Go Rail 9-2: Featuring Niamh Algar

2019 • VOL:09 ISSUE:02

Andrew Porter

The Irish prop on his World Cup hopes My Favourite Train Journey

Tyson The Dog Rocking The Boat

Kevin Barry

NIAMH A LGA R

THE MULLINGAR STAR TAKING ON H O L LY W O O D

GR A N D SL A M H EROE S

The National

FROM BEGBIE TO T H E BE AT LE S

Danny Boyle

I ’ D R AT H E R JAC K S

Paul Howard

EXPERIENCING CHEST PAIN, PALPITATIONS OR BREATHLESSNESS? ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR HEART.

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PORTRAIT: SEAN JACKSON

Contents

2019 VO LU M E 0 9 ISSU E 02

N I A M H A LG A R PAG E 2 2 06 / Go For It A look at some of the biggest events happening up and down the country.

18 / Train News All the latest happenings in the world of the Irish Rail Network.

22 / Niamh Algar Roe McDermott meets the rising Irish star of the small-screen to talk about starring in Shane Meadow’s critically lauded The Virtues, and working with legendary sci-fi director Ridley Scott.

26 / My Favourite Train Journey Special guest, Tyson the Dog recalls his memorable trip aboard the Sallins to Dublin commuter train earlier this year.

28 / Paul Howard The Ross O’Carroll-Kelly creator talks to

Peter McGoran about his hugely successful new endeavour, Copper Face Jacks: The Musical; back in the Olympia for an encore run.

34 / Danny Boyle The Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire director talks to Roe McDermott about Bond, The Beach, The Beatles and his brand new film, Yesterday.

38 / Andrew Porter Ahead of Ireland’s Rugby World Cup adventures in Japan, the powerhouse prop talks food, heroes, the importance of family and sporting glory with Stuart Clark.

44 / The National Go Rail meets The National’s front-man Matt Berninger to get the low-down on their fantastic new album I Am Easy To Find, working with Lisa Hannigan, and on his 3

band’s love affair with Ireland.

46 / Celebrity Table We share a meal at Gallagher’s Boxty House with the Blizzard’s Louize Carroll.

52 / Kevin Barry One of Ireland’s finest contemporary writers, Kevin Barry meets old friend Stuart Clark to talk about new novel Night Boat To Tangier, Derry Girls’ Sister Michael, and his big-screen adaptation of Dark Lies The Island.

56 / Go Travel An in-depth look at the stunning ancient city of Marrakech.

58 / Fashion Roe McDermott explores the biggest fashion trends of the summer, which see the hippy chic and casual glamour of the 1960s and 70s back in vogue.

CREDITS MANAGIN G EDITOR

Máirin Sheehy COMMISSIONING EDITOR

Editor’s Letter

2019 VO LU M E 0 9 ISSU E 02

Roisin Dwyer CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Paul Nolan CONTRIBUTORS

Stuart Clark Peter McNally Peter McGoran Aoife Bradshaw Roe McDermott Lucy O’Toole Roisin Dwyer Paul Nolan DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Hot Press 100 Capel Street Dublin 1 ART DIRECTOR

Eimear O'Connor DESIGN

Karen Kelleher Emily Treacy 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 C OV E R P H O T O G R A P H

Sean Jackson 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, 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.

We need to protect the butterfly effect

S U R F I N G T H E G R E E N WAV E It is vital for us all to become more environmentally aware. But if we approach it in the right way, that can help to connect us again to the natural beauty that surrounds us here in Ireland...

P

eople in Ireland care about the environment.

They care about climate change. They care about the damaging impact that human civilisation is having on the earth, and on nature.

That much is clear from the arrival of what has been called The Green Wave, evident in the results of the recent local and European elections here (and elsewhere in Europe too). How much we care, of course, remains to be seen. There is no doubt that in the long term, a lot will need to change – or be changed – if we are to advance to a place where Ireland becomes carbon neutral.

In the meantime, however, there are ways in which we can respond that are fundamentally positive – and which will not involve having to abandon many of life’s great pleasures.

The first, and most obvious, is that we all need to become less reliant on the car as a means of getting around. Indeed, the very fact that you are reading Go Rail suggests that this is something you have already realised. The truth is that travelling by train is by far the best option, in terms of moving large numbers of people across long – and even relatively short – distances.

In 2018, Iarnród Éireann was responsible for facilitating 48 million passenger journeys. Just imagine if those journeys had been made using cars – and have a go at estimating the colossal additional impact that all of the resulting revving and roaring of engines would have had on the environment. And so what we need is an even bigger switch to using the train, and indeed public transport in general.

Every time we walk, cycle or use public transport, rather than jumping into the car, is a positive contribution.

As it happens, travelling by train is by far the most enjoyable and relaxing way of getting around. Whether you are journeying on one of the great mainline routes, from Dublin to Cork or Galway to Dublin, or commuting to the capital from places in Kildare, Meath or Louth, there is a sense of both space and time on the train that you simply can’t achieve or match using any of the alternatives.

The time you spend on board the train can be used creatively. You can read a book – or a magazine! – write

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letters, dream up a new song or poem, do a bit of prep for the day’s work by looking at spreadsheets or doing some research, or just listen to your favourite music or Podcast.

You can do any or all of these things with your pen in hand to make notes or to jot down ideas or information that might come in useful. And where the longer journeys are concerned, you can relax and enjoy the comforting sound of the engine, or the hoot of the horn, in the knowledge that you are travelling hundreds of kilometres while having little or no negative impact on the environment.

Of course, one of the other great joys of travelling by train is the unique perspective it gives us on the countryside, and on nature. Ireland is a beautiful place, but we will have to work hard to preserve that.

We need to create less waste and to manage it better. We need to ensure that our farming practices are as organic and sustainable as possible. We need to actively work at preserving the lives of bees and butterflies, and other species that are vital to the ecosystem. We need to plant more indigenous trees.

All of these objectives – and they are only a small sample of a much bigger agenda! – should be seen less as an obligation than as a way of plugging in again to the beauty and the wonder of the natural world. They should be portrayed not as duties but as opportunities to renew our engagement with something that is immensely enjoyable as well as infinitely fulfilling.

Too often, our pursuits and pastimes place us on the wrong side of history and as obstacles to the race to save the planet – when in fact connecting with nature, and nurturing different aspects of the natural world, is a marvellously pleasurable thing to do or to be part of.

Of course, it is vital that as a nation, and as citizens, we buy collectively into a national strategy that places all of this at the top of the agenda. But the beauty of it is that, in any event, in every aspect our daily lives, we can contribute in small ways and big, to what is perhaps the most vital mission humanity has ever embarked on.

Over to you, readers of Go Rail. We suspect that you will play your part better than most...

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H OZ I E R

NE W LAOIS OF L I F E ELECTRIC PICNIC The big cahuna of Irish festivals, and understandably so, Electric Picnic is back this year with another mouthwatering line-up, packed with big names and great indie outfits alike.

Handling headline duties this time around will be NYC indie icons The Strokes; art-pop crew

Florence And The Machine; the all-conquering Irish troubadour Hozier; and arena-pop kings The 1975.

Elsewhere on the bill, there will be huge interest in pop’s newest sensation, the extraordinary and wonderfully talented Billie Eilish, as well as the beloved likes of Christine And The Queens, Four Tet, Roisin Murphy, and more.

NEED TO KNOW WHEN: AUG 31 – SEP 2 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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FOREVER YO U N G Bob Dylan & Neil Young Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, July 14 Two of music’s most legendary performers are Ireland bound for an incredible one-off double bill in the sunny south east. Icons of the 1960s folk revival, Dylan and Young have determinedly ploughed their own furrow in the years since, rarely letting fans achieve a steady grip on their mercurial talent while still releasing beloved albums. Although both men are regular visitors to our shores, this is to be their sole Irish date for 2019.

NEED TO KNOW W H E N : J U LY 14 N E I L YO U N G

B O B DY L A N

© Sightsavers/Julia Gunther

W H E R E : N O W L A N PA R K

Give the miracle of sight and help a blind child see…

Instead of being full of life and curiosity, Paulo was close to losing his sight and spending the rest of his life totally reliant on others. The cataract in Paulo’s eye could have robbed him of his childhood, as well as the chance of the better future his parents wish for him. A straight forward cataract operation, saved his sight before he lost it forever.

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FRANK MCKENNA

J O A N N E M c N A L LY

STAND-UP TO BE C OUNTED

THE CORONAS

WEST IN SHOW

Vodafone Comedy Festival, Iveagh Gardens, Dublin, July 25-28 This year’s Vodafone Comedy Festival features over 130 acclaimed performers from Ireland and abroad, who are set to bring their hilarious stand-up sets, sketches, improv shows, music performances and even podcasts to Dublin’s beautiful Iveagh Gardens. Some of the highlights this year include Irish legend Tommy Tiernan, acclaimed American comedian Michelle Wolf, Dylan Moran, Jim Gaffigan, Joanne McNally, Blindboy Boatclub, Jason Byrne and dozens more.

The Vodafone Comedy Festival is always one of the festival highlights of the summer.

Galway International Arts Festival, Venues Across Galway City, July 15-28 Spanning 30 venues dotted all around the city, 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. In its 42nd year, there’s a very strong Irish representation at the Big Top gigs, with Bell X1 a likely highlight.

They join a bill that also features great acts like Villagers, John Grant, The Academic, The Coronas, Burt Bacharach and much more. Thoughtprovoking discussions and informative talks are also given a platform to engage and enthrall the anticipated 250,000 attendees. Head west, then, for a mind-bending experience of all things creative.

KIERAN HARNETT

HOT CHIP

Ladies Day at Galway Races

RACING CERT Galway Races, Galway Racecourse, July 29–August 4 Surely one of the greatest race meetings in the world, the famous Galway Races Summer Festival boasts seven days of superb racing, hospitality, entertainment, stunning fashion and an electric atmosphere that continues to draw crowds in excess of 140,000 from Ireland and abroad. Returning for its 150th year in 2019, whether you fancy a flutter or are just there for the glamour, there’s plenty for all at the festival, including Ladies Day, Super Saturday and the Mad Hatter’s Competition.

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CURRAGHMORE THE MERRIER All Together Now, Curraghmore Estate, Co. Waterford, August 2-4 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 woodland stages, the Belonging Bandstand and much more, there are numerous different realms to explore. This year’s line-up takes it up a gear and features Irish favourites The National and Patti Smith as headliners, alongside Hot Chip, King Kong Company, Father John Misty and The Good, The Bad & The Queen.

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S P R AO I PA R A D E

Make the leap and head for the RDS

SPRAOI FOR ALL

MIGHT AS WELL SHOWJUMP

Spraoi, Waterford City, August 2 - 4 The Spraoi Festival and Parade is an annual street art spectacular held every August bank holiday weekend. The festival has become a firm favourite among locals and tourists alike, attracting over 100,000 people to Waterford city over three days. It hosts an array of international street artists and musicians who will perform all across the city, and a mini-festival for the kiddies called Spróg. The three days culminate in a massive and unmissable parade and dazzling fireworks display.

Dublin Horse Show RDS, Ballsbridge, August 7–11 The biggest equestrian event in Ireland’s sporting calendar, 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 national and international showjumpers. Even The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen, has been known to turn out for a day at the show.

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GOVERNMENT GRANTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED

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Most people are unaware of the assistance available when their hearing worsens. The Government has recognised the benefit of helping people improve their hearing so they may live full and active lives and grants are now available for the self-employed.

Call your local branch today and check your eligibility for the government grant

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CHEOILAND AND THE GANG

CHEOIL WITH IT Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Drogheda, Co. Louth, August 11-18 The 2019 Fleadh Cheoil promises another week-long jamboree of music, song and dance. In recent years the numbers have grown significantly, with in excess of 250,000 flocking to the 2012 Fleadhanna in Cavan, and a staggering 500,000 attending the Drogheda event in 2018. This year sees the festival returning to Drogheda, for what’s sure to be one of the summer’s major highlights. In addition to the workshops and competitions, the festival also welcomes performances from Irish stars Damien Dempsey, Eleanor McEvoy, The Hothouse Flowers and many more.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR Love Sensation, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, August 17 & 18 A brand new weekender has burst onto the festival scene from the team behind legendary club night Mother. Aimed at the LGBTQ+ community and their many friends, Love Sensation will be hosted by the Queen of Ireland, Panti Bliss, and features stages from Mother, The George and appearances by Dublin drag icons ‘Dragged Up’. Musical highlights include Lily Allen, Kelis, Soulé, Gossip, Clean Bandit and Le Galaxie.

SOMETHING HAPPENS

ALLEN KIELY

W O O D F O R D F U R N A C E F E S T I VA L

OFF TO THE RACES Bulmers Live at Leopardstown, Leopardstown Racecourse, series runs til August 15 Bulmers Live At Leopardstown is already up and running, providing another summer full of top class horse racing, superb live music, festival food and fun, all at Leopardstown Racecourse. The menu over the course of the summer includes festival favourites The Stunning (July 11), the mighty Something Happens (July 25), and long-standing ‘Shang-A-Lang’ rockers, The Bay City Rollers (August 8). The series culminates with the one of the ’90s biggest girl-groups, the hugely popular All Saints (August 15). As always, a top class card of horse racing will precede great musical entertainment. Dates and ticket information can be found at leopardstown.com.

HISTORIC FOR THE PEOPLE Heritage Week, Various Venues Nationwide, August 17–25 To celebrate Ireland’s unique built, natural and cultural heritage, hundreds of national and local community organisations will again come together this Heritage Week for a programme of exciting and informative events. From medieval warfare reenactments and traditional craft fairs, to guided tours of the nation’s fantastic heritage sites, public talks and lectures, nature trails and whale and dolphin watching, there’s an abundance of great activities to participate in.

Visit heritageweek.ie for a full listing of events.

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TRALEE WILL R O C K YO U Rose Of Tralee A national institution, the Rose of Tralee celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2019.

Aside from the main event, which takes place in the atmospheric Festival Dome, the week-long celebration also includes street entertainment, live concerts, theatre, circus, markets, funfair and fireworks.

The Dome is the site of the Rose Fashion Show, an ’80s night with Abbaesque, and the iconic Rose Ball – a premier event on the Irish social calendar. An array of musical talent can be found at the festival too, with Aslan, Hothouse Flowers and Derek Ryan all set to perform.

NEED TO KNOW WHEN: AUGUS T 23-27 W H E R E : CO . K E R RY

2 0 1 8 R O S E , K R I S T I N M AT E M A H E R

SLIGO RACES

2019 Race Days

Sunday 14th July - Family Day Wednesday 7th August - Ladies Day Thursday 8th August (E) - National Hunt Meeting Tuesday 20th August (E) - Diageo Day Wednesday 25th September - Students Day T: +353 71 916 2484 E: info@countysligoraces.com W: www.countysligoraces.com

www.countysligoraces.com TICKETS AVAILABLE ON-LINE 11

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ALEXANDRE DIMOU/SPORTSFILE

G R E E N M AC H I N E

RECYCLING PATH

EURO VISION

In an effort to help Irish households reach a recycling rate of 65% by 2035, a brand new website has been launched by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE). mywaste.ie is a definitive guide on how to manage household waste responsibly and efficiently, and provides a comprehensive list of bring banks, recycling facilities, ways to prevent waste and tips on how to reuse and upcycle. By correctly managing household waste, Irish homes can make an important contribution towards stopping climate change and help to conserve the Earth’s limited resources.

Visit mywaste.ie today.

Republic Of Ireland v Switzerland: Euro 2020 Qualifier Aviva Stadium, Dublin, September 5 At present, the boys in green are sitting pretty at the top of their qualifying group. However, with two matches in hand, the Swiss have every chance of burning up the table in Group D and will be eager to set out their stall early against Mick McCarthy’s men in their first of two meetings. If Ireland can hold them off and make it to the finals, they will play two of the group stage games on home turf at the Aviva.

DANGER LURKS AROUND EVERY CORNER

SPECIAL FEATURE

This is the story of Selamawit – a young girl who found herself on the streets of Addis Ababa, until she was helped by the Irish charity GOAL...

Selamawit was just a small, 13-year-old girl when she became homeless on the streets of Ethiopia.

Almost invisible, she joined thousands of street children already abandoned in the sprawling capital of Addis Ababa.

Driven there by poverty, loss of her family and abuse, she was vulnerable, unprotected and too young to fend for herself.

Back then, Selamawit was just one of 600,000 street-living children in Ethiopia’s cities. She talks about the ugliness of those times. But even now, it’s too hard for her to share the full details of the horrific abuse to which these children can be subjected.

Fortunately, a case worker at the GOAL ChildSPACE programme in Addis Ababa reached out to Selamawit, realising this young girl was in desperate need of care and attention. The GOAL ChildSPACE programme provided a place for Selamawit to wash and clean her clothes, see a social worker and have her critical health needs assessed.

A couple of years later, as a young mum-to-be, she was given the best care and attention, until her little girl Hermela was born. Selamawit received vocational training and now has a job and a small home of her own. Hermela is going to school. The courageous and dedicated GOAL team saved her life.

“I feel so happy,” Selamawit says, “when I see my child playing and growing up with full health. If GOAL didn’t bring me from the street, I wouldn’t be here. My child wouldn’t go to school. I wouldn’t have hope in my future.”

Selamawit was lucky. But so many young children desperately need our help. You can change lives by taking the courageous step of becoming a monthly donor.

Call 1850 832 100 or visit goal global.org/donate

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T I TA N I C M U S E U M LOC AL FRESH FOOD

THE BELFAST SHOW

CORK THIS WAY

Visit Belfast South Belfast’s Ulster Museum is to host The Art Of Selling Songs: Music Graphics, a free exhibition that’s on-loan from the London V+A until September 15. Spanning from the early 1800s until the modern day, it’s augmented by the Overtones: Irish Music Art 19602019 collection, which the museum has assembled itself. U2, Enya, The Cranberries, Glen Hansard, Snow Patrol, The Pogues, Ash and local punky types Rudi all feature. nmni.ie.

Already a mecca for fans of the hit HBO show Game Of Thrones, Belfast city has acquired an exciting new installation to celebrate the groundbreaking series’ ten years of filming in Northern Ireland.

