Go Deep, Code of Behaviour, Candy Warhol & The Haus Of Mockie Ah, Clare Sands, Stevie G & Minnie Marley, and more.

MEGA BYTE

The event formerly known as Comic Con Ireland is back – with MegaCon Live Dublin coming to the RDS from January 21-22. For 2023, you can expect a Cosplay Masquerade, a Steampunk Emporium, a Yu-Gi-Oh tournament, a gaming area, the Kidtropolis Mega Zone, guest panels, and more. The special guests include Sam J. Jones of Flash Gordon fame, as well as Derry Girls’ Dylan Llewellyn and Ian McElhinney.

TRUE TIDES

THE MOORE THE MERRIER

Following the release of his acclaimed 2021 album, Flying Into Mystery, legendary singer-songwriter Christy Moore is gearing up for 13 special nights at Vicar Street in Dublin – taking place on November 23 & 29; December 5, 7, 12, 14 & 18; and January 2, 4, 9, 11, 15 & 17. A phenomenal solo performer – who has also revolutionised Irish music through his work with Planxty and Moving Hearts – you can expect connection and emotion by the bucketload when Christy kicks off his run of gigs.

NEED TO KNOW WHEN: NOVEMBER, DECEMBER & JANUARY DATES WHERE: VICAR STREET DUBLIN

SEIZE THE DEISE

Ireland’s largest Christmas festival, Winterval, is celebrating its 10th year with what promises to be its biggest and most festive programme yet. Waterford will be transformed into a winter wonderland from November 18 until December 23, complete with attractions like Winterval on Ice, the Waterford Eye, the Carousel, the Circus, and Magic at the Apple Markets – plus an immersive multi-dimensional light show, food and crafts markets and a packed programme of live music and performances.

BORN TO PERFORM

The fastest growing performing arts festival in Europe, Perform, is running at The RDS in Dublin from November 25-27 – featuring over 2,000 performers, spanning the worlds of dance, gymnastics, musical theatre, and more, on the Main Stage. The festival offers performance opportunities, meet and greets, an exhibition zone, and hundreds of workshops from both local and international talent in all genres. For those who love the spotlight, spectacle, and most importantly, performing, this is the place to be in November!

PLACE OF ORIGINZ

For one night only, on December 10, the Gleneagle INEC Arena in Killarney, Co. Kerry is set to play host to Originz Music Festival. An unmissable event for fans of club classics and live DJ sets, the night will feature Dec Pierce’s Block Rockin’ Beats, the 25-piece Symphonic Ibiza Orchestra with special guest ‘Everyone’s Free’ vocalist Rozalla, and iconic English DJ Seb Fontaine.

DEC PIERCE

different name. same people.

Emo, Campus Oil and Jones Oil are now Certa. For home heating you can depend on, see certaireland.ie.

THE REEL DEAL

Ireland’s first and largest film festival – and one of Cork’s most important annual cultural events – the Cork International Film Festival returns to cinemas and venues throughout Cork City for its 67th edition, from November 10-20. For 2022, the festival is presenting a curated programme of the latest and finest Irish and world premieres, as well as other special events. Their ‘Wild Child Retrospective’ will include screenings of War of the Buttons, The Childhood of a Leader, Raise Ravens, The Butcher Boy and more.

LEAP OFF THE PAGE

With a brand new hub at Dublin Castle, this year’s annual Dublin Book Festival will return from November 8-13, with six days of in-conversation events, walking tours, exhibitions, activities and more, celebrating Irish writers, publishers and Ireland’s renowned literary scene. The festival hub will be a hive of activity for book fans of all ages, with the Winter Garden in Dublin Castle also serving as the perfect refuge from the cold. Louise O’Neill, Bill Whelan, Paul Brady, Sophie White, Michael O’Brien, Jane Clarke, David Heffernan and many more will all be featuring across the programme.

Visitors can combine an overnight stay with a four-course dining experience at the hotel's signature restaurant Fire & Salt – a food lover's dream come true. For dinner in a more relaxed, traditional setting, a voucher for dinner at The Coach House Brasserie is an ideal treat for a work colleague or client.

The Johnstown Estate A Gift Voucher Is an Invitation to Blissful Indulgence

The Johnstown Estate is a gorgeously luxurious 4-star hotel, in Enfield, Co. Meath. It is located just five minutes by taxi from Enfield Railway Station – and only 35 minutes from Dublin, off the M4, making it wonderfully accessible for locals and visitors alike.

Which is why a personalised gift voucher from The Johnstown Estate is the perfect present to give to someone special this Christmas. And you can pick your own pricepoint. From a decadent Afternoon Tea with a pampering Spa treatment to a delicious culinary journey with a magical overnight stay, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

The truth is that all of our senses can be indulged at The Johnstown Estate. A visit to the luxurious Elemis & Gharieni Spa with a Luxury Day Spa voucher or an overnight stay with the Signature Spa Indulgence voucher is a wonderful pampering gift. Access to the Thermal Suite and Rooftop Experience is included, where you can enjoy an extensive range of hydrotherapy and thermal amenities.

For the ultimate afternoon treat for two, the Traditional Afternoon Tea voucher offers three tiers of indulgence with a selection of seasonally inspired sweets and savouries and the option to add a glass of Prosecco. So, whatever experience you choose, it promises to be an unforgettable one that will create memories that will last a lifetime for the recipient (even if it is you!).

Gift vouchers can be purchased online at thejohnstownestate.com or directly from the hotel.

EVERY DONATION MATTERS, WE MAKE DAMN SURE OF IT

Around the world, the number of refugees has reached record levels - over 100m people.

This Christmas, families who have lost homes, family - everything - need your help.

Make a donation at GOAL.ie today to help those who are far from home. that’s what GOALies do!

Train News

More Train Services Planned in New Timetable from December

Additional train services are the highlights of a proposed new Iarnród Éireann rail timetable. If the plan is approved, the new services will run in the Commuter belt around Dublin, to and from Newbridge, Hazelhatch and Kilcoole, while extra services will also be laid on to/from Mayo, Carlow and Tullamore.

The rail company, in conjunction with the National Transport Authority, is planning to implement timetable alterations from 11th December 2022. The company has published details of the proposed schedule and is currently reviewing submissions from the public on the plans, in advance of the finalisation of the new timetable.

Key elements of the proposed new timetables are:

• Twelve additional off-peak Commuter services between Newbridge and Heuston, resulting in trains every 30 minutes Monday to Friday.

• Extra services between Hazelhatch and Grand Canal Dock, via Phoenix Park Tunnel on Monday to Friday.

• Earlier first service on Monday to Friday between Dundalk/Drogheda and Pearse, which is also extended to Grand Canal Dock.

• More services to call at Kilcoole on Rosslare Europort/Dublin Connolly services all week.

• A new return mid-morning service between Heuston and Carlow on Monday to Friday.

• A new 07:08 Athlone/Westport service Monday to Friday providing a service for regional commuters along the line.

• A new 05:05 service from Ballina to Manulla which will connect with the advanced 05:15 Westport/Heuston service Monday to Friday.

• The 07:30 Athlone/Galway service will now commence from Tullamore at 06:50 on Monday to Friday, and additionally serve Clara

“Along with the National Transport Authority,” Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive Jim Meade explained, “we have identified opportunities for service improvements in the context of post-COVID travel patterns, as demand recovers strongly. We thank current customers, and all who are considering rail for their sustainable travel options, for their feedback, as we finalise the new schedule.”

INTERCITY TRAIN APPROACHES HEUSTON STATION

PHOTO

CREDIT:

KIERAN MARSHALL

PROTECTING OUR NETWORK FROM CLIMATE CHANGE

Iarnród Éireann has commenced a major climate resilience programme to protect major sections of the Dublin to Rosslare rail line from the effects of climate change.

The East Coast Railway Infrastructure Protection Projects (ECRIPP) is funded by the National Transport Authority under the National Development Plan 2021-2030. Through a range of interventions along the route, with a particular focus on the area between Merrion Gates in Dublin and Wicklow Town, it seeks to secure the future of the line for generations to come.

Detailed design and planning works, including environmental assessments and statutory submissions, will be delivered under the first phase of the programme, for which Jacobs Engineering have been contracted as multi-disciplinary consultants.

Coastal railway construction and maintenance has always been a challenging environment, and throughout its history, interventions have been required to protect the line from impacts on embankments, water coming over the line and coastal erosion.

However, the frequency and severity of impacts are increasing, with climate change causing more impacts in the last 20 years than in the previous 100 years.

As well as the effect on rail operations, and the requirement for remedial works, this has

also caused losses of lands and habitats, including sections which are Special Areas of Conservation.

ECRIPP has been developed following climate resilience studies undertaken by Iarnród Éireann in 2018 to ensure an effective preventative approach to the protection of the line.

With indicative costs of €230 million (2020 costs) across its life, the programme was included in the National Development Plan 2021-2030, and will be delivered over the coming seven years, under a series of work packages for each major location.

Options such as breakwaters, beach nourishment, onshore revetment strengthening, and other interventions will be subject to detailed design in the first phase of the programme.

A s well as the requirement to protect rail infrastructure, the protection of the sensitive environments involved will be central to the philosophy of the project. Iarnród Éireann, with Jacobs, will engage with local authorities, regulatory bodies, local communities and interest groups to ensure the programme is delivered in a sustainable way.

WHERE’S MY CUPPA?!

We know customers are missing our catering services on board, so we wanted to bring you up to date with what’s happening.

COVID restrictions, which were in place for almost two years up to early 2022, meant we weren’t able to offer on-board catering during that time. When those restrictions eased, despite working closely with our catering provider RailGourmet, they advised us they would withdraw from the contract due to several issues including staffing and increasing costs.

Rest assured we are doing all we can to restore this on-board facility to our customers as soon as possible. A tender process for a new catering supplier is ongoing.

Meanwhile, many stations across the network have a range of food, tea and coffee providers at the station, so be sure to avail of their excellent range before travelling.

NEW CARRIAGES ARRIVING

Iarnród Éireann has taken delivery at Dublin Port of the first of an order of 41 Intercity railcar carriages, from manufacturers Hyundai Rotem in South Korea. The new carriages, funded by the National Transport Authority under the National Development Plan, will enter service following commissioning, from early 2023.

They will boost capacity on a range of Intercity and Commuter services, as passenger demand strengthens postCOVID. We look forward to welcoming you on board!

DART TRAIN, KILLINEY

Improved Journey Times to Follow Rail Works on Nenagh line

MORE CORK COMMUTER RAIL SERVICES AND EVEN MORE TO COME!

