Go Rail 10-01 : Featuring Niall Horan by Hot Press Publishing

VOL:10 ISSUE:01

NIALL HORAN

LIFE IN POP'S FAST LANE

STR IK ING T V GOLD

Lars Mikkelsen

FOOD SPECI A L

10 Great Irish Things To Eat

A S TA R I S R E B OR N

Luan Parle

Contents

VOLU M E 10 ISSU E 01

The Heartbreak Kid Stuart Clark gets the pop superstar lowdown from Niall Horan.

House Of Cards and The Witcher star Lars Mikkelsen tells Stuart Clark about his new series + The 10 Hottest TV Shows On The Planet.

Wicklow singer Luan Parle on why, when it comes to music, this country punches above its weight.

Edwin McFee meets comedy scriptwriterturned-author Andrew Hunter Murray + The Top Summer Reads.

Great Dane

Notes From A Small Island

New Adventures In Sci-Fi

CREDITS MANAGIN G EDITOR

Máirin Sheehy

Contents

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Paul Nolan CONTRIBUTORS

Stuart Clark Peter McNally Jackie Hayden Edwin McFee Ed Power Stephen Porzio Roe McDermott Lucy O’Toole Paul Nolan Pat Carty DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Wing Commander Stockton’s Wing legend Mike Hanrahan talks trad with Jackie Hayden.

Hot Press 100 Capel Street Dublin 1 ART DIRECTOR

Eimear O'Connor DESIGN

Karen Kelleher Ruthie Byrne A DV E R T I S I N G M A N A G E R

Tom Corcoran GROUP ADVERTISING MANAGER

Catherine Madden C HIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Miguel Ruiz

Summer Food Special Go Rail foodie Stuart Clark picks ten of his favourite Irish things to eat.

PUBLISHER

Niall Stokes P R I N T E D BY

Boylan’s Print Go Rail is published for Iarnród Éireann by: Osnovina Ltd 100 Capel Street, Dublin 1 TELEPHONE

(01) 2411 500 EMAIL

gorail@hotpress.ie LETTERS

The Editor,

Hat Trick Heroes Roe McDermott profiles Ireland’s finest milliners.

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 of Iarnród Éireann. All material © Osnovina 2019. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material without permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited.

Let Us Entertain You Team Go Rail round-up the summer’s essential albums, Netflix series and books.

VOLU M E 10 ISSU E 01

GO FOR IT

A R U N D O W N O F W H AT ' S H O T & H A P P E N I N G BY P E T E R M c N A L LY + L U C Y O ' T O O L E

WIRED FOR SOUND

MIGUEL RUIZ

ELECTRIC PICNIC The big cahuana of Irish festival, and understandably so, Electric Picnic is back with another star-studded

line-up. This year is set to be bigger than ever, with capacity increased to a whopping 70,000. Handling headline duties are fiery LA rockers Rage Against the Machine;

indie-rock legends Snow Patrol; pioneering electronic duo The Chemical Brothers; Athy stars Picture This; and brooding Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi.

NEED TO KNOW WHEN: SEPT 4-6 WHERE:STRADBALLY HALL, CO.L AOIS

F O R B E S T VA L U E FA R E S O N A L L I N T E R C I T Y S E RV I C E S C H E C K O U T I R I S H R A I L . I E 6

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MIGUEL RUIZ

GA R D E N ' S PA R T Y AGENCIA ANDES

DAMIEN DEMPSEY Iveagh Gardens, Dublin, July 10 To celebrate two decades of top-class albums, the Dublin singer-songwriter makes his triumphant return to the hallowed grounds of Iveagh Gardens, for what’s set to be among the standout gigs of the summers. The headliner follows Dempsey’s three-night Vicar Street, Dublin run, which sold out in the fastest time of his career. With his formidable stage presence, his famously loyal fanbase and his unique ability to express the human condition through lyrics, Dempsey’s live shows are a spectacle to behold. The Iveagh Gardens will also play host to the legendary likes of Pixies, Sinéad O’Connor, Fontaines D.C., Aslan and James Blunt this summer.

SEND IN THE CLOWNS CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S 'CORTEO' 3Arena, Dublin, July 8-16 One of the best-loved Cirque du Soleil productions, Corteo, is coming to Ireland. The unique show first premiered in Montreal under the Big Top in 2005 – and has since transformed into an arena show, amazing live audiences of over 9 million people across 20 countries. Expect stunning acrobatic displays, as you’re plunged into a theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity.

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In Debt? It’s never too late to get your finances back on track A recent survey found that 41% of full time workers missed a payment in the last six months and 34% of full-time homemakers can’t make ends meet. Debts and financial troubles have a way of quietly piling up, so it can be difficult to identify when there is a real problem. For people who are already living month to month, it can be hard to tell the difference between getting by and genuinely struggling, but there is help. The Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI) is the independent government body with a range of solutions for all types and levels of debts including mortgage arrears, credit card debt, loans and overdrafts. Often people do not realise that they have a serious debt problem; they are too busy coping with the problem and trying to make ends meet. You could have serious debt problems if: You are not able to pay your bills in full when they are due; •You are paying a little off each bill trying to keep creditors (the people you owe money to) at bay; •You are reluctant to set up direct debits to pay bills in case your money cannot stretch to meet them; •You are receiving calls and letters from creditors about missed payments and threats of repossession; •You have made personal sacrifices to pay your debts. The ISI offers access to a regulated network of financial advisors (PIPs and Approved Intermediaries). Meaning they can provide you with effective help and advice from qualified professionals. All of the debt solutions overseen by the ISI are designed to get you back on track financially, keeping you in your home where possible. At the end of the process, you will be solvent again and can start planning their future. If you are in arrears on your home mortgage, you could also be eligible for a free PIP consultation under the state funded Abhaile service. Of the thousands of cases that have already gone through the ISI’s systems, the majority of proposals have been accepted by creditors as it is becoming clear that it is also in the creditors’ interest to sort out any backlog of debt. When you are worrying about debt problems, it can be tempting to ignore bills and letters from creditors and hope that the issue will go away. But the sooner you take action, the sooner you will be free of your debt and can move on with your life. The ISI believes that you are entitled to a reasonable standard of living while you address your debt problem. If you tackle your debt using one of the ISI’s solutions, there is a minimum standard of living that you are entitled to which allows for expenses such as food, clothing, health, household goods and services, communications, socialising, education, transport, household energy, childcare, insurance and modest allowances for savings and contingencies. The advice of someone who has already gone through the process is “Don’t bury your head like I did. You need to tackle the problem and access the help that is there for you.”

IT'S REIGNING MEN KINGS OF LEON The Grammy Award-winning rockers are returning to the RDS for their first Irish show in three years. Since breaking into the mainstream in the late ‘00s, Kings Of Leon have built up a formidable reputation on the live circuit – bringing their dazzling show to Slane Castle and Marlay Park, as well as some of the world’s biggest festivals, including Coachella, Glastonbury and Lollapalooza.

For more information about the Insolvency Service of Ireland and the services they offer, visit backontrack.ie, freetest GETHELP to 50015 or call the ISI’s information line at 076 106 4200.

NEED TO KNOW W H E N : J U LY 1 WHERE: RDS, DUBLIN

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IGGY POP

WE WANT CURRAGHMORE ALL TOGETHER NOW Curraghmore Estate, Co. Waterford, July 31 – August 2 Set on 3,000 acres of the breath-taking Curraghmore landscape, All Together Now made an impressively successful debut in 2018 – retaining an intimate feel while spanning a whole 16 stages. Featuring natural amphitheatres, secret woodlands stages and much more, there are countless realms to explore. This year’s line-up is its most impressive yet – including Iggy Pop, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Mura Masa, Groove Armada, Sinéad O’Connor, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Jarvis Cocker, Girl Band and Lankum.

MURA MASA

MICHAEL COLLINS HOUSE CLOICH NA COILLTE No. 7 EMMET SQUARE, CLONAKILTY, CO. CORK, IRELAND.

Contact Details Tel: 023 8858676 Opening Times

Summers Opening Times (May to September) Tues-Sat: 10am to 5pm Sunday: 12pm to 5pm (last admission 4pm) Winter Opening Times Wed - Sat: 10am to 5pm (October to April)

Admission Prices Adult €5 Family €12 Senior Citizens €3 Students €3 Children (U14) €2

Michael Collins House,

a new museum dedicated to Michael Collins and the history of Irish independence, suitable for all the family. Open from May 26TH to August 23RD

Interactive and audio visual displays suitable for all ages

www.michaelcollinshouse.ie 9

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FURNACE FESTIVAL

H AV E A B L A S T BAC K IN THE SADDLE

HERITAGE WEEK Various Venues, Nationwide, August 15-23

DUBLIN HORSE SHOW RDS, Dublin, July 15-19

To celebrate Ireland’s unique built, natural and cultural heritage, hundreds of national and local community organisations will come together this Heritage Week – and immerse themselves in a programme of exciting and informative events. Previous years S P E Cmedieval I A L Fwarfare E AT U RE have featured reenactments, traditional craft fairs, guided tours of the nation’s fantastic heritage sites, public talks and lectures, nature trails, and whale and dolphin watching – so there’s no shortage of great activities to participate in. Visit heritageweek.ie for the full programme.

The biggest equestrian event in Ireland’s sporting calender, and one of the top three equestrian events in the world, the Dublin Horse Show has become a cultural institution. Boasting one of the largest prize funds in the industry, the event attracts the best show horses and the most talented show jumpers from around the world. Even The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen, has been known to turn out for a day at the show.

YEMEN C HILDREN’S C RISIS C H I L D R E N L I K E S A L E H H AV E J U S T D AYS T O L I V E . W I L L YO U H E L P T H E M N OW ? UNICEF/Yemen/2019

Yemen is on the brink of a devastating famine – the worst for over 100 years. Five years of brutal conﬂict have pushed the country deep into crisis. Right now, over 330,000 children in Yemen are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and need urgent help. The situation is getting more and more desperate by the hour. Children like Saleh are arriving at UNICEF supported hospitals and health clinics on the verge of death.

Baby Saleh is so ill. Heʼs been admitted to the childrenʼs ward in Sanaʼa, the capital city. He lies on the bed at the therapeutic feeding centre, his eyes wide. He barely moves. He is so weak with hunger.

made from high energy micronutrient peanut paste, it is cheap and easy to use and doesnʼt need to be mixed with water. In just eight weeks a child being treated with RUTF can return to full health.