Set on a trail that leads from the city centre to the very place the show was filmed at Titanic Studios, six giant, stained glass windows depicting some of the series’ most iconic scenes have been installed on Belfast’s streets.

The windows were unveiled to coincide with the final season of the show with each one representing a different house or legacy; including the Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons, Targaryens, White Walkers and the Iron Throne. Head to visitbelfast.com to find a map that will lead you to their locations. When you find the final window at Titanic Studios, the renowned Titanic Belfast is only a short walk away. Named the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction at the prestigious World Travel Awards in 2016, the impressive visitor experience tells the story of the lost ship, from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through her construction and launch, to its maiden voyage.

The self-guided Titanic Experience extends over nine interpretive and interactive galleries, which explore the sights, sounds, smells and stories of RMS Titanic, as well as the city and people who made her. Tickets are available at titanicbelfast.com. The museum is located on Belfast’s Maritime mile, which also includes such attractions as The Big Fish and the vast Thompson Dry Dock.

For more info check out visitbelfast.com

ANDREW PORTER

SCRUMMIN G ATTRACTIONS

WILLIAM MURPHY

Ireland v Wales: Rugby World Cup Warm-Up Aviva Stadium, Dublin, September 7 2019 hasn’t started out as a great year for Irish rugby. However, disappointments for the national side in the Six Nations and for Leinster in the Heineken Champions Cup final against Saracens must be brushed aside as the campaign for the Rugby World Cup in Japan begins in earnest this autumn. And, with both coach Joe Schmidt and captain Rory Best set to retire after the competition, the boys in green will be keen to put in a stellar showing in the Land of the Rising Sun. This Guinness Summer Series match against Six Nations Grand Slam winners Wales will be Schmidt’s last chance to test the mettle of his squad before they head for Japan.

THE BIG FISH

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BRENDAN MORAN/SPORTSFILE

A Taste of West Cork, Various Venues, September 6-15 Celebrating the joy of good food, A Taste of West Cork Food Festival is an iconic event on the Irish foodie’s calendar. The annual ten-day festival, taking place across 41 local towns and villages, as well as eight islands, boasts over 250 events in a variety of unique venues, from stately homes and castles to distilleries.

With food markets, cooking demonstrations, banquets, tastings, exhibitions and foraging experiences on offer, there are countless ways to enjoy the food culture of West Cork. The award-winning festival also offers visitors the chance to come face-to-face with the pioneering food producers who make the Irish food scene so special.

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W E S T I S B E S T AT S L I G O R A C E S

ARIANA GRANDE

ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET, SLIGO!

A GRANDE AFFAIR

Sligo Races, Cleveragh Racecourse, Various dates throughout the summer 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 14. Full of great events for young and old alike, while the adults enjoy a 7-card national hunt fixture, the kids can look forward to the Front Runner: Racing Club For Kids, entertainment from Scruffy Duffy and free ice cream and goodie bags.

Following hot on its heels is the ever-popular Ladies Day on August 7. Other exciting events this summer, and into the autumn, include Diageo Day on August 20 and one of the most exciting race meetings of the year, Student’s Day on September 25.

Ariana Grande 3Arena, September 22, 23 & 25 Rising above a series of public and personal tragedies, Ariana Grande has seen her career skyrocket over the last two years, with the release of mega-successful albums Sweetener and Thank U, Next. She became the youngest artist to ever headline Coachella back in April, while the smash-hit singles from her latest album made her the first artist to occupy the top three positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart since The Beatles in 1964. The last time she played 3Arena, she also found time to squeeze one of our favourite Dublin days out into her busy schedule: a stroll through the historic Glasnevin Cemetery with her dog.

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Warm Welcomes, Super Service, Great Memories Conveniently situated on Washington Street, Reardens is the cornerstone of Cork nightlife generating more social activity in one night than most bars produce in a year.

Sports

With our electric atmosphere, Reardens is the next best thing to being at the match.

Catch all sports live on our HDHQ screen the best quality you’ll find in Cork!

Reardens Bar, 26 Washington Street, Cork

Live Music

Loved by music fanatics in the city, some of the best bands in the country play on our stage weekly creating a vibrant ambiance to spend an evening.

Late-Night

Dance the night away in Reardens or visit one our other late-night options upstairs, including The Secret Garden A fairy tale for grown ups.

Tel: 021 4658100

www.reardens.com

Let us entertain you.

Look no further than the authentic Irish experience at The Oliver Plunkett.

Dedicated Whiskey Bar Experience our fantastic handpicked selection of whiskeys in a true rustic setting.

Taste the history and learn the heritage from our trained whiskey pro.

Traditional Irish Music Come experience the amazing “Ceol agus Craic” 7 nights a week with live Traditional Irish music & Irish dancing performances.

Authentic Irish Cuisine Serving Traditional Irish food all day, every day.

The Oliver Plunkett, 116 Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork

Tel: 021 4222779

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www.theoliverplunkett.com

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R E D E M P T I O N FA L L S

MARTA BARIKOWSKA

L I T T L E B E AC H , K I L M O R E

M A R I T I M E O F YO U R L I F E Write By The Sea Literary Festival, Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford, September 27-29 This annual literary event finds established and emerging authors discussing their craft in front of an eager audience of wouldbe writers and readers. Featuring a stimulating blend of talks, readings, interviews and workshops, it highlights the power of the pen. For Write By The Sea 2019 key contributors will include such major figures in Irish literature as Mike McCormack, Theo Dorgan, Sinead Gleeson, Dermot Bolger, Sara Baume, Paula Meehan and Catherine Dunne. Eilish Ni Dhuibhne and Ruth Fitzmaurice will be interviewed by Hot Press writer Jackie Hayden about books they’ve published concerning the deaths of loved ones. Kit de Waal, who was one of the key contributors last year, will be back again in the village where she set part of her most recent novel A Trick To Time.

T H E P L AY ' S T H E T H I N G Dublin Theatre Festival, Various Venues, September 26 – October 13 The 62-year-old Dublin Theatre Festival has long been a real cultural epicentre for domestic and international artists and audiences alike. Early announcements for the 2019 edition include a staging of JM Synge’s controversial The Playboy Of The Western World, Moonfish Theatre’s adaptation of Joseph O’Connor’s Redemption Falls, the innovative Beckett’s Room (a play without performers!), and The Beacon by Nancy Harris.

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TRAIN NEWS

IARNRÓD ÉIREANN SEEK EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR LANDMARK NEW FLEET he process to order the largest and greenest fleet in Irish public transport history has begun as Iarnród Éireann, supported by the National Transport Authority (NTA), seeks expressions of interest from global train manufacturers for up to 600 electric/battery-electric powered carriages over a 10-year timescale.

DART Expansion, a €2 billion investment under Project Ireland 2040, will see the capacity of the rail network transformed through investment in up to 300 new carriages, electrification of lines to Maynooth, M3 Parkway, Hazelhatch and Drogheda, and key infrastructure works to allow more trains to operate in the Greater Dublin Area.

However, the ambitious tender for up to 600 carriages allows for the planned fleet expansion, replacement of the original DART fleet (the 76-carriage fleet will be almost 45 years old at the end of the current National Development Plan in 2027) and other carriages, and will ensure that the framework is in place for more carriages to be ordered if further growth in demand occurs.

The tender notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and on eTenders is expected to attract the interest of virtually every major global train manufacturer, such is its scale. It will ensure customers on our rail network benefit from up-to-date facilities and technology, and that there are scale benefits in the competitive tendering for the NTA-funded investment.

While electricity-powered trains are expected to make up the overwhelming majority of train orders, the tender process is also providing for a possible first tranche of battery-electric hybrid trains. This is to ensure that, should funding or planning processes see the electrification of the first of the lines completed beyond 2024, that new trains will be available from that date to meet the surging demand from commuters.

However, the overall order will see the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) total rail fleet, and up to 80% of all heavy rail journeys in Ireland, set for a potentially emissions-free future, as well as generating reductions in noise, and cost savings in train operations.

The full national network will benefit from this investment, with existing Intercity and Commuter trains currently utilised to meet GDA-demand then available to boost frequency and capacity nationwide.

As well as this major order, Iarnród Éireann and the NTA are progressing shorter-term options to meet record demand on Ireland’s railways. With 47.9 million journeys in 2018, and capacity requirements becoming acute at peak times, this includes: Negotiations are underway between Iarnród Éireann and its

supplier seeking to agree an order for at least 41 extra Intercity railcar carriages, adding to an existing fleet of 234 vehicles, to enter service from late 2021.

A tender process is underway by the NTA for the possible purchase or lease of pre-owned trains, which also would involve modifications to fleet, particularly as Ireland’s track gauge differs from that of other railways.

Chief Executive of Iarnród Eireann, Jim Meade said: “The commencement of the tender process for our new fleet is the first major step in the DART expansion project, which will revolutionise public transport in the greater Dublin area, providing an even more frequent and environmentally sustainable commuting option for new and existing communities. It will also provide greater capacity for Intercity and regional commuter services as carriages currently utilised in the greater Dublin area will become available for other services.”

Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Authority, Anne Graham, said: “The procurement of this fleet is the first step in the delivery of Dart Expansion, a programme that will attract some €2b in NTA funding in the coming decades. The expansion of Dart services is a key part of both the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area, 2016-2035, and Project Ireland 2040. It is also a critical element in the effort to reduce Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions. The recent Oireachtas Climate Action Committee report recommended that the public transport elements of Project Ireland 2040 be prioritised. The Committee called for the speedy delivery of public transport investment to encourage more people to choose sustainable modes and leave the car behind. This announcement represents a significant step in that direction.”

CORK COMMUTER PLANS OUTLINED The National Transport Authority has published the Cork Metropolitan Area Draft Transport Strategy, which sets out an exciting vision for sustainable transport in the Cork area.

Included is a strategy for the future of Cork Commuter rail, which includes: o Eight new stations on the Mallow, Cobh and Midleton lines o Double-tracking of the Midleton line o DART-style frequency on all three Cork Commuter lines o Future electrification o Through running at Kent Station, and improved integration with other modes The strategy will now be the subject of public consultation.

It envisages a Cork Commuter network with the capacity for 16 million journeys annually, a genuinely transformative scale of modal shift.

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TRAIN NEWS

REDISCOVER THE JOY OF THE TRAIN

Hook Lighthouse, Hookhead, Co. Wexford

Galway International Arts Festival

Spraoi, Waterford

Cobh, Co. Cork

Coastline, Co. Galway

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Have you seen our ad, bringing back memories of the joy of the train?

There are so many opportunities to make those memories a reality again this summer, with great fares available, including for families!

If you are looking to travel short distances for daytrips or to events around Dublin, our DART and Commuter services are the perfect way to get around. The DART line runs along the coast of the Irish Sea from Malahide or Howth in North County Dublin southwards as far as Greystones, County Wicklow. This line offers stunning scenic views while you travel quickly from town to town. The Commuter services extend further, continuing out to the surrounding counties of Dublin, such as Louth, Meath, Longford, Kildare and Wicklow Iarnród Éireann make it easy for you to travel around Ireland. Our rail network connects you between Dublin and Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kerry, Mayo, Sligo, Waterford and Wexford and many more counties around Ireland. With Translink, we connect you to Belfast. Buy a Trekker Pass or ‘Explorer Travel Ticket’ and explore our beautiful country at your leisure. Our fantastic web fares also offer heavily discounted rail tickets, making it even cheaper for you to see all our beautiful country has to offer!

Check out the mountains and lakes of Killarney in Co. Kerry; experience the rugged coastline of Galway bay; visit the Titanic’s last port of call at Cobh, Co. Cork; or stroll through the historic Marble city (Kilkenny).

Discover Wexford and Waterford to see what the south-east of the island has to offer.

As well as endless natural beauty, Ireland also has thrilling festivals and events going on all year round.

Plenty of these events are accessible by train, and the summer GAA and concert season wouldn’t be the same without the train journey.

Full details of fares and timetables are available at irishrail.ie .

TRAIN NEWS

REIMAGINING IRELAND’S RAILWAY ARCHITECTURE SIOBHAN OSGOOD on the fascinating history behind the Great Northern Railway of Ireland. tanding in silence on nowdeserted platforms looking at abandoned stations, warehouses and rusting tracks in the middle of the Irish countryside, it is difficult to imagine the hubbub of noise which once accompanied these physical remains. The architectural ghosts of closed Irish railway lines stand stoically as haunting reminders of Ireland’s age of industry.

Researching the architecture of the Great Northern Railway of Ireland, or GNR, has revealed the enormous infrastructure of what was once Ireland’s second largest railway company. With over 140 stations and 560 miles of track, the GNR was formed in 1876 as an amalgamation of four earlier railway companies. Inheriting a myriad of styles, from George Papworth’s brick arches at Balbriggan, Kells and Drogheda, to William Murray’s ecclesiastical stonework at Newtownstewart, Cootehill and Enniskillen, standardisation for this new railway company was needed. The company and its first engineer-in-chief, William Hemingway Mills, became a pioneer for railway architectural design and company branding.

Stations, engineering works, offices, signal cabins and employee housing all featured polychromatic yellow, red and black brickwork, repetitive segmental-arch windows and doors, gabled roofs, stylised brick-bonding, and a unification of the structural might of iron-engineering with the visual aesthetic of tactile materiality.

It was to be the ultimate realisation of the ‘idea of a railway station’ as a functional, identifiable space.

Sitting at the halfway point on the DublinBelfast Enterprise line, Dundalk epitomises these traits, with Mills creating a new company identity through brick-branding.

The yellow-brick station with its red and black accents are echoed at the boiler, carriage and wagon shops at the once industrious engineering works, and the

Clockwise: Balbriggan Station, Dundalk Station, Dunleer Station, Malahide Former Station Master's House

residential housing at Ardee, Brook Street and Demesne Terraces.

Earlier stations were experiments for Mills’ brick totalitarianism. Belturbet showcases the semi-architrave frames, but is built using a similar stone as Murray’s earlier stations. Ballyhaise demonstrates a playful exaggeration of colour with true and semiarchitrave window hoods. Dunleer is a perfect example of the elegant red, yellow and black-brick pre-cursor to the might of the GNR yellow-brick stations such as Dundalk, Malahide, Howth and Lisburn.

All GNR buildings are visual communicators of their purpose, and testify to their impact on society. Built during and after the Great Famine, railways provided employment to an impoverished nation.

They also provided the means of escape to foreign lands. One horrific account by the playwright J. M. Synge describes the sight of wailing families at a platform edge, distraught at the departure of their children and young adults who may never be seen again.

Broader implications on the Irish industrial economy included contractors, builders, and manufacturers of iron, brick, glass, and ceramics for the trains’ dining cars and the ever-essential public facility of flushing toilets. A newly-formed travelling public with an inter-connected communications system increased mobility, news and literacy, with changes in diet made possible by the transport of fresh fish, butter, sugar, fruit and tea.

Women could now freely travel alone with designated waiting rooms and carriages, broadening their access to employment, political rallies, sporting events and even romantic interests. As Tom Ferris begins his Irish Railways: A New History: “Railways are complex organic creatures, amounting to much more than the sum of their individual components.”

The term ‘industrial archaeology’ is the method by which modern technologies from the Industrial Revolution and beyond

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are studied. Senior Lecturer of Industrial Archaeology at University College Cork, Dr Colin Rynne, states that “landscapes of industrial and industrialising Ireland have remained as much undiscovered as they have been unimagined.”

Railway history is often enacted and perceived as the preservation of steam engines and carriages. Yet by using the architecture of the railways as artefacts of human endeavour, the impact of the railways on Irish industrial and social history can finally be recorded and reimagined.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Siobhan Osgood is studying the architecture of the former Great Northern Railway of Ireland for her PhD at Trinity College Dublin. She was awarded the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) Dissertation Prize in 2017 for researching the GNR architecture at Dundalk. Publications include the Industrial Archaeology Review, Architecture Ireland, Irish Railway Record Society Journal, and National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Conference talks and lectures include Engineers Ireland, Irish Railway Record Society, Railway Steam Preservation Society of Ireland, Irish History Students’ Association, Theoretical Archaeology Group, and Society of Industrial Archaeology in Chicago. Irish Rail facilitated her attendance at Dr Colin Rynne’s industrial archaeology lectures in 2019. Read more about Siobhan’s research at irishrailwayarchitecture.blogspot.ie Twitter @IrishRailArch / Instagram @ IrishRailArch

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F E AT U R E

Drama Queen Rising Dublin-based screen star Niamh Algar talks about working with the great Shane Meadows on his harrowing Channel 4 drama The Virtues, and about her new role in Raised By Wolves, the TV debut of legendary sci-fi director Ridley Scott. Interview: Roe McDermott Portrait: Sean Jackson

A

nyone who watched Shane Meadows’ The Virtues probably still needs time to recover. The critically-acclaimed drama saw Meadows elevate his already masterful work to a new level of emotion and technique.

Based on Meadows’ own experience of childhood sexual abuse, the drama sees Joseph (Stephen Graham) struggling with addiction, loss and fragmented memories of abuse that begin to resurface. When he reaches out to connect with his long-lost sister Anna, he becomes entangled with her troubled sister-in-law Dinah, played superbly by Niamh Algar.

She is delighted by the rave reviews that the show has been receiving. “I knew when we were shooting it that we were making something very special, but I never could have predicted this reaction,” says the 26-year-old. “Shane is on Cloud Nine: the whole team is really. We were such a tight-knit crew, and rehearsal and prep and shooting was a long process, so we became like a little family. And seeing the response has been incredible.”

Algar is currently in Cape Town, South Africa. She reveals that she had to watch the final two episodes of The Virtues on her own. “Everyone was tweeting, ‘Oh, so delighted to

be surrounded by our family and friends’, and I’m sitting on my own,” she says. But, overall, working with Shane Meadows was an extremely collaborative experience, and her viewing of the first two episodes was happily very different.

“Shane had us edit it together, so very early on the whole cast and crew had an afternoon of drinking beer and watching a rough cut of the first two episodes,” she recalls.

“It was amazing, both because we were all watching it, everyone who had made it, and also because we were seeing our characters and the stories unfold in a very chronological way before we shot the other episodes.