The exciting expansion of rail services in the Cork area is just getting started. In July, Iarnród Éireann doubled the number of weekday trains operating during daytime off-peak on both lines, from every 60 minutes each way currently, to the current peak frequency of every 30 minutes, to and from both Cobh and Midleton.

With both services sharing the line between Glounthaune and Cork’s Kent Station, a turn-up-andgo frequency of every 15 minutes each way between 06:45hrs and 19:45hrs is being provided for the communities of Glounthaune and Little Island. In total, 32 extra train services are operating every weekday on the Cork commuter network.

The increased number of trains on the Midleton and Cobh lines is just one of a number of developments benefiting Cork Commuters during 2022.

Others include:

• Iarnród Éireann has applied for planning permission for a new through platform at Kent Station, part of the CMATS strategy to build capacity for Cork Commuter rail

• Iarnród Éireann will shortly apply for a Railway Order for a second track between Glounthaune and Midleton

• A new Passenger Information System will be installed in all stations on the Cobh and Midleton lines by the end of this year, as well as at Kent Station

• A new footbridge, including lifts for mobility-impaired customers, will be installed at Little Island Station

Iarnród Éireann has confirmed that it has proposed that journey times should be reduced by 15 minutes, from Limerick to Ballybrophy (via Nenagh), from 11th December this year. The proposal is the result of track renewal works which have taken place on the line.

The final phase of track works on the route are currently under way, until Sunday 20th November. During this time, bus transfers will be in operation on all services on the route. Full details are available at www.irishrail.ie and at the Iarnród Éireann app.

Jim Meade, Chief Executive, gave the background to the improved journey times. “We are delighted,” he said, “to propose, with the NTA, these improved journey times for services on Limerick to Ballybrophy (via Nenagh). Rail improvement works unavoidably cause service disruption, so it is great to bring the dividend from these works to our customers from December onwards.”

MY FAVOURITE JOURNEY

THE RAIL BLAZER

Few Irish writers can capture a sense of place, and the intricacies of the people within it, quite like Lisa McInerney. In her bestselling trilogy – made up of The Glorious Heresies, The Blood Miracles and last year’s The Rules Of Revelation –Cork serves as more than a setting. Rather, it’s a central character, transforming over the course of the novels, as the acclaimed author takes her readers on a journey inextricably intertwined with the city’s unique character and language.

After years spent living Leeside, Lisa’s now based in Gort, Co. Galway, where she grew up. But as a writer regularly in demand at literary festivals and events, she’s rarely stuck in one place. And now, following her appointment as the new editor of Irish literary magazine The Stinging Fly this summer, she’s busier than ever.

“There’s such a sense of satisfaction out of it,” she says of her new role. “At the end of every period of intense hard work, you have something tangible in your hand. You can go, ‘We’ve made this!’ It’s very exciting.”

But no matter where in Ireland she finds journeying to or from, she says that it’s “the sense of connectivity” that makes travelling by train so special.

“It goes beyond, ‘I need to get from A to B,’” she continues. “It’s like everybody is partaking in society, and you feel like you belong somewhere. That’s super important.”

“The train I take all the time is from Gort into Galway City,” she resumes. “It’s not very long, but it’s such an interesting journey. I’m from south Co. Galway, and yet, when I’m on the train, I’m seeing parts of the county that I’ve never really seen before – and I see how it’s changing. You’re travelling past the back of an old Norman castle, and then you can see new businesses, and new housing estates going up. You’re moving through this changed landscape, which is absolutely fascinating to me.

“The Western Rail Corridor re-opened in 2010,” she adds. “I know that’s 12 years ago now, but it still feels like a new thing in Gort – like, ‘Oh my God, we’re connected to places by the train!’ It’s very exciting.”

The last train home from Galway to Gort, she says, is a special social experience in itself.

“I’m always meeting friends who I haven’t seen in years on the train,” Lisa remarks. “And then you’ve this uninterrupted half an hour to sit down and catch

up. It’s almost become another aspect of the social life. It’s about that connectivity, and feeling part of your community again – especially after Covid.

“Now, I’m not saying it will replace nightclubs!” she laughs.

As a writer, Lisa finds that a quiet journey can serve as the ideal spot for some deep-thinking, as she works over plots and characters in her head.

“For me it’s a meditative thing,” she says of rail travel. “I want to look out the window, and I want to have a think. A lot of writers live in their heads, and I especially do. Just that moment of quiet is a brilliant thing. I’ll jot out ideas. I’ll work things out and have conversations in my head. For me, the train is for the prewriting time –the real intense, headspace stuff. That happens in spaces like that – these liminal spaces, going between places.

“Having said that, so many writers have said, ‘This happened to me on the train, and it sparked this idea for me…’” she adds. “I should really be taking some inspiration from that, I suppose. I could start writing one of those thrillers that were really popular recently: ‘And from the train, she saw a murder taking place!’”

On Culture Night 2022, the Arts Council marked its 70th anniversary with a special initiative, Read Mór, which saw thousands of books by Irish and Irish-based authors being gifted to passengers travelling on Irish Rail Intercity and Bus Éireann Expressway services. To Lisa, the project highlights the unique joy of diving into a book when travelling by train.

“It’s just great to be sitting on the train, going, ‘I have nothing to do, apart from work on myself here,’” she reflects. “You can read a book, listen to a podcast, have a conversation with a stranger, or catch up with a friend. Because you’ve nothing else to do. That in itself is a reason to get on a train.”

• Lisa McInerney’s latest novel, The Rules Of Revelation, is out now.

“I’M ALWAYS MEETING FRIENDS WHO I HAVEN’T SEEN IN YEARS ON THE TRAIN AND THEN YOU’VE THIS UNINTERRUPTED HALF AN HOUR TO SIT DOWN AND CATCH UP. ”

JOURNEY: GORT TO GALWAY

Lisa McInerney – an award-winning author and the newly appointed editor of literary magazine The Stinging Fly – discusses the importance of connectivity, and finding inspiration in the quiet moments of a train journey.

OH DANNY

BOY!

PHOTOGRAPHY: LUCY FOSTER

ctober 14th was another red letter day for The Coronas as they celebrated Time Stopped becoming their third number one Irish album in a row.

Celebratory corks were popped as they were the month before when the Dublin trio performed to one of the biggest crowds of the weekend at Electric Picnic.

The special guest that night was lead singer Danny O’Reilly’s Ma Mary Black who joined the chaps for a run through of her own Irish chart-topper, ‘A Woman’s Heart’, with a bit of ‘No Frontiers’ thrown in for good measure.

“It was very special,” Danny beams over a coffee in their Dublin HQ. “The nerves were mainly on the Thursday beforehand when she came into rehearsals. There was the pressure of knowing that, musician-wise, she’s used to playing with the best of the best. We spent all morning making sure we had the tempo right and everything, but you could tell she was loving it.

“As for the gig,” Danny continues, “it was the biggest crowd we’ve ever played to. The slot, the time… it was just perfect. It flew by in a wave of adrenaline and excitement. I saw a video of it last night and was blown away by it all over again!”

Asked what age he was when he realised what Mary did for a living, Danny replies with a chuckle, “My brother has a great story about coming out of school and saying to her, ‘Mum, you’re the only mother who wears leather jackets when you come to pick us up, can you stop?’ I remember being in 4th or 5th class and the other kids going, ‘Your mother is Mary Black.’ We obviously grew up going to her gigs. We’d be running around backstage eating all the crisps and sweets on the rider. I knew pre-puberty that it was a big deal. Then, in my awkward, dismissive teenage years, I rebelled against folk and Irish music. I was like, ‘I don’t care about that stuff, I only want to listen to Oasis.’ As I’ve gotten a bit older, I’ve a massive appreciation again for everything she’s done - particularly old stuff like ‘Anachie Gordon’ and ‘Song For Ireland’.”

There must have been some really interesting people sitting around the family dinner table.

“I remember, at around four years of age, walking into the kitchen and finding this American woman who I’d never seen before standing there,” Danny recalls. “She probably expected me to say, ‘Who the hell are you?’ but instead I went, ‘What time is it?’ That American woman was Nanci

Griffith. The phone would ring and I’d pick it up and it was Paul Brady or Christy Moore. There are a few stories like that, but when Mam was home, her and dad made a conscious effort for it to be a very normal household. She’d go from doing three nights in the Opera House to making our lunches and doing the school runs – in her leather jacket! She always made an effort to be mammy, so it never seemed rock ‘n’ roll to me.”

It was noticeable at Electric Picnic that the female members of the Coronas Fan Club vastly outnumbered the male ones. He’s blushing furiously as I ask, but does Danny feel like a sex symbol?

“No, not really,” he insists. “One of the weird things about being a musician is that you do tend to be put up on a pedestal. I noticed that really early on when I was 15 or 16 and at Irish college. Week one, no girls would even talk to me.

By the second week, word had spread that, ‘Oh, yer man’s Mary Black’s son’ and sudden ly a load of them were talking to me. From that point on, I was a bit sort of untrusting

and like, ‘I’d rather they liked me for me.’ And that carried on into the band. I’ve always been able to separate it from real life. They like me because they like The Coronas and I’m up on stage and I’m singing – great, it’s better than them thinking I’m an absolute idiot but either way I try not to place any weight on it.”

When did he start dating girls?

“I was a late starter, definitely,” Danny grimaces. “I was shy with a mouthful of metal and freckles and not con fident at all. So, yeah, I was probably like 18 or 19 and in sixth year when I started going on what you might call dates.”

Does he want kids?

“Yeah, I think so,” Danny proffers. “One day for sure. I do

With The Coronas riding high again in the Irish charts, lead singer Danny O’Reilly talks to Stuart Clark about his equally famous Mum, Niall Horan, Bono and affairs of the heart.

“In my awkward, dismissive teenage years, I rebelled against folk and Irish music. I was like, ‘I don’t care about that stuff, I only want to listen to Oasis.’”

have moments, though, when I’m like, “God, I don’t know, do I want to bring children into this world with climate change, the war in Ukraine and all the other stuff that’s going on?’”

I’m not going to ask him who with, but is Danny in love at the moment?

I’m… well, er, I suppose… no,” he stutters. “I’m going through a little bit of a tough time, just the personal side of things, but that’s life.”

The recording/promo/touring/even more touring treadmill isn’t the best thing to be stuck on if you’re trying to maintain a relationship. Has The Coronas’ success come at a price to his private life?