Without treatment, a child as weak and vulnerable as Saleh will not survive.

Rush your life-saving gift to a child who needs you.

No child should die of hunger. YOU CAN HELP SAVE A CHILD LIKE SALEH FROM STARVATION. €50 CAN PROVIDE ENOUGH EMERGENCY FOOD TO HELP A CHILD RECOVER. The miracle food saving lives every day Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) is designed to treat children with severe acute malnutrition. This miracle food is 10

www.unicef.ie Or call 01 878 3000 Or send a cheque payable to UNICEF Ireland: 33 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1

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THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE GALWAY INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL Various Venues, Galway, July 13-26

GEORGE SAILSBURY

Ireland’s leading arts festival on the Wild Atlantic Way, Galway International Arts Festival is a veritable extravaganza. Encompassing every class of art, from theatre and dance to comedy and opera, it also features an impressive music programme – including performances from PIxies, The Flaming Lips, Kaiser Chiefs, Jon Hopkins and The Academic. This year will also feature the world premiere of Breakfast on Pluto – a dazzling new musical based on the classic novel by Patrick McCabe.

THE FLAMING LIPS

“NO FLY” CRUISE Holidays from Dublin, Cobh & Belfast

Licensed & Bonded

www.jmgcruise.com

Tour Operators No. 214

Date

From

Destination

Duration

24-June 2020

Belfast

River Seine Experience

8 nights

2-July 2020

Belfast

Fjordland Splendour

9 nights

11-July 2020

Belfast

Weekend Mini Cruise

2 nights

13-July 2020

Dublin

Round Britain & River Seine Experience

11 nights

24-July 2020

Dublin

Iceland and Faroes

12 nights

5-August 2020

Dublin

Spain, Portugal & Morocco

12 nights

17-August 2020

Dublin

Summertime Fjordland

10 nights

27-August 2020

Dublin

River Seine Experience

7 nights

3-September 2020

Dublin

Overnight Mini Cruise

1 nights

3-September 2020

Dublin

British Isles Discovery

10 nights

13-September 2020

Belfast

Mini Cruise to Bristol

3 nights

16-September 2020

Ringaskiddy

River Seine Experience

6 nights

22-September 2020

Ringaskiddy

Hidden Baltic Treasures

14 nights

6-October 2020

Cobh

Grand Canary Islands & Madeira, Iberian Treasures & Morocco

16 nights

22-October 2020

Cobh

Iceland & Land of the Northern Lights

9 nights

31-October 2020

Belfast

CMV Taster Cruise

2 nights

7-December 2020

Cobh

Escape the Winter Festive Getaway

14 nights

21-December 2020

Cobh

Christmas & New Year Canaries & Madeira

16 nights

AN SH SF IP ER IN S T CL O relax, UDE/ FR D OM

“You we move the scenery”

For a brochure call JMG Travel JMG Travel, Gortahork, Co. Donegal Tel: 074 91 35201

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A NEIGH AT THE RACES KERRY GOLD

SLIGO RACES Cleveragh Racecourse, Various dates through the Summer.

ROSE OF TRALEE There’s a full card of brilliant equestrian entertainment at Cleveragh Racecourse this summer, as the Sligo Races kick into high gear. First out of the gate is the fantastic Family Day on July 7 – full of great events for young and old alike. While the adults enjoy a seven-card national hunt fixture, kids can look forward to ‘Front Runners – Racing Club for Kids’; fun and games with Scruffy Duffy; and free goody bags and ice cream. Following hot on its heels is the ever-popular Ladies Day on August 5. Other exciting events on the calendar include Diageo Day (August 6), Hats & Harvest Day (18) and Student’s Day (September 16).

Tralee, Co. Kerry, August 21-25 A national institution, the Rose of Tralee returns for its 61st year in 2020. Aside from the main event, which takes place in the atmospheric Festival Dome, the celebration also includes street entertainment, live concerts, theatre, a circus, markets, a funfair and fireworks. Embracing Irish culture and heritage in its countless forms, the festival culminates in the crowning of the Rose of Tralee – a yearlong ambassadorial role that sees the winner representing Ireland and the festival both locally and around the world.

JUST FOR KICKS UFC FIGHT NIGHT 3Arena, Dublin, August 15 Five years on from their last visit, UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation, make their highly anticipated return to Dublin. “We kicked off the year with a phenomenal comeback from Conor McGregor at UFC 246,” UFC Senior Vice President David Shaw reflects. “With Irish fans amongst the most passionate UFC supporters in the world, and Dublin being such an iconic global city, we can’t wait to put on another world class event for our fans there.” While the UFC has yet to announce any of the fighters set to compete on the night, previous UFC Dublin events have featured Conor McGregor, Paddy Holohan, Louis Smolka, Norman Parke, Reza Madadi and Diego Brandão.

EXPERIENCE

TRUE NATURE

• Guided tours

• Newborn Foals

• World Famous Japanese Gardens

• Restaurant

• St. Fiachra’s Garden

• Children’s Playground

• Fairy Trail

• Free Coach/Car Park

• New for 2020: The Irish Racehorse Experience

Irish National Stud & Gardens, Tully, Kildare, Co. Kildare Book your tickets online at www.irishnationalstud.ie T: +353 (0) 45 521617 E: reservations@irishnationalstud.ie

Open 7 Days: 9.00am - 6.00pm (last admission 5.00pm) until November 2nd 2020. Located 30 miles south of Dublin in Kildare, off the M7, Exit 13 onto the R415.

The Heartbreak Kid Having just released his highly anticipated second album Heartbreak Weather, pop superstar Niall Horan talks about Bono, Scarlett Johansson, Paris fashion shows and topping the American charts. Interview Stuart Clark

NIALL HORAN

“W

ow, I didn’t realise that… That’s some club to be in! I’m going to have to phone my Mum up and tell her.” I assumed that Niall Horan would have known that he’s among the elite group of Irish artists – U2, Hozier and Sinéad O’Connor being the others – to have topped the US Billboard album chart, but apparently not. “So Enya hasn’t had a number one there or Van Morrison or Snow Patrol or The Cranberries? It’s absolutely mindblowing to be on the list of people who have. It just shows what a tough country America is to crack. Whether they’ve got to number one somewhere or not, the production rate of talent coming out of Ireland – which probably has less people living in it than the borough of Wandsworth in London – is insane. I love draping the flag over my shoulders and being part of that.” The enthusiasm level goes up another notch as he tells us about meeting fellow club members, U2. “All of the U2 lads are brilliant. Bono left me a video recently. He’s very good at being nice to you. When I played the 3Arena last year, I walked into my dressing room and there was a letter that he’d handwritten – ‘Enjoy the night.’ He drew a little James Joyce-style picture of himself in the corner. Getting a letter from Bono the night I played the 3Arena for the first time on my own; they’re the things I’ll remember forever.” While delighted to have done it multiple times with One Direction – “I’m still trying to process everything that happened to us,” he says – the feeling Niall got from his 2017 solo debut, Flicker, topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic was extra special. “The sense of ownership you feel when it’s your name on the cover and your stories you’re telling is incredible,” notes Horan who straightaway knew where he wanted to head post-1D. “Hundred per cent. I know who I’m into and what my influences are and the kind of music that I want to play. The first four chords I learned were Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’, so I’ve always loved that rocky band dynamic. I remember watching a guitar thing on American TV and Joe Walsh saying, ‘Every song should be written around a riff.’ Some of the greatest riffs you’ve ever heard are in Eagles songs, so he knows what he’s talking about. Another band that fits into that category is Fleetwood Mac. I was raging that I missed them in the RDS. My dad was there and said it worked really well with Neil Finn and yer man from The Heartbreakers. “Anyway, there was no sitting around scratching my head and thinking, ‘What am I going to do next?’ I knew straight off what I wanted Flicker to be.” That Horan is a Britpop child is evident from ‘Nice To Meet Ya’, the flagship single from his new Heartbreak Weather album, which wouldn’t sound out of place on an Arctic Monkeys album. No, really! From frisky (“I wanna blow your mind / Just come with me I swear / I’m gonna take you somewhere warm, you know j’adore la mer”) he goes into downright booty call mode on ‘Small Talk’, which crosses over into Prince territory. “Guilty as charged,” he cackles. “I was trying to replicate the ‘Slow Hands’ vibe but with a bit more grit to it. If you listen to the album from start to finish, it’s me writing about a break-up from all the different angles. ‘Nice To Meet Ya’ and ‘Small Talk’ sit right next to each other because they’re very in your face, ego-driven

F E AT U R E

“Me going to fashion shows in Paris with Sir Ian McKellen... Who do I think I am?”

lyrics. But they’re the moments you have when you go through a break-up. It’s not all sad, it’s like, ‘I’m going out tonight, I’m going to paint the town red!’” It can seem liberating but then a day later you’re crying into your beer. “Yeah, and I did that! It’s not long before you’re, ‘Oh, I’m so sad… me, me, me’ again.’” While the nods to Arctic Monkeys and Prince might only be in my head, Heartbreak Weather definitely sets out to emulate another of the all time musical greats. “I wanted to write the ballad, ‘Put A Little Love On Me’, which was like my Elton John moment with the choice of chords,” he beams. “‘Still’ was another big one for me. I was trying to be self-deprecating but honest. Once you get them ones out of the way, it feels like the rest of the songs will come.” ‘Nice To Meet Ya’ and another of the album standouts, ‘San Francisco’, find Niall collaborating with one-woman Dublin hit factory Ruth-Anne Cunningham. “I’ve known Ruth-Anne for years. She was mates with John Ryan and Julian Bunetta who did all the One Direction stuff. They were living in a similar area in Malibu and she was part of the 1D team. Ruth-Anne and me get on really well – obviously the Irish thing helps – so it was a case of, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’ It seems like every time we get together we write something really good.” I don’t have the Gok Wan credentials to tell whether the immaculately tailored check shirt he’s wearing today is one of Paul Smith’s, but Niall has become something of a walking billboard for the British designer whose 50 years in the biz bash he attended recently in Paris. 16