That’s the brilliance of Shane: he creates crews and sets where we’re all so invested in the stories.”

The characters in The Virtues are complex, flawed and vulnerable, with unique histories and perspectives on the world. As Dinah, an explosive fireball of energy and dysfunction who hides her vulnerability behind tattoos and a mean right-hook, Algar is superb, capturing the resilience and deep pain of a woman tormented by inner demons. As the drama dealt with sexual abuse, addiction, loss, motherhood, betrayal, violence and atonement, every performance demanded authenticity and bravery.

“Shane was very open and honest about where the story

“Stephen Graham is such a giving, generous actor.”

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NIAMH ALGAR

R I S I N G S TA R : (above) Niamh Algar in Without Name (left) At the launch of the 2017 Audi Dublin Film Festival.

comes from. When you’re handed the responsibility of telling someone else’s story, you want to be as good and honest and giving as possible,” she reflects. “Shane’s own honesty brings out the best in his actors. He gives us the freedom to play and also the opportunity to go towards emotions that many people shy away from, because they’re tough and difficult. But the characters and writing are so authentic that you want to. Stephen Graham, who I worked with a lot, is such a giving, generous actor. He never shies away from the ugly truth of a character, is never afraid to put his emotions on the line. So when you’re up against that, you just want to match it with the same energy.”

Dinah’s arc is a rollercoaster of emotion. We learn about a painful decision that has haunted her for years, as well as a deep betrayal committed against her. As she struggles to find peace, her story goes in several shocking directions.

“We shot an option of a different ending,” she reveals. “We ended up using the original one, but he wanted us to have an option. Shane was very good about asking us how we were feeling about the story, where it was headed. We all workshopped with Shane, and for me, it was so important to understand what my character goes through.

“For the scene where Dinah goes to meet the social worker and gives her a letter to be passed on to her child, I was trying to get into character so I started actually writing a letter. Shane came over and asked me what I was doing, so 23

we both read it and got a bit teary. But I think we all felt like that, like we were living and breathing our characters.

That scene with the social worker, we shot it twice, and you really are watching my heart break onscreen, I felt every emotion.”

While that sounds like it could make for a harrowing shoot, Algar says that every single actor was similarly inspired by Meadows. The atmosphere became that of a team, all supporting each other through the necessary work of mining tough emotions.

“We’d hang out and go for a Guinness or go boxing in the gym to try to expel some of that energy. And once it’s over, it feels very cathartic to have gone to those vulnerable places but to have come through it, and to learn from it, instead of bringing it home.”

The Virtues is just one of Algar’s thought-provoking projects this year. She also starred in Pure, the daring, hilarious and tender portrayal of Marnie (played by Charly Clive), a young woman with obsessive compulsive disorder who suffers from constant, distressing, intrusive thoughts about sex. Based on the memoirs of Rose Cartwright, the comedy-drama subverted typical portrayals of OCD, and received widespread acclaim for its intelligent writing.

Algar plays Amber, a young woman who strikes up a bond with Marnie after an ill-fated one-night-stand.

“I shot that right after The Virtues, and it was such a great project,” says Algar. “I thought the story and writing were so brilliant and original and eye-opening. My perception of OCD was always that someone had to wash their hands fifty times or turn the lights off and on fifty times or else the world will blow up. So looking at the idea of obsessive thoughts was fascinating. But the characters were so

F E AT U R E

P O E T RY I N E M O T I ON : Niamh Algar in The Virtues

“Raised By Wolves is monumental, the scale of it is huge.”

relatable. It was funny and warm. These characters are trying their best not to feel stupid or ugly or lonely. They’re just trying to get by, and trying not to be screw-ups – like all of us! But the production was so lovely. The idea of these people meeting each other and becoming friends and just trying to figure out life, felt very real to our relationships on set. I made friends for life.”

Algar’s ability to bond with her fellow cast-mates and crew is a testament to her own warmth and levelheadedness – traits that are bound to serve her well over the next year, which could well be life-changing. She has finished shooting the big-screen drama Calm With Horses, also starring Barry Keoghan, and is currently filming Raised By Wolves, the TV directing debut of sci-fi action icon, Ridley Scott, who directed Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator and The Martian. The project is set to make a global star of Algar, opening up doors to Hollywood films – but for the moment, the young actress is just revelling in the utter joy and excitement of filming such a big project with such an esteemed director.

“It’s monumental, the scale of it is huge. And Ridley is – well, he’s Ridley Scott!” she exclaims. “I grew up watching his movies, as did everyone. He’s established himself, and the worlds that he has created, as formative experiences for so many people, and it’s because he really builds these worlds so brilliantly. We’re shooting 24

out in the desert, and the mountains, and all around Cape Town. I can’t get over the scale of it. So I think watching it is going to be mind-blowing.”

Algar has had a lifelong love affair with boxing, which helps her deal with any worries or anxiety – but it has also come in very handy for her action-heavy role in Raised By Wolves.

“I play Sue, and she’s a combat medic caught up in a war between two main armies, all trying to survive because Earth has expelled all of its natural resources and oxygen levels are critical – it’s terrifying but it’s also what Ridley thinks people are anticipating about where our future might be heading! She and her husband, played by Travis Fimmel, head off, and then there’s a parallel story about two androids who are raising human children. I’m so excited about it.”

Algar’s parents visited her in Cape Town, and true to Irish parents, soon made themselves at home on the set.

“They disappeared for about an hour, just wandering around – and then turned up literally as I was filming a scene. I was trying to say my lines, pretending I’m on a different planet – and I could just see my mum and dad standing right in front of me, and then walking back behind the director’s monitor! I’m the only Irish one, so I couldn’t even pretend that the two randomers from Mullingar wandering around the set and asking everyone how they’re doing weren’t related to me! But they had never come to see me film before, so it was really special.”

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D E S T I N AT I O N

M Y FAV O U R I T E J O U R N E Y

PAW S F O R T H O U G H T In a Go Rail special, Tyson the Dog recalls his memorable trip aboard the Sallins to Dublin commuter train earlier this year.

TYSON

O JOURNEY: DUBLIN TO SALLINS

"Amidst the gorgeous rural landscapes, I spotted cows, sheep, horses and even a few of my old canine pals."

ne of the many benefits of travelling with Iarnród Éireann is that, if you miss one train, there’s another along very shortly. At Sallins station earlier this year, having been unable to board the 8.33 to Heuston Station in Dublin, I was delighted when another arrived promptly at 8.46.

As I was about to discover, you can travel in great comfort with Iarnród Éireann. A friendly human let me hop up on their lap and, making sure to heed the “seats are not for feet” signs, I was able to settle in and enjoy what I hoped would be a thoroughly splendid outing to the capital. As a fully paid-up, card-carrying member of the dog community, I found that one’s fellow commuters are very kind and affable and – certainly on this occasion – I felt the other passengers really enjoyed having me onboard, which was lovely. They were so nice that I would have looked at a picture of them on Facebook and said, “Ah, bless!”

I probably don’t need to tell you this, but travelling by train also gives you time to unwind and listen to your favourite music. As we passed through the various stops en route to Dublin – places such as Celbridge, Adamstown and Cherry Orchard – I put on a selection of my favourite tunes, including ‘Diamond Dogs’ by David Bowie, ‘Hound Dog’ by Elvis Presley and a perennial old favourite of mine, the Johnny Cash version of ‘Old Shep’. Oh, I know it’s a bit of a weepie, but I’ve always been a sucker for that sort of thing!

People looked at me wondering why I was sniffing but I didn’t care.

If you’re more of a movie buff, of course, you can catch up on the TV shows and movies you love. I’ve recently been watching Great Railway Journeys – which I found positively inspirational – The Littlest Hobo and Dog Day Afternoon. I have a confession to 26

make: I just love Al Pacino.

Alternatively, you can while away the time taking in the rolling countryside. Amidst the gorgeous rural landscapes, I spotted cows, sheep, horses and even a few of my old canine pals. It was soooo funny. I could see they were barking, but I couldn’t hear a thing because I was listening to AC/DC’s ‘Dog Eat Dog’ at the time. What a bass drum sound!

On longer journeys, you can purchase tea, coffee, refreshments and also newspapers, which I occasionally scan for the greyhound racing results. But my favourite, of course, is Go Rail magazine, which – by now you’ll doubtless have spotted – is a mutt read…

TA I L WAG G I N G T H E D O G After a wonderfully pleasant and relaxing 30-minute journey, I disembarked at Platform 7 in Heuston Station and decided to spend a little while sniffing around to get a feel of the place. There is something so evocative and atmospheric about railway stations. Honestly, I could have mooched - or should that be pooched? - for a whole day, but it turned out that Iarnród Éireann staff are super courteous and helpful. They put out the welcome mat, and made sure that I was well fed and watered. They also set about reconnecting me with my owner, which was very nice of them indeed. The process took a while but I was terrier-like in my determination to eventually board that train home.

Once the word went out on social media, we had offers of help from near and far. But Iarnród Éireann were like a dog with a bone and insisted that they’d find my real owner. I must say that we – I felt like I was part of the team at this stage – were all hugely taken aback by the scale of the response. There were moments of loneliness when I feared that maybe I had made a dog’s dinner of everything, but no, I was wrong! Iarnród Éireann were not going to let me down.

As they went about their rescue mission, the station staff gave me the name Hamish, which I rather fancied. I did try to tell them that my name is Tyson – but they seemed to think I was talking about a boxer!

Eventually, after great work by my friends in Iarnród Éireann, and some excellent barking by me, my owner was located and I was able to return home again, with the words of Sheena Easton ringing in my ears: “My baby takes the morning train…” Inspired by that song, I had now fulfilled one of my all-time life-long ambitions.

As a recent convert to this most sustainable form of transport, I must say that travelling by train was a great experience and one I’d happily recommend. If I had one piece of advice to people planning their journey, it would to be to plan ahead and remain in control every step of the way – that way it never becomes a case of the tail wagging the dog.

The important thing is that I now have great memories of a trip that I’ll always treasure, and be able to tell my grand children about. For me, travelling by train is definitely the number one transport option. Anyone looking elsewhere is simply barking up the wrong tree.

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KNOCKNAREA EASKEY SURFING

HORSE RIDIN G ON THE THE BEAC H

S

ligo is a county that celebrates its independent spirits. Writers and artists have long been inspired by its unique landscape, from the imposing presence of the mighty Benbulben, to the county’s rolling coastline. Word-renowned Irish poet W.B. Yeats, whose resting place at St. Columba’s Church in Drumcliffe is overlooked by Benbulben, returned to the landscape of Sligo frequently in his poems. Most famously, ’The Lake Isle Of Innisfree’, saw the expatriated Yeats yearn for his homeland. “I hear it deep in the heart’s core”, he marvelled.

Today, Sligo is a a must-visit destination for lovers of the arts. The Model (The Mall, Rathquarter. Tel: 071 914 1405. themodel. ie), home of the Niland Collecton, is one of Ireland’s leading contemporary arts centres, and features works by John and Jack B. Yeats, Estella Solomons, Paul Henry and Louis Le Brocquy. There is a vibrant theatre tradition at the Hawk’s Well Theatre (2 Temple St, Abbeyquarter North, Tel: 071 916 1518, hawkswell.com), kept alive by The Blue Raincoat/Factory Theatre ensemble.

The popular Coleman Irish Music Centre (Gurteen, Co. Sligo. Tel: 071 918 2599. colemanirishmusic.com) is celebration of Irish music, culture and heritage. The magnificent Lissadell House (Ballinful, Co. Sligo. Tel: 071 916 3150. lissadellhouse.com), built in 1830 by the famous Gore Booth family and beloved by W.B. Yeats, should also not be missed.

Visitors will also find a full calendar of great events celebrating life on the Wild Atlantic Way. Music lovers will find plenty of entertainment at the boutique Sligo Jazz Festival on July 23–28 (sligojazz.ie) and

SLIGO LIVE: ALL TVVINS

at the Sligo Summer Festival on August 8–11 (facebook.com/sligosummerfestival), featuring Scouting For Girls and Chasing Abbey. The massive Sligo Live Festival takes place over ten days (October 18–28) and features great acts like Bell X1’s Paul Noonan and boogie-woogie legend Jools Holland and his R&B Orchestra (sligolive. ie). Poetry fans can take a deep dive into the career of W.B. Yeats at the annual Yeats International Summer School from July 25–August 2 (yeatssociety.com), and fans of a tipple can quench their thirst at the annual Hagstravaganza at Sligo’s White Hag Brewery on July 26 & 27 (thewhitehag.com/ hagstravaganza).

Sligo’s archaeological and mythological heritage is incredibly rich. This ancient county is filled with over 5,000 archaeological sites. Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery is the largest collection of megalithic tombs in Ireland. Above the western shore of Lough Arrow, in the beautiful limestone upland of the Bricklieve Mountains, is the impressive passage tomb cemetery of Carrowkeel.

CreevyKeel Court Tomb, in the foothills of Tievebaun Mountain, is one of the best examples of a court tomb in Ireland.

Knocknashee (The Hill of the Fairies), located near Tubbercurry, is a spectacular limestone tabletop plateau commanding a panoramic view of the north Connaught plain.

Renowned the world-over as a mecca for surfers, Sligo offers an array of outdoor activities. From walking trails in stunning landscapes to championship links golf courses, stand up paddle boarding, offshore diving, and kiteboarding: Sligo has it all. There are also ample destinations

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for a relaxed afternoon of fishing or an uplifting horse-ride along the beach. With its stunning coastline, there are many great beaches throughout Sligo, including Mullaghmore Beach, Streedagh, Strandhill and Enniscrone, and they all offer spectacular scenery and plenty of outdoor activities.

Easy-going terrains set in beautiful forests; hills and lakesides are accessible for families and make for a great day out. Longer trails like the Sligo Way (a 74km walking route that traverses the county) or the Miners’ Way and Historical Trail offer more challenging routes for the dedicated walker. Popular walking routes include Queen Maeve’s Trail on Knocknarea, BenbulbenGortarowey Trail, and The Devil’s Chimney.

For more information go to sligowalks.ie.

After a long day of activities, it’ll be a relief to know that a huge variety of appealing refreshments are close at hand. Sligo is a fantastic foodie destination. There is plethora of exciting Food Trail experiences, from craft beer tours to baking classes or a lunch on the seashore with your ancestors. Take a Sligo Food Tour and meet the proud personalities behind Sligo food who will tell you fascinating local stories about where the food comes from and how it is produced.

Visit sligofoodtours.ie/book-tour to book your place. At the Sligo Oyster Experience, visitors can indulge in Sligo Bay Oysters at WB’S Coffee House, while they are guided by owner Aisling through the history and current farming methods of harvesting oysters on the Wild Atlantic Way. Visit sligooysterexperience.ie for more information.

• For more information on events and tours, visit sligotourism.ie.

F E AT U R E

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P A U L H O WA R D

Boogie Wonderland Famed as the creator of Ross O’Carroll Kelly, Paul Howard is also the man behind theatrical smash Copper Face Jacks: The Musical – a celebration of the iconic Dublin club, which has returned for another hotly anticipated run.

Interview: Peter McGoran

P

aul Howard’s dog isn’t happy with him. When Go Rail sits down for a chat with the writer in his Wicklow home, Humphrey – his bassett hound – is wearing a glum face underneath his lampshade cone.

“He had an operation on his paw yesterday,” Paul explains. “So he has to wear the cone of shame. He’s really not happy about it!”

Paul – and Humphrey – are taking it easy ahead of a busy summer. The phenomenal success of Paul’s new play, Copper Face Jacks: The Musical, has led to a second run, with performances in the Olympia Theatre throughout July and August.

In addition, he’s gearing up for the release his 19th Ross O’Carroll-Kelly novel, Schmidt Happens. As the title indicates, this latest effort features a cameo from Ireland’s revered rugby coach.

We can’t give too many spoilers away, seeing as it isn’t out until August, but the short synopsis is: Ross’s daughter gets her hands on her father’s rugby tactics manual – a tome so sacred that the rollicking rugby aficionado deems it more important than the Book Of Kells – and gives it to the Ireland head coach. Schmidt then calls upon Ross for some rugby coaching advice. Hilarity ensues.

An obvious first question then – does Mr. Schmidt know about the book?

“I met him quite recently,” Paul chuckles. “I was doing this Q&A event with Joe for charity, and I had hoped to keep the name of the book secret from him, in case he didn’t like it. But somebody put it up on Twitter a few days before and the word got out.

“So anyway, I’m interviewing the Irish coaching panel and the second I ask the first question, Simon Easterby pipes up and says, ‘Here, what do you mean by naming your new book Schmidt Happens?’” Paul laughs.

“Thankfully Joe thought it was funny! He was quite intrigued by what role he was playing in the book. so I don’t think I’ll be hearing from his lawyers.”

Howard’s new novel follows hard on the heels of the second run of his hit play, Copper Face Jacks: The Musical. A love story set on the eve of a Dublin vs Kerry All-Ireland final, it appears to have captured the heart of everyone who’s ever been to the titular Harcourt Street, D2 establishment.

“The response to the first run was fantastic,” Paul beams. “It was very different from a regular show, in that people who came to see it were dressed for a night out afterwards! It was wall-to-wall sparkly skirts and tops and high heels. And that was just the fellas!”

All doubts that he might’ve had about the show evaporated during the opening night, he says.

“We had a great cast and a great director and they just took what I wrote and had fun with it. They really made a brilliant show out of it. For the last two weeks of the first run, there weren’t tickets to be got anywhere. We didn’t even have house tickets left. We were getting calls that the Dublin senior football squad wanted to go and we could only accommodate about eight of them!”

For Paul, this musical was about paying tribute to a Dublin location he had frequented throughout his youth, and continued to visit into the heady Celtic Tiger years and beyond.

“I was one of those people who could never get into Lillie’s or Renard’s back in the Celtic Tiger days!” he laughs. “I was probably too ugly to get into Lillie’s.

You’d always have the bouncer looking at you like, ‘That face isn’t going to enhance anyone’s evening here!’

“But I always got into Copper’s. And lots of people – not just culchies but Dubliners too – have found that as well. There were a lot of nightclubs in Dublin during the Celtic Tiger that pursued this exclusive door policy, but it was never difficult to get into Copper’s. You could get in if you were in a group of eight people and you all had intercounty jerseys on. That’s part of its success; it never lost the run of itself.”