“It is difficult… well, for me it is!” Danny admits. “Conor and Knoxy are amazing examples. They’ve been with their girlfriends since before the band, are both married and have children. They’ve found the perfect balance. I’ve always put the band first and you have to find somebody who’s okay with that. I’ve never had an other half who’s tried to hold me back or stand in my way, but it’s not easy. I wouldn’t change anything, though.”

Okay, grilling about his personal life over! As you’ll know if you own a copy, Time Stopped represents a career high

for The Coronas with ambitious songs like ‘Write Your Own Soundtrack’ and ‘At Least We’ll Always Have LA’ that they probably wouldn’t have attempted a few years ago. Does it feel like a quantum jump?

“We’ve definitely got better at production and building things sonically so, yeah, we’ve evolved,” Danny believes. “My first thought going in to it was to ignore COVID, but when you’re writing about the things going on in your life that’s impossible. I had a kind of ‘eureka!’ moment where I thought, ‘Okay, these songs aren’t specifically about lockdown, but they are framed around it.’ The lyrical references to lockdown are there but they’re quite subtle.”

One of the people Danny has on speed-dial is Niall Horan who he became pals with when they were living nearby to each other in London. Did he get a sense of the sheer madness that comes with being that famous?

“Definitely,” he tells me. “ I saw it and it wasn’t something I envied. Everywhere he went there were people doing double-takes and/or coming up to him for autographs and selfies. One of the few places we could go where he didn’t get bothered was Camden. But Niall, I have to say, is just a really great person.”

Who’s the most charismatic person Danny’s met?

“When Bono walks into a room there’s just an aura about him,” he shoots back. “Even if you didn’t know U2, you’d look across. There’s just that change of atmosphere.

“U2 have made such an effort with us. Their humility blows my mind. The Coronas had a day-off in Glasgow at the same time as they were playing the enormous SSE Arena there. We sent a message to our lawyer who knows someone in the U2 camp asking if there was any way we could get hold of tickets. Almost immediately word came back that, ‘You’re on the guest-list.’ We were like, ‘Amazing, we get to see the show!’ We didn’t realise that when we got to the venue, we’d be brought backstage, put into a little dressing-room and have all four members of U2 come and greet us. It was mind-blowing the lovely things Bono said about my Mam.”

Along with Coronas duties, 2022 has also seen Mr. O’Reilly branching out into TV with a co-presenter gig alongside Erica Cody on The Main Stage, RTÉ’s very decent stab at a home grown Later… With Jools Holland, which featured everyone from Rejjie Snow, Villagers and Lyra to Belters Only, Denise Chaila and Jafaris.

“We did six episodes with four artists each week, and could easily have done another ten from the initial long-list,” he enthuses. “The likes of Damo Dempsey and Mick Flannery were as great as they always are, but what really stood out for me was the quality of the new acts. Tolü Makay was one of the highlights of the whole series and Denise Chaila and the Narolane crew blew my mind. I’m not a massive rap fan, but I’d pay to see her, God Knows and MuRli any night of the week. It was just a great thing to be involved in.”

Finally, on a scale of one to ten, how happy is Danny O’Reilly right now?

“Right now,” he concludes, “I’m rocking about seven or eight. The band is amazing. I’m proud of our longevity and the fact that we still love it. I’m looking forward to being on the sleeper bus and waking up in a new city every morning. We’re blessed.”

• Time Stopped is out now. The Coronas play Ulster Hall, Belfast (December 4); Olympia, Dublin (14-18); INEC, Killarney (28); and Fairview Park, Dublin (June 17, 2023)

“I’ve always put the band first and you have to find somebody who’s okay with that. It’s not easy. I wouldn’t change anything, though.”

THE LIFE OF O’REILLY: The group today, rocking Electric Picnic and Danny performing live with Mary Black.

Awaken Your senSes

Downhill Strand, Castlerock

IRISH WAIL

In the year’s most anticipated cinemetic reunion, In Bruges co-stars Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell play estranged friends in Michael McDonagh’s The Banshees Of Inisherin. They talk to Roe McDermott about travelling back to 1920s Ireland, bullying culture, legacy, family and the intricacies of their own relationship.

The boys are back. Fourteen years af ter the cultishly beloved dark dram edy In Bruges, writer/director Martin McDonagh and actors Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson return in one of the year’s best films, The Banshees of Inisherin. The highly anticipated and already widely acclaimed movie centres on Colm (Gleeson) and Padra ic (Farrell), two friends living on the tiny island of Inisherin in 1923. One day, Colm suddenly announces that he doesn’t like Padraic anymore – and the effects of that sudden declaration not only devastate Padraic, but also ripple across the is land.

Exploring friendship, estrangement, grief and the lone

liness of this small community against the backdrop of the Irish Civil War, the screenplay is one of McDonagh’s best – intimate, beautifully observed and combining psy chological realism with an almost fable-like quality. While Gleeson is always impressive, the film also marks a career highlight for Colin Farrell, whose portrayal of loss and bewilderment is tender and heart-breaking – his eyebrows alone deserve an Oscar.

But for many people, the draw isn’t just the combination of actors and director – it’s the reunion. In Bruges was so beloved by so many cinema fans, and both Gleeson and Farrell are acutely aware and appreciative of the excite ment surrounding both their earlier work together and their new release.

“It’s lovely, both to be lumped together with such com pany and also that people seem to have such an affection for whatever it was Martin created for us to inhabit in In Bruges,” says Farrell, reclining on a sofa in Dublin’s Merrion hotel. “People speak of ‘getting the band back together’ and words like ‘chemistry’ get thrown around. It’s really lovely because it’s not been hard work for us!”

Gleeson and Farrell met in 2007 when Brendan was try ing to get his adaptation of Flann O’Brien’s At Swim-TwoBirds made, but it was when they played an odd couple of hitmen on a weekend away in Belgium that they became fast friends.

“We hit it off at a very basic kind of a level, Gleeson re calls. “There was a similarity of aspiration and approach and just the way we looked at life. We’re very different, but something central was there. There was a kind of short hand from the beginning. That’s one of the reasons it was such a pleasure to get back together again, the fact that

we like each other off camera.”

As Farrell and Gleeson speak, they listen attentively to each other, nodding along and interjecting – the easy rapport of friends and colleagues. However, The Banshees Of Inisherin is about two characters with fundamentally different views on life who fall out. Gleeson’s character, Colm, is a philosophical and artistic soul, who plays music and makes beautiful pieces of art. A melancholy figure suddenly aware of his mortality, he believes he needs to focus on leaving behind a legacy of his ex istence through his creative pursuits. Padraic is a gentle, ram bling soul, whose priority is living cheerfully with the people he knows on Inisherin. When Colm decides that Padraic’s banal life and conversation is suddenly incompatible with his own desire for a meaningful existence, the two men fall out, with Colm enforcing distance in increasingly violent and distressing ways. The film addresses something that many people expe rience but few openly address: a core-shaking estrangement.

“There’s no convention to say, ‘I don’t like you anymore’”, Gleeson observes. “How do you end a friendship? You can’t say, ‘I don’t want to go with you anymore’ because you’re not going with each other, there’s no convention for it and people really struggle. It has huge implications. Martin has gotten to

the importance of trust and kinship and friendship in a way that hasn’t really been articulated as being as import ant as it is. Colm’s creative impulse doesn’t just impact Padraic, it ripples through the island. Everyone suddenly turns on Padraic, and that wasn’t Colm’s intention, he just wanted a bit of space.”

In the film, the chasm between the two men disrupts the delicate balance of the island’s social ecosystem and more disruptions start to occur as disconnection grows and festers.

“The herd instinct in a communal context is often fair ly healthy,” says Gleeson, “because we get benefit from others’ well-being and things like that. But then it turns into a pack when it turns around, it becomes something else and dangerous.”

This feels so relevant to modern society, I note – wheth er it’s politicians who have no answers to systemic prob lems and so instead decide to turn communities against each other in a competition for support and resources, or on social media, where people feel incredibly isolated, dis connected and anxious - and instead of coming together, engage in tribalism where knocking someone else down is a form of protecting yourself.

“Exactly,” Farrell nods, “it’s a displacement of energy and purpose.”-

The film takes place in 1923, and there are several subtle references to the Civil War taking place on the mainland – a conflict that turned brother against brother, friend against friend, and saw people forming allegiances that they felt deep conviction for, but often cost them their re lationships and sometimes their lives. Gleeson and Farrell reveal that Martin McDonagh first spoke to them about this project seven years ago, and in original drafts of the screenplay, the Civil War played a much bigger role.

“It was more intrinsic to the plot,” Gleeson says, “but he decided to make it more about the people. I remember him saying that it was kind of a relief that it’s more inti mate and focused on this relationship, because it allows the audience to bring in their own thoughts and ideas and interpretations. And that is the brilliance - the second time you see it, you come back with a different view. The second time I saw this, I said ,‘This is how wars start.’ You think of Ukraine, the Eastern people, you look at the North of Ireland and everything that’s happened all over the world. You think of bosom friends who are suddenly shooting each other.”

Colm’s desire for meaning, to leave behind a piece of music or art that will outlive him, speaks to the idea of legacy. Thinking about their own relationship with art and cinema, what do Colin and Brendan value and want to leave behind them?

“About a year ago,” says Farrell, “I was talking with Hen ry – the youngest of my two boys, he’s ten - about a re cording artist and how much fame they had. And he said, ‘Dad, isn’t it funny, like you’re really famous but imagine that in one hundred years nobody will really know what you did.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, you’re dead right! So what does that mean? It means I just enjoy the now. That’s all that means.’ And then we went off. And of course art lives on, and when you make something there’s a chance that it goes out into the world and it informs human beings and it can affect mood and affect experience. But as far as leg acy goes, if you just treat the moment with the integrity it deserves, and that it asks of you, then the rest will take care of itself. I love the idea that my son wasn’t one hun dred percent right, that even in a hundred years there’ll be one film on a crusty shelf somewhere in somebody’s collection that will stand the test of time. I love that idea.”

• The Banshees of Inisherin is in cinemas now.

“Martin has gotten to the importance of trust and kinship and friendship in a way that hasn’t really been articulated as being as important as it is.”

The Banshees Of Inisherin: (clockwise) Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell, Farrell with Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon.

THE RYAN LINE IS OPEN

Multi award-winning author Donal Ryan is back with his latest offering, The Queen Of Dirt Island, a characteristically powerful account of the lives of several generations of women from the same Nenagh family.