“Paul Smith is a legend,” he enthuses. “He’s a fashion legend. He’s the greatest man that ever rocked the planet. He’s the nicest fella. He also makes phenomenal clothes. I had a really great time hanging out with Sir Ian McKellen who’s another diamond and loads of young British actors like Jon Hamm and Mark Strong. There were people there I didn’t get to talk to like Anna Wintour who’s the godmother of fashion, isn’t she? Me going to fashion shows in Paris with Sir Ian McKellen… who do I think I am?” The designer threads and equally expensive haircut aside, what’s striking about Niall Horan is just how unaffected by all of this he is. I’ve met pop stars who’ve felt the need to ram their success and wealth down your throat – according to the latest Heat Magazine Rich List, Niall is worth an extremely cool €67.7 million – but were you to run into him in Danny Byrne’s or the Number 1 (how apt) you’d think he was just a normal Mullingar lad out for a few bevvies. “Stop it, you’re making me feel homesick,” he pleads as I reel off the names of his favourite hometown boozers. “There are nights when I’m in New York or Sydney or wherever and just want to jump on a plane back to Ireland to see my friends and family. The longer I spend away from Mullingar the more I want to come home. I’m going to make it a thing to get back a lot more this year when there are gaps in my schedule.” Er, what gaps? Along with his considerable pop star duties, Niall is a partner in Modest! Golf Management, which looks after the likes of Ben Stow, Guido Migliozzi, Jack Singh Barr and Leona Maguire, and along with Cian Boylan and Niall Breslin a co-founder of Dublin 8’s Camden Recording Studios whose recent visitors include Loah, Hudson Taylor, Gavin James, Stephanie Rainey, Tebi Rex and Kodaline. And that really is just for starters. “As I was saying earlier, this is a golden age in terms of Irish music,” Niall resumes. “Camden is the greatest studio in the country. We got that new desk last year and Bressie and the lads are running it really well on a daily basis. I’ve recorded bits of stuff there over the years, but never full songs or an album, which I’d love to do in Camden. The only danger is I’d be running round to Whelan’s all the time for pints!” Niall had another pinch-me-am-I-dreaming moment before Christmas when he appeared on Saturday Night Live. “To get that call from Lorne Michaels who started the show 45 years ago was insane,” he reflects. “For me, performing at the Grammys and doing Saturday

NIALL HORAN

“I was lucky enough to go on a couple of stadium tours with One Direction and play to 80,000 people at Croke Park, which was one of the best nights of my life.” Night Live would be on a par. Scarlett Johansson was the host, so it was a really good one to be on. I did it with One Direction back in the day, but was too young to realise what SNL is and the place it has in American culture. It’s like being Irish and appearing on the The Late Late Show. Everyone you know suddenly goes, ‘Oh, he hasn’t been wasting his time!’ That’s one you get your granny up for.” I’m not normally a man who’s prone to envy, but I’m green that Niall got up close and reasonably personal with Ms. Johansson. “She was so nice,” he says making it even worse. “You give up pretty much your whole week for Saturday Night Live. As the musical guest, I got to perform two songs – ‘Nice To Meet Ya’ and ‘Put A Little Love On Me’ – and was invited to do a skit, which had me, Scarlett and one of the SNL regulars, Cecily Strong, as singing ghosts in a hot tub. I’m no actor as you can tell, but I wasn’t turning that down. You arrive up on the Wednesday and do the camera block and the soundcheck. I got written into that skit so went back on Thursday and Friday to rehearse. You rehearse again on the Saturday when they’ve built the set and got all the lights in place. The whole hustle and bustle is crazy. You can sense that the crew has been doing it for a long time. The cameramen are New York dudes who’ve seen it all – and then some. You can feel the history and prestige of the show. It’s very much a ‘if these walls could talk’ type thing.” Was he nervous following in the musical footsteps of such legendary SNL guests as REM, Tom Petty, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, the aforementioned Prince and Sinéad O’Connor? “I was,” he shoots back. “I’ve watched loads of those old clips on YouTube, so I knew how massive a deal it was. It was great, though. Another one I get really, really nervous doing because I watch it myself is Graham Norton. Trying to keep cool when you’re sat on a sofa with Olivia Colman, Helena Bonham Carter, Chadwick Boseman and Richard Ayoade is not easy.” As you read this, Niall is locked into intensive rehearsals for the opening US leg of the Nice To Meet Ya world tour, which kicks off on April 20 in Nashville and finds his close pal Lewis 17

Capaldi coming along for the ride. “When Lewis was starting, he had a couple of little YouTube videos and songs released and a small number of Spotify listens so I reached out to him and said, ‘Love your voice, man. It’d be great if we could write together or go for a pint or whatever.’ We had a few beers and became good mates straight away; it was probably the Celtic thing. We were like, ‘Let’s go on tour together.’” Niall and his (for the time being) former One Direction bandmates always made it look easy, but being away from home at such a young age must have been tough at times. “Yeah,” he nods. “I was having so much fun that I didn’t probably think about it, but in hindsight you’re like, ‘I’d loved to have gone home a little bit more.’ If you spend weeks and weeks on tour, there are going to be ‘I can’t be bothered tonight…’ moments. I’ve never been a crazy overthinker. I’ve never had mad anxiety or anything like that, but I can understand why some musicians struggle with being on the road and the fandemonium. It’s the same for people in general; life can be tough.” Before if he was having a bad day there were four then three other lads to share the heavy lifting, whereas now it’s all down to Niall. “To be fair, I’ve always had a really good team around me,” he says. “My parents and friends are on the end of the phone and come out on the road with me if they need to or I want them to. We met through an audition-type process, but having toured together I’ve become really good friends with all the lads in the band. Jake, who’s the same age as me, is one of the best guitar players I’ve ever seen. His taste, his touch and his ear are just insane. He’s become, along with me, our musical director and is really to the forefront when we play live.” I was talking to another of Niall’s mates recently, Gavin James, who told me about the time he was given a lift back to Dublin in One Direction’s private jet. “Did he mention that? Yeah, I was coming home for Christmas so I said, ‘Do you want to jump on?’ I don’t do stuff like that often, but when I do it’s nice to share it with people. Gavin and me have had a great time touring together. Gav’s incredible. Great songwriter, great singer, great guy; I love him.” He’s already listed a good few of them, but before we let him disappear into the Dublin night – a high-stool beckons somewhere near Grafton Street – what are Niall’s other wouldn’t swap ‘em for the world moments? “Whether it’s Freddie Mercury and Queen at Wembley or Bruce Springsteen, who I’m a massive fan of, somewhere in New Jersey, the greatest moments in music have always been in stadiums,” he concludes. “I was lucky enough to go on a couple of stadium tours with One Direction and play to 80,000 people at Croke Park, which was one of the best nights of my life. Right now, though, what’s most amazing is discovering that I’m one of only four Irish artists who’ve got to number one in America. I’m just going to make that phone call to my mum…” • Heartbreak Weather is out now. Niall brings the Nice To Meet Ya tour to the Belfast SSE Arena (October 27) & Dublin 3Arena (30 &31).

F E AT U R E

When The Going Gets Ruff

Having scored international hits with Sherlock, House Of Cards and The Witcher, LARS MIKKELSEN has brought it all back home with ecclesiastical drama, Ride Upon The Storm.

“S

Words: Stuart Clark.

ome people are really angry with me about it. There’s a belief in modern society that as an actor you should be atheist or otherwise your art is compromised. Religion is part of my life, yeah, but if a really good role as a devil worshipper comes along I’ll still take it!” Celebrated Scandi actor Lars Mikkelsen is talking to me about his recent baptism at the age of 53 into the National Church of Denmark. He’s already proven his point about it not impacting on his work choices by playing Stregobor, the Kovirian sorcerer and adherer to the Curse of the Black Sun in The Witcher, more of which anon. Making his spiritual awakening even more newsworthy 18

– “It’s received a lot of coverage in Denmark,” he notes – is the fact it happened while Lars was shooting the first series of Ride Upon The Storm, a drama about a family of priests who can trace their roots back 250 years. He plays Johannes Krogh, a patriarch pastor who’s constantly veering from the path of righteousness. “My wife says I take something away from all of my roles,” he laughs again. “To play such a flawed character has been an immense joy. The moral and ethical dilemmas within him are such good material for an actor. Johannes just keeps crossing the line in terms of his behaviour. You’ve got to hand it to the writer, Adam Price, who I worked with previously on Borgen. Coming up with a series about priests in Denmark and expecting it to be a hit; that is daring. Ride Upon The Storm is not easy watching. There’s no crime story.” Ride Upon The Storm isn’t all ecclesiastical intrigue,

TV SPECIAL

“To play such a flawed character has been an immense joy. The moral and ethical dilemmas within him are such good material for an actor.”

(clockwise from main) Lars in Sherlock The Witcher Ride Upon The Door and House Of Cards.

though, with a parallel plot that takes Johannes’ youngest son, August, to Afghanistan where 250 Danish soldiers have either been killed or wounded since being deployed there in 2003. Returning home with extreme PTSD, August jumps out in front of a lorry in a season one climax that had Mikkelsen shedding tears. “We spent three-quarters of a year shooting that first series, during which time we all became good friends and very emotionally invested in what we were doing,” he explains. “You become a sort of father to these young actors, and they a son to you. They phone me up asking for my advice, which usually is: ‘You know what I did when I was your age? Well, do the exact opposite!’ “Series two is all about the consequences of August dying. What sort of impact does it have on the relationships between the people, and what impact does it have on their faith? Does anybody learn anything from this?” During the few months that he wasn’t filming Ride Upon The Storm, Mikkelsen managed to link up with Henry Cavill, Freya Allan and the other heavy hitters appearing in The Witcher, which has now officially replaced The Mandalorian as the most in-demand streaming show in the world. “It was such a big shoot,” he reflects. “I haven’t been out of Denmark much since it aired on Netflix, but I’m starting 19

to feel the impact of it now.” Which of his characters is he recognised as most? “Here, it could be Troels from The Killing or Søren from Borgen. Internationally, Viktor Petrov from House Of Cards has an incredible resonance. I was walking in Manhattan and these Russian guys swarmed around me going, ‘Woooooarrrrrgh, Viktor, Viktor!’“ Did he realise whilst filming The Witcher that it was going to be such a gargantuan hit? “You don’t ever really know how successful it’s going to be The Killing had a good crowd of viewers here, but no one thought it was going to be an international phenomenon and have people joking about Sarah’s jumpers. We were sort of, ‘The English like it? Why?’” Lars’ first foreign language gig was playing Jack Reynor’s dad in Lenny Abrahamson’s What Richard Did. “It was a happy shoot for me but maybe not Lenny because my Irish accent was terrible,” he recalls. “After 20 minutes he was like, ‘Drop it!’ So I’m the most Danish sounding Dubliner ever!” • Ride Upon The Storm S2 premieres on Channel 4 at 11am on April 5. The box-set will be available immediately after via-Walter Presents on Channel4.com, which also has the whole of S1 on catch-up.