Putting on Copper Face Jacks was, Paul admits, a lot less stressful than his previous play, which nearly saw

“I was one of those people who could never get into Lillie’s or Renard’s back in the Celtic Tiger days!”

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F E AT U R E

OH , W H AT A NIGHT! The cast of Copper Face Jacks: The Musical

“Suddenly we had this script that potentially was in contempt of court!”

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‘Hold on now, what about Moulin Rouge?’ So he said alright then, and we ran with the idea!”

Paul Howard was one of those lucky enough to find himself invited to Dublin’s best garden party last year – at Áras an Uachtaráin.

“That’s a great day out,” he enthuses. “The mix of people that the President invites is as great as the hospitality.

You go home from it and you’ve had 15 really interesting conversations. Conversations with a painter, conversations with someone from The Stunning.

“I wrote a book last year about the life of the Irish socialite Tara Browne (I Read The News Today, Oh Boy) and for that, I spoke a lot with his brother Garech who was at the President’s Garden Party. I didn’t know he was going to be there, but I overheard his voice when I was going to the bathroom. He was having an argument and trying to wind up the Dublin City Councillor, Mannix Flynn. My wife and I stumbled into the chat with them. Then, Anne Enright came over and joined us and we all spent about 45 minutes having this wonderful long conversation. That’s what I remember from that party!”

• Copper Face Jacks: The Musical runs at the Olympia, Dublin from July 11 – August 10.

LEFT PIC: ARTHUR CARRON RIGHT PICS: LEON FARREL

him being held in contempt of court over a trial related to the collapse of Anglo Irish Bank…

“For Copper’s, I collaborated with Darren Smith and Donal Shields, who I’d have worked with on Anglo: The Musical in 2012,” he explains. “And we got into a lot of trouble with that musical, because just after we opened rehearsals, there were charges in the case for Sean Fitzpatrick and two other directors for offences related to the bank. So suddenly we had this script that potentially was in contempt of court!

“We took the decision to go ahead with the musical, but it was incredibly stressful,” he admits. “We were in meetings with lawyers all the time. There was one day that I was talking to lawyers in the morning, then going to rehearsals, then going back to talk to a solicitor about how likely it was that I’d lose my house over this or go to jail.”

From the stress of that time came a bright idea…

“In the midst of it all, Darren turned to me one day and said, half-jokingly, ‘We should’ve just done Copper’s The Musical’.

It was one of those throwaway comments that, the more we thought about it, the more we realised, ‘That wouldn’t be the worst idea…’ So we met with Cathal Jackson, the owner of Copper Face Jacks, and he was utterly bewildered by the idea of there being a musical about his club. But we said to him,

S P E C I A L F E AT U R E C A R R I C K- A - R E D E R O P E B R I D G E

BUSHMILLS DISTILLERY The world’s oldest licensed distillery is idyllically located beside the rippling River Bush. Savour the evocative sights, sounds and smells on a tour that celebrates centuries of the distilling craft, and its connection to the village and its people.

RATHLIN ISLAND Wild and beautiful Rathlin Island is only 20 minutes from the seaside charm of Ballycastle. Explore the island on foot, bike or by boat, and take in the three lighthouses and the RSPB West Light Sea Bird Centre, with its chorus of puffins, guillemots and kittiwake.

DUNLUCE CASTLE

COAST WITH THE MOST

THE GLENS OF ANTRIM

Not only has Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route been lauded as one of the world’s great road journeys, it was also named alongside Belfast as the #No 1 Region to Visit in 2018 by Lonely Planet. Here are our top picks on the stunning route...

GIANT’S CAUSEWAY

Situated within one of the nine Glens of Antrim, the breath-taking Glenariff Forest Park has superb walking trails and a threemile long ‘Waterfall Walkway’. If you’re lucky, you might see red squirrels and Irish hares on your way.

THE DARK HEDGES B I N E V E N AG H

This beautiful tree-lined avenue is one of the most photographed natural phenomena in Northern Ireland since it was featured in Season 2 of Game Of Thrones®. Be sure to check out more filming locations for the hit series in the area.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Giant’s Causeway is a spectacular location on every level. Walk through narrow pathways lined with tall hexagonal columns, climb to the top of the strangely sculpted stacks and clamber across rows of stones, each with six perfect sides, pounded by waves for millennia.

BINEVENAGH AND BENONE

CARRICK-A-REDE ROPE BRIDGE Test your nerve as you cross the swinging rope between the mainland and the fisherman’s island, with the waves crashing below you. Once across, you’re rewarded with magnificicent views of the coast and Rathlin Island.

DUNLUCE CASTLE

The majestic Binevenagh Mountain, ideal for walking and hiking, overlooks Benone Strand - seven miles of golden sand with views of the Inishowen Peninsula. Take some time out for some surfing, paddleboarding and blokarting.

For information and ideas on where to stay and what to do, go to visitcausewaycoastandglens.com

DOWNHILL DEMESNE AND MUSSENDEN TEMPLE Mussenden Temple is a dream-like location, perched on a cliff above miles of fine golden sand. A short walk away, you’ll find the eerie shell of the once glamourous and thriving 18th century Downhill Castle. Afterwards, tour the 17th century thatched cottage in nearby Castlerock.

Perched on the cliff edge, this brooding castle, on the outskirts of Portrush, with its turbulent back-story of battling clans, is said to have its own banshee. Walk through the crumbling rooms, take in the dramatic sea views, and explore historical and archaeological exhibits.

R AT H L I N I S L A N D

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DÚN LAOGHAIRE RATHDOWN: FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA

DUBLIN LO NG TAB L E FE ASTS SEPTEMBER 7–22

Go Rail gets you ready for a summer of festivals and events on the sunny coast of south Dublin.

With Ireland finally basking in the summer sunshine, thoughts inevitably turn to the great outdoors. Luckily for us, Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown have a season full of great family entertainment planned out on the coast of south Dublin. Grab your bucket and spade, your hiking boots and your dancing shoes (you’re going to need them all!), and get ready to join in on the fun.

S UM M E R OF HE R I TAG E

Showcasing the best food from the “mountains to the sea” that Dublin has to offer, Dublin Long Table Feasts is a brand new food festival celebrating the best of the capital’s culinary delights. The programme will consist of a range of unique and innovative, creative and immersive food experiences.

Promising the best of Irish food in the most interesting locations, this will be a festival not to be missed. www.dlrtourism.ie

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Various Locations in Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown, June 24–September 1 Uncover the fascinating history of Dún Laoghaire & Rathdown’s many heritage attractions this summer with an exciting series of events. These events include free guided tours and are perfect for schools, students, families, community groups and tourists. Dig deep into the area’s heritage on a series of engrossing tours, which take place at a variety of spectacular locations, including churches, burial grounds obelisks, castles, museums, country houses, Martello towers and nature trails.

T E D DY ’ S P I C N I C Blackrock Park, July 21 Summer would be un-“bear”-able without Blackrock’s annual Teddy Bears Picnic. Filled with all the necessities for your bear to have a great afternoon out, the picnic will be a celebration of all things Teddy with lots of fun, games and surprises all over the park.

Everybody, young and old is invited to bring their bears and blankets to the picnic in Blackrock Park. There will be a DJ, face painting, bouncy castles and inflatable games for all ages,

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T E D DY ' S P I C N I C

entertainment on the Lake Stage and of course, picnic facilities for your goodies galore. Teddy Bears Picnic is a free event, so bring your Teddy Bear and a picnic to make the most of this special afternoon.

Example, S Club, Smash Hits and more, will all be on hand to get the party started, but the star attraction is certain to be an exclusive DJ set from Dustin The Turkey.

VOLVO DU N LAO G H AIRE REG ATTA

Dún Laoghaire Harbour, August 3–4 Proving that fun by the seaside is not the sole reserve of youth, this year’s Beatyard is a generational culture mix for the ages. Hip Hop legend Grandmaster Flash and reggae heroes The Congos line out alongside relative upstarts like Churches, Jungle, Soule and dance innovators, Groove Armada. Set against the stunning backdrop of Dublin Bay, the festival provides all you need to keep funkin’ till late, with the expansive Eatyard area and its 100+ vendors catering to all tastes.

Dún Laoghaire Seafront, July 11–14 500 boats and over 2,500 sailors will all compete in the 8th edition of Ireland’s biggest sailing event. A festival of fun for all ages with guaranteed smiles and excitement, there is no better way to spend summer days. The regatta attracts the best of national and international Olympic level talent for an exciting four days of racing. Since 2017, the regatta has also included a full programme of racing for Classic Keelboats and the Old Gaffers. There is also plenty of entertainment on hand away from the water including BBQs DJs and live music.

LOCO LAND Dún Laoghaire Harbour, July 13 This summer, Bingo Loco are taking over Dun Laoghaire harbour for Loco Land, Ireland’s first immersive entertainment festival. Expect carnival rides, carnival game stalls, and get your future told by The Worlds Worst Fortune Teller. Or, if you have zero fitness, then why not take part in the Loco Land 10m Marathon. It’s never too early to start the Christmas shopping, luckily Loco Land includes an utterly ridiculous Christmas Market in July!

B EAT YA R D

PL AYST I VA L Airfield Estate, Dundrum, August 10–11 A spectacular festival of play and music for kids and their parents, Playstival is a twoday festival of fun and excitement, great food, live music, and most of all family time together. The festival line-up allows parents the opportunity to play with their children or let them interact with other kids and enjoy the games and interactive shows. Some of the great attractions include the Science & Discovery Hub, the Kid’s Construction Site, Lego Masters, the Playchella Live Music Stage and the Vintage Fun fair.

I R ON MA N Dún Laoghaire, August 25 Starting at Sandycove’s iconic Martello Tower before winding through Wicklow’s incredible hills and finishing back in the picturesque Dún Laoghaire Harbour, this special event welcomes thousands of supporters and athletes to Dun Laoghaire for one of Europe’s top Ironman competitions. The bike course takes triathletes through the spectacular Wicklow Mountains National park and its glacial lakes and rivers.

A I R FI E L D FOOD FE ST IVAL Airfield Estate, Dundrum, September 7–8 This is a two-day extravaganza of artisan food, cookery, gardening,workshops, wellness, live music and kids play. Airfield Festival of Food isprimed to become an unmissable annual event on the Irish food festival calendar. Last year’s event welcomed over 15,000 visitors. this year, along with all the family favourites from egg collecting to cow milking, lawn games to action adventure trails across 38 acres, festival-goers will experience an expanded Food Village with over 50 local producers, best in show competitions and so much more to be announced.

For all your visitor information needs in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown contact dlrtourism.ie Email: Info@dlrtourism Twitter: @dlrtourism Facebook: dlrtourism

VOLVO DÚN LAOGHAIRE REGATTA

AIRFIELD FOOD FESTIVAL

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F E AT U R E

Glory Days Having previously brought us such classics as Trainspotting, The Beach and Slumdog Millionaire, DANNY BOYLE considers what a Beatles-free world would be like in Yesterday. Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran and Leonardo DiCaprio all feature as he meets ROE McDERMOTT.

D

A PERSONAL FALLING OUT Yesterday is Danny Boyle’s latest cinematic adventure. It sees Himesh Patel play failed musician Jack, who wakes up in an alternate reality where The Beatles have never existed, and no-one remembers their music – except him.

Passing their songs off as his own, he becomes a worldwide superstar, but struggles with the fame and guilt.

As well as a warm, funny rom-com, the film is an unabashed celebration of The Beatles, and reminds us of how brilliantly diverse their music was. How suitable then, for Danny Boyle to direct a film about them, given that his career has been marked by a constant diversity of both subject and style.

“My favourite band of all time is The Clash,” says the director, sitting in a suite in The Merrion Hotel, “and their album London Calling is like The Beatles, in that they experimented with all different styles – reggae, rockabilly, all these sounds. And The Beatles were doing that. The variety of Abbey Road is just phenomenal.

They used reggae, Indian music: it’s fantastic. Constantly doing something different. And if I’ve done anything at all similar, it’s because you do benefit from change and embracing different influences and challenging yourself.”

anny Boyle’s much celebrated career has seen him direct some of cinema’s most celebrated films, from Trainspotting to Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later to 127 Hours. But when he approached singer Ed Sheeran about taking a role in his lovely new musical rom-com, Yesterday, Boyle discovered that his immensely friendly, endearingly excitable, chatty personality mightn’t scream ‘Oscar Winning Director’ – because Ed Sheeran had no idea who he was.

“Ed will deny this, but it’s absolutely true!” he laughs. “We had a meal at Richard Curtis’ house, who lives quite close to him and they’re friends. Halfway through, somebody mentioned my film The Beach and you could just see his face change. And Ed literally got his phone out under the table and was looking up my IMDB page, and having a ‘This is the guy who did-?’ moment. He had no idea who I was!”

Boyle laughs uproariously.

“I don’t care at all. He’s a massive pop star, performing every day of the year! But it was just quite funny.”

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DA N N Y B OY L E

C OM E T O G E T H E R : With writer Richard Curtis on-set; (inset) Paul McCartney

Boyle’s filmography displays a conscious effort to try something different with each project. He moved from the zombie horror 28 Days Later to Millions, a comedy drama about a school boy embracing kindness. His joyous, hectic, sweeping romantic drama Slumdog Millionaire was followed by 127 Hours which centred on one character, stuck in a single location.

Does he consciously choose projects diametrically opposed to what he’s just done?

“You don’t want to repeat yourself. Sometimes you find yourself saying, ‘I know how to do this’ – and you shouldn’t, really. You should actually be absorbing everything that’s different, and exploring different ways of doing things. Because you’ll get caught out soon enough anyway, as we all do, feeling like an imposter – so why not try and embrace that possibility of failing and take the challenge anyway?”

Yesterday is essentially a representation of imposter syndrome writ large.

“We all have that,” Boyle maintains. “I’m always waiting for someone to walk in and say, ‘This man isn’t a director! He’s a fake! He’s making it all up as he goes along!’”

So what are the films that felt like a genuine struggle, or that might not have come together?

“Slumdog felt effortless, it felt like it made itself, whereas The Beach was a struggle,” Boyle admits, referring to his 2000 film, which was plagued with production issues and a personal falling-out between him and his longtime collaborator Ewan McGregor, who expected the lead role but was ousted by Leonardo DiCaprio.

involved? Is it made locally or in a studio? These decisions create a film’s gender identity. And you can distort that, especially with money and stars – because even when they bring the best intentions, which many of them do, they also bring money, and that money can change the film’s rightful identity. I learned that. I tend to make small films, and I love that. I love watching big films – but for me, I make smaller films and try to make them have as big an impact as possible.

“That’s what happened with Bond,” Boyle riffs, referring to the upcoming Bond 25 film, which he was originally slated to write and direct. However, the director ended up leaving the project in a much-publicised dispute, citing that age-old trope: creative differences.

“I started writing this screenplay and they didn’t like it, because they could identify that it would have its own identity; it wasn’t going to be what we wanted it to be.

It was better that we parted before it got ugly. It feels disappointing, because I still believe in the idea we had. But you have to temper that with the knowledge that it would have been horrible, because if you’re aiming for different things – don’t.”

This philosophy meant that Boyle was determined to make Yesterday feel as respectful and celebratory of The Beatles as possible. The rights to the songs used in the film were secured before production even began (“It’s the second-most expensive cost I’ve ever had on a film,” he remarks. The first?

“Leo Di Caprio’s fee.”) – but the director still took it upon himself to write letters to Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the two widows, Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono, and to also send them the finished film.

“We got really beautiful letters back from Ringo and Olivia, really lovely,” says Boyle. “That meant a lot to me. I don’t think Paul has seen it yet, but he saw the trailer and said it worked.

He said we should call it ‘Scrambled Eggs’ because that was the original title of the song ‘Yesterday’ – he woke up with the melody fully formed in his head, and sang it to Jane Asher over

“He said we should call it ‘Scrambled Eggs’ because that was the original title of the song ‘Yesterday’.”

PAUL McCARTNEY PIC: JIMMY BAIOVICIUS

A PHILOSOPHY OF EQUAL ACCESS “I learned from it, why I hadn’t been happy making it. I had gone about it the wrong way. And when you go about something the wrong way, you can’t recover. The way you set up the film, the way you set up its identity, is crucial to the happiness of everyone involved. Does it have no money or a lot of money 35

F E AT U R E

TWIST AND SHOUT: Himesh Patel performing on-set

breakfast with the lyrics, ‘We should have some scrambled eggs’.

So he said that we should call it ‘Scrambled Eggs’ - particularly if the film’s a mess!”

Resisting an artistic suggestion from Paul McCartney – that is a bold move. “A tongue-in-cheek artistic suggestion!” laughs Boyle.

The Beatles are obviously absolute icons, not just of music but of Britain itself. The fact that Boyle’s film sees Himesh Patel, a British actor with South Asian parents, become the reimagined face of iconic, groundbreaking British music, feels important, particularly as Brexit, and the racism that fuelled it, rage on.

Was this a conscious decision to show that British and white should not be synonymous, at a time where a disturbing amount of people believe that to be true?

“I’d love to claim it was part of the original thought process, because I’m very proud of that message,” says Boyle. “But honestly, we were looking at people for ages, and a small kernel of fear had started to creep in that we wouldn’t find someone, or that whoever had to perform these fifteen songs would feel a bit karaoke. But then Himesh came in, and he performed very faithful renditions of Beatles songs. He wasn’t doing radical interpretations, but they just felt like his songs. That was exactly what we needed.”

Boyle has always made representing diverse viewpoints feel easy where other directors struggle – from making small but important choices like casting Naomi Harris as the female lead in 28 Days Later and having a very diverse cast on his sci-fi thriller Sunshine to letting diversity, representation and authenticity become an integral part of productions. For example, he hired local extras, actors and crew members while shooting Slumdog Millionaire in India. Boyle says that he’s embraced a philosophy of equal access, never choosing actors solely for their ethnicity or identity, but ensuring that actors of ethnicities and identities are given equal consideration – a depressingly rare approach in an industry that often defaults to writing characters as white, or only offers opportunities to wellestablished actors.