Interview Paul Nolan PORTRAIT: MIGUEL RUIZ

Leavened with a wonderful sense of humour, Donal Ryan’s latest novel, The Queen Of Dirt Island, movingly recounts the ups and downs, triumphs and trag edies of Nenagh family the Aylwards, with a particular focus on young moth er Eileen, her daughter Saoirse and Saoirse’s grandmother, known as Nana. What’s more, the story is primarily told through Saoirse’s eyes, and does a remarkable job of capturing a child coming into consciousness and growing older. But when Hot Press previously spoke to Ryan –himself a Nenagh native – in the dog days of lockdown at the end of 2020, he said his next book was going to focus a man recounting his life in the present day.

However, a change in plan meant Ryan ended up turning to The Queen Of Dirt Island instead.

“It’s a sorry story,” reflects the softly-spoken Ryan of his planned book, in a quiet corner of Dublin’s Fitzwilliam Hotel. “That’s how confident I was of that book, and how misguided I was – I just presumed that was my next novel. But at that point, neither my editor or my publisher had seen it! (laughs). It turns out it wasn’t the book I thought. In fairness, it just wasn’t really viable to go on bookshelves at the time, it needed more work than I realised.

“So then this book occurred to me. It really did feel like a favour from the universe, to be honest, cos I was sitting there going, ‘Jesus, what am I gonna do?’ That other book needed so much work, and it was also a long novel. Because it was a story of a man from his birth to the day of his death, I felt an obligation towards the character. It was a fictional life, but it was still a life that would become real for people. So I said I’d leave it and try something totally different.”

Thus arrived The Queen Of Dirt Island

“I just heard a whisper of this female voice, and I had a vision of this house with these women in it,” explains Ryan. “It was very easy to write and I did it very quickly. I’d had an idea that, at some stage, I’d write a story where Josh Elmwood [a character from previous Ryan novel Strange Flowers] and Honey Bartlett were back in Ireland – some kind of continuation of their story. It ended up not being quite about them, but they do feature fairly prominently in it. That was part of the vision, that there’d be some resolution of their story.

“I really missed some other characters I’d written too, who also pop up in the book. I wanted to have them back in my life for a while. Funnily enough, the same thing has happened now with the main characters in The Queen Of Dirt Island, Saoirse, Eileen and Nana. I’m writing a sequel although I shouldn’t say much about it, I’m going off half-cocked again! It might not work out, but I’ve a feeling it will.”

Clearly, Ryan was able to write the novel with remarkable speed.

“I remember hearing Kevin Power talking a few years ago,” says Ryan. “I don’t know if was at some live event, or in some article he wrote, but he reckons that a lot of writers get one 12-week novel in their career. Literally, you get a good draft written in about that time. I also teach in the University of Limerick, and a few years ago one of my favourite writers, Mary Costello, came down. She said the same thing about a novel she wrote.

“It was as if every single experience she had was somehow the universe feeding into her novel. I mean, she knows that’s not really true, but it just felt that way. Things just fell into place for her and the ideas came so easily – every single thing she saw in the street was something she could use for her novel.”

The Queen Of Dirt Island tells its story in a strong rural Irish voice, which also adds to the novel’s considerable humour. With perhaps only Pat McCabe trafficking in a similar style among contemporary Irish authors, I wonder if it’s an under-represented voice in homegrown literature?

“Well, in one sense, you could say it’s been done and done,” considers Donal. “The great exponent of it, of course, was John B. Keane. Marina Carr has done it as well, some of her plays have a fabulous rural Irish voice. But maybe, you could say the kinds of characters in my books don’t feature prominently in literature. That humour is nothing to do with me – that’s just how funny my mum and her mum were. That’s just the way they carried on, it was always a howl.

“There always was that thing where, if someone from outside saw them, you’d think they were having a blazing row. But really, they’re just having an ordinary conversation. It sounds like this high-pitched aggressive thing, but for them… I hate the word ‘banter’, but that’s what it is really.”

Although the novel to some extent echoes Ryan’s own Tipperary upbringing, pop culture doesn’t really surface in the world of The Queen Of Dirt Island. I wonder what kind of kid Ryan was – did he enjoy music, movies, sport?

“Well, we were mad into hurling like every Tipperary family,” he replies. “Also, our house was always full of books. My parents didn’t have much money, so they used to buy books on the cheap in jumble sales and so on. Later on, when they had more disposable income and we’d a bigger house, they built a small library at the front. Although it became a TV room pretty quickly, because the kids came along and took it over! It sounds very middle class to have a library, but it was just a small room where they kept their books.”

With Donal having earlier mentioned being a Tipp hurling fan, I suggest to him that we’re still waiting for someone to write the great GAA novel.

“I’ve said it before, it’s been done by Tadhg Coakley,” says Donal. “He wrote a book called The First Sunday In September, a polyphonic novel centred around the All Ireland final, it’s fantastic. Recently, he also wrote a book about our relationship with sport, which is great too.”

Ever since following the Kildare footballers’ journey to the All Ireland final in 1998 – during a summer soundtracked by Blur, Nirvana and

the Pulp Fiction soundtrack – I was convinced GAA culture would have an international crossover moment. I thought it might come with an author chronicling the fans’ lives, in much the may Irvine Welsh wrote about Hibs supporters over the years.

When the moment did eventually arrive, it came from a somewhat expected source: Paul Mescal’s rise to international stardom on the back of Normal People imbued the GAA with an unprecedented hipness. Suddenly, the look of the average Lilywhite fan in high summer – sunglasses, Adidas tracksuit top and Kildare jersey – was all over GQ, Esquire and the tabloids. Mescal’s girlfriend, Phoebe Bridgers, was pictured in O’Neills shorts. We were through the looking glass.Ironically, I wasn’t a particularly big fan of Normal People, but Mescal’s defining of millennial coolness –solidified by his memorable appearance in the video for the Rolling Stones’ ‘Starlet’ – was arguably the cultural triumph of 2020.

“Paul Mescal is a real all-rounder, isn’t he?” chuckles Donal. “I thought Normal People was great. I was kind of reluctant at the start, because if you really admire a book, you’re always wary of seeing an adaptation, in case it’s ruined. But I think they did it really well, it was fantastic. Lenny Abrahamson is a genius.”

• The Queen Of Dirt Island is out now, published by Transworld.

“It was a fictional life, but it was still a life that would become real for people. So I said I’d leave it and try something totally different.”

“Our house was always full of books. My parents didn’t have much money, so they used to buy books on the cheap in jumble sales and so on. ”

BROADCAST

Seemingly glamorous without effort, the lovely Bláthnaid Treacy breezes into Lennan’s Yard in Dublin city cen tre looking ready for a photoshoot. Treacy is the type of broadcaster who remembers familiar faces and names, offering myself and photographer Miguel Ruiz a warm smile.

The multi-faceted venue consists of a gastro pub, restaurant, courtyard bar, cocktail bar and terrace. The cosy atmosphere and welcoming staff allow us to settle into our table, perusing the mouth-watering menu. “It’s like we’re kin dred spirits!” grins Blathnaid when we order near-identical courses.

She chooses Stracciatella with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Bacon Jam and Rosemary Focaccia as her starter, while I munch on Salt & Chilli Calamari, Pok Choi & Mooli Salad with Buffalo Hot Sauce. Between hosting, present ing and Ultimate Hell Week, Treacy’s plate has

remained consistently full this year.

“I’ve grown up in RTE so I’m basically part of the furniture because I’ve been with them for nearly ten years!” she laughs. “I started off pre senting Two Tube with Stephen Byrne for young people. That was brilliant - I got to cut my teeth there in terms of researching, presenting live TV and flying off to London to do press junkets.

“I built up a great network of people by learning how to book guests. There’s a whole production team in television and it takes longer to create a programme, but I love bouncing off other peo ple’s personalities and the speed of live radio.”

It’s a shame that major female talent at 2FM have announced exits in recent times.

“I was really sad to see Louise McSharry and Tara Kumar go,” Bláthnaid nods. “I love Louise’s podcast, Catch Up. She can push the boundaries a little bit more on that platform. She’s her own boss and gets to do exactly what she wants. There’s so much freedom in that, and Tara’s going off chasing her dreams!

“She’s amazing. They both work so hard. I’ve been fortunate to work with so many incredibly dedicated women. 2FM is wonderful because there’s a lot of female presenters, which you don’t see in some other stations. There’s a gor geous camaraderie between us, we’ve such craic!

“I thrive off the entertainment side of broad

casting. You’re better off not looking over your shoulder to see what everyone else is doing. I’ll tune into other stations because I’m interested in how different live pre senters handle certain curveballs. Flattery gets you every where. I’ve learnt to throw in loads of compliments at the start of a chat!”

Our waiters pause our conversation momentarily to deliver our mains - Beer Maple Glazed Chicken, Sweet Potato Gnocchi, Organic Mushrooms and Lardo. The scent is enough to send us straight to heaven, forgetting the purpose of our meeting. Though they never took me place over a meal, does Treacy miss her Two Tube celebrity tête-à-têtes?

“I absolutely loved those interviews, but there were people you’d meet who were massively rude,” she laughs. “I was on a junket with another journalist once, and she told me that she was sent to interview a really famous English actor before, who was shockingly hungover. She just said, ‘You know what? I’m not doing this inter view. You’re clearly hungover and disinter ested. You need me to promote your film, I don’t need you’. That behaviour is just totally disrespectful. I’d love to do what she did!”

“It was definitely intimidating going into the junket room sometimes but generally the actors were quite good,” Treacy con cedes. “They know the game, they know what to do. Musicians can be worse because they’re not acting. They’re tortured souls half the time!”

Bláthnaid grew up with cameras after playing Denise Byrne on Glenroe , later gravitating back to the screen when she completed her undergraduate degree.

“It definitely stood to me; some of my earliest memories are being on set, seeing cables run across the floors and booms,” Treacy smiles. “I love all of that because it feels like home. Sometimes when I’m walking to the backstage area in RTÉ, I notice old pieces of set. It was essentially another school for me when I was running around sets. My husband’s actually from Kilcoole where Glenroe was shot, which is crazy! One of my really good friends, Lewis Jackson, played Denise Byrne before I did. They just needed a baby for the christen ing, and he was a local. We always laugh about it.

“My mum was the one who put me forward for the role,” Bláthnaid recalls. “Glenroe had been on the screens for a cou ple of years at that point, and they put ads out to say that they were doing auditions. They came to the house and I had a curl in my hair at the top of my head. I was a quiet baby, which is great for a set.

“That’s how it started and then it was my life growing up. It felt normal until I got older and got recognised as a kid. I’d be seven years old walking home from school on my own and strangers would come up to me. That did make me feel uncomfortable because I was a shy kid. Glenroe finished when I was 13 and that was probably the

ideal time.”