The 10 Hottest TV From Disney fantasies and Celtic-themed superheroes to football dramas and ribtickling comedies, ED POWER brings you the ultimate viewing guide – which might take until Christmas to finish watching…

1. The Mandalorian (Disney +)

3. The English Game (Netflix)

Just arrived in ireland, Disney’s new streaming service is aimed largely at kids and teens. One exception is Jon Favreau’s fantastic Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars series. With the dreadful Rise of Skywalker still a lingering memory, the new show is the ultimate palate-cleanser. Pedro Pascal stars as the eponymous interstellar bounty hunter, whose life and career are changed forever when he has a run-in with cuddly alien Baby Yoda

As you would expect of Julian Fellowes the class politics in this soccer original story are… a bit strange. Surly mill workers are lined up against noble Old Etonians in a war for the soul of the sport which, in the 1870s, is just getting started. Yet there is a compelling true story tacked on as Fellowes traces the rise of Scottish player Fergus Suter, one of the first professional footballers and a pioneer of the passing game that would transform the sport. For those who like that sort of thing, the frocks are fab too.

2. The Boys (Amazon Prime) The Cult of the Superhero is taken down in the goriest fashion in this funny, sometimes profound and often violent satire of caped crusaders and their role in society. Alan Moore’s Watchmen made much the same point – but The Boys is zingier, pacier and so much more gleeful. With Dominique McElligott as Celtic-themed Wonder Woman Queen Maeve. 20

4. Ozark Season Three (Netflix) Season three of Netflix’s riff on Breaking Bad stars Laura Linney and Jason Bateman as a sniping husbandand-wife who also running their own home-grown crime empire. Clichéd and derivative it may be, but the pace is cracking, the leads compelling.

TV SPECIAL

Shows On The Planet! 5. Altered Carbon Season Two

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NETFLIX AND AMAZON STUDIOS

(Netflix)

Anthony Mackie takes over from Joel Kinnaman as immortal cyberpunk anti-hero Takeshi Kovacs. The setting is a far future where death has been cheated and, those who can afford it, are downloaded over and over into fresh bodies or “sleeves”. Thus Kovacs comes back as MCU-star Mackie and is immediately tasked with solving a murder on his home planet. The real mystery, however, is why he can’t get a problematic ex-lover out of his head.

6. Good Omens (Amazon Prime) Neil Gaiman’s adaptation of his 1990 novel with Terry Pratchett is at moments awfully pleased with itself. Yet this is urban fantasy escapism of the first order, with David Tennant and Michael Sheen as devil-and-angel frenemies whose cozy understanding is thrown off-kilter when God decides to trigger the apocalypse.

7. Fleabag (Amazon Prime) We could all do with a laugh. As it turns out, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s tart observational comedy is just the tonic in these weird times. As the titular selfish-but-adrift millennial she sweeps you back to the days when our problems were bite-sized and often just in our heads. However, with Waller-Bridge’s character quietly morning a friend who took their own life, Fleabag doubles as a powerful meditation on grief.

8. Forever (Amazon Prime) Comedians Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen will crack you up as a middled-aged married couple who suddenly find they are forced to spend a lot more time together than they had ever imagined. When it was released several years ago, Forever was received as a dark relationship fantasy. Now… it feels like a diary entry ripped from all our lives. 21

9. Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance (Netflix)

More escapism! Netflix’s prequel to the classic Jim Henson fantasy is set in a fantastical world of feuding elf-like creatures and wicked magic turkeys. Just like Game of Thrones only with less incest and more latex.

10. Next In Fashion (Netflix) Part of a new trend in kinder, sweeter reality TV. Alexa Chung and Tan France are the presenters in a series in which successful designers looking to take their business to the next level vie for a deal with Net-a-Porter and a $250,000 first prize. It should be a frenzy of back-stabbing. Yet everyone is so nice it makes your heart swell.

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Hunting High & Wicklow Country-pop artist and Wicklow native Luan Parle discusses her excellent new album Never Say Goodbye, bouncing back from career disappointments, and her child star past. Interview Jackie Hayden

uan Parle is not in a hurry. Everything about her suggests a woman who lives life at her own pace, with appropriate attention to detail. Her new album, Never Say Goodbye, is her first in 10 years and features a couple of songs written with Hal Lindes, the ex-Dire Straits guitarist. It also has New York-based violinist Deni Bonet adding fresh tones to two tracks, all under the watchful of eye of award-winning Wexford guitarist Clive Barnes. When I meet Luan, she’s in the middle of a whirlwind promo stint. Between visits to radio stations, she switches effortlessly into interview mode. “I had a very clear vision for the album,” she notes. “The songs were written, so Clive and 22

I approached the recording from the point of view of only adding to the songs what they really needed. Sometimes you can be tempted to add and add just because it’s possible, but we didn’t want to overload the tracks. We gave the songs space to breathe.” And breathe they do. Tracks like ‘My Something Beautiful’, ‘Change Your Mind’ and ‘Falling For You’ are immediately accessible, yet reward repeat listens. “We started with me going into a studio in Kilkenny with Thomas Donoghue,” explains Parle. “We laid down guitar and vocals for each song, and then Clive built carefully from there with drums, bass and guitars. I had the confidence in the songs to guide us. It was all very organic. It just grew into exactly the album I wanted to make, with the help of some very talented people.”

L U A N PA R L E

“I knew that a lot of money had been spent on me, and I had to learn that in the end you’re a product.” While Luan is happy to be described as a country singer, she’s wary of the clichés of the genre. “My voice always comes out country anyway,” she reflects. “We could have added a steel guitar or whatever, but I wanted the album to float freely, so it could be appreciated by country, pop and rock fans. That’s exactly what appears to be happening.” Pressed as to her musical inspirations, Parle acknowledges Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith and Stevie Nicks. However, she’s also tuned into the current music scene, and is keen to emphasise that Irish music now is better than ever. Indeed, the singer reels off a veritable who’s who of contemporary Irish acts, including John Blek, Marlene Enright – who she’s seen frequently in the White Horse in Ballincollig – and Wexford’s Basciville. This new slew of talent is nationwide, she says, covering all ages and styles of music. And the connection with the aforementioned Hal Lindes? Parle explains that she’d worked with him before. “In selecting the tracks for the album I thought two of them needed something extra,” she explains. “Getting the kind of flavour he brings to a record appealed to me. I sent the files to LA and he worked his magic on both tracks there!” Not all artists have the honesty to admit that something they’ve done falls a little short of genius. “I suppose it’s a sign of musical maturity,” she suggests. “I’m sure there was a time when I thought everything I did was perfect, but the music scene soon knocks that out of you!” In fact, her interactions with the Industry of Human Happiness have taken her on the proverbial rollercoaster ride. “I was signed at the age of 12,” recalls Parle, “although my parents were smart enough to make me finish my education before letting me head off to LA. But I ended up being signed with Sony Music and Elton John’s management company, Twenty-First Artists.” 23

The singer’s CV shows how she went from appearing on The Late Late Toy Show aged 11, singing her own song, and hanging out at the Cannes Film Festival, to critically-acclaimed albums, driving around LA in a flash limo, and touring with James Blunt. She also opened for Elton himself on tour, scooping awards and living it up in celebrity-ville. Her top 10 hit single ‘Ghost’ spent three months in the Irish charts, and was the most-played Irish single of 2008, featuring on several top-selling compilation albums. Then one day the bubble burst. “I was invited into Sony’s office in Dublin, where they explained to me that although sales in Ireland were really good, they were not enough to justify doing any more albums. So they were letting me go,” she recounts. “I was totally devastated. People wonder why I wasn’t already aware that this is what happens in business when the numbers don’t add up, but I think I was in a naive bubble of my own, because I had gone into the industry so young. I knew that a lot of money had been spent on me, and I had to learn that in the end you’re a product. But this experience really scarred me. I was very peeved with the industry, though I never lost the love of the music. It wrecked my confidence and it took me a long while to get it back. But now it is!” Confidence restored, Parle says that she would not be put off entering another label deal if the right one came along. However, she’d be more aware of the pitfalls now. She also knows that it’s a totally different industry, and admits she’s still learning. “You have to embrace it because you can’t change it and you can’t fight it,” she says. “So with the new album, it’s self-released and that brings both pressure and a sense of freedom.” Parle is keen to share her experiences and observations with younger musicians. She has been on the Board of IASCA (Irish Association of Songwriters, Composers and Authors) since its inception in 2009. Perhaps in that guise she says that, “Irish radio could support Irish artists more, as they do in other countries. I believe there’s some extraordinary music coming out of Ireland and I feel it big time when I go into classrooms. Now that songwriting is part of the Junior Cycle, the quality is going to get even better. We should nurture it and cherish it more.” • Never Say Goodbye is out now.

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A N D R E W H U N T E R M U R R AY

Day Of Reckoning Set in a not-too-distant future, in which the Earth has stopped spinning, QI scriptwriter Andrew Hunter Murray’s bestselling novel, The Last Day, has set the literary world alight.