“You have to have the courage of your convictions, that you have the right person for the part – but you also have to be open to looking everywhere,” says Boyle. “Because talent is everywhere. And the best of that talent will always announce it.

You don’t give parts to people purely to be politically correct – but your reach has to be informed by the PC principle, of giving everyone equal access.”

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE TEACHERS Danny Boyle says that he is paying attention to the increased discourse around onscreen representation of race and gender, and that these conversations have also led him to examining what stories he is drawn to, even subconsciously and who his films represent, “Most of the films I’ve made, with the exception of Trance, have been about a central male character. And that’s hard. Because however dissimilar those characters may seem from each other, you are sort of making a film about yourself.”

He pauses, apparently still grappling with this revelation.

“It’s interesting. You’re trying to grow, while also not becoming awkwardly self-conscious about ‘the right’ things.”

Boyle is earnest in his desire to examine these biases and address them. He expresses a deep gratitude that these conversations are not only happening, but becoming an innate part of younger generations’ understanding of the world.

“My son goes to a school that is criticised by right-wing newspapers for being politically correct, because they excluded things like Golliwogs, and made sure that there is no colour in education. And my son doesn’t see colour,” Boyle says, in loving awe.

“I do,” he admits. “Because of the way I was brought up and educated, I see colour, no matter how much I educate myself.

I’m pretty politically correct about it, but I see it. He doesn’t, because he’s been beautifully and properly educated. His subconscious is correct – he sees people equally and judges them on their merits, not these other values that are ascribed by influence and prejudice. I love that.”

Boyle then reveals an underlying theme of Yesterday, which many viewers may miss on first viewing.

“This film is a hidden tribute to teachers – Jack has been a teacher, Ellie [played by Lily James] is a teacher. When you have these terrible people like Trump and politicians who self-declare that they are the nation – no they’re not. Teachers are the nation.

They’re where the values can be held and truly passed on in the most trustworthy way. Not through politicians, who represent them in the media in the flash of immediacy. The deeper values of a nation are held and passed on by teachers. My sisters were teachers, and I always thought it was such a vital job – to pass on music and culture and history, or values. And now my son doesn’t see colour. I find that a miracle, it’s so beautiful. And that’s because he’s had great teachers who have passed on the greatest truth: that people are people, so treat them equally.”

• Yesterday is in cinemas now.

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What

to do with my waste?

Where

to go with my waste?

Why

should I manage my waste?

Discover Ireland’s official guide to waste management www.mywaste.ie Here you will find everything you need to know to prevent, recycle or manage waste.

You can easily locate services using our map or check our A to Z for further information about many household items you are unsure how to dispose of.

F E AT U R E

The Harder

They Scrum Six Nations, PRO14 and Champions Cup medals already bagged, ANDREW PORTER is now looking forward to Ireland’s Rugby World Cup adventures in Japan. A powerhouse prop who squats 350kg in the gym, the Leinster and Ireland man talks food, the importance of family, heroes, haunts, and sporting glory with STUART CLARK. Portrait: Miguel Ruiz

I

’ve met a lot of rugby players – Brian O’Driscoll, Jordan Larmour, Bundee Aki, Rob Kearney and Jamie Heaslip among them – but Andrew Porter is a whole different level of big.

To maintain his ripped bulk – never mind inch, there isn’t a milimetre to pinch – the 23-yearold has to consume upwards of 5,000 calories a day, which is just as well, given his apparent Steak & Chips addiction!

This being the day before he goes into World Cup training camp in Kildare’s Carton House – before flying off to Japan Ireland also have ‘friendlies’ against Italy, England and Wales to prep for – Andrew is enjoying a final chill with the papers in his favourite Cabinteely café, which – as Go Rail joins him – is blaring out Fontaines D.C.’s ‘Boys In The Better Land’.

“They really take their music seriously here,” enthuses Porter who’s still on a high from seeing Metallica last weekend at Slane.

“Now that was amazing,” he resumes. “I actually got quite emotional because they haven’t gigged in Ireland in about a decade. To see them was 38

something else. It was great that they paid tribute to Thin Lizzy by playing ‘Whiskey In The Jar’ and visited Phil’s statue on Harry Street beforehand.

His mum, Philomena Lynott, dying this week was very sad.”

I’m imagining that Andrew’s fondness for thrash metal isn’t shared by too many of his teammates.

“I get a boot thrown at me if I go anywhere near the sound system,” he laughs. “I put some Slayer on in Ireland camp, which lasted about 30 seconds before being knocked off. James Ryan and Cian Healy are the go-to men for music on the bus. They’ve eclectic tastes, so it could be pretty much anything… except for Slayer!”

Does he play or sing himself ?

“I used to dabble in a bit of guitar but, you know, my hands aren’t really made for it. I can belt out an okay ‘Raglan Road’ by Luke Kelly or Men At Work’s ‘Down Under’ when the occasion calls for it!”

It isn’t only rugby boots that teammates throw at Andrew.

“I was rooming with Keith Healy for a while, and he had a bedside locker with bottles to lob at me when I snored. Plastic ones, not glass!”

So what are his other favourite places for a good

ANDREW PORTER

T E A M P L AY E R : In action with Ireland and (far right) celebrating at Celtic Park with Jordan Larmour.

nosh-down? Along with Urbun who do a legendary Bacon Butty smothered in Ballymaloe relish, Andrew is often to be found with a napkin round his neck in F.X. Buckley in Monkstown where there’s an 18oz Rib Eye on the menu.

“I don’t know how many of their amazing steaks I’ve demolished,” he laughs. “If I’m craving even more meat, I’d go to My Meat Wagon in Smithfield Market Square.

They’ve good food too in my Cabinteely local, the Horse & Hound.”

Asked whether he’s flirted at all with veganism, Andrew looks horrified. “It’s not really my thing,” he says, “but I do cook a lot. I make a good risotto; you’ve got to nurture it.

Sometimes I throw in some seafood and make it more of a paella.”

His love of being in the kitchen comes from his mum,

LEFT PIC: BRENDAN MORAN/SPORTSFILE RIGHT PHOTO: RAMSEY CARDY/SPORTSFILE

“Playing in a winning side against the All Blacks was a childhood dream come true” Wendy, who died from breast cancer when he was only twelve.

“She was a brilliant cook and got me to help her whenever I wasn’t out playing sport,” he recalls. “I have all of her handwritten recipes in a little book back at home.

Cooking is a brilliant way of switching off if you’ve lost a game, or something else is preying on your mind.”

Having started with Ireland’s 54-7 demolition of Italy in Chicago, Andrew’s amazing 2018/’19 season continued with the Aviva Park smitings of Argentina and New Zealand.

“Playing in a winning side against the All Blacks was a childhood dream come true,” he enthuses. “I got about twenty minutes. It was one of the fastest games I’ve ever played in. The ball was up one end of the pitch and then 39

down the other because they can move it so fast. We treated it like a cup tie – ‘one-off game, eighty minutes, anything can happen’. The confidence that comes from beating the best team in the world – they’ve been No.1 for I don’t know how long – is massive. You never ever underestimate the All Blacks, but were we to come up against them in the World Cup we definitely wouldn’t be frightened going onto the pitch.”

Andrew and his teammates were brought back down to earth with a resounding bang when their Six Nations campaign started with defeat to a rampant England at Twickenham. “Hopefully we can make partial amends for that when we play England in the run-up to the World Cup. They’re very physical. What we learned from the defeat is that you’ve got to bully the bully, and get your own hits in.”

Bundee Aki told me shortly after making his Ireland debut that you don’t know how much it’s possible for a body to ache until you’ve played international rugby.

“Provincial rugby is tough, but, yeah, it’s different level stuff,” Andrew concurs. “Nathan Hughes, Courtney Lawes… they’re all big fellas. I felt a few of them under the ribs. I haven’t played against the Springboks yet; they’ve got some real bruisers trying to bash their way over the gameline.”

It’s a measure of the Irish team’s character that they bounced back after England to beat Scotland who, of course, are their first World Cup opponents.

“They’re a very dogged team and, physically, fairly ruthless. It’s a case of trying to out-physical them – the first ten, fifteen minutes of the game are absolutely critical – and doing all of your own stuff right. It’s hard playing catch-up if you lose the lead early on. You really have to claw your way back.”

A good few of the Scotland lads were in the Glasgow Warriors team that Leinster beat 18-15 at Celtic Park in May to retain their Guinness PRO14 title.

“It was a home game pretty much for them, so it was

F E AT U R E SUPPORTING IRISH CANCER SOCIETY: Andrew with Rory O’Loughlin

important to put it up to their fans,” Andrew reflects. “We were extra pumped because of losing two weeks earlier to Saracens in the Champions Cup Final. I was gutted not to be involved in that game, but on the day they were the better team. Celtic Park or Parkhead, or whatever it’s officially called these days, is one of the most famous stadiums in the world, and the atmosphere was amazing. The Aviva’s hard to beat when it’s rocking, but the other night that sticks in my mind atmosphere-wise was two years ago when we went to Bilbao.

“Losing mum was terrible, but it’s made me who I am today and, in many ways, stronger.”

The amount of Leinster fans who’d managed to get tickets for that Champions Cup Final was incredible, and was a major factor in us beating Racing. Like the New Zealand game, I can’t really remember much of the lead-up, other than it felt crazy being in Spain, and playing rugby in this incredible soccer stadium. A standout I do remember after the game was being able to go over and celebrate with my dad in the stand.

There were a few tears in his eyes. There were a few tears in my eyes! The flights are a bit expensive but I’m hoping that dad and my sisters, Erica and Leigh, will be over in Japan.”

The World Cup will be an emotional farewell for Joe Schmidt. How does he compare with Andrew’s Leinster coach, Leo Cullen?

“Joe is possibly more hands-on with everything. He’ll do all the set-plays and drills and then be with the backs as well. At 40

Leinster, Leo’s mainly the forwards’ coach and obviously does a lot of the tactics as well. They’re both very approachable and happy to sit down and chat about anything that’s on your mind. The psychological side of the game’s huge, so having people right up to the level of coach that you can talk to is really important.”

With the World Cup just four months away, is there a sense of places in the starting XV still being up for grabs?

“Definitely,” he nods. “With the amount of depth in the squad, I don’t think any spot is set in stone. There will be a lot of chopping and changing and different combinations tried out in the four games we’ve got prior to the World Cup, so hopefully I might get a start.”

The home and away ties against Wales offer further opportunities for Six Nations revenge.

“It was really tough playing them over in Cardiff,” he admits.

“They had a Grand Slam to play for and we gave away too many penalties. To beat Wales, you need to be disciplined and not make unforced errors. We need to demonstrate when we play them next that we’ve learned from that defeat.”

Who are the players that just being around you learn stuff from?

“Someone who was almost a god at Leinster was Isa Nacewa.

He taught me about respect and humility, both on and off the pitch. Playing in similar positions, Cian Healy and Tadgh Furlong would also be guys I really look up to. Having watched him as a kid, I was a bit starstruck meeting Cian, but you get over it!”

By way of a tribute to his mum, his left-arm is tatted with the name ‘Wendy’, a dove and a statue in Rome, the city where they holidayed together before she died in 2008.

“I’m very honoured to be involved with the Irish Cancer Society,” he says. “My first major thing with them was the Strides For Life campaign, which was getting the message out that exercise reduces the risks of getting cancer or, if you’ve been diagnosed, it coming back. Rory O’Loughlin’s family have been similarly affected, so we’ve talked about both that and the importance of Daffodil Day. Hopefully our stories can help people going through the same things. Losing mum was terrible, but it’s made me who I am today and, in many ways, stronger.”

Truth be told, I’m a little disappointed that Andrew hasn’t brought his beloved beagle, Cheika, with him to Urbun.

“I’m sure he’d be barking all over the place here and trying to rob food off everybody,” he concludes with a smile. “When I was in first year, we were allowed to get a dog on the condition that my dad named him and, sure enough, he named him after the previous Leinster coach, Michael Cheika. He’s ten now and, like his namesake, a legend. I take him round the local park or up Killiney Hill. He judges me by the quality of the walks he gets, not by my rugby exploits, so I try and mix it up a bit!”

• See cancer.ie for details of July’s Marathon In A Month campaign

ISI

INSOLVENCY SERVICE OF IRELAND

www.backontrack.ie

Debt can be overwhelming.

We can help.

BUSINESS

The Upper Crust Consistently ranked as one of the best bakeries in this part of the world, Bretzel Bakery’s owner, William Despard, talks to Go Rail about the care, passion, time and wonderful ingredients that go into making their famous – and famously brilliant! – bread.

Interview: Peter McGoran

B

retzel Bakery is a real, authentic Dublin institution. Founded back in the 1800s, the bakery has been a constant fixture in its home on Lennox Street, in Portobello, ever since. Fortunes dipped and waned throughout the years, but in 2000, the bakery was given a massive boost when it was bought by William Despard, a former corporate engineer.

“Bretzel Bakery was local,” he tells us, “and I felt that if I didn’t buy it, it was going to close down altogether.

Honestly, it was more of an emotional decision than a business decision in the beginning! I was looking for a change from working as a corporate engineer. I wanted something that would be a real business and not a consultancy.”

William started with 10 staff and four bakers. He knew that the bakery had a great reputation for high-quality bread, but, as a businessman, his immediate aim was to streamline things effectively. His background as a corporate engineer meant that he had a good sense of how to run an office. He also knew the importance of planning. But William was also deeply passionate about making great bread.

“Initially, we were constrained by the size of the premises,” he says. “Within a couple of years, I bought the garage next door and nearly doubled our production floor. A bit later on, I took another leap by buying a small bakery in Rathmines, which allowed us to play around with more interesting and experimental breads.”

As a result, Bretzel Bakery have turned standard assumptions about food businesses on their head. “As we got bigger, the produce got better,” William smiles.

“We’ve made the products better quality – and the demand has increased. It’s been a fantastic, virtuous circle.”

The superb quality of Bretzel breads and cakes is down to using the best ingredients – combined with the exceptional skills of Bretzel’s Master Baker, Fabrice Hergaux. William lists off Fabrice’s impressive CV, which has previously seen him work for a mill in France as baking demonstrator, then as a baking teacher.

William is nothing if not ambitious. In 2014, he decided

William Despard of the Bretzel Bakery, Dublin

“We source the very best quality ingredients.”

42

to expand even further by opening a huge, world-class bakery in Harold’s Cross. The new bakery allowed Bretzel to undertake their carefully honed baking practices in a more efficient way. They’ve also been able to undertake longer fermentation processes, ensuring that the trace nutrients in the flour remain bio-available.

“You shouldn’t take a natural food stuff like wheat,” William says passionately, “which is packed with all its fantastic nutrients, and turn it into an inferior massmanufactured product, where the nutrients are wasted and the product doesn’t taste nearly as nice.

“All of these things are hugely important to me. A lot of large plant bakeries are so automated they can’t and don’t take the time to care. That’s why, with this new bakery, we’re hugely organised. We source the very best quality ingredients. And we build the fermentation time into the plans.”

In recent years, Bretzel’s distinct baking style has made them very much on-trend with a public who are increasingly turning away from mass-produced, nutrientdeficient products.

“Well-made bread – and sour dough in particular – is actually one of the best, and most natural, forms of vegan food,” he explains. “A lot of people don’t know that, but it’s important. Good bread is so rich in healthy benefits.”

Increasingly, cafes, restaurants and hotels have been flocking to Bretzel for product. And food experts have

BUSINESS

THIRTEEN SIGNS THAT YOU MAY NEED TO GET BACK ON TRACK FINANCIALLY Debts and financial troubles have a way of quietly piling up. Whether it’s due to a change in circumstances, ill health or other unforeseen circumstances, serious financial issues can strike anyone.

Fortunately, there is help in the form of the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI). The ISI is an independent government body set up to help people struggling with debt and guide them towards solutions.

rightly bestowed accolades on them.

“We were recently voted ‘Best Baguette’ in Dublin,” says William, who is so confident in his produce that he insists on giving Go Rail a hamper of the stuff. It is brilliant. “We also won a Blas na hÉireann Award for our San Franciscan sourdough, while our white sliced bread also got a gold medal in the Awards.”

That is just for starters! But William is quick to emphasise that his passion isn’t for the accolades, but for the bread itself. Some of his proudest achievements include engaging with the public for Bretzel’s ‘Sour Dough September’, where the bakery’s world-class bakers demonstrated how their sourdough was made. He’s also looking ahead to July, where Bretzel Bakery is planning on having a ‘Vegan Month’, during which they’ll be putting together some delectable bread combinations and highlighting the vegan benefits of their bread.

• The Bretzel Bakery and Café is located at 1A Lennox Street, Portobello, Dublin 8. Tel: (01) 475 9445

THREE OTHER GREAT BAKERIES Bread & Roses Bakery – Cork Run by Moray Bresnihan and named after American 20th century feminist and activist Rose Schneiderman, Bread & Roses are deeply passionate about making good quality produce. All their breads are slowly fermented before being shaped by hand, baked, and sold along Coal Quay in Cork.

Builín Blasta Café & Bakery – Galway Situated in the heart of Galway’s Gaeltacht, Builín Blasta is an Irish language café which offers some beautiful pastries, breads and cakes. All of their bread is baked in-store daily. We recommend their flavoursome red pepper cumin loaf and olive focaccia.

Sligo Soudough Bakery – Sligo Specialising in 100% organic sourdough bread, Sligo Sourdough Bakery work with heritage English flour from Shipton Mill and produce breads free of any commercial yeast, soda and any other chemical or additive. Always fresh, packed with nutrients, and always delicious.

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Here is a checklist of signs that suggest you might have a problem with insolvency: 1. Are you making sacrifices on day-to-day essentials after you pay your bills each month?

2. Have you been late with rent or mortgage payments more than once in the past year?

3. Are you afraid to [total/add] up your debts because you don’t want to know how much you owe?

4. Are you hiding debts from your spouse/ partner or from friends and family?

5. Are your finances causing more frequent arguments at home?

6. Is the amount you owe increasing each month?

7. Do you find yourself regularly using credit cards for cash advances?

8. Are you using one card or loan to pay off another?

9. Do you have to choose which bill to pay late each month?

10. Have you had a new loan application rejected?

11. Are you often charged late payment or overdraft fees?

12. Is there nothing left each month to put into savings or an emergency fund?

13. Does worrying about money keep you awake at night?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to some of the questions above, you may be putting yourself through unnecessary hardship.