Bláthnaid later studied Irish and Archaeology in UCD before completing a television production course in Bray Institute of Further Education.

“One of my tutors, Noel, said that TG4 were looking for people who can speak Irish and can use a camera to do a travel show,” Treacy recollects, excitedly. “I decided to give it a go, and ended up getting it. I hadn’t been on TV for a decade at that point, so it was a whirlwind. We had some serious fun when the cameras were off. Sarajevo in particular was so inter esting, because it has such a recent, dark history.

“Everyone you spoke to survived the war in the 1990s. It’s a real melting pot of different cultures. We finished in Paris after shooting for three months. It was a lot to take on as a young woman, plus my husband Charlie and I had broken up for two years. I was heartbroken, but I was able to throw myself into this cool new interrailing job.”

Bláthnaid met her husband at the age of 19, eventually marrying the jazz musician three years ago. They’ve since bought a beautiful house in Stoneybatter, Dublin.

“Charlie and I were always very drawn to each other, even when we weren’t together. We couldn’t be in the same room together without feeling that gravitation,” Bláthnaid beams. “I came back from

“THERE WASN’T A DRY EYE IN THE HOUSE WHEN FOR THOSE I LOVE WAS PERFORMING IN VICAR STREET FOR THE CHOICE MUSIC PRIZE.”

DISHING IT UP: (clockwise) Beer maple glazed chicken; Bláthnaid at Lennan’s Yard; and other dishes straight from the kitchen.

shooting the travel show and was like, ‘Damn, I’m still in love!’ We’ve been together for 10 years, so it’s a new chapter of our lives.

“We know everyone in Stoneybatter now, all the barmen and baristas,” the 34-year-old adds of their new Dublin abode. “I’ll always be a Wicklow woman, but I burst out crying when we got mortgage approv al, because I just never thought it would happen.

“We’re both freelance, so I couldn’t believe it. It’s been a long road but we’re finally there, so I’m try ing to savour the moment. I’m just happy to settle in with our lovely little dog Mabel. You don’t have to prove as much to anyone when you’re in your thirties, even to yourself. When enough curveballs get thrown at you in the early stages of your life, things eventually work out.”

Treacy’s optimistic mentality allowed her to sur vive a stint on Ultimate Hell Week

“Charlie insisted I said yes when I was asked to go on!” she laughs, rarely someone who turns down a challenge. “I was really proud of how far I got. I was in there with rugby players, MMA fighters, GAA stars and boxers but I managed to last three episodes. It showed me that I’m tougher than I ever thought I was. It also taught me the kindness of strangers.

“Setanta Ó hAilpín basically carried me the whole way! We had to carry these 20kg sandbags up a hill after jumping out of a helicopter and running up

flights of stairs wearing gas masks. It was a great learning experience, and I got to meet amazing athletes. It was like an extreme Gaeltacht because you’re thrown into a dorm with strangers! I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

“Because I have four brothers, I’m very comfortable in those masculine environments. You had four men screaming at you in your face, but that didn’t phase me. It was a bit of a shock coming back to the real world. I just went to bed: I slept, ate loads of food and cried a lot. It took me a good month to properly feel right again in my head. It’s easier to bury neg ative thoughts when you’ve got your comforts. In this situation, there’s no hiding from them. When I dropped out, I needed to properly look at my mental health, which was beneficial.”

Elsewhere, Bláthnaid’s turn at hosting the annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize and 2fm’s chart countdown has given her an extensive insight into the nation’s music scene. Ultimately, the prize was scooped by For Those I Love.

“That album was just the most incredible thing,” Bláthnaid gushes. “I listened to all the nominees from start to finish, but David Balfe’s was spec tacular. The rawness of it. Coming out of the last couple of years, everybody has experienced some kind of grief or heartbreak: missing your family, experiencing the loss of a loved one, or even just not getting the chance to go off on your trip around the world. That album really resonated. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when he was performing in Vicar Street.”

Two of Treacy’s brothers, Fiachra and Uisneagh, also joined alt-rock outfit Columbia Mills, whose new album Heart Of A Nation landed on October 14. Bláthnaid and her family’s adoration for Irish music in part stems from a passion for culture itself.

“I wouldn’t have gotten into presenting with out the Irish language,” Bláthnaid emphasises. “It opened the door for me, but it’s also a link to our history. I studied archaeology and it would always overlap with Gaeilge. Even just our place names give an insight as to what that area was used for. Those little windows into the past are so beautiful.

“I wish I was far more f luent than I am, but it’s still part of me. It’s ingrained. I learned all of it in school, but I should grab any opportunities to speak it. There’s actually a Stoneybatter pub called Heinz, run by a Connemara woman. On a certain day of the week, you get a discounted pint if you order it as Gaeilge!

“I’ve been asked before about whether I’d move to London, but I’m not sure I’d want to be away from Ireland. I’m massively close with my family and I adore Irish history, language, landscape and our sense of humour. When I go away, I notice that there isn’t the same craic. The last couple of years have shown what’s really important in life. Charlie and I are really happy, and if it ain’t broke…”

• Catch Bláthnaid Treacy counting down the most popular tunes of the week on RTÉ 2fm’s Official Chart Show on Fridays from 8-10pm.

The Damage Starters:

Stracciatella, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Bacon Jam, Rosemary Focaccia €12 Salt & Chilli Calamari, Pok Choi & Mooli Salad, Buffalo Hot Sauce €13

Mains:

Beer Maple Glazed Chicken, Sweet Potato Gnocchi, Organic Mushrooms, Lardo €25

“I WOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN INTO PRESENTING WITHOUT THE IRISH LANGUAGE.”

PLATE EXPECTATIONS: (clockwise) Bláthnaid walking through the courtyard bar; the Lennan’s Yard exterior; and the rosemary focaccia starter.

GAMES

Marco Pierre White, the acclaimed British chef who famous ly made Gordon Ramsay cry as an apprentice chef, has recently wrapped up shoot ing a brand-new series for Virgin Media One. Cooking show The Restaurant will return at the end of the month and boast a handful of familiar faces, including Leinster and Ireland rugby legend Devin Toner, VMTV and Graham Norton’s Holding star Demi Isaac Oviawe and comedi an Deirdre O’Kane, who strive to impress celebrity judges White and Rachel Allen.

“Of all the shows I’ve worked on globally, this is the best food,” says White during our conversation at his upmarket Donnybrook eatery, The Courtyard Bar and Grill. The three-time Michelin star winner was particularly fond of the Oysters Rockefeller prepared by one of the contestants. “The oysters were cooked to perfection - it was sensational,” he swoons. Another highlight: traditional Dublin Coddle. “The boy who made it, without giving too much away, got the recipe from The Gravediggers. I thought it was truly amazing, maybe the best dish I’ve ever eaten in Ireland.”

According to White, Irish cuisine has improved tremendously in the last 15 years, and that’s for a few reasons. “One, because people’s interest in cooking has become greater,” he notes. “Two, the produce in Ireland is fantastic. And thirdly, the young leaving Ireland going on their travels around the world, and then coming back home and bringing their knowledge home.”

On top of that, lockdown has left its mark, because it fostered people’s “love affair with food and with produce” by forcing them to cook more. This, in turn, has increased everyone’s confidence, which truly is the first step to becoming a masterchef.

“The more time you spend at the stove is one, your confidence grows and two, because your confidence grows, your knowledge grows and your speed grows as well,” White argues. “If you look at every bloke in Ireland, England, Wales… What do they do? They wheel out the barbecue, they slap on the apron and they think they’re a head chef. Imagine if you had that confidence you have on the barbecue in the kitchen.”

From training as a chef under Albert and Michel Roux at Le Gavroche in Mayfair in the early ’80s to

working on acclaimed TV shows such as Hell’s Kitchen UK and MasterChef Australia, Marco Pierre White has never lost his passion for cooking.

“I have a love affair with nature and when you have a love affair with Mother Nature, then you have a love affair with produce,” he grins. “When you have a love affair with produce, then you start to indulge. And when you start to indulge, you start to eat delicious things. How could you ever get bored? It’s the most seductive thing on earth.”

Mother Nature almost became like a surrogate mother to Marco Pierre White following his mother’s death when

he was only six years old. To this day, the self-proclaimed introvert cites deer stalking, fishing, and just spending time outdoors as some of his favourite pastimes. His upbringing is also reflected in how he likes to serve his guests – by putting food in the middle of the table, rather than plating it, he recalls fondly.

When it comes to comfort food, White is a connoisseur of one-pot cooking. “I like anything that’s in a big pot, like a big pan of risotto. I like a big pan of Pappardelle with ragu bolognese, or a big roast. I like a whole braised cheek of ox or ox tails,” he enthuses. “Yes, grilled steaks are very nice.

Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White discusses his passion for Dublin coddle, brand-new series The Restaurant on Virgin Media One, and how to gain confidence in the kitchen.

Interview Laura Klepeisz

“THEY SLAP ON THE APRON AND THEY THINK THEY’RE A HEAD CHEF. IMAGINE IF YOU HAD THAT CONFIDENCE IN THE KITCHEN.”

EARLY DAYS: a young Marco Pierre White in the kitchen

Lamb chops are the most delicious things on earth. But when it comes to really indulging and eating, you want a big pot of food.”

But how do you cook the perfect steak?

“First of all, you need a good pan. Get it hotter than you want it,” as putting large ribeye steaks on will cause a loss of heat, the award-winning chef explains. “Get your nice lines, flip it over, give it about a minute, then turn it off. Your steaks continue cooking in the residual heat. And when you start to see the blood pierce the surface, it’s perfectly medium raw. You never have to start prowling it, touching it, cutting into it like some people do.”

For anyone on the lookout for a mouthwatering Delmonico steak in Dublin, Dawson Street is the place to go, White adds. However, the restaurateur does not expect special treatment when he dines out.

“People think I’m famous, but I don’t like

the fuss, because other people see that you’re being treated differently to them and so they start to resent you. You just want to be left alone,” he says. “When someone came into my restaurant, it didn’t matter whether they were famous, or they weren’t famous. They got exactly the same. Because we’re all paying the same money, and everyone deserves to be looked after one hundred percent.”

What then, is the death-row meal of an acclaimed chef?

“If I was to die in Ireland, it would be Coddle. If I was to die in Italy, it would be Pappardelle. If I was to die in America, it would be Oysters Rockefeller,” White laughs.

I think he wasn’t joking.