Interview Edwin McFee

ast month, Andrew Hunter Murray released his debut novel The Last Day. Best known as a scriptwriter/fact hunter for TV show QI, a co-host of the mega-successful spinoff podcast No Such Thing As Fish, and a journalist/joke wielder for Private Eye, his book is a page-turner that taps into the current thirst for dystopian dramas. Telling a tale set 40 years in the future, of an isolationist Britain and a broken world that has literally stopped turning, the apocalyptic subject matter marks a change of pace for the polymath. While he didn’t expect his debut to be as dark as it is, he’s happy to show another side of himself. “I always wanted to write a book, but I was convinced it was going to be a funny one,” says the indefatigable Londoner, who also co-founded the Jane Austen improv show Austentatious. “Then when I had the thought of the Earth hanging in space with its rotation ground to a halt, I felt I needed to know what happened in that world, and here we are. When I was growing up, I read a lot of sci-fi books, thrillers and stuff set in other worlds. So there’s always been that other side to my interests, I just hadn’t found a way of expressing it.” Though Andrew’s novel is set four decades in the future, the plot about political machinations and Blighty pulling up the drawbridge is informed by current concerns. “It’s really a book about now in many ways,” he notes, “but told through this device of the world’s rotation stopping. I think writers can’t help but be influenced by the times they’re living in – especially in science fiction. That’s the job of sci-fi, in some respects – not to show the future, but to show the here and now in a different way.” The past few years have seen a huge increase in demand for dystopian tales. Is this current climate of uncertainty the cause of it? “I think so,” he nods. “At the moment, individuals feel very powerless in front of these huge forces and upheavals around them. That means stories like mine are appealing, because they reflect that disparity between what any individual can do, and the massive changes that seem to be happening. “There’ll always be a fascination with the end of the world, and every generation will probably like to think that the end of the world is nigh. But for ours it’s especially significant, because

we now have lots of good data to back that fear up! Basically, if the apocalypse isn’t soon, it’s closer than it was a few years ago. The effect we’re having on all the other species on the planet is extraordinary.” Currently receiving rave reviews and featuring in many bestseller lists, it’s no surprise to learn that the screen rights for The Last Day have been snapped up. Andrew tells us he’s happy to hand his baby over to someone else. He’s also excited about what the filmmakers might do with the concept of corrupt governments and a decimated world, where one half is constantly in darkness and the other always in light. “Am I comfortable letting someone else tell my story?” he muses. “Well, at some point, your baby has to go to school and make its way out into the big wide world. So I’m thrilled about it really. The process of publishing involves a lot of letting go, and I have to remind myself it’s no longer my little project. It genuinely also belongs to people who are reading it and imagining it from the other side. I’ll be intrigued to see what they come up with.” And how about the casting of main character Ellen Hopper? We can see Kelly Macdonald killing it as the thorn in the side of Richard Davenport’s regime… “I don’t know Kelly’s work that well but I think she’d be great,” says Hunter Murray. “Someone suggested Alicia Vikander as a potential Hopper to me, which I thought was a really good shout. I’m happy for anyone to take the role and make it their own.” Andrew reveals that he’d love to revisit the world he’s built (or should that be broken?) for a sequel to The Last Day. “There’s plenty of scope for stories set in this world,” he reckons. “I’d really like to write a sequel, but I can’t say what it would involve for fear of spoilers. I’ve another book I’m working on right now. Some of the themes of The Last Day are in this one, but it’s slightly different. I now just have to keep my head down and struggle with it. “I’ve also always wanted to turn my short stories into podcasts, but haven’t gotten around to it yet,” he adds. “They’re just sitting there waiting for when I have a free moment. I’d love to get them out into the world. They’re a bit funny, but now that I’m ‘a serious dystopian writer’, I don’t know if people would be into them (laughs).”

“The effect we’re having on all the other species on the planet is extraordinary.”

• The Last Day is out now, published by Hutchinson.

•

Where Lit’s At

•

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Paul Nolan previews the must-read titles of summer 2020.

IRISH Exciting Times

effort. Set in 1997, The Dirty South finds Parker on the trail of a killer targeting young women in rural Arkansas. Expect the usual intense gothic atmosphere and gripping narrative twists from one of Irelan’d’s premier thriller writers.

Naoise Dolan (W&N)

Publishing houses have spent a lot of the last 12 months attempting to find the next Sally Rooney, and one of the authors to have attracted that billing is Naoise Dolan. However, advance notices suggest Dolan is a singular literary talent in her own right, with Exciting Times a compelling examination of a Hong Kong love triangle between a banker, an Irish ex-pat and a half-Singaporean, half-Chinese lawyer. Politics, class, urban life and the neurosis of modern love are all explored in this hotly anticipated effort.

We Are Not In The World Conor O’Callaghan

The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually Helen Cullen (Michael Joseph)

Having been shortlisted for Newcomer Of The Year at the 2018 Irish Book Awards for The Lost Letters Of William Woolf, Cullen’s sophomore outing focuses on the Moone family, who experience tragedy after gathering on an island off the west of Ireland. As the Moone kids wrestle with who their mother and father truly are, we revisits their parents’ past – which holds the key to a future none of the family could have predicted.

INTERNATIONAL

(Doubleday)

The follow-up to his debut Nothing On Earth – a psychological thriller described by John Banville as being “as fine as it is frightening” – Dundalk native O’Callaghan’s latest book focuses on a father and daughter, who attempt to repair their relationship as they travel by road from England to the south of France. Complex psychological dynamics and past tensions surface as they make their tentative steps at reconciliation.

The Dirty South John Connolly

(Hodder & Stoughton)

Connolly explores the origin story of his celebrated anti-hero, Detective Charlie Parker, in this hotly anticipated

The Mirror & The Light Hillary Mantel (Fourth Estate)

One of the literary events of the year will be the publication of Mantel’s final installment in the Wolf Hall trilogy, which reached an enormous new audience via its adaptation into a hit BBC series. Excitement is at fever pitch for the novel, as Mantel brings to her conclusion her saga about Henry VIII’s courtier Thomas Cromwell. The publishers have promised that The Mirror & The Light will be “every bit as thrilling and daring” as the previous installments, with Mantel muchfancied in some quarters to complete a hat-trick of Booker wins.

The Boy From The Woods Harlan Coben

(Penguin)

In the intriguing premise for master thriller writer Coben’s latest, ex-soldier and security expert Wilde - who in his youth was discovered as a feral child living in the woods - is contacted by attorney Harvey Crimstein, who needs him to locate a missing girl. This is the cue for a gripping tale which exposes Wilde to the dark secrets of the girl’s hometown, as he embarks on the dangerous mission to locate her.

Mountain Road, Late At Night Alan Rossi

(Pan Macmillan)

When couple Nicholas and April are killed driving home to their remote cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the question emerges of who will look after their young son, Jack. As Nicholas’s brother and April mother’s travel to meet the child, they are each forced to confront their own demons. Mountain Road, Late At Night is one of the most keenly awaited debuts of the year and one of the summer’s must-reads.

Utopia Avenue David Mitchell (Penguin)

The latest novel from the awardwinning author of Cloud Atlas will be one of the summer’s biggest books. It explores the power and cultural impact of music throuh the eponymous rock group, who emerge from the ‘60s psychedelic scene in London and go on to conquer Top Of The Pops, before their further adventures take them to further glory in Amsterdam, prison in Rome and a fateful journey to San Francisco in the autumn of 1968.

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INSOLVENCY SERVICE OF IRELAND

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A Hanrahan For All Seasons

Following the recent release of Beautiful Affair: A Stockton’s Wing Retrospective, the trad legends’ Mike Hanrahan discusses their enduring legacy, supporting Prince, and their kinship with Christy Moore and The Dubliners. Interview Jackie Hayden

alfway through our tete-a-tete, in the salubrious surroundings of the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire, Mike Hanrahan admits that only once has he been tempted to depart from his normally stoical acceptance of life’s twists and turns. “I don’t think of things that might have been,” he shrugs. “I just move on. Although there is one exception; I’d love to have been on Top of The Pops with the band. We nearly made it, actually. The single ‘Beautiful Affair’ crept into the lower reaches of the UK charts and the record company told us to have our suits ready, because if it went up the following week, we’d be on Top of The Pops. Sadly, the single went down, but the very idea of Stockton’s Wing on Top Of The Pops still brings a smile to my face.” Hanrahan was Stockton’s Wing main provider of original 28

songs, including such out-and-out pop hits as ‘Beautiful Affair’ and ‘Walk Away’. But he brings the same philosophy to songwriting as he does to the rest of his life. “You soon learn that not every song works,” he notes. “Sometimes I’ve set off with an idea convinced I can turn it into a serious winner. But even if I ended up back where I started, I always enjoyed going on that journey. You also have to have the inner strength to deal with someone you trust telling you that the song’s awful, because maybe it is! I learned that the hard way when I’d bring what I thought were works of genius to the lads in Stockton’s Wing, who would never be shy about setting me straight on that one. “But the great thing about music is that the journey’s always worth it, even if it doesn’t take you very far. It’s the same with the band. All the disappointments and hardships pale into nothingness compared to the joys of that journey. Stockton’s Wing was a great band, and we had wonderful

MIKE HANRAHAN

times touring all over Ireland and the world. We played some great music and made some terrific friends.” The new compilation Beautiful Affair: A Stockton’s Wing Retrospective is a timely reminder of that journey, featuring over 40 remastered tracks. Hanrahan worked with Corkman Stan Roche, to put the tracklist together. There’s over a dozen previously unavailable on CD, plus duets with The Dubliners and Christy Moore, and brand new live recordings from the latest incarnation of the band. It must be tricky choosing, with such a back catalogue to work with. “It was great to have an objective view too,” Mike reflects. “Leaving fine tracks out was the hardest part, but it was comforting also to realise how much great material there is that we couldn’t fit in. It was a delight for me to revisit those albums and see how each of them represented a different phase of the band’s growth. The line-up was always transient, so there was a constant stream of fresh thinking coming into the band. I reckon we had at least 30 musicians over the years – people like drummer Fran Breen, John Walsh on bass, Anto Drennan, the list goes on.”

as a songwriter, I was always conscious of the importance of radio play, so you’d make sure that an album had a couple of catchy, radio-friendly tunes that weren’t too long.” Over the years, Stockton’s Wing worked with top producers of the calibre of Bill Whelan, Shawn Davey, PJ Curtis, Andrew Boland and Steve Cooney. As Hanrahan emphasises, “Each of them brought something unique to us. I did some production work myself, so I know you have to have that autonomy in sound, and that’s what I’d expect from any producer. We’d have the raw material and they’d add to that. Of course, Stockton’s Wing were always open to ideas. That’s the key to it. You have to trust the producer to take the music a bit further. “I remember PJ Curtis used to quote a famous Nashville producer who said, ‘If you’ve got nothing to say, say nothin’’. Recording with Bill Whelan was always terrific fun. We avoided working with producers we thought might be too dictatorial, who might want to make it their album rather than the one the band wanted.” Hanrahan warns that, in this regard, young bands are particularly susceptible to having their albums hijacked by a producer, ending up with work that doesn’t fulfill their own musical ambitions. “Still, bands can always benefit from the right kind of outside perspective,” he says. “They often send you off with a bit of fresh thinking. In a sense, every band has to find the way that works best for them. Then again, it was the nature of Stockton’s Wing to be always on the lookout for challenging pieces. We always had a sense of adventure about new ideas. My brother Kieran presents Ceili House on RTÉ, but I’ve seen him with a bandana on stage rockin’ it up with a banjo. We’d pay attention to the staging, the lighting, flares, smoke bombs, the lot. It was all part of the creative journey.” Stockton’s Wing inspired a generation of Irish musicians to explore and experiment. Pushed to name an album that best represents the band, Mike plumps for Light In The Western Sky. “We were young. It was only our third album and it had a lot of original music on it. PJ Curtis produced it, with the engineer Brian Masterson. There was magic in the air from start to finish.” Over the decades, the group forged friendships and musical partnerships with many of Irish music’s most renowned acts.