By talking to the ISI, you may find one of their debt solutions will be the right one for you and will get you back on track.

To find out more about how the ISI can help you, visit backontrack.ie, call the ISI’s information line at 076 106 4200, or freetext GET HELP to 50015.

F E AT U R E

NATIONAL TREASURE

“It’s so fun to sprinkle the electrical wires into the swimming pool and see what happens,” MATT BERNINGER says of The National’s adventurous new album. Lisa Hannigan, Patti Smith, Idles, Alicia Vikander and Trump all feature as he tells STUART CLARK all.

Live photography: Glen Bollard

“M

ost bands that keep evolving will try every colour of paint and every tool-kit available,” says The National’s Matt Berninger, kicking back this afternoon in Manhattan. “There’s 15 different violin players on the album, and that’s slammed up against fuzzy guitar recorded into a computer, then spat out through an amp and put on a loop. It’s so fun when you get to sprinkle the electrical wires into the swimming pool and see what happens!”

Fear not, though, because I Am Easy To Find is still awash with those moments of melancholy beauty that have earned The National a special place in our hearts – and ours theirs.

“The love affair started at a really early Dublin gig of ours in The Cobblestone Bar and intensified when we played Whelan’s,” Matt coos. “Whelan’s was one of those moments where, for us as a band, we recharged our batteries. There have been so many moments where we’ve just sort of run out of juice and didn’t know if the battery could be recharged. Thankfully, there was always one little review or one good show that gave us the faith to keep going.”

I Am Easy To Find is notable not only for its slamming-thingsinto other-things experimentation, but also for the calibre of its female guests, among them Gail Ann Dorsey, Sharon Van Etten and Lisa Hannigan who gets to sing about 90% of ‘So Far So Good’ before Matt decides to make an appearance.

“She’s all over our last record, Sleep Well Beast, too. Her voice is just so beautiful and ethereal. Lisa can sound like an earthly 44

woman, then she can sound like a celestial angel, all in the one verse. It’s so exciting to sing with her or just take a back seat for a change.

“Gail Ann, of course, was one of David Bowie’s inner circle.

‘Under Pressure’ became her song for 20 years. She’s incredible – the grace, the gravitas, the power. She was there for like 18 hours straight, doing take after take, even though the first take was sensational. She really made us look lazy in comparison.”

I Am Easy To Find is the musical companion to the 24 minute short-ish film of the same name, which finds director Mike Mills – not the REM one! – coaxing a series of extraordinary performances out of Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander. Is it an album that turned into a film or a film that turned into an album?

“It’s genuinely neither of those,” Matt insists. “The first thing was Mike writing me an email saying he wanted to maybe do a video. In return, I sent him probably fifteen half-baked ideas, seven of which he gravitated towards and started weaving together. I’m the one person who hasn’t seen The Danish Girl, but I absolutely adored Alicia in Ex Machina. With almost no dialogue, no prosthetics, no makeup and no costume changes, she was, in Mike’s film, able to convey every emotional aspect of human life. I’ve been turning the music off, and watching this silent evolution of a moving creature embodied by Alicia. She’s incredible.”

Talking of the emotional aspects of human life, being a member of The National is not without its challenges.

T H E N AT I O N A L

“We’re five men who’ve been travelling the world for 20 years and living apart from our families,” Matt says. “All sorts of things happen that make it really hard to be in a room or a tour bus together for too long. We’re grateful that all the petty things that we get so mean about always collapse under the trajectory and momentum of a song we’re excited about. It just ploughs through the bickering.”

Asked about his main source of inspiration, Matt pauses for a while and then smiles, “My marriage. Not to my wife Carin but to Aaron. Half the break-up songs are about him.”

While not usually one for polemics, Matt gives it both political barrels when I suggest that, in these Trumpian times we live in, art, beauty and the truth are more important than ever.

“Yeah,” he nods, “we’re in a place where we just need soothing. I won’t be overly melodramatic but there’s been so much trauma. Fascism is knocking on the door everywhere. The racism, sexism and all those other seeds of repression; the damage that’s being done to our kids is really, really apparent now. It used to have sunglasses on. We denied that it was there but now we’re looking at it right in the eye and it’s terrifying. Sometimes art is an escape, other times it’s a way of connecting to people who are just as angry or sad or as freaked out as you are. The band, Idles, who I love, sum it up perfectly with the title of their album, Joy As An Act Of Resistance. Everyone is going to come on to our side eventually because we have more fun. Tolerant, empathic people are happier people. I’ve learnt more about being a good, kind, brave

man from records than I have the bible.”

What are some of those albums that have had a biblical effect on him?

“There’s so many like Come On Pilgrim by the Pixies or Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks or Heart Attack On Vine by Tom Waits,” Matt rattles off. “Gee, I dunno, there’s a million. I keep going back to Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly and Willie Nelson’s Stardust. Sufjan Steven’s last record, Carrie & Lowell, was profoundly healing. R.E.M. and, as I just mentioned, Idles.”

We’re claiming Idles because the bassplayer, Mark Bowen, is from Belfast.

“I’m one-third Irish, you can claim me!”

Berninger pleads.

Where in Ireland do the Berningers hail from?

“That’s a good question, I don’t actually know. If I don’t know what part then I don’t get to call myself one-third anything, I guess. I’m really psyched about going to see Idles play next week in L.A. with Fontaines D.C. who I saw are alongside us on the All Together Now bill.”

They are indeed. Are Matt and the chaps looking forward to visiting Lord Waterford’s gaff in August?

“Festivals are hard to pull off, especially in their first year, but I hear these guys got it absolutely right,” he concludes. “Being headliners, we’ll get to play longer and we’re on the poster with Patti Smith. That alone is enough to make us want to come over!”

• I Am Easy To Find is out now on 4AD. The National play All Together Now on Friday August 2

“Half the breakup songs are about Aaron.”

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E AT

C E L E B R I T Y

TA B L E

Thinking Outside the Box Over a delicious meal at Gallagher’s Boxty House in Dublin, we catch up with film & TV Composer, and member of The Blizzards, Louize Carroll.

Interview: Aoife Bradshaw Photography: Miguel Ruiz Gallagher’s Boxty House 20-21 Temple Bar, Dublin 2 Tel: +353 1 677 2762 boxtyhouse.ie

L

ocated in the heart of Temple Bar, Gallagher’s Boxty House had always intrigued me. I’d stare at the plates on offer and wonder about the very Irish-sounding speciality of the house. I’d never tasted boxty, which gives the restaurant its name and decided: it’s time to change that! And what better occasion than a sit-down meal with the hugely-talented composer and musician, Louize Carroll of The Blizzards?

The interior of Gallagher’s Boxty House has a rustic feel to it. If the aim is to strike a balance between homely bistro and stylish dining, then they’ve certainly hit the mark.

The staff are warm and welcoming. It helps that Louize is a big fan of Irish cuisine.

“I don’t cook often but I care about what I eat,” she says. “I like Irish food, because it’s so hearty and full of good ingredients.”

Being a member of rock band The Blizzards, a chartered occupational psychologist and a film/TV composer, often all in one day, it’s hard to believe she finds time to eat at all.

“My days are quite band-heavy right now”, Louize reflects as we start in on our cocktails – a whiskey sour for her, and a gin-infused 46

‘Flora Dora’ for me. “The new album [The Last Great Algorithm] will be out in October, so there’s going to be a lead-up to that, and we’re still polishing the tracks in the studio. It’s great because even though I only joined the band in early 2018, I feel like I’ve already put my stamp on it.”

The group have been busy shooting a tongue-in-cheek documentary that follows The Blizzards, as they navigate the choppy waters of the Irish music scene. The rockumentary, if you will, has been made the 31st official selection at the Galway Film Fleadh. “It actually started off as a music video for a song,” Louize explains. “One radio station said they couldn’t play the track

E AT

“I’ve always been interested in music of course, but equally I’ve always been interested in human beings.”

THIS SPUD’S F O R YO U : Something for meat eaters and vegetarians alike

because it was ‘too guitary’. So it was a reaction to that comment. Then it escalated, to become a documentary.”

Our starter cocktails are cleared and our main courses arrive. Louize opts for the traditional Gaelic Boxty composed of a signature potato pancake that’s full of tender strips of Irish Beef fillet. I go for the Boxty take on dumplings – baby potatoes marinated in oil and herbs with roasted vegetables and a creamy pesto. It’s true comfort food, full of rich, wholesome flavour. Head chef Dave Power is more than just a culinary wizard: his jovial, chatty nature is central to the inviting atmosphere in Galagher’s Boxty House. It’s a winning combination, – like Louize’s work in both music and psychology.

“I’ve always been interested in music, of course, but equally I’ve always been interested in human beings. Since I was a little kid I was asking ‘why’. ‘Why did they do that?’ ‘Why were they mean?’. When I started training, my goal was to work in forensics with the criminally insane. I wanted to understand what drives people to make those choices – I’m still fascinated by that.”

However, her studies took her towards mental health.

She worked with young people through Jigsaw (formerly Headstrong): The National Centre for Youth Mental Health in Ireland. With mental health continuing to be a huge issue within the creative sphere and particularly the music industry, I wonder what’s Louize’s advice on the topic?

“Don’t believe everything your mind tells you. That’s a very good concept,” she offers. “IA lot of people’s anxiety comes from the thought that they have to fix things or to be 47

something they’re not. It comes from social media as well.

There’s never been more technological connections and yet people have never been lonelier. And I think it’s down to that competitiveness we have with each other, which is done through a filter of ‘live your best life’, and ‘I only want what’s best for you’. It’s important not to demonise negative feelings, because there’s so much of that in the public narrative currently.”

Louize wants to order a glass of red to accompany her main.

“I do this thing,” she laughs, “where if I need a waiter’s attention I’ll look up, but when they look at me, I look away instantly. It’s like I’m playing hard to get. Then, most of the time, they don’t come over – and I have to do it all over again. It’s the weirdest behaviour.”

The glass arrives. Service with a smile!

“Often I get parents coming to me about their children who seem depressed,” she explains. “They won’t get out of bed, so my first piece of advice – rather than focusing on symptoms – is to ask what makes them get out of bed?

What do they have an interest in? Then I’d go home and think to myself: why don’t I take my own advice and focus on what interests me most? So after eight years of working a full-time job, I left and started to focus more on music.”

Our desserts have arrived and they’re delicious looking – Louize’s decadent chocolate brownie, with a helping of ice-cream, especially so. However, once I taste my creamy cheesecake drizzled with raspberry and espresso sauce, I know that I’ve made an equally wise choice. Carefully

E AT

spooning just the right balance of brownie and ice cream, Louize tells me that after trying her hand as a solo artist, she soon found her true passion in composing.

“It was a hell of a learning curve,” she says. “As a solo musician I learned how naïve and trusting I was. I was being shaped, and encouraged to play down my age.

I even got pulled up for not being smiley enough! As a composer it was different: I was selling the music, not myself. When I started composing it was like I discovered the meaning of life.”

With a number of credits to her name, including assisting Martin Phipps (Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders, War & Peace) in the BBC drama

series Black Earth Rising, as well as having her music featured in TV3’s six-part docu-series, Assassins, and with more in the works, it’s an exciting time all round for Louize.

“I am actually a bit of a loner,” she observes, “so being alone in my studio creating sounds for images was the dream. I can fully let myself loose when I’m in there.”

And fully enjoy herself when she’s in a great, atmospheric eatery like Gallagher’s Boxty House. She is a fascinating person and great company - a perfect companion with whom to share food that is real, honest and full of character.

• The Blizzards new album, The Last Great Algorithm, is out this October 48

“When I started composing

it was like I discovered the meaning of life.”

T H E DA M A G E Whiskey Sour €12.50 Flora Dora €12.50 Gaelic Boxty €23 Boxty Dumplings with Roasted Vegetables €18 Warm Chocolate Brownie €6.50 Bailey’s Cheesecake €6.50

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MY BOY: THE PHILIP LYNOTT STORY

This fully updated version of My Boy documents the story of rock Legend Philip Lynott. Written by the woman who knew him best - his mother Philomena - the book charts the heady days of Thin Lizzy and the tragic chain of events which ended her sonĘźs life.

Available in Kindle and print formats from shop.hotpress.com

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HERE’S TO NEW BEGINNINGS Stuart Clark Brings You The Latest Foodie News

T H E FA R N H A M S I D E Go Eat recently renewed acquaintances with an old friend when we visited Farnham Estate, the spa and golf resort, which is around a 90 minutes drive from Dublin in Cavan.

With my complete lack of coordination I gave the greens a miss, but did manage to bob around for a very pleasant half-hour in an infinity pool, and float six feet off the ground after getting a deep tissue massage.

The star of the Farnham show, though, is the Cedar Restaurant, which retains much of its original 17th century brickwork.

Modern Irish with a continental flourish, Head Chef Daniel Willimont’s cooking is spot on with the Cavan Duck Leg Nougat and Tyrone Goats Cheese Mouse among the standout starters.

A classic Hereford Beef Wellington with Woodland Mushroom Duxelle, Rainbow Carrots, Smoked Tempura Shallots, Chateau Potato, Baby Spinach & Sherry Jus, and the Woodland Wild Garlic Lemon Sole with Squid Ink Farfalle, Foraged Seaweed, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Celeriac Pearls, Almond Brown Butter – Mr. W puts a lot on to his plates – ensured that the oohing and aahing continued when we got stuck into our mains.

My guilt at scoffing half an Irish cheese board – the local Corleggy Goats Cheese seriously rocks! - as well as an epic Spring Eton Mess was somewhat assuaged the following day when I went on a threehour hike taking in the woods and the lake where there’s a swing that I managed not to fall off. All in all a glorious getaway. farnhamestate.ie.

DUNNE DEAL Not content with cooking up a storm in Cleaver East in Temple Bar, Oliver Dunne ventures into gastropub territory for the first time with the opening at 135

Morehampton Road, Dublin 4 of The Donnybrook.

Located in what was O’Connell’s, it’s split into separate bar and eating areas with Crispy Squid Rings, Honey & Black Pepper Aioli; Black Garlic, Soy & White Miso Glazed Chicken Wings; and Lambay Island Crab Claws & King Prawns in Chive, Lemon & Garlic Butter among the dishes catching our eye.

K E R RY G O L D Having sadly pulled down the shutters on his extraordinary Cork restaurant, The Ivory Tower, for the last time this year, maverick chef Seamus O’Connell has relocated to Killarney where his latest venture, Malarkey, has opened on Main Street in what was previously Chapter 40.

An old Manhattan drinking buddy of Anthony Bourdain’s – a kindred spirit if ever there was one!

– he’s offering a €30 three-course menu, which includes such delights as Duck, Carrot & Orange Soup; Smoked Ox Tongue & Cheek In Red Ale; and a wicked lamb noisette Irish Stew. facebook.com/ seamusoconnellkillarney.

WHISKEY BUSINESS Last month saw the new Diageo distillery, Roe & Co., opening to the public at 91 James’ Street, Dublin 8.

The old Guinness power station – think Pink Floyd’s Animals album cover, only slightly smaller – has been converted into a state of the art facility that, in addition to those all-important copper vessels, includes a visitors centre and an extremely chi-chi bar where whiskey cocktails reign supreme.

Exercising extreme restraint, we limited ourselves to the Roe Ginger Sour and Old Roe & Co., which includes dashes of honey and chocolate liqueur and bitters.

Book a visit at roeandcowhiskey.com.

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(clockwise) Farnham Estate, Chef Seamus O’Connell & Roe & Coe Whiskey

13 Dame Street D2 George's Street Arcade D2 180 Rathmines Rd Lower D6 11 Academy Street Cork City 96 Botanic Avenue Belfast

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F E AT U R E

Tales From An Unsafe Harbour There’s plenty of competition, but KEVIN BARRY has cemented his position among Ireland’s finest contemporary writers with Night Boat To Tangier. Drugs, dreadlocks, the Pixies, Justin Trudeau and the Rubberbandits all feature as he introduces us to fading Cork gangsters, Charlie and Maurice.

Interview: Stuart Clark Portrait: Martina Kenji

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KEVIN BARRY

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s regular Go Rail readers might know, Kevin Barry and I have what the dodgy smugglers in his new book, Night Boat To Tangier, might refer to as “a bit of previous.”

Cub reporters at the same time in Limerick – Kev with the Post, yours truly with the far superior (honest) Tribune – we decided in 1990 to fly our way over to Paris and from there train and ferry it down to Tangier for a week of rest and relaxation.

A massive William Burroughs fan, Mr. B had phoned ahead to book himself the room in the delightfully seedy Hotel el-Muniria where his literary hero had speed-written Naked Lunch.

On the way home we got stranded for the night in Algeciras, the hellhole Andalusian port town where everyone looked like they were on the run from the law. Little did I – and probably he – realise that 28 years later it’d be the starting off point for a pulsating novel, which also zooms back and forth through time to Málaga, Seville, Barcelona, Segovia, Cádiz, Cork, Beerhaven and the Beara Peninsula.

With their mix of faux bonhomie and ultraviolence, Charlie and Maurice remind me of the Kray Twins-era gangland enforcer, ‘Mad’ Frankie Fraser, who I interviewed when he brought his one-man show to Dublin. ”Yeah, that’s not too far off,” Kevin agrees. “I was thinking of old Harold Pinter plays like The Caretaker and The Birthday Party. They’re very funny but also have this menacing air that can and does explode into violence.

These two fading Cork gangsters have kind of been in the room with me for a few years. I could hear them very specifically.

They kept trying to elbow themselves into a short story or a script. I knew that they’d immediately destroy whatever they turned up in because the characters were too large. I eventually decided, “I’d better give these two their own story.”