• Watch The Restaurant Tuesdays at 9pm on Virgin Media One and Virgin Media Player.

“IT DIDN’T MATTER WHETHER THEY WERE FAMOUS, OR THEY WEREN’T FAMOUS. THEY GOT EXACTLY THE SAME. BECAUSE WE’RE ALL PAYING THE SAME MONEY.”

IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT: (clockwise) Marco Pierre White & Rachel Allen, Demi Isaac Oviawe, Philly McMahon, Devin Toner and Deirdre O’Kane.

A WEEKEND TO SAVOUR

A WEEKEND TO SAVOUR

Following its enforced threeyear break due to Covid, Savour Kilkenny returns from October 28-31 with one of its tastiest line-ups yet.

Among the familiar faces taking part are Derry Clarke, Gráinne Mullins, Edward Hayden, Kevin Dundon, Catherine O’Keefe, Anne Neary and Kwanghi Chan who’ll be dipping into the Wok cookbook he has coming out next month courtesy of indie Dublin imprint Blasta whose previous Tacos, Hot Fat and The United Nations Of Cookies are all must-haves. Add in a globe-straddling food market and large beer and cider tent and it’s all off to the Marble City! savourkilkenny.com.

BLAZING A TRAIL

If it’s food for thought you’re after, look no further than Small Fires: An Epic In The Kitchen, which finds Rebecca May Johnson “awakening us to the richness of cooking as a means of experiencing the self and the world – and to the revolutionary potential of the small fires burning in every kitchen.”

With Nigella Lawson and Olivia Laing among her champions, the essayist

who formerly supplied The Observer with its brilliant Anonymous Waitress series is quite the culinary hot property at the moment. rebeccamayjohnson.com.

SONFLOUR POWER

“Inspired by Italy, grown in Ireland” is the mantra at Sonflour, a superior veggie ‘n’ vegan joint, which has won many a Cork heart with its tasty and, wherever possible, sustainable fare. The potato focaccia, chickpea pancakes and Garden pizza garnished with pine nuts, lemon rind, edible flowers and vegan pesto all justify the trip to Castle Street and are great value too.

DONE TO PERFECTION

Sligo’s Lough Gill Brewery come up trumps again with their 4% Pain & Perfection, a thirst quenching, triplehopped mango, passionfruit and guava pastry sour.

Bursting with real tropical fruit flavour as opposed to sugary gloop, it dances on your tongue before hitting the back of your mouth like a tidal wave. Use it instead of OJ in your brunchtime Mimosa and send us a ‘thank you’ note after.

OODLES OF NOODLES

Go Rail spent a very pleasant afternoon scoffing noodles and other Asian delights in Soup 2, one of our favourite Dublin gastropubs, which resides at 47 North King Street, Smithfield.

After tucking away an impressively big bowl of Pork Satay Ramen – we also spotted Nori, spring onion, fermented red cabbage, pak choi, fennel and bean sprouts bobbing around in our broth –we got to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over the Kimchi Mussels cooked in Chili and Kimchi Sake with Chargrilled Bread & Garlic Oil and the Korean Fried Chicken with Gochujang & Sesame Mayo, which out manoeuvres Colonel Sanders in the fingerlicking department.

As Dublin prices become ever more Celtic Tiger-ish, it’s nice to see decent sized small plates from €6 and an excellent Spanish Macabeo for €26.

soupramen.ie

Stuart Clark Brings You The Latest Foodie News

(clockwise from top) Savour Kilkenny Food Festival, Sonflour, Soup 2, Rebecca May Johnson’s Small Fires and Lough Gill Pain & Perfection.

THE MOZART OF THE MATTER

Globally celebrated for its classical music, historical old town and magnificent alpine setting, Salzburg in northwest Austria is a bucket list destination. By Laura Klepeisz

Salzburg holds a special fame in the world of music as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Whether you stroll around the historical old town, climb the medieval fortress or settle down for a hearty meal at the end of the day, the rich musical heritage is hard to miss. Quaint courtyards, boutique shops, art galleries and cafés await in the romantic city centre (Altstadt), surrounding the bustling Getreidegasse, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

One of the many walking tours will take you from the main shopping street to the city’s most important squares, such as Universitätsplatz (University Square), Mozartplatz (Mozart Square) and Residenzplatz (Residence Square) with its stately fountain. The historic concert halls (Großes Festspielhaus, Haus für Mozart and Felsenreitschule), the oldest monastery in the German-speaking area, Stift Sankt Peter (St Peter’s Abbey), the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) and the Pferdeschwemme (Horse Well), built in the 1600s as a horse bath, are also well worth a visit.

Mozart fans might want to stop by the classical composer’s birthplace

at No. 9 Getreidegasse, Mozarts Geburtshaus (Mozart’s Birthplace), where he was born as the seventh child of Leopold Mozart, a musician of the Salzburg Royal Chamber, on 27 January 1756. The Mozart family resided on the third floor, which displays original certificates, letters and memorabilia documenting Mozart’s life in Salzburg to this day. Mozart-Wohnhaus (Mozart’s Residence), the family’s home after 1773, is only a short walk away.

On the other side of the Salzach River, Schloss Mirabell and Mirabellgarten (Mirabell Palace and Gardens), which dates back to the 17th century, enchants visitors with its lush flower displays and unique views towards the fortress. It

Mozart fans might want to stop by the classical composer’s birthplace at No. 9 Getreidegasse, Mozarts Geburtshaus.

was also a key filming location for Hollywood’s love letter to Austria in the form of the musical The Sound Of Music. Schloss Hellbrunn (Hellbrunn Palace), near Morzg on the city’s outskirts, is an early Baroque villa that amazes its visitors with its trick fountains.

Salzburger Dom (Salzburg Cathedral) offers even more Baroque architecture as the largest early Baroque church north of the Alps. Here, you can learn about the secrets associated with its seven bells and three entrance doors. It is also the place where both Mozart and Joseph Mohr, the Austrian Roman Catholic priest who wrote the words to the Christmas carol ‘Silent Night’, were christened. The Domplatz (Cathedral Square) provides the theatrical backdrop for the morality play Jedermann, which captivates audiences annually at the famous Salzburger Festspiele (Salzburg Festival).

For one of the best views over the city’s colourful rooftops, take the steps or the funicular to Festung Hohensalzburg (Ho hensalzburg Fortress), one of Europe’s largest medieval castles. Unconquered to this day, the imposing structure now houses museums exhibiting original furniture, historic armoury, the Princes’ Chambers, and a panorama tour.

For a more offbeat but equally scenic experience, stroll along the many tracks of the Mönchsberg mountain. The modern art museum (Museum der

From top: the spectacular Salzburg skyline; Salzburg Cathedral; and a sample of the food on offer at Steinterrasse.

Like most Austrian cities, Salzburg has no shortage of beer gardens and traditional restaurants.

Moderne Salzburg Mönchsberg) houses an elevator that will take you up through the cliff to the observation deck and bar – a great starting point for your hike. But make sure to check out the international art treasures from the 20th and 21st centuries first.

Culture buffs might also want to explore the Salzburg Museum for local history in a nutshell, the Rupertinum to learn about cutting-edge photography, or the Sound of Music World for insights into the real von Trapps family. The Dommuseum (Salzburg Cathedral Museum) displays the city’s best sacred art, while the lavish Residenz royal palace houses 16th to 19th century masterpieces. Children are particularly drawn to the Haus der Natur (House of Nature) and its hands-on experiments, and Christmas lovers, fear not, because the yearround Christmas Museum and its many nutcrackers might be just what you are looking for.

Like most Austrian cities, Salzburg has no shortage of beer gardens and traditional restaurants, offering tasty schnitzels, sausages, dumplings and potato dishes, as well as international cuisines. Augustiner Bräustübl takes you back to the old days and Sternbräu is one of Salzburg’s more refined venues, while Die Weisse stands out as Austria’s oldest brewery. Imlauer Sky Bar & Restaurant and Steinterrasse both offer a meal with a view, though at a price point that’s to be expected. For a more budgetfriendly option, check out Saitensprung, or just wander around Rudolfskai, AntonNeumayer-Platz and Steingasse for trendy bars and clubs.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Beyond the cultural richness of Salzburg city, the gems of the Salzburg region absolutely merit a day-trip or two...

Schafberg Mountain

This hiker’s paradise comes inclusive of a cog railway that has been in operation since 1893. Ride the train to the top, enjoy a drink at the traditional huts and soak up one of the most stunning panoramic views in the Salzkammergut region.

Hallstatt

This 16th-century village, which is nestled in the Eastern Alps, has retained its charm despite the visiting hordes. Here, alpine houses with flowers on windowsills are connected by cobble streets, and cafés and shops offer the region’s finest products. Take a stroll along the glistening lake, visit Skywalk Hallstatt viewing platform and travel 7000 years into the past in the salt-mine museum (Salzwelten Hallstatt).

World of the Ice Giants

Just a half-hour trip south of Salzburg lies the scenic village of Werfen, home to the world’s largest system of ice caves, the incredible Eisriesenwelt (World of the Ice Giants), and the spectacular Festung Hohenwerfen (Hohenwerfen Fortress). Other picturesque spots in the area include Wolfgangsee Lake, Hallein, and Eagle’s Nest in the Bavarian Alps. For more information visit salzburg.info

Essential Irish Destinations

Now that we’re settling into the autumn months, it’s time to stop and take a look at the best places Ireland has to offer for cosy or active trips to the countryside. Be it an adventurous trek to the wilderness or enjoying some deserved R&R at a coastline spa, these five Irish destinations offer everything on the menu, and then some.

LUXURIOUS LONGFORD

Discover Ireland’s hidden heartland in County Longford this autumn. From adventure days to ancient oak walkways and scenic forest paths, you can also learn about St. Mel’s Cathedral, see some amazing dolmens and catch a show at the local theatre. In Center Parcs, there’s a full lineup of outdoor and indoor activities for all ages and the popular domecovered swimming pool is heated to a balmy 27 degrees. There’s also a relaxing spa with a full range of holistic treatments.

CAUSEWAY COAST & GLENS

Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast & Glens has a reputation for being one of the island’s most breathtakingly beautiful spots. While autumn is a time to wrap up, there’s never been more to do at the location. Whether it’s exploring the natural landscapes on foot; taking a boat trip or snuggling in a cosy pub for a music session – A Giant Taste of The Causeway Coast & Glens has it all.