“We did the Prince gig in Cork in 1990. We didn’t realise our time was nearly up.”

Stockton’s Wing back in the day

CHALLENGING PIECES The sleeve credits do indeed read like a who’s who of Irish music, dotted with names like Hanrahan’s brother Kieran (who has since become a successful radio presenter); Steve Cooney; Mel Mercier; Noel Eccles; Tommy Hayes; and Greg Boland. Stockton’s Wing’s open-mindedness, raw musical talent and their versatility meant they could switch seamlessly from soft, reflective ballads to full monty diddley-eye. There’s even a fun funk-folk element to ‘Skidoo’, and ‘Hey Marsha’ wouldn’t require much tweaking to find a home in a big-haired poodle rock outfit, its references to Gandhi and Martin Luther King notwithstanding. Hanrahan wrote that song with John Walsh for the album Full Flight. “We deliberately wanted to push it into an area slightly beyond the band’s normal reach,” he recalls. “People underestimate how open to other types of music most trad players are, and Stockton’s Wing were on to that from day one. That album also has ‘Over The Moors’, which most people would recognise as the theme tune for Joe Duffy’s radio programme. In fact, at that stage of my career 29

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Stockton’s Wing today

“The recent gigs we’ve done have gone so well and were so much fun, it would be crazy not to do more of them.” “There’s so much mutual respect,” says Mike. “I’m not only a big fan of Christy Moore as a musician, but as a decent gentleman too. We toured Australia with Planxty and Christy. But at the start of Stockton’s Wing, The Dubliners took us on and sort of looked after us. We were in awe of them and I think they saw us as kids who needed a bit of minding. Kieran’s party piece was an intricate banjo piece called ‘Barney’s Mozart’, obviously a nod to Barney McKenna. I also loved the sound of Ronnie Drew’s voice and was honoured to work with him later. He also sang on my own song ‘We Had It All’.” A DA N G E R O U S T H I N G Hanrahan reckons that the band were at their peak around the Self-Aid gig in 1986. “Then in 1988, we brought out the Celtic Roots Revival album and it didn’t really sell. That was when things began to slacken off. In 1988 we played before Michael Jackson at both his concerts in Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork. And the following year, we made a guest appearance with Sammy Davis Junior in Lansdowne Road as part of his world tour with Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli. We did the Prince gig in Cork in 1990. These were massive highlights, but we didn’t realise our time was nearly up. “In 1992, we recorded The Crooked Rose album with producer Bill Whelan. It’s arguably our creative peak, but it had very little impact at all. That marked the end for me. Travelling around doing the gigs had become drudgery, and you’re on stage when you don’t want to be there. Someone said recently that you couldn’t pigeonhole the band because we dabbled in pop, rock and trad in a very inventive way, and that might not have helped. I don’t think there was a band like us, either before or since. We never conformed. We could do a gig in Prince’s club in Philadelphia, then do a gig for the Ancient Order of 30

Hibernians, and then do a dinner dance back home. It’d be the same set more or less each night. We had three allIreland champion players in Maurice Lennon, Paul Roche and Kieran. Tommy Hayes on the bodhran was a genius. But it probably had to end sometime, and it did until the reunion gigs came along.” I bring up the issue of alcohol which has taken its toll on Irish musicians, not least among the folk and trad communities. “Alcohol is a dangerous thing, not least on the long tours away from home,” Mike nods. “You fool yourself into thinking you can man up and do it every night, but you can’t, and at some point your body reacts. I remember one earth-shattering experience when I just couldn’t play the guitar on stage during a gig as part of a really long German tour. The nerves in my hands were gone. That was the result of too much drink at too many late-night parties after every gig.” After the Wing went into cold storage, Hanrahan enjoyed a successful period as a solo artist. “I regard myself as blessed in that I’ve always had a project or two on the go with such wonderful artists as Maura O’Connell, the late Ronnie Drew, Eleanor Shanley and Leslie Dowdall. It helps that I admire all of them both as artists and as people. I also took up a subsidiary life as a cook for about 10 years and published the book Beautiful Affair, which not only covers my personal and musical lives, but has a good sprinkling of my favourite recipes. I love cooking, though the lure of music was too much for me.” And what are the future plans for Stockton’s Wing? “The recent gigs we’ve done have gone so well and were so much fun, it would be crazy not to do more of them,” says Mike. “We actually have a live album recorded by the current line-up. Who knows, there might even be a few albums in us yet. I’m just really excited about making music again.” • Beautiful Affair: A Stockton’s Wing Retrospective is out now on Tara Music.

FOOD

Stepping up to the Plate With restaurant dining currently on hold – and mindful of all the great food and drink producers on the island of Ireland – Stuart Clark brings you the ten things you have absolutely have to try this summer. From wickedly hot chilli sauces to apple-y ales, we have you covered!

4 1

• summer food special

Some Like It Hot

If you really want to turn the heat levels up this summer try Mic’s Chilli, a range of devilishly delicious sauces handmade from habaneros and other natural ingredients in their secret dungeon in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow. Or that’s how they pitch the story! Designed for both cooking and dipping, Mic’s are available from the likes of Fresh, Fallon & Byrne, Avoca, Harvey Nichols, select Supervalus and from the micschilli.com shop.

To Fry For

It hasn’t caused a Gregg’s vegan sausage roll-type furor yet, but Kelly’s Of Newport in Mayo have their award-winning Vegetarian Pudding available from Aldi stores. Using a soya base and a special blend of

spices, the master butchers have created a remarkably meaty taste and texture. kellysbutchers.com.

Our Condiments To The Chef

Made with much love in Dublin by former Hong Kong resident Katie Sanderson is White Masu, a peanut, sesame, honey, crispy garlic – are you drooling yet? – and Korean chili flake condiment that’s great slathered onto steaks and scrambled eggs, and even better eaten out of the jar. Buy it in Asian stores and other specialist delis and from whitemasu.com.

Once You Pop…

You definitely won’t be able to stop eating the cinemastyle Salty & Sweet Golden

Popcorn from Antrim town, which is distributed Ireland-wide. Despite its decadently delicious flavour, it’s actually quite virtuous and both gluten and GM-free. goldenpopcor.com.

When It Comes To The Crunch

While Tayto, O’Donnell’s and Keogh’s are always welcome in our lunchbox and picnic hamper, it is the good folk from Clinton’s in Skerries, Co. Dublin whose Mature Cheddar & Red Onion combo is our go-to crisp at the moment. Stuck between two slices of white batch with lots of Irish butter, there is no finer comfort food. Along with a growing number of food and petrol forecourt shops, you can always get them from clintonscrisps.com

SUMMER FOOD SPECIAL

6 8

Slice Of Life

Having been road tested at farmers’ markets, Dublin’s Sweet Potato Pizza Co. has launched in SuperValu and other fine food stores. Bonafidely one of your five a day, these guilt-free – well, almost! – pies come in Chorizo, Feta & Spinach; Parma Ham, Mushroom & Rocket; and Sundried Tomato, Red Onion & Spinach varieties and taste absolutely fabulous. sweetpotatopizza.ie.

Broth Of The Gods

The healthiest thing we’ve tasted in ages is the Comforting Chicken Broth from Sadie’s Kitchen, a super low-calorie blend of free range Irish chicken, organic apple cider vinegar and fresh veg, which has become a key component of our paellas

and risottos. Dubliner Sara Kiely got a sizable chunk of her startup money as a result of appearing on Dragon’s Den, and includes Dunne’s, Avoca and SuperValu among her stockists. sadieskitchen. ie.

Apple Of Our Eye

If it’s a summer thirstquencher you’re after look no further than Olan’s Tart Apple Sour, one of the very fine beers made by Donegal’s Kinnegar Brewing. Also renowned for their Limburner Pale Ale, Devil’s Backbone Amber Ale and Rustbucket Rye Ale, they’ve teamed up on this occasion with Dan Kelly, the Drogheda cider-maker who supplied the fresh pressed apple juice. kinegarbrewing.com.

Poetry In Motion

Let us also point you in the direction of the Irish Stout made with much love in the Heaney Farmhouse Brewery in Magherafelt – co-owner Suzanne McKay is a niece of the late, extremely great Seamus. It has big roast coffee and dark chocolate notes, and pairs perfectly with beef and other dark meats.

10.

Currying Favour

Having wowed the good folk of Enniskillen with them for many years, the Kamal Mahal restaurant have now put their low-fat, low-sugar curry powders, gravy and pepper sauce into tubs so that the rest of us can enjoy them. facebook.com/ kamalmahalasiancurries

FA S H I O N

Supporting Irish and local designers will always be in style, and these designers are ensuring that you can always look your best, from head to toe. These milliners are following in the footsteps of iconic hat designers such as Philip Treacy, creating timeless, showstopping headpieces that are waiting to elevate your next ensemble.