Night Boat To Tangier wasn’t always a novel... ”No, I wrote the first draft of it as a play with just Maurice and Charlie sat in the ferry terminal. I have an ongoing thing with the Abbey Theatre where I show them scripts, but I quickly realised that it needed to be a novel. Then I needed to work out, ‘How did these guys, one of whom has a limp and the other an eye hanging out, end up in a place like Algeciras with these dreadful conditions?’ After a couple of months, I was like, ‘Jesus, this is all about grief. They’ve been through a great deal and, really, it’s a portrait of a strange, extended family.’ I also strongly suspect it has something to do with me coming up to my 50th birthday. Charlie and Maurice talk about being ‘at the edge of the grave’ but, while categorically not young anymore, they’re not about to kick the bucket. It’s

more that the glory days are definitely over for them. I think everyone our age has a fear of that happening to them.”

On page 54 is the Spanish word for crusty, ‘perroflauta’. ”Isn’t that gorgeous?” Kevin beams. “A dog and a flute. It’s weird, though, talking to some of the younger people who’ve read the book because they’ve no idea what a ‘crusty’ is. ”Granada is a great crusty town, there are loads of them literally living in caves. Crusty-types have showed up in my short stories for a long time. It’s a really intense way to live.

More often than not, you’re choosing an extreme form of poverty, living in benders and drifting around the place, living at the side of streets. That made me really interested in this kid, Dilly, who’s the key to a lot of things in the book.”

I must admit to flicking through the chapters to see if I feature anywhere in flashback, but alas no!

Dilly briefly goes into the el-Muniria, but otherwise the story of the nights we spent together in Tangier remains untold!”

I was talking recently to Siobhán McSweeney, AKA Sister Michael, who said, “I was a great fan of Kevin Barry before meeting him and despite meeting him, I remain a fan.”

“Ah, she’s a joy,” Kevin enthuses.

“She’s become a bit of a superstar thanks to Derry Girls and rightfully so. We got her for the play we did, Autumn Royal. The first time I met her was on Skype doing a little read through of the scenes. Myself and Caitriona McLoughlin, the director, were at one end and Siobhán was in London on the other, and we were just nudging each other the whole time, and whispering, ‘She’s perfect for the role, she’s brilliant.’ And she’s a fierce woman, as well, you know.”

Having gone down an absolute storm at the Dublin Film Festival, Kevin has Dark Lies The Island hitting the big screen in September.

“I thought making a film was the hard part but, no, it’s the getting it into cinemas,” he resumes. “There used to be two independent Irish movies a year, now there’s twenty competing for the same number of screens. Luckily, a couple of the people from Element, Nell Roddy and Robert Finn, who’ve started their own distribution company, Break Out, have taken a shine to it.”

The cast is amazing.

“Yeah,” he nods, “Pat Shortt, Peter Coonan, Moe Dunford, Charlie Murphy and Tommy Tiernan all do great turns.

Actually, it was Tommy who originally introduced me to the director, Ian Fitzgibbon, by giving him one of my books. It was filmed around Boyle and Lough Key, which is dangerously close to home for me. My popularity in Boyle, which is based on me packing the B&Bs out for two weeks, might not last

“They’re very funny but also have this menacing air that can and does explode into violence.”

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WISTFUL FOR T H E PA S T Dolores O’Riordan and Dark Lies The island

when they actually see it.”

Yes, it has to be said that some of the language is pretty industrial but, hey, that’s art! Ian Fitzgibbon describes Dark Lies The Island as a “dissertation on rural decline.” Fair comment?

“Well, when you go out of The Pale and into the midlands and northwest and southwest, it does become a different country,” he proffers. “It’s very scary imagining what’s going to happen to these small Irish villages twenty or thirty years down the line. It doesn’t seem to me that there’s a plan. Talking a while back to Pat McCabe, he said, ‘When I was growing up in Clones, there was a cacophony on the street all the time. There were kids running and stuff going on. Now, it seems so quiet.’ And he’s right. We lost the post-office last year in my village. So many of the postoffices around Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim are gone. It’s a sad moment in a town when that happens.”

There has been a bit of an exodus. ”Around 2009, you suddenly realised, ‘All the young ones have gone to Australia or Canada or whatever.’ That became very evident when literally the whole GAA team disappeared.

What the government focus on is the bigger towns like Sligo and CarrickOn-Shannon, where to a degree there are jobs. The villages are set up as nothing more than commuting dormitories. I don’t want to make this about rural broadband, but it is an issue. I rang the helpline because we’re constantly having connection problems and the guy said to me, ‘Is there a hill nearby you can go up?’”

Fans of Kevin’s breakthrough novel will be delighted to hear that he’s planning a return trip to the City Of Bohane.

“It’s being talked about as a possible TV adaptation.” Kevin reveals. “I did a reading of it last year in an American university where it’s on the syllabus and thought, ‘Jesus, there’s a great vitality in the language.’ Then I got to another bit and thought, ‘Oh my God, that’s terrible, I cold do so much better now.’ I still think about the characters and the world of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had this notion to go back to it and write something very quickly – unlike the original book, which I spent a lot of time on. I prefer to take eight, nine or ten months to make it an intense experience for both reader and writer.

Beatlebone has been optioned by an American company, which is very exciting.”

I was chatting to an English Lit professor at a major Irish college recently who said the bad Hunter S. Thompson and Brett Easton Ellis wannabes have been replaced by bad Kevin Barry wannabes. ”I’m almost a grandfatherly figure,” Kevin suggests. “The only glow of nationalism I have is when you see really fantastic Irish writers coming out, and there are dozens of them. I always fear not mentioning someone I should, but it’s great to see people like Nicole Flattery, Sally Rooney and Lisa McInerney putting quality stuff out all the time. Long may it continue!”

Kevin and myself were both at The Cranberry Saw Us’ legendary 1990 gig in Cruise’s Hotel.

“They were supporting They Do It With Mirrors who had the record deal with Setanta and were about to go off to London,” he recalls. “Kevin Brew, the singer, is in RTÉ now doing lots of radio drama stuff. Not much later, I remember seeing them in Sir Henry’s with (future Sunday Independent man) Shane Fitzsimons and him nudging me saying, ‘She’s a goddess!’ It’s been lovely to see the outpouring of love for Dolores since her tragic passing but it makes you wistful for the past. I love being in Limerick because there’s a different atmosphere. What you notice now with the younger crowd is that they’re more happy to stay whereas in our day it was, ‘If you want to get on, you’d better leave and go to Dublin or Cork or London or Galway.’ Culturally, we had no confidence but that’s changed. Never underestimate the Rubberbandits effect.

People going, ‘We have a crazy way of speaking and perceiving the world and it’s cool and we can go with it.’ Creatively and artistically small towns are the future, because they’re more affordable. There’s also the pragmatic fact that big cities don’t want you. They want people who are working at Google and Facebook who can afford to pay three grand a month rent. Small cities are the way to go. Or swamps!”

“Creatively and artistically small towns are the future, because they’re more affordable.”

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• Night Boat To Tangier is out now published by Cannongate

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D E S T I N AT I O N

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O CC With endless cultural and historical delights, Marrakech is an unforgettable experience.

Words & Photography: Ellie MacLean

H

ome to mosques, palaces and gardens, Marrakech boasts a treasure-trove of wonders. The unofficial cultural centre of Morocco, the city is widely known for the maze-like alleys of its sprawling medina; the modern malls and restaurants of the Nouvelle Ville; and the luxurious, palm treelined villas of its Palmeraie district.

The fourth largest city in Morocco, Marrakech is located in the northwest of the Northern African country, near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. Steeped in natural beauty, filled with art and vibrant culture, and

be able to summon up enough words to strike a deal.

Stroll through the bustling marketplace at Jemaa el-Fna (Rue El Ksour, 38, Marrakech 40000), where you can find snake-charmers, henna artists and street musicians. Or step outside the old town for a visit to the Jardin Majorelle (Rue Yves St Laurent, Marrakech 40090), a lush, two-acre botanical garden and artist’s landscape, first created by the French Orientalist artist, Jacques Majorelle in 1923.

Purchased by the fashion designers Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé in the 1980s, the villa-garden complex has been restored, and now houses the

“Within the city, walking is the easiest and most convenient mode of transport.” with incredibly preserved historical areas that feel like stepping back in time, Marrakech is a great place to explore.

Get lost in the maze-like medina streets, where you can purchase unique multicoloured carpets, silk kaftans, spices, antiques, lanterns, pottery and jewellery made by local artisans at the Souks Marrakech (Marrakesh 40000). Most proprietors will expect you to haggle for their wares. Even though Arabic is the official language of Morocco, the majority of locals in Marrakech are also fluent in French, and English and local Berber dialects are spoken commonly too. So, you should easily

Islamic Art Museum of Marrakech, the Berber Museum and the Musee Yves Saint Laurent.

Marrakech is easy to navigate as it is neatly divided into the medina (old town) and Guéliz (the Ville Nouvelle or new town). Taxis are readily available on the outskirts of the medina, making trips in and out of the city a breeze. Within the city, walking is the easiest and most convenient mode of transport, though motorbikes also fill the streets; if you’re confident in your ability to weave through dense traffic, the experience of darting through the medina on a bike is unparalleled.

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MOROCCO: Markets, snake charmers and sun awaits you

Moroccan life, visiting a bathhouse such as Hammam Mouassine (Rue Sidi el Yamani, Marrakesh 40000) offers a moment of muchneeded respite, as well as a look into local culture. Take a day trip into the Atlas Mountains, where you can hike along gorgeous waterfalls, or simply enjoy a mint tea in the historic town of Imlil (P2005, Morocco) at the base of Mt. Toubkal, the tallest peak in Northern Africa.

If you want to experience a camel ride, opt for one of the more ethical operators like those

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is a palatial riad found in one of the oldest sectors of the medina, which dates back to the 17th century. Afternoon tea is served in the garden amid tropical plants, while silk cushions line the patio pool. Notably, the three-course, home-cooked candlelit dinners on the roof terrace cost just €17 per person.

The food in Marrakech is phenomenal, amply seasoned and bursting with flavour. And while the majority of restaurants maintain traditional Moroccan roots, several establishments

“The food in Marrakech is phenomenal, amply seasoned and bursting with flavour.” at the Agafay Desert Camp (5eme etage, Boulevard Hassan 2 Koutoubia Center 2 Bureau N 25, Marrakesh 40000), where the owners prioritise the animals above mass tourism. The Mellah area of Marrakech, once the city’s Jewish quarter, is also worth a visit. The Lazama Synagogue and the mellah spice market offer insight into the city’s Jewish history and culture.

When staying in Marrakech, Riads, the traditional houses in the medina, reign supreme. Offering accommodation ranging from luxury to low-budget, these homes capture the essence of Moroccan life, and are conveniently located in the city centre. Rodamón Hostel (Amssafah 32, Marrakesh 40000) is a traditional riad converted into a guesthouse, with a fun and modern twist. The sprawling rooftop is also home to vibrant nightlife, with a bar, music and restaurant for residents. The ground floor patio, meanwhile, hosts a pool and cocktail bar.

Rooms range from basic shared dorms to private suites with bathrooms, where guests get to combine the facilities of a quiet riad with the Rodamón’s party atmosphere. Riad Berbere (3 Derb Sidi Ahmed Ben Nasser Kaat Benahid, Marrakesh 40000)

boast international influence as well. Positioned in the heart of the medina, Terrasse des Epices (15 souk cherifia, Marrakech 40000) is a relaxed and warm open-air restaurant, serving the best of European-influenced Moroccan cuisine, with an emphasis on French elements. With panoramic views of the Atlas peaks and the city below, eating here is a special experience.

You can also enjoy delicious Moroccan fare while giving back to the community at Amal (Rue Allal Ben Ahmed, Marrakech 40000), a non-profit organisation that trains local disadvantaged women in the culinary industry, changing their lives forever and creating five-star meals in the process. Stop by any of the stalls in the famous Jemaa el-Fna (Rue El Ksour, 38, Marrakech 40000), Marrakech’s main square and popular marketplace, for incredibly cheap, freshly squeezed fruit juice, and mounds of locally sourced dates and roasted nuts.

If your trip to Marrakech coincides with any special occasions, celebrate at Comptoir Darna (Avenue Echouhada, Marrakech 40000), a high-end restaurant that serves traditional Moroccan food as belly dancers entertain guests between tables.

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P E R F E C T B R AY Launching recently was the Bray Celtic Camino Coastal Route, a 30.5km walk starting on Bray seafront and finishing at St. James’ Church up near the Guinness brewery.

It’s been officially sanctioned as part of the famous Camino de Santiago in Spain, which walkers have to complete 100km of to be granted a certificate by the church authorities there.

ART ON THEIR SLEEVE South Belfast’s Ulster Museum is host to The Art Of Selling Songs: Music Graphics, a free exhibition that’s on-loan from the London V+A until September 15. nmni.ie.

Spanning from the early 1800s until the modern day, it’s augmented by the Overtones: Irish Music Art 1960-2019 collection, which the museum has assembled itself.

U2, Enya, The Cranberries, Glen Hansard, Snow Patrol, The Pogues, Ash and local punky types Rudi all feature. nmni.ie.

CRUISE CONTROL JMG Cruise have announced a Buy One Get One Half Fare offer on their 2020 cruises as featured in their new brochure, available on bookings made before October 2019. The latest brochure offers 31 exciting itineraries sailing from Dublin, Cobh and, new for 2020, Belfast.

With this amazing offer the first adult pays the full fare and the second adult, sharing twin accommodation, travels absolutely free. Here’s some of their cruising picks from the autumn and winter 2019 schedule: August 30 ’19 for 12 nights - British Isle Discovery, September 23 ’19 for 16 nights - Baltic Cities & St Petersburg, October 12 ’19 for 13 nights - Iceland, Faroes & Land of the Northern Lights, December 20 ‘19 for 16 nights - Christmas & New Year Canaries. The price for each cruise includes en-suite accommodation, all meals on board, entertainment, port taxes and coach transfers to and from the ship. Check jmgcruise.com or call (074) 913 5201 for a brochure. See you on the seas!

We’ve got the

Hippy Hippy Shakes

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HIPPIE CHIC

One of this season’s hottest trends will also have you looking back to the progressive movements of the 1960s and 1970s, as hippie fashion is now back en vogue. Though Flower Power has been a big trend in the past, this year the Spring/Summer catwalks were teaming with another interpretation of the style of the era. Hippie modernism is set to define your Summer wardrobe by casual glamour, imbuing your outfits with a sense of world-travelling, culturally-aware boho chic.

Models sashayed down the catwalk in hippieflavoured flared trousers, paréo skirts and twisted silk lariat belts, as well as slightly more literal interpretations such as t-shirts depicting a pair of hands raised toward an ombré sunset.

It’s clear that flared trousers are coming back, so time to loosen up your loyalty to skinny jeans, and the colour palette was heavy on neutral tones such as beige, oatmeal and off-white linens, accentuated with brightly coloured accessories. Ramsay-Levi also showcased a gorgeous combination of soft drapes, vivid mixed prints, hemlines short and long, and tribal-style jewellery, showing the versatility of this trend.

Scarf prints are a big part of the hippie modernism trend, both as patterns and accents, as scarves can be used as belts, as upper-arm decoration or as hair accessories, adding some vibrancy to outfits comprised of more muted, natural tones. Texture also plays a huge role in this trend. Chloé’s dense chenille-like knit used for clingy jumpsuits and dresses evoked

ceramics patterns, while silk blend fabrics that were woven as embellishments on coats had a beautiful, Persian rug motif. Painted ombré effects also elevated fabrics, turning plain denim into something personal, artistic and interesting.

To embody this trend, look for a combination of flowing, floaty silhouettes and interesting accessories. Maxi skirts and dresses will evoke the easy breezy attitude of hippie modernism, while accessories will allow you to bring some individual flavour to your neutral base. Focus on texture, colour and print, and combine the three to create an outfit that’s both eclectic and effortless.

For texture, look out for rope belts, macramé bags and fringe – fringe belts, jewellery and bags are all easy ways to add some interest and movement to your outfit. For embellishment on your clothes, look for intricate beading and embroidery that bring that feeling of holiday glamour to your wardrobe, as this trend is all about escaping the confines of everyday reality and embracing the freedom and form of expression we most often experience while travelling. Sandals and wedges will help you feel this all the way to your toes – which, incidentally, could easily be adorned with a toe ring.

Jewellery plays a big role in hippie modernism, so feel free to play with and layer up different colours, stones and textures. Pile on sculptural earrings, pendant necklaces, cuff bracelets and anklets, and look for stones and designs that make bold statements – we’re embracing the talismanic power of accessories, and how they can transform an outfit and an attitude.

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1. Pale Pink Button Front Maxi Dress €29.99, New Look 2. Print dress, Next Unique bird dress €50, Joe Browns 3. Bethany beaded rose gold sandals €50, Accessorize 4. Erica beaded clutch bag €50, Accessorize 5. White and gold necklace €35, TK Maxx 6. Green beaded dress €199, TK Maxx 7. Eclectic boho blouse €33, Joe Browns 8. Principles maxi dress €43.50, Debenhams

GO REVIEW R E V I E WS O F T H E L AT E S T A L B U M S , M OV I E S , BO O K S

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The Boss is Back

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PA G E 6 2 / / G O L I S T E N

Bruce is back with a fantastic new album and we have new releases from Dublin’s Fangclub and Queen of Pop, Madonna.

PA G E 6 3 / / G O WAT C H

We pick out the best streaming options for comfortable couch consumption this summer, including the fantastic Dublin Oldschool.

PA G E 6 4 / / G O R E A D

Compelling reads from Kevin Barry, Jo Nesbo and a collection of short Irish fiction feature in our selection of the best new books.

LISTEN

SHOW THEM WH O’S BOSS MORE TALES FROM THE LOST HIGHWAY FROM THE GREAT BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN; A THRILLING NEW RELEASE FROM IRELAND’S OWN FANGCLUB; AND A NEW ALBUM FROM THE QUEEN OF POP, MADONNA

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN W E S T E R N S TA R S

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he mythology of the road looms large in the American consciousness. John Steinbeck, a well that Bruce Springsteen has supped from more than once, saw Highway 66 as “the great western road, the mother road, the road of flight”. As an artist, Springsteen’s raison d’être has always been the road, not just his place out on it as perhaps the greatest live performer rock n’ roll has ever produced, but as a man out to escape the shackles of the ordinary.