There’s a rake of places to settle in for warm nights, plus events galore, including the Portrush Beer Festival (7-8 October); the Bushmills Salmon & Whiskey Festival (15-16 October); and Atlantic Sessions (18-20 November). Celebrate the award-winning producers for themed and tasting menus, Bushmills cocktails, Lacada beer, cookery demos, new cookery book launches and Northern Irish live music.

BEAUTIFUL BALTIMORE

The famous village in west Cork offers a gorgeous view of the south coast, acting as the main ferry port to Sherkin Island, Cape Clear Island and the eastern side of Roaring Water Bay, and Carbery’s Hundred Isles. Grab a legendary pizza from the Jolie Brise restaurant by the waterfront, a pint of your choosing in Bushes pub and scope out the endless walks in the area. Lough Hyne is one of the highlights, with people braving the cold water during the day and bioluminescent kayaking at night.

TRAIPSING AROUND TIPPERARY

A county home to mountains, lakes, farmland and rivers, Tipperary is an essential destination. Stop by the Rock of Cashel to visit the medieval collection of ruins alongside sweeping pastoral views, or explore Cahir Castle, a 12th century fortress sitting on an island in the River Suir. Clonmel in the south is a stunning gateway town for delving into the whole region, while the Glen of Atherlow is home to dreamlike walking routes.

The sanctuary in the Galtee Mountains boasts forestry, wideopen moorland and otherworldly lakeside views. If hiking isn’t your thing, there’s one of the best golf courses in the country and endless fishing locations. Nenagh and Thurles, meanwhile, are full of quaint cafes, boutiques and delicious home-cooking, with a cosy pub at every turn.

SPLENDID SLIGO

Sligo is known for its literary heritage (you may have heard of local poet, WB Yeats). The county’s wild coast attracts surfers and water sport enthusiasts year-round. Ruined medieval Sligo Abbey has carved tombs and a 15th-century altar to scope out. Arts centre The Model focuses on 20th-century Irish artists, while the Ox Mountains, Benbulben and Knocknarea offer walking routes. Don’t miss the restored Lissadell House & Gardens, the childhood home of Countess Markievicz.

Moonlight Kayaking, Lough Hyne

Barley Harbour

Bushmills Whiskey Distillery

Cahir Castle, Tipperary

Knocknarea

PHOTO

IRELAND

Roe McDermott guides you through the top styles this autumn and winter, including the fringe trend, which has enjoyed a major comeback.

For the first chilly season in a long time, we can go out and plan for Christmas parties again, so it’s time to make that winter wardrobe festive, fun and fashionable. This Autumn and Winter, catwalks are focusing on movement and texture, and outfits that make a statement – because don’t we deserve to turn every outing into a celebration?

We here look at some of the biggest trends of the season and explore how to incorporate them into your wardrobe. Whether you’re a flapper girl, a biker chick or a chic cowgirl, get ready to make a statement and turn some heads!

MAIN PHOTO : PrettyLittleThing

FRINGE BE NEFITS

FRINGE ON TOP

Fringe has had a major comeback this year, with this spring seeing designers embrace the fun, frivolity and movement that comes with this trend – and weren’t fun, frivolity and movement just what we needed as we re-emerged into the world? Earlier this year we saw fringe inspired by vintage western and ’70s groove with many different lengths and moods. Chloé featured a joyful indie, handcrafted array of fringe, while the preppy-mod short fringed trim at Bottega Veneta, showed that this personality can hold a lot of variation and personality.

This winter, even more interpretations are on display. Fringe always holds an association with Christmas and decoration, so keep an eye out for fringe with glitter, sparkle or diamante embellishment –perfect for all those Christmas parties (didn’t we miss them?) But you can also merge fringe with some of the other trends of the season.

Opt for a fringe co-ord to blend with the co-ordinated look, or go for a monochrome style with a feature fringe piece, such as a bag, necklace, or a sheer fringed top to layer over an outfit, creating movement and texture. The western trend is also hanging on this season, with Stella McCartney embracing the autumnal cowboy boot, Isabel Marant showcasing the prairie dress, and Gucci going full ranch chic with cowboy hats. Pair your fringe with any of these trends for a gorgeous, cosy western ensemble. Don’t forget to twirl in photographs!

Gold Sequin Fringe Hem Flapper Dress,

2. See-through bibpanel shirt €235 and Semi-sheer straight-leg trousers €300 and Halter see-through fringe knittop €150,

Fringe Diamonte Sweat Top

Diamante Fringe Crop top, Pennys

5. Diamante Fringe Skirt €16,

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Feathers can turn any combo into a statement piece, and this autumn and winter we’re seeing designers embrace this delicate, feminine way to make a bold statement. Yves Saint Laurent had models donning gorgeously sheer chiffon blouses, trimmed with plush feathers and black mini dresses, with full feather skirts for a gothic boudoir look.

Giuseppe Di Morabito embraced the Y2K palette that is still en vogue, showing longsleeved blouses in sky blue and pale pink, with opulent feathers trimming the sleeves and neckline for a look worthy of Cher Horowitz. Dries Van Noten went full romantic with her ale pink feather bags complete with pearl chains, for a truly fabulous feather moment.

Christopher Kane evoked modern contemporary chic with bold monochrome dresses, with structured silhouettes and asymmetrical feather embellishments on the hem and shoulders. Feather hems add interest to classic party frocks, while shirts and tops with feather detailing can be dressed down with jeans, or elevated with a slinky skirt or even a co-ord.

If you want a more subtle approach, look for delicate mules and sandals with feather detailing, while feather bags will instantly elevate any outfit and add a romantic and sophisticated air.

LEATHER LOOK

The love of co-ord is continuing this season, but to elevate your ensemble even further, look for a full set of leather (faux is of course the ethical choice!) This full-on leather-look trend is inspired by the biker scene of the ‘70s and ‘80s, pairing an edgy, punky aesthetic with a high fashion spin.

Victoria Beckham featured sleek leather maxi dresses on her runways, while Hermes showcased the matching co-ord look. Fendi also embraced leather with corset waist belts, and Bottega Veneta went for leather skirt with fringing detail , scoring two trends in one! To embrace the leather look this winter, keep an eye out for racer jackets in red, black and white and dig out your trusty leather-look trousers.

Chunky leather-look boots also bring a tough edge. Pairing a leather blazer with leather pants and a contrasting top can also provide a wow-factor outfit, or you can go for a more feminine silhouette – as sexy or sophisticated as you like! Leather look mini-dresses and mini-skirt co-ords create great impact for a going-out outfit, and can be dressed up with heels, toughened up with boots, or worn as streetwear under an oversized jacket and paired with trainers.

If you want to ease more gently into the trend, look for a pleather maxi skirt and pair it with a lacy, feminine top for a sophisticate party vibe, or throw on a chunky knit for a look that’s both ultra-cosy and ultra-chic.

GAME OF THROW-INS

ranks include Mayo heroes Cillian and Diarmuid O’Connor – stand in their way.

PHOTO: BRENDAN MORAN/SPORTSFILE

As county finals around the country are decided, the GAA’s club provincial champi onships are set to provide some mouthwa tering fare over the next couple of months.

In the Leinster senior football champi onship, an early standout tie in the quar ter-finals (on the weekend of November 5-6) sees Kildare champions Naas take on the winners of the Dublin final between Kilmacud Crokes and Na Fianna.

A Kilmacud win would mean a reprise of last year’s Leinster final when they prevailed against Naas in Croke Park. Though Kilmacud star Paul Mannion – now back in the Dublin panel after a couple of years away – has been sidelined for three months with an Achilles injury, the team boast one of the game’s superstars in Galway man Shane Walsh, who transferred to the club earlier in the year.

Na Fianna, for their part, are backboned by Dublin stalwarts such as Johnny Cooper and Eoin Murchan, meaning Naas will be in for a serious battle no matter who prevails in the cap ital. Spearheaded by up-and-coming Kildare stars Darragh Kirwan and Alex Beirne, Naas recently secured back-to-back county titles, and undoubtedly have the potential to become major players on the provincial scene.

Out west on the weekend of November 12-13, the Connacht championship will kick into life when the respective cham pions of those enduring rivals, Galway and Mayo, face off. With Mayo All-Star Paddy Durcan to the fore, the 2013 and ’15 Connacht champions, Castlebar Mitchels, will fancy their chances of capturing the county title, though some formidable challengers – including Ballintubber, whose

After years of dominance by Corofin – arguably the greatest club side of all time – the Galway champions meanwhile will come from the quartet of Salthill-Knocknacarra, Annaghdown, Maigh Cuilinn and Mountbellew Moylough. In Ulster, All Ireland champions Kilcoo will be hotly fancied to retain their Down title, in which case they will commence their provincial title defence on the weekend of November 12-13, against the champions of either Armagh or Monaghan.

The same weekend sees another very attractive fixture, as the champions of arch-rivals Derry and Tyrone take each other on. With the two of the game’s outstand ing young talents in the Canavan brothers, Ruairi and Darragh, Errigal Ciaran are favourites to prevail in Tyrone, while Glen are fancied to secure back-to-back titles in Derry against Slaughtneil, the Ulster champions of 2014, ’16 and ’17.

Down south, while football fans have been enjoying the exploits of perhaps the game’s leading player, David Clifford, with East Kerry, there are also other fascinating provincial clashes in prospect. Again on the weekend of November 12-13, the Cork champions will take on their counterparts from Tipperary. One of the blue-chip names in the club game, Nemo Rangers, are favourites to see off long-term rivals on Leeside, while Commercials are similarly fancied to defeat Upperchurch in Tipp.

Of course, there’s plenty more club action on offer on the hurling front, with the Munster senior club championship as ever set to prove particularly attractive. On November 6, an early highlight sees Waterford champions Ballygunner take on the winner of the Tipperary final between Kildangan an d Kilruane (November 6) in the quarter final.

Keep an eye on gaa.ie for full details of venues and times. And whatever game grabs your fancy, enjoy to the full!

The curtain may have come down on the GAA inter-county season, but there’s still plenty of exciting club action on offer throughout the autumn and winter. By Paul Nolan

David Clifford of East Kerry celebrates after kicking a late point from a free kick during the Kerry County Senior Club Football Championship quarter-final

GO Review

PAGE 55 / GO LISTEN

The 1975

A selection of mustlisten new albums, including offerings from The 1975 and Gilla Band.

PAGE 56 / GO WATCH

The best new film releases, including Nothing Compares and The Wonder.

PAGE 57 / GO READ

New books from Stephen King and Paul Brady and Kamila Shamsie

FUNNY BUSINESS

English art-pop crew The 1975 are among our picks as we check out the best new albums.