Hats off to you PHOTO: MARK STEDMAN

Margaret Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor Headpiece

FA S H I O N

Deb Fanning PHOTOS: PHOTO: SASKO LAZAROV/PHOTOCALL IRELAND / EMMA SYNNOTT

s any supporter of Irish fashion knows, Deb Fanning is a young dynamic milliner from Dublin, who has been raking in awards and accolades for her joyous, beautiful ready-to-wear pieces for years now. Since setting up her own label, Deb Fanning Millinery in 2014, her pieces have been stocked in The Loft Market in the famous Powerscourt Centre in Dublin City – home to many of Ireland’s now-top designers when they started out. Fanning is mostly self-taught through experimenting with different millinery materials, fabrics and aesthetics. Fanning describes her designs as “Vintage Inspired with a Contemporary Edgy Twist”. Her style ebbs and flows from her inspirations, but always includes a lot of colour, and last year she joined forces with another bright and bold designer, Louise O’Mahony. Their joint collection, L.O.M x DFM, was an absolute showstopper, offering bright, bold and beautiful headwear that combined the elegant with the outlandish. Fanning says that collaborating with O’Mahony was an inspiring and invigorating experience. “It was so nice to collaborate with 35

someone as talented as Louise,” she enthuses. “Fashion can be a lonely business with a lot of designers working on their own, especially in Ireland. I found the whole experience wonderful and it really opened my mind to collaborating with other designers.” Deb Fanning Millinery designs are known for their stunning embellishment, and Fanning’s latest collection, Flower Power, is no different. The designer describes the typical Deb Fanning Millinery customer as “fun, daring, colourful and of any age” – and the cultural ideas behind the Flower Power movement - peace, love, tolerance, freedom - seem to be a very necessary antidote to the stress of modern culture, and Fanning has always wanted to evoke and embody fun and empowerment into her work. “I’d like to think when someone wears a piece from this collection that they can forget about the worries of the modern world, they can be themselves and have confidence!” • To see Deb Fanning’s beautiful pieces, visit debfanning.com

Margaret O’Connor

• For more information on hat hire, commissions and to see O’Connor’s latest creations, visit notionsbymargaretoconnor.com

PHOTOS BY PAWEL NOWAK. MARK STEDMAN, TAINE KING AND VINCE STAR AND JAMES DEACON

illiner Margaret O’Connor was trained by some of the leading lights of the Millinery industry such as Philip Tracey, Noel Stewart, Yvette Jelfs, Kristen Scott and Sarah Cant. O’Connor grew up in the heart of the Burren in Co. Clare. “I’m actually not too far up the road from the Fr. Ted house used in the comedy show in the 90s!” she laughs. Thankfully O’Connor was able to use her surroundings to inspire more than images of Bishop Brennan’s hat, and she interprets Irish tradition and historicism through her own personal awakening. Her unique and show-stopping designs from the eclectic haute couture to commercial pieces through to event and occasionwear – and have attracted a suitable diverse range of fans. Her multi-awardwinning creations have attracted the attention of a broad range of celebrities, ranging from Lady Gaga to Finbar Furey. Her love of music has seen O’Connor collaborate with incredible musicians and artists. “I made an avant-garde piece for Lady Gaga. I also made a Pink Floyd piece for a MediCinema auction at the private launch event for Behind The Wall retrospective. the head dress was made with melted down unplayable Pink Floyd records.” When she studied fashion in the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Ireland and Kensington and Chelsea College in London, she kept her love for the unique and awe-inspiring, but her love for 3D shape and form and textiles led her to specialise in millinery. She still looks to art and music to inspire her designs. “I feel I’m a conceptual artist who happens to be currently working in the medium of millinery,” O’Connor muses. “I tend to do some research into new music before I start a new project so I’ve new fresh unheard tunes to listen to when I’m working on a new collection. My brain needs to be stimulated with new things to create new work. I don’t like to sit still for too long.”

FA S H I O N

Saraden Designs

ward-winning milliner Sarah O’Rourke is the owner and head designer of Saraden Design, an Irish design company founded in 2016. O’Rourke grew up in Ashbourne, Co. Meath and was always interested in design. “My mum taught me how to sew from a young age,” says O’Rourke. “I’d make clothes for my dolls and for myself. I became a milliner by fluke: my mum wanted a hat for a wedding and that’s how it began.” O’Rourke studied fashion and textile design in Colaiste Ide, then went on to study visual arts practice, specialising in sculpture in IADT, where she received her honours degree. As with many milliners, O’Rourke found one Irish designer incredibly inspiring. “Of course Philip Treacy is a huge influence,” she acknowledges. “He thinks very much outside the box and dares to be different, which is something I admire greatly about him. I love the elegance of vintage fashion – it was a time when wearing hats in everyday life was the social norm.” O’Rourke has proven her own daring and desire to be different through her beautiful designs and unique process, which involves 37

creating truly unique, individual pieces of wearable art. The fabrics used to create these unique pieces have been handmade in-house by Sarah herself. Called Saraden Fabric, once a sheet is created, it cannot be replicated, making a Saraden Designs piece exclusive to its owner. O’Rourke says she loves this aspect of designing, and has found her design style and confidence sharpening over time. “I love the initial conception of my fabrics and knowing they are all one of a kind,” asserts O’Rourke. “Designing in general is always enjoyable. Trying to get what I visualise in my head to an actual design holds its challenges. But with every design, I grow my skillset – I get bolder with each new design.” O’Rourke is also using her skill and expertise to inspire the next generation of Irish fashion designers, working with a company called Project Fashion. “We teach children how to sew and create fashion pieces – paving the way for young Irish designers. In June 2019 we held a Young Designer of the Year Awards and Fashion Show and will be doing the same again in 2020.” • Ready made pieces can be bought directly from O’Rourke’s website saradendesigns.com.

LISTEN

B E ST I N SH OW We sift through the latest album releases, which include two Irish contenders for Album Of The Year.

NIALL HORAN H E A RT B R E A K W E AT H E R (CAPITOL)

hile Anna Calvi has created some truly remarkable music over the last decade, 2018’s Hunter was arguably her masterpiece. Described by the singer as “primal and beautiful, vulnerable and strong”, it made all the critics purr and quickly became her calling card. With a record so rich in ideas, who can blame her for going back to the well one more time? Hunted reimagines the original material with the help of some famous friends, including Courtney Barnett, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Julia Holter and IDLES. Featuring guitar and voice, these reworked songs are stripped to the core, and a must-listen for both hardcore and casual fans. The gloriously grim rendition of ‘Wish’, with vocals from IDLES’ Joe Talbot, is a magnificent slab of blood and thunder recalling early Nick Cave. Elsewhere, the team-up with Charlotte Gainsbourg (‘Eden’) is just as magnetic, although for very different reasons. A delicate lullaby boasting a wonderful performance from Calvi, it betters the original and leaves you hoping for a full album from the pair.

hree years after making history with his globe-dominating solo debut, Flicker – which landed him among an exclusive club of just four Irish artists to score a No.1 album in the US – Niall Horan is back. While his previous outing saw the Mullingar star mining into an acoustic guitar-led, folk rock-influenced sound, Heartbreak Weather finds him taking a defiant pop turn – with bright, soaring melodies, feel-good grooves and the customary lovelorn ballads, across 14 tracks that occasionally veer back into One Direction territory. Inspired by a break-up, there’s a powerful personal element to this record. With writing credits on every track, Niall’s plucky, refreshingly honest approach is one of Heartbreak Weather’s most genuinely compelling features. In places, however, it takes the form of a concept album, as he explores the building up and breaking down of relationships. Opening with the title-track, Niall immediately introduces Heartbreak Weather as a more glittery and swaggering beast than its predecessor. With elated synths and a punchy beat, it’s addictive stuff. Even when embracing a radio-ready pop sound, Niall continues to wear his eclectic influences on his sleeve. ‘Dear Patience’ features subtle nods to David Gray – suggesting that, like most families in the country, the Horans had a White Ladder CD knocking around the house. If The Weeknd had boyband roots, meanwhile, he might produce something like ‘Small Talk’. The song is a standout, finding Niall teetering on the edge of the dark side with a grunge-flavoured, lust-pop energy. Lead single ‘Nice To Meet Ya’ is the album’s real highlight, however. Blending ‘00s rock and R&B elements, it’s an unexpected direction from Niall – and confirms that there’s no need for him to be defined by his boy band past.

EDWIN McFEEE

LUCY O’TOOLE

BOOMTOWN RATS CITIZENS OF BOOMTOWN (BMG)

n the Boomtown Rats’ first new album in over 30 years, neither age nor downsizing to a quartet have brought a noticeable drop in quality. Their continuing potency is clear from the get-go: the first track out of the (rat) traps is ‘Trash Glam, Baby’, an instant inner-city throwback to the band’s early days, full of noise, gritty Saturday night imagery, and a memorable melody. ‘Sweet Thing’ starts like a nod towards The Troggs’ ‘Wild Thing’, then hints at ‘Rat Trap’ as it goes helter-skeltering on its merry way. ‘She Said No’ is an infectiously raucous R&B number, and ‘Monster Monkeys’ is The Doors’ ‘Break On Through’ filtered through Alabama 3. The rattlingly-upbeat ‘K.I.S.S.’ could make lots of us look good on the dancefloor, while the mischievous ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Yé Yé’ is a fists-aloft terrace anthem. The fiery, eponymously-titled finale will spark discussions about bands naming tracks in their own honour, but it is a belter. Citizens Of Boomtown is no casual attempt to reprise past glories: rather, it blends familiar touches with a modern sensibility, without over-cooking it. As you’d expect, there’s lots of shouting and pointing – but there’s still piles of punky energy, plus infectious tunes. When you throw in the new RTÉ two-part special on the band’s legacy – also titled Citizens Of Boomtown – it would appear that the Rat-aissance is in full flow. And while their signature tracks are perhaps less ubiquitous these days than other ’70s hits, this could put the Banana Republicans definitively back in play. J AC K I E H AY D E N

A N N A C A LV I HUNTED (DOMINO)

READ

B RO U G H T TO BOOK Anne Enright leads this issue’s literary charge with a powerful book that straddles both generations and the Atlantic. You really won’t be able to put it down...

ACTRESS

APEIROGON

T H E L A S T D AY

ANNE ENRIGHT

COLUM McC ANN

A N D R E W H U N T E R M U R R AY

JONATHAN C APE

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

Anne Enright’s Actress tells the story of a glamorous Irish actress named Katherine Odell from the perspective of her daughter, Norah. After years of journalistic speculation and rumour, Norah is pushed to finally publish a novel that details her mother’s secrets and what finally drove her to madness. Underneath all the glamour and chaos of Katherine’s life, the story centres on a complex mother-daughter relationship. Tales of years past in a romanticised, post-war America or shabby 1970s are all threaded together by Norah’s personal narrative. Sometimes, she writes about memories of her mother with awe and wonder, others with pity and disappointment. Actress sometimes leans too heavily on nostalgia. It shines brightest in Norah’s moments of reflection, as she discusses the men in her life, and reflects on getting older and surpassing her mother in age. It is these powerful, personal moments that make this a worthwhile read.