We are all born to run, but nobody gets to be wild and innocent forever. Western Stars is filled with the same characters Springsteen introduced us to forty years ago; they have just come to the end of the line.

The road charges a toll, love is lost, and lives are damaged. The “stones in my mouth are only the lies you told me”: his miracle is walking away. A man hollers his love’s name into a canyon, to be answered only by echoes.

But there’s hope too: the man who went running now waits for his baby to arrive on ‘The Tucson Train’; and in the joyous celebration of being alive at ‘Sleepy Joe’s Café’. “I always liked that open road,” Bruce sings, “but miles to go is miles away / hello sunshine, won’t you stay.”

The musical touchstone of the record is the immortal work Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb did together. There are tremolo guitars and soaring brass – not the jumping sax that arrived when the big man joined the band, but mature, cinematic lines. ‘Chasin’ Wild Horses’ employs timpani to announce strings that will move anyone who has ever known pain.

File this heartbreaking yet life-affirmingly beautiful record beside Tunnel Of Love and The Ghost Of Tom Joad. It claims its place on the shelf as the essential next chapter in the real Springsteen autobiography.

MADONNA MADAME X

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FAN GCLUB V U LT U R E C U LT U R E

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lsewhere on the new releases front, young Dublin upstarts Fangclub are back with a new album. Before the Dublin three-piece entered the studio to record their second full length, tub-thumper Dara Coleman jokingly declared he was “willing to lose his mind for the album.” Be careful what you wish for, as they say, because by all accounts the birth of Vulture Culture was one they’ll never forget and peppered with paranoia, obsession and a hefty dose of lunacy. However, pressure creates diamonds and this 11-track opus is most certainly the jewel in the current kings of Irish alt rock’s crown.

Following a similar vein to last year’s True Love EP, Fangclub serve up a tasty stew of sugared melodies and punk-minded guitars that tip a cap at Kerbdog, Ash and Fighting With Wire. Opening with welcome curveball ‘Last Time,’ which starts as a lullaby and ends with a roar, future pit anthem ‘Hesitations’ especially impresses and is the heaviest song they’ve ever made. Elsewhere, ‘Black Rainbow’ is a ferocious fusion of sweet hooks and head crushing riffs and ‘King Dumb,’ which has a little ‘Nowhere’

by Therapy? in its DNA, help ensure that Vulture Culture is one of the best rock albums you’ll hear this year.

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adonna’s latest reinvention finds her taking on the guise of Madame X, an embodiment of female empowerment who, in the singer’s own words, acts variously as “A dancer. A professor. A housekeeper. An equestrian – and more.”

There is a notable political dimension to the album, with Madonna regularly alluding to the tumultuous times in which we live.

On ‘Killers Who Are Partying’ – half acoustic ballad, half skittering electro workout – she champions a variety of progressive causes: “I will be gay if the gay be burned... I will be Africa if Africa is shot down”.

Musically, Madame X boasts a variety of infectious electro grooves courtesy of a production team that includes Diplo and Madonna’s long-time collaborator, Mirwais.

There are also a variety of Latin and world rhythms throughout, an element influenced by the singer’s relocation to Lisbon, where her son hopes to become a professional soccer player.

Madame X kicks off with the hypnotic electro/Latin pop number ‘Medellin’, which finds Madonna establishing the album’s upbeat, optimistic tone. ‘Dark Ballet’, meanwhile, pretty much does what it says on the tin, musically speaking, with Madonna giving ‘The Nutcracker Suite’ a synth-pop makeover influenced by Wendy Carlos’ celebrated score for A Clockwork Orange.

The album comes to a close with the stirring ‘I Rise’’, on which Madonna defiantly states, “I rise above it all”.

A wonderfully accomplished and eclectic effort.

WAT C H

K E E PING I T OLDSC H OOL Always spoiling us for choice, this Summer Netflix is going to be filled with exceptional Irish films, fun new mysteries, classic comedies and some hard-hitting drama. With something for everyone, we’ve selected just a few of the great films that will be available for your viewing pleasure from July.

DUBLIN OLDSCHOOL It’s always a thrill when an Irish film makes it onto Netflix, and we can’t wait for international audiences to embrace Dublin Oldschool.

Jason (Emmet Kirwan) spends his days swaggering around Dublin like he’s young and carefree, though neither is quite true anymore. The late nights of coke and yokes has turned into a neverending quest for chemical oblivion that is slowly taking its toll. He’s missing work, letting down his friends – but sure it’s all good craic, right? It’s not until Jason bumps into his estranged brother Daniel (Ian Lloyd Anderson) on the streets of Dublin that he realises it might not be, anymore. Daniel is slowly recovering from a heroin addiction, and as the two brothers address their issues over a series of meetings in Dublin city, Jason is forced to confront his sense of superiority about which drugs he uses to escape reality. Kirwan and Lloyd are both compelling performers, with Anderson bringing a melancholic intelligence to the role and serves as a beautiful foil to the more outrageous and comic characters in Jason’s life – and there are many. Dublin Oldschool is consistently uproarious in its portrait of young Dubliners always looking for bants and raves. Director Dave Tynan’s vision of Dublin is authentic, raw and emotional. This may be Oldschool, but it’s a new telling – and it’s thrilling.

A SIMPLE FAVO U R “What would happen in Sex And The City if Samantha disappeared one day? Not in a fun, ‘oh what’s Samantha up to?’ way, but like ‘No, for real, where the hell is Samantha?’”So said Anna Kendrick about her new comedy thriller A Simple Favour, and it’s a nicely spoiler-free comparison about this surprising, twisty comedic noir from Paul Feig. Stars Anna Kendrick and Black Lively are on fine, fun form here as two polar opposite mothers who become unlikely friends before a shocking mystery takes over their lives. Kendrick’s Stephanie Smothers is an unsophisticated, Type A, over-eager mommy blogger, while Lively’s Emily Nelson is a mysterious, chic, ultracool fashion industry professional who enjoys French music, strong Martinis and

hanging naked portraits of herself in her minimalist living room. When Emily goes missing, Stephanie is torn between wanting to delve into the mystery and discover the truth, and just slowly taking over Emily’s glamorous life, like a cuckoo taking roost in another bird’s nest. As dark secrets, hidden motivations and sexual intrigues are discovered, homage is paid to thrillers like Les Diaboliques, Vertigo, Double Indemnity and The Talented Mr.Ripley.

But A Simple Favour’s biggest twist is how refreshingly, consistently funny it is, as Kendrick’s awkwardness and Lively’s blunt glamour keep one-liners flying. A livewire.

BRIDESMAIDS Now rightly considered a comedy classic, this 2011 female-driven comedy broke the mold, allowing its female leads to be smart, hilarious and loveable, even while humiliating themselves, drinking heavily, or suffering a bad case of diarrhoea. Kristen Wiig plays Annie, a woman whose career and love life are slowly circling the drain, and whose mood isn’t helped when best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) announces her engagement. Smiling through jealously gritted teeth, Annie’s stretched even further to the limit when the irritatingly perfect Helen (Rose Byrne) threatens to usurp her role as Lillian’s best friend and Maid of Honour. A two hour exercise in humiliation, Annie’s increasingly cringe-worthy fauxpas range from an uproarious war of the speeches between herself and Lillian to getting a bad case of food poisoning during a dress fitting. As emotional words and excrement flow for longer than conceivably possible, Bridesmaids becomes the kind of squirmingly funny comedy that only works if you truly care about the characters. And you do. Outrageous grossout humour aside, Wiig’s writing is filled with brilliantly perceptive touches that show the insecurities plaguing women’s relationships with both their buddies and boyfriends. Warm and hilarious, Bridesmaids brings the smarts along with the sass. The only wedding party worth crashing this summer.

SPOTLIGHT Winning Best Picture at the 2016 Academy Awards, Spotlight is the true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation into the Catholic Church and child abuse. This intelligent and passionate

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procedural reveals the machinations of the investigation, as well as the layers of complicity that shake its characters and their city to its core – just as the abuse shook us to our core. Director Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent, The Visitor) is known for creating characters brimming with authenticity, and his characters in Spotlight are worthy of the incredible cast. As the team move and work together as one, Michael Keaton is the brains of the operation as the seemingly hardnosed but deeply empathetic head of the team, while Rachel McAdams is the team’s hard-hitting fist, digging into horrifying interviews with former priests, but whose vice-like grip on the truth conflicts with her desperate grasping for hope. Finally, Mark Ruffalo is the team’s beaten-down, still beating heart, pulsing with emotion and adrenalin and anger.

Together, they not only work through the layers of corruption and abuse, but work through the stages of grief when they realise their city, their Church and their faith was based on the most violent lies.

S U L LY While the world knows that Captain Chelsey Sullenberger miraculously landed a plane on the Hudson River after a bird strike destroyed the engines, the aftermath may not be as familiar. Sully (Tom Hanks), a quiet and dignified man, was not only thrust into the spotlight, but into suspicion. Director Clint Eastwood plays with emotion and expectation, jumping between that fateful January afternoon, and the investigations that followed. Hanks is perfection as Sully, capturing his quiet dedication to his work, and his difficulty grappling with reality after the crash. Suffering PTSD while also wondering how saving 155 lives could draw such scrutiny, both Hanks and Eastwood tap into two different forms of fear, navigating them with grace, empathy and tension. From Hanks’ portrayal of the pilot as a simple, hardworking man, to the focus on the rescue services’ speedy and co-operative action, to the stunning views of a grey New York that greeted all the shaken survivors - Eastwood has captured a classic American hero tale, that of the ordinary turned extraordinary.

READ

T HE I MPORTAN C E OF BEI N G VARI O U S

THE EAGERLY AWAITED NEW NOVEL FROM ONE OF IRELAND’S FINEST CONTEMPORARY WRITERS, KEVIN BARRY; AN EXCITING COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES FROM SOME IRISH UP-AND-COMERS; AND A BRAND NEW PAGE-TURNER FORM NORWAY ’S KING OF CRIME-FICTION, JO NESBØ.

NIGHT BOAT TO TAN GIER KEVIN BARRY (C AN ON GATE)

Just like a couple of Beckettian tramps, Maurice Hearne and Charlie Redmond sit on a bench in the Algeciras Ferry terminal watching for Maurice’s daughter, Dilly.

They’re two Cork gangsters at the wrong end of a life outside the law. As they wait, and wait, Barry takes us back into Hearne’s past as he and Dilly’s mother Cynthia move around Europe, one step ahead of their narcotic competitors and Maurice’s demons.

There’s your plot but the real meat with Kevin Barry is the language. His gifts would make anyone who’s ever held a pen tremble with envy, whether it be the dialogue, his descriptive powers, or just phrases like these – “There is a stab of awareness at the beginning and end of love” or “The same as each or any of us is made of, all the words we have whispered in the night, and all the promises betrayed.” A great writer.

B E I N G VA R I O U S : NEW IRISH SHORT STORIES EDITED BY LUCY C ALDWELL ( FA B E R BO O KS )

With previous collections of New Irish Short Stories having been edited by the likes of Joseph O’Connor and Kevin Barry, Belfast-born Lucy Caldwell makes sure that this latest anthology reflects a younger, fresher, and stranger Ireland.

From the outset – with Yan Ge’s creepy story about a student who becomes obsessed with the social media of a man who committed suicide a day after meeting her – this collection favours the new. And that freshness comes in many forms. For one thing, two-thirds of the writers are women, meaning that – whether it’s Louise O’Neill, Sinead Gleeson or Sally Rooney – there’s a wealth of talent that might’ve been overlooked in the past. For another, these stories seem geared towards celebrating exploring Ireland in all its forms, with subject matter including post-Troubles Northern Ireland and direct provision. The pick of the bunch is Nicole Flattery’s ruthless and surreal short story about a woman who falls in love with a man-sized chicken.

Strange Ireland indeed.

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KNIFE JO NESBØ (PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE)

Tricky to review this one without giving the game away as Nesbø puts Detective Harry Hole through the wringer from the moment he wakes up with blood on his hands. Separated from his beloved wife Rakel and tormented by the thoroughly nasty Svein Finne – the first killer Harry took down – Hole is in a bad place at the bottom of a bottle.

The plot boasts more twists and turns than a box of Slinkys. Every time I thought I had it figured, a turn of the page proved me wrong. Hole is of course a walking cliché - the cop on the edge with a drink problem, bafflingly attractive to the opposite sex - but Nesbø’s mastery keeps it all tensely engaging. I should point out that if, like me, you’re new to the Harry Hole series; this book is still perfectly enjoyable as a stand-alone read. It will fly off the shelves, and rightly so.

MY IRELAND

ROSCOMMON PEOPLE With Dervish, and (inset) Strokestown House

Favourite weekend retreat?

I really love Kilronan Castle (Ballyfarnon, Co Roscommon). The location is stunning, with beautiful walks around the lake and a wonderful spa. It’s the perfect place to relax and unwind for a weekend.

Where do you pick up ingredients for cooking?

If I’m just cooking for myself, I tend to just pop down to the local Centra. If I’m around at the weekend and up early enough, there’s a really nice farmer’s market in Rathcormac every Saturday; and one in Strandhill on Sunday. You can pick up some great organic veg, meat and fish, as well as cheese and herbs. Otherwise, I head to Lidl to do ‘the big shop’.

Cathy Jordan Singer

What’s your favourite thing about Ireland?

Apart from the music, it has to be the craic.

Nowhere else in the world do you get so much quick wit, one-liner jokes and slagging, which is an art in itself. I particularly like rural Irish characters and their dry humour. Like the farmer in Roscommon who was stopped by a tourist, who said, “Excuse me sir – could you tell me where this road leads?” The farmer thought for a minute and said, “The last man I seen going down that road ended up in America.”

Your favourite Irish town?

I really love Westport. It has everything – lovely shops and restaurants, and great bars like Matt Molloy’s. You always seem to meet someone you know in there, people who love Irish music. I love to walk around the town across the river, up to the clock and down to the sea, all the while having Croagh Patrick’s peak in the background. Stunning.

Best view in Ireland?

Maybe I’m biased, but my very favourite view is from the top of Knocknarea, which is just outside Sligo where I live. It’s an easy 20-minute hike to the top, and the panoramic view is incredible. You can see into five counties: Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim, Roscommon and Mayo. On a clear day, you can see the sea all the way up from Ballisadare Bay to Sliabh League in

Donegal. Queen Meabhdh’s cairn is at the top of Knocknarea, and it’s aligned with the megalithic tombs of Carrowmore and Carrowkeel, also in Sligo. You should always bring a stone from the bottom to add to Meabhdh’s cairn, along with your hopes and dreams.

Your favourite restaurant?

When I’m back in Sligo, I love to take a spin out to Shells (Shore Road, Seafront, Strandhill, open 9am to 6pm) for the best coffee and food in the west. It’s run by a lovely couple, Jane and Myles, who turned what was once just a greasy spoon into a fabulous seaside cafe, with locally-sourced produce. From the front window, you can see dozens of hardy surfers riding the Atlantic waves in all kinds of rough weather. Just try Shells fresh fish and hand cut chips – yum.

Best bar in Ireland?

For me it’s Shoot The Crows (3 Castle St, Sligo). You will recognise it from its beautiful painted windows, which change every month and always have some mythological Celtic twist. Back nearly 30 years ago, the members of Dervish would play there every Thursday night in a weekly session. Although our touring schedule can be hectic these days, when we’re home, you’re most likely to find us there on a Tuesday night playing a few tunes.

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Favourite Irish building?

Strokestown Park House (Strokestown, Co Roscommon) is a lovely building, It’s very close to where I grew up in Co Roscommon, and when I was a kid, I used to go there with my family to all the Strokestown agricultural shows. Today the house is home to the Famine Museum of Ireland, and tours of the house and grounds are available.

What do you recommend to tourists?

There are so many beautiful things to see in Sligo and Leitrim – I love showing them off. There’s a lot of great beaches: Strandhill, Rosses Point, Lissadell, Streedagh and Mullaghmore. If you like walking and hiking, there’s Knocknarea, Benbulben, Ladies Brae, the Ox and Dartry mountains, and Sligo Way. You can’t pass through Sligo without stopping at WB Yeats’ final resting place at Drumcliff cemetery, and while you’re there, it’s only a couple of minutes to Lissadell House, where WB would stay while visiting with the beautiful Gore-Booth sisters. The waterfall in Glencar is also a sweet place to visit, and so is Parks Castle, which looks across Lough Gill to the Lake Isle of Innisfree.

• Dervish’s new album, The Great Irish Songbook, is out now, featuring collaborations with Imelda May, Brendan Gleeson, Steve Earle, Andrea Corr, David Gray and more

WIN

M O U N T FA L C O N E S TAT E

WIN

GO RAIL COMPETITION

W I N A ON E - N IG HT STAY F O R TWO I N THE SUPERI OR ROOM AT T H E

MOUNT FA LCON E STATE

BARRY MURPHY

P LUS B R E A K FAST AND A HAWK WALK

SUPERIOR ROOM

Famous for luxurious accommodation and award winning food, Mount Falcon Estate in Ballina, County Mayo, offers rest and relaxation in many forms. Indulge in the fabulous spa & leisure centre, learn to fish on our Estate lake, and catch the elusive wild Atlantic salmon on our private stretch of the River Moy. Take flight with our falcons and hawks and learn about the nature of the wise owls. Take aim with archery or hit a flying target on our clay shooting range. Fine tune your drive on the 9 bay golf driving range, or enjoy walks & cycles on 3 km of forest trails. There’s so much to experience on the magnificent 100 acre Estate....

Find out more at www.mountfalcon.com

THE PRIZE: The winner of the Go Rail competition will enjoy a brilliant one-night stay for two the superior room in this top hotel. And there’s more! You will also win breakfast and a hawk walk in the Mount Falcon Estate.

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. Which of these famous 'bays' is located in County Mayo?

2. What Dublin nightclub is celebrated in the new play by Paul Howard?

3. Which famous song by the Beatle's lends its title to Danny Boyle's new film?

- Bantry Bay - Clew Bay - Dingle Bay

- Dicey's - D2 - Copper Face Jack's

- She Loves You - Yesterday - Eleanor Rigby

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.

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This National Heritage Week take a stroll through history and explore how our free time has evolved in often fascinating ways.