‘Fine tang’ of Dublin
A revenue-raising opportunity awaits to rebrand the smell of stale urine in the city
James Joyce
Author of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses and Finnegans Wake
Cultural exchange: Frank McNally on the mutual benefits of being an occasional tour guide
I suggested my guests look up Raglan Road on a well-known Swedish institution
Devotions by Lucy Caldwell: Poignant stories from a specialist in the form
Latest collection from the author of Intimacies and Openings does not disappoint
Corpses are everywhere in Irish literature
This proliferation of dead bodies in Irish writing is more than a sign of a morbid fascination: it is an effort to make sense of Irish life
In the middle of a housing crisis, why are our town centres so empty?
In the middle of a housing crisis, I drive through the centre of country towns or villages and see dark and empty first and second floors and wonder why?
The nationalist tobacco shop that hosted James Joyce and Arthur Griffith
Its precious visitor books were rescued decades later from a barrow on Dublin’s quays
Frank McNally on a Dublin woman’s attempt to assassinate Mussolini, 100 years ago
It’s hard to say for sure what drove Violet Gibson
Rory McIlroy wanted to enjoy the Masters Dinner as well. Well la-di-da, Mr Fancy
Here’s our alternative Masters Dinner, leaning into who we are as a nation
Moonstruck: A geologist’s playground, an elite retreat or a staging post to a new frontier?
From megalithic art to science fiction, Earth’s sole natural satellite has compelled us, scared us and been the site of our fantasies
‘It was as if Louis Stewart and James Joyce were kindred spirits’
JoyceNotes was the great Irish guitarist’s only fully self-composed large-scale project. It’s finally being released, four decades after its first performance
James Joyce - A Political Life by Frank Callanan: Depth and detail over a wide historical canvas
Book’s raison d’être is to magnify the effect of Charles Stewart Parnell and his downfall on Joyce for the whole of his career
Jürgen Habermas lived to see a return of the fascist ghosts he once helped exorcise
The German philosopher, who has died aged 96, was young enough to carry no culpability for the Nazi era yet old enough to carry lifelong scars
A Beautiful Loan by Mary Costello: Timely homing in on sorrows particular to women
In Costello’s novel the protagonist looks back on her life in an effort to determine ‘why we do what we do, or tolerate what we tolerate, or love who we love’
A cast of characters: Hamnet, Hamlet, William Shakespeare and James Joyce
I did what I could to connect the playwright with Ireland, but it was a stretch
Rough diamonds: Frank McNally on a geometric oddity unique to Ulster (and Pennsylvania)
While most towns have squares, for some reason they’re called diamonds in the North – whatever shape they are
Ireland’s fascination with ancient Greece, from our origin legends to Joyce’s Ulysses
Irish Migrations and Classical Antiquity explores the connections between Irish myths and modern stories and the classical world
‘As Irish as the pigs of Drogheda’ – Frank McNally on rise and fall of street singer Mary Connolly
After the Easter Rising, her patriotic ballads struck a chord with the public
Blindboy: ‘I’ve been called a pr**k every day for 20 years by a stranger. It chips away’
The podcaster Blindboy Boatclub on autism, social media and mental health
The small patch of Dublin where the Jameses – Joyce and Connolly – passed each other by
Both men had considerably different views on life, but their worlds intersected through writing
Good (and Bad) Vibrations – Frank McNally on Vibe for Philo, immersive James Joyce and 4DX Avatar
Some Lizzy veterans must have worried they’d slipped into the next world
Is the Wood Quay monstrosity finally going to be demolished?
Could a magic wand finally reverse this gross example of urban vandalism, or will the Green lobby and preservationists intervene?
Frank McNally on a grand stretch in the evenings, a new Dublin restaurant and ‘Gloomsday’
Strung-out Joyceans will use any excuse for a hit
Dear diary: a daily artform whose time has come again
Our chance to see another side of writers, perhaps one that won’t be flattering
Why Rats Laugh and Jellyfish Sleep by David Stipp: An engaging and entertaining exploration of evolution
The science writer presents a series of case studies inspired by strange animal behaviour
Bognor Bodies – Frank McNally on the Irish literary connections of an English seaside town
Its English origins stem from a holiday James Joyce and his family spent there in the summer of 1923
James Joyce’s Legacies in Contemporary Irish Women’s Writing by Annalisa Mastronardi: a suit of scholarly armour
For scholars of Joyce or Irish women’s writing, this study should prove a valuable resource
Dublin Gothic at the Abbey review: Prepare for some archly provocative character assassination
Barbara Bergin’s huge, complex new play takes aim at some Irish heroes as it covers a century of life in the capital
Event guide: CMAT, Ash and the other best things to see in Ireland in the week ahead
November 29th-December 5th, 2025: The best music, theatre, art and more coming your way this week
The Dead review: Joyce’s perfect story finds wonderfully playful expression in this Christmas gem
Theatre: Louise Lowe’s returning production honours Joyce without embalming him, letting his world breathe again
Elegant renovated Victorian on Rathgar square where Joyce was born for €2.25m
Stylish four-bed home on Brighton Square features landscaped gardens and a cinema room
Judge says Seamus McEnaney could house squatters from James Joyce property
Court proceedings brought against homeless squatters by firms linked to Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney
Off track - Alison Healy on how James Joyce disembarked in the wrong country
When the train pulled into a significant city, they thought they had reached their destination
UCD’s debating society rescinding an award to John Boyne is an odd decision
L&H rescinds plans to offer Joyce medal to author due to what many regard as his offensive views on transgender issues
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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