Telling the story of two fathers, one Israeli, one Palestinian, both of whom have lost their daughters in the region’s ongoing, bitter conflict, Apeirogon has been widely talked up as Colum McCann’s masterpiece. Given that he has already won the International Dublin Literary Award (2011) and the National Book Award (2009) with Let The Great World Spin, that would be some claim to fame. A hugely ambitious work, Apeirogon goes above and beyond the remit of a novel; mixing fact and fiction, it encompasses history, philosophy of religion, the patterns of aviation in the Middle East, the geography of this war-torn area, and much more. It does this in order to give a new context to our understanding of the IsraelPalestine conflict. It is a book which takes its symbolism – an apeoirogon is a ‘generalised polygon with a countably infinite number of sides – its language, its form and itself very, very seriously.

Due to some cosmic misfortune, the Earth has ceased turning. Civilisation has descended into chaos and Britain – and Ireland, which is briefly mentioned as doing well – stands as one of the last inhabitable zones. As pitches go, the one for the debut novel by Hunter Murray – a QI researcher as well as a popular podcaster – is a good one. As the world is both lost to darkness and burning in the sun’s constant glare, scientist Ellen Hooper tries to uncover the meaning behind a letter from her former tutor Edward Thorne. He was once among the most powerful people in the country, alongside the dictatorial Big Brother, Davenport. In addition to masterfully painting a world on the brink of extinguishment – America and China are lost to eternal night, there’s a new slave class, and you’d be well advised to stay out of the forests – Hunter Murray provides a top-notch plot that proves riveting until the very end.

INGRID ANGULO

PETER McGORAN

PAT C A R T Y

WAT C H

N E TF L I X SPEC I AL As we may all be staying inside more over the next little while, it’s a good time not only to find great films for everyone in the family, but also to support Irish movies that are now available to watch in the comfort of your own home! No matter what mood you’re in, there’s always something worth turning the telly/computer on for...

Q U I R K Y C O M E DY: E X T R A O R D I N A RY

D R A M E DY: PA P I C H U L O

ost hauntings are so small they go unnoticed. And for guileless wallflower Rose (Maeve Higgins), her state of constant hauntedness largely goes unnoticed as well. The daughter of a oncefamous spiritualist, she now refuses to use the psychic powers that troubled her childhood. Rose’s lonely routine is interrupted when she meets Martin (Barry Ward); a kind, bumbling widow whose teen daughter Sarah (Emma Coleman) has been selected for a Satanic virgin sacrifice by fame-hungry singer Christian Winter (Will Forte, channelling a bit of Chris De Burgh.) To stop Christian, Rose must exorcise seven different ghosts and gather their ectoplasm – all channelled and regurgitated through Martin. Gross? Yes. But attraction may grow along with the supernatural excretions. The first feature from writing-directing duo Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman, Extra Ordinary is at its cozy, delightful best when focusing on the understated, riffing chemistry between its characters. Higgins’s distinctive lilt and self-deprecating but subtly sly comic styling captures Rose’s endearingly awkward insecurity and the film’s unapologetically Irish tone - filled with references to Irish superstitions and the casually pitchblack cadence of Irish conversations. The lightweight twee banality and the supernatural events add to the offbeat humour and occasionally evokes Taika Waititi’s What We Do In The Shadows. A very low-speed car chase after a levitating body is a particular highlight. Cult appreciation would be well-deserved.

fter 2013’s The Stag and 2016’s Handsome Devil, writer and director John Butler rounds out his trio of films about male friendship and vulnerability with Papi Chulo, a huge-hearted and subtlety layered portrayal of the unlikely friendship between a lonely Los Angeles TV star and a Mexican migrant labourer. Matt Bomer plays Sean, a weather forecaster put on leave after he has an emotional breakdown on air. In his vulnerability, he hires Ernesto, (Alejandro Patiño), a middle-aged migrant worker with very limited English. Encouraged by Ernesto’s kind face and the judgement-free safety net of the language barrier, Sean begins using Ernesto as a surrogate therapist and friend. Bomer is a comedic revelation, his micro-expressions, nervous energy and mile-a-minute chattering perfectly conveying Sean’s genuine sweetness, desperate loneliness and fear of losing control. Patiño is Bomer’s perfectly understated foil, warmly portraying Ernesto’s initially bemused indulgence of this rich white man, and his growing compassion as he realises he’s witnessing a person’s most vulnerable moments. The performances elevate Butler’s writing, which is imbued with his trademark empathy-driven perspectives on masculinity, male friendship and vulnerability. Butler’s screenplay also quietly touches on complex issues, such as found families in the LGBTQ community, class and race privilege, and the mind-spinning nature of grief. Tender, unassuming and lovely.

WAT C H

THRILLER: THE CURED

controls ruling everyone’s lives – particularly women. When her father is ripped from the family, the tragedy is heightened by laws preventing women from working or travelling alone. How is Parvana (her older sister) and devastated mother to survive? Through resilience, that’s how. Parvana shears her hair in order to pass as a boy, and discovers a new identity as she is allowed to move through the world and provide for her family. But even as a boy, Kabul is oppressive and terrifying, so Parvana finds escape in imaginative tales of myth, magic and good triumphing over evil. Director Nora Twomey deftly handles Parvana’s bleak reality as well as her self-preserving imagination. Parvana lives in a world of expressive hand-drawn characters moving through realistic and evocative backdrops. Meanwhile, Parvana’s colourful tales are evoked through splendidly ornate paper cut-outs that are at once whimsical and steeped in traditional detailing.The Breadwinner has a sobering weight to it that will emotionally hit adults, all while children will be enraptured and entertained by the beautiful animation and deft storytelling. A triumph.

avid Freyne’s intelligent and engaging film immerses us in a society grappling with the aftermath of the Maze Virus, which transformed thousands of people into zombified killing machines. A cure was discovered and has been successful in 75% of cases, and Ireland is now in the third wave of reintegrating the Cured back into society. But this isn’t easy, for anyone. The Cured still remember everything they did while infected – every act of violence, every kill – and so do the rest of society, who cannot forgive them and treats them as subhuman. The tension between uninfected society and the Cured reaches a boiling point when power-hungry Conor (Tom Vaughan Lawlor), a Cured aspiring politician, begins leading a violent rebel faction of the Cured. Caught in the middle is Senan (a beautifully sensitive Sam Keeley), a Cured man who has returned to live with his American sister-in-law Abiagil (Ellen Page.) Senan is tormented by what he did during his four years of infection, but he also shares a bond with Conor from their days of infection. Freyne’s film is endlessly layered with smart details and open to multiple interpretations involving immigration, terrorism, Trump and Ireland’s own history of conflict. But his characters also feel real and authentically conflicted, evoking empathy on all sides. A pulse-pounding, thought-provoking thriller.

DOCUMENTARY: KATIE

ANIMATED FEATURE: THE BREADWINNER

uring the opening of this documentary about the boxer, Olympian and world-renowned athlete Katie Taylor, her promoter says “I don’t think many people know Katie Taylor.” But Ross Whitaker is going to try change that. Filming Taylor over 18 months after her defeat in the 2016 Rio Olympics, the director attempts to gain insight into the life and thought process of Ireland’s most incredible athlete. Taylor is indeed a worthy subject. Starting out by disguising herself as a boy to fight in boys-only clubs, Taylor’s childhood passion and fearless determination never wavered, and her rise was stratospheric – until Rio, that is. Rio marked the first high-profile match that Taylor had fought – and lost - without her father and lifelong coach Pete Taylor, from whom she had become estranged. The personal and professional loss proves a devastating and transformative combination, and in many ways Katie plays like a coming-of-age story. Whitaker follows the famously shy and humble Taylor as she moves to America on her own, seeking out new coaches, new opportunities and a way to navigate a world no longer insulated by familial stability and unmitigated success. Taylor’s talent, determination and sport-changing legacy is never in question, and you can’t watch Katie without respecting her deeply. With Katie, you’ll also get to know her a little bit more.

he Breadwinner proves beyond all doubt that Kilkenny’s Cartoon Saloon is an animation powerhouse. Adapted from Deborah Ellis’s 2000 novel, The Breadwinner is set in Talibancontrolled Kabul, where 11 year old Parvana is becoming increasingly aware of the fundamentalist

WIN

COMPETITION

WIN

GO RAIL COMPETITION

W IN D IN N E R FOR TWO WI TH WI NE AT

PA C I N O ' S

SUF F OLK ST, DUBLI N 2

A warm atmosphere awaits you at one of Dublin’s best Italian restaurants. Located right at the foot of Grafton Street, Pacino’s is a superb spot to replenish your energy reserves after an activity-packed day out in town. With rustic brickwork, mosaic tiles and ambient lighting, Pacino’s has a comfortable and relaxing feel. The friendly and fun energy in the dining room makes the already excellent dishes even more delectable. All of Pacino’s fine Italian cuisine is cooked to order and their suberb wines are expertly chosen by the in-house professional sommelier. A member of Good Food Ireland, their ingredients are locally sourced for the most delicious and sustainable results. Ask the staff to guide you towards the kitchen’s signature dishes and specials of the day. Find out more at pacinos.ie

THE PRIZE: The winner of the Go Rail competition will enjoy a delicious meal for two with wine at Pacino's, the great Italian city centre restaurant. This is something to really look forward to when life returns to normal! 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 station you picked up your copy of Go Rail.

THE QUESTIONS: 1. The Coliseum is in which Italian city:

2. Who is the most capped Italian footballer ever?

3. Chianti wines are produced in what region of Italy?

– Milan – Florence – Rome

– Andrea Pirlo – Gianluigi Buffon – Paolo Maldini

– Puglia – Tuscany – Sicily

Terms & Conditions: The prizes are subject to availability. No cash alternatives will be offered. Entrants must be aged 18+. Go Rail may contact competition entrants with details of future special offers. Your details won’t be passed on to any third party. Please specify in your email if you would like to opt out of this.

YEMEN CHILDREN’S CRISIS

Every ten minutes a child in Yemen dies from causes that we can prevent and treat. YOU can change this now! Five years of brutal conﬂict have left over 330,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Without your help many of them will not survive. You can help save a child from starvation. €50 can provide enough emergency food to help a child recover.

Photo Credit UNICEF/Yemen/2019/Almanbashi

Rush your life-saving gift to a child who needs you. www.unicef.ie Or call 01 878 3000 Or send a cheque payable to UNICEF Ireland: 33 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1

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