They’ve garnered accolades, divided opinion, weathered Twitter storms, and expanded the boundaries of their sound – and now, The 1975 are back, with Being Funny... In A Foreign Language. The new LP finds the most buzzed-about band in the world teaming up with the most buzzed-about producer, Jack Antonoff, to present their most concentrated effort yet, with a tracklist half the length of its predecessor, 2020’s sprawling, 22-track album Notes On A Conditional Form.

While the musical leaps on Notes... occasionally felt like scrolling wildly through the internet, Being Funny finds The 1975 fine-tuning their eclectic approach, attempting to grasp onto a full-bodied, live sound. That’s not to say they’ve settled down, of course – their penchant for the ‘80s, complete with synths and sax, has continued to grow, and as the album progresses, they swing from the pounding pop of ‘I’m In Love With You’ to the gorgeously country-tinged ‘All I Need To Hear’. Elsewhere, you’ll find nods to LCD Soundsystem, and an indiefolk closing track, ‘When We Are Together’, that could have been penned by Phoebe Bridgers.

Being Funny... offers the closest thing you’ll find to a definitive snapshot of The 1975: multifaceted, self-analytical, occasionally hyperactive, but through it all, disarmingly sincere.

LUCY O’TOOLE

GILLA BAND MOST NORMAL Rough Trade

The change of name hasn’t dented this Dublin quartet’s oeuvre one iota. Loud, abrasive guitars? Check. Breakneck drumming? Indeed. The kind of raw screams of consciousness that could leave hardened post-punk audiences quivering in terror? You bet.

Perhaps the most unusual thing about the noise-bringers’ third album is the amount of tunefulness hidden in amongst the distortion, from the ringing guitar of ‘Almost Soon’ to the hilariously cutting ‘Eight Fivers’, where frontman Dara Kiely namechecks all manner of local retail outlets. C outure is something of a recurring theme, from the nervous energy of ‘Binliner Fashion’, all skittish drums and howled vocals, to the weird drones of ‘Red Polo Neck’.

Described by the band as an “indirect love song”, ‘Backwash’ intercuts some relatively melodic (for them) musing with slabs of raw, industrial noise. The distorted cacophony of ‘Pratfall’ and the nightmarish fugue of ‘Capgras’ are difficult listens, but the brilliant ‘I Was Away’, ‘Almost Soon’ and ‘Post Ryan’ veer almost to the edge of the indie/punk dancefloor.

Uncompromisingly impressive.

JOHN WALSHE

HAMSANDWICH MAGNIFY Self Released

Back with their first album since 2015’s Stories From The Surface, which became the band’s first LP to top the Irish charts, HamsandwicH have self-released their vibrant fourth LP Magnify. Featuring singles ‘All My Blood’, ‘Electro Wave’, ‘Le Soleil’ and focus track ‘Julian’, the Kells outfit are freed from the shackles of rigid storytelling and arrangement, injecting constant fun and energy into the 10-track offering.

Incorporating fresh influences and electronic soundscapes, their power hasn’t been dimmed. Collaborating with producer Michael Heffernan (Dermot Kennedy, Ailbhe Reddy), ‘Electro Wave’ is among the many highlights. Incorporating ‘80s synth-pop into a soaring chorus. ‘Julian’ adds an edge with rock guitar, while ‘Next Contender’ brings Vaccines-style indie to their acoustic melodies.

Layers of psychedelia, Americana, country, rock, indie and more elevate Magnify to a higher plane, as HamsandwicH make themselves the soul of the party.

KATE BRAYDEN

THE 1975 BEING FUNNY IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE Dirty Hit

WAIL OF A TIME

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

October 21st, Theatrical Release.

Irish writer/director Martin McDonagh has reunited Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in remotest Ireland for an oddball study of isolation and male pain. Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them. Set on an imaginary island off the Irish coast during the Civil War in 1923, Farrell plays Padraic, a dairyman who lives with his unmarried sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon) in a modest cottage, with their cows and beloved donkey.

Gleeson’s Colm is a more reserved, thoughtful man who plays the fiddle and is working on a composition: ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’. Dominic Kearney (a brilliant Barry Keoghan) is the moronic son of the island’s obnoxious police officer Peadar Kearney (Gary Lydon). Colm decides to shun Padraic one day, and the black comedy descends into a spiral of immense hurt.

Farrell won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and McDonagh won Best Screenplay at the Venice International Film Festival for their new film, which will see the already-Oscartipped dark comedy gain momentum in the build-up to the Academy Award nominations in January.

SINEAD O’CONNOR: NOTHING COMPARES

October 7th, Theatrical Release via Paramount Pictures.

Deemed a “must watch” for fans of the polarising Irish musician, Nothing Compares has put itself into cinemas in New York and Los Angeles for a week to be considered for an Academy Award. The Sinéad O’Connor flick has already picked up several awards during its festival run, including Best Documentary at the Aegean Film Festival, the Audience Award at the Belfast Film Festival and the Best Irish Feature Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh. Nothing Compares charts O’Connor’s phenomenal rise to worldwide fame and “examines how she used her voice at the height of her stardom, before her iconoclastic personality led to her exile from the pop mainstream”.

Focusing on O’Connor’s prophetic words and deeds from 1987 to 1993, the film presents a portrait of this fearless artist through a contemporary feminist lens. It also features a new voiceover interview with the singer, reflecting on the abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother; the Church abuse that was rampant in Ireland; and the way the singer faced intense scrutiny and vitriol for daring to be a woman who spoke her mind.

Sebastián Lelio’s thrilling psychological Irish drama has been earning massive critical acclaim, not least as a result of surefire Academy Award nominee Florence Pugh’s star turn. Adapted from the bestselling novel by Emma Donoghue, and inspired by true stories of the “Fasting Girls” phenomenon, The Wonder stars Pugh alongside Tom Burke, Kila Lord Cassidy, Elaine Cassidy, Niamh Algar and Ciarán Hinds. Filmed in Ireland, the screenplay is co-written by Lelio and Donoghue along with Alice Birch (Normal People).

The year is 1862,13 years after the Great Famine. English nightingale nurse Lib Wright (Pugh) is called to the Irish midlands by a devout community to conduct a 15-day examination over one of their own. Anna O’Donnell (Lord Cassidy) is an 11-year-old girl who claims not to have eaten for four months, surviving miraculously on “manna from heaven”. As Anna’s health rapidly deteriorates, Lib is determined to unearth the truth beneath their faith in this gripping effort.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NETFLIX AND PARAMOUNT

Martin McDonagh’s Oscar-tipped dark comedy, The Banshees Of Inisherin, leads the way in our round-up of recommended viewing.

CRAZY DREAMS

PAUL BRADY Merrion Press

Regarded by many as one of Ireland’s most talented tunesmiths, Belfast-born, Strabanebred songwriter Paul Brady finally puts pen to paper to tell his life story – and it’s every bit the page turner we hoped it would be.

Featuring a wealth of gripping yarns from his six decades-spanning glittering career, Crazy Dreams takes us from his humble beginnings to sharing stages with Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Famers such as Eric

FAIRY TALE STEPHEN KING Hodder & Stoughton

Back when the pandemic first started showing its teeth, the indefatigable Stephen King gritted his and asked himself: “What could you write that would make you happy?” The result is Fairy Tale, which is destined to make the superstar author’s enormous fanbase grin with pleasure too.

It centres on the downtrodden 17-year-old

BEST OF FRIENDS KAMILA SHAMSIE Bloomsbury

A decades-old conversation and Benazir Bhutto are named as inspirations for Kamila Shamsie’s new novel, Best Of Friends. The in-depth story vibrantly traces the facets of female friendship over various decades and locations, brimming with sensitivity, compassion and questions of loyalty.

Clapton, Bob Dylan and Tina Turner. Brady’s transition from telling tales via music to sharing stories solely with the written word is seamless. A gifted artist, he gives us a singular account of his career, as well as the politics of both his native North and the music industry as a whole.

Doubtless there will be quibbles with some of the detail of the yarns, but Crazy Dreams is a feast for fans of the former Planxty member, and for students of 20th century Irish music, alike.

EDWIN McFEE

Charlie Reade, who befriends a reclusive old man and his dog, and discovers a portal to another world, where a war rages between good and evil.

O ver the course of nearly 600 pages, King wraps his Constant Readers up in a comfort blanket, then promptly sets fire to it. Sometimes sweet, often sinister and seriously entertaining throughout, this is a royally good yarn, loaded with characters you actually care about. Spellbinding stuff.

EDWIN McFEE

Beginning in 1988 with 14-year-old Maryam and Zahra, their different backgrounds are apparent almost immediately. Maryam takes for granted that she will stay in Karachi and inherit the family business, while Zahra dreams of escaping abroad. Thirty years pass, and Zahra and Maryam are still close, despite living contrasting lives in London. Two unwelcome ghosts from their past reenter their world, and their bond becomes stretched beyond all recognition.

On the surface, the predominant theme of friendship takes centre-stage, but there’s always plenty below the surface in the award-winning Pakistani author’s work.

Misogyny, corruption, life in modern Britain and societal issues are all touched delicately upon, asking the reader difficult questions throughout a rollercoaster journey.

KATE BRAYDEN

BROUGHT TO BOOK A selection of essential new reads.

“Sometimes sweet, often sinister and seriously entertaining throughout.”

“Crazy Dreams is a feast for fans of the former Planxty member.”

GO RAIL COMPETITION

Win Two Nights B&B for Two with Dinner on One Evening at Bellinter House, Navan.

Bellinter House sits on the south bank of the River Boyne within sight of ancient Tara, and is approximately six miles from the town of Navan. This splendid Georgian mansion, built about 1750, was designed by Richard Castle for John Preston, grandfather of the first Lord Tara. Following over 270 years of beautiful history, the purpose of Bellinter House remains the same: a retreat from one’s daily life. On arriving, you will find yourself succumbing to the peacefulness and serenity that is Bellinter House.

Find out more at bellinterhouse.com

THE PRIZE:

The Winner of the Go Rail competition will enjoy two nights B&B for two with dinner on an evening of choice at Bellinter House, Navan.

To enter simply email your answer to gorail@hotpress.ie. Please include your contact details, and let us know on which train route or at which train station you picked up your copy of Go Rail

THE QUESTION:

Who is Go Rail interviewee Danny O’Reilly from The Coronas’ famous musical mother?

A. Mary Black

B. Eleanor McEvoy

C. Dolores Keane

Terms & Conditions:

prizes are subject to availability. No cash alternatives will be offered. Entrants must be

18+.

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