Go Rail 11-02

THE BOY IN GREEN ANDREW OMOBAMIDELE

MY FAVOURITE TRAIN BILLY O’CALLAGHAN

JOURNEY

ON HER BIG ACTING DEBUT IMELDA MAY

6 / Go For It

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

14

/ Train News

Up-to-date news from Iarnród Éireann.

26 / Andrew Omobamidele

The Norwich F.C. and Irish international footballer discusses the joys of growing up in Leixlip, his family in Wexford and inspirational football figures.

29 / My Favourite Train

CONTENTS

Journey

Author Billy O’Callaghan on why he loves the Cork to Cobh route.

30 / Barbie

One of the biggest cinematic phenomenons in recent memory, Barbie has completed a successful takeover of the pop culture zeitgeist. Roe McDermott gets director Greta Gerwig’s take on the film.

42 / Play It Again, Wham

Director Chris Smith discusses his hit Netflix

documentary Wham!, which explores the soaring success and eventual split of the ’80s pop icons.

44

/ Go Travel

Riccardo Dwyer has the lowdown on the Italian Riviera gem, Liguria.

48 / Paul Murray

The acclaimed author discusses his Booker long-listed new

novel, The Bee Sting, an engrossing epic focusing on a troubled family in the Irish midlands.

50 / Go Fashion

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

54 / Reviews

Our team of reviewers cast their eyes over the latest albums, books and streaming shows.

MANAGING EDITOR

Máirin Sheehy

COMMISSIONING EDITOR

Jess Murray

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Paul Nolan

CONTRIBUTORS

Kate Brayden

Molly Cantwell

Stuart Clark

Riccardo Dwyer

Noah Katz

Roe McDermott

Paul Nolan

Lucy O’Toole

Ed Power

Will Russell

John Walsh

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Hot Press

100 Capel Street

Dublin 1

ART DIRECTOR

Eimear O'Connor

DESIGN

Rachael McGinty

Emily Oh

GROUP ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Catherine Madden

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Miguel Ruiz

COVER PHOTOGRAPH

Kate Swift

PUBLISHER

Niall Stokes

PRINTED 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 2022. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of material without permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER...

This is a scary time. And I’m just talking about the weather.

This year, the world has been subject to the most extreme weather conditions on record. There have been fierce wildfires in Europe. Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Croatia have borne the brunt, with the islands of Rhodes and Sicily being particularly badly affected. Even parts of Switzerland have erupted into flames.

In the US alone, there have been 15 weather disasters since New Year’s Day, including severe thunderstorms and tornadoes; massive flooding; and an outbreak of super-freezing temperatures – each costing an estimated $1 billion. But there too, extreme heat has been a major hazard, with temperatures reaching well into the 40s and beyond.

The sixth hottest reliably measured temperature in world history occurred at Saratoga Spring, at the southern end of Death Valley National Park, when temperatures reached 53.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday 16 July. 64 people have died as a result of extreme heat in Pina County, Arizona alone. Nationally, the number runs into many thousands.

Meanwhile there were ice storms in Texas and hailstones the size of apples at a Louis Tomlinson gig at Red Rocks, just outside Denver, Colorado on 22 June, resulting in multiple hospitalisations.

NEED HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

That’s all bad. However, a recent report from the World Meteorological Organisation has confirmed that Asia remains the world’s most disaster-prone region. In 2022 alone, there were 81 weather, climate and water-related catastrophes. China, experiencing its hottest temperatures ever, lost $7.6 billion as a result of severe drought. In 2022, Pakistan received 60% of its normal monsoon rainfall in just three weeks.

It is next-to-impossible for people in Ireland to comprehend the monumental scale of the devastation wrought by natural forces in Pakistan. UNICEF has painted a bleak picture.

“More than six months since unprecedented f loods ravaged Pakistan,” a report says, “more than 10 million people living in flood-affected areas remain deprived of safe drinking water, leaving families

with no alternative but to drink and use potentially disease-ridden water.”

“Frail, hungry, children,” the report expands, “are fighting a losing battle against severe acute malnutrition, diarrhoea, malaria, dengue fever, typhoid, acute respiratory infections, and painful skin conditions. As well as physical ailments, the longer the crisis continues, the greater the risk to children’s mental health.”

ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND

The problems we have been experiencing in Ireland with extremely wet weather during July have to be seen against that backdrop. For those most immediately affected, it can be desperately painful and extremely challenging. But compared with places where really extreme weather conditions land, we will forever be in the halfpenny place.

All of this brings home the critical urgency with which we must address the reality of global overheating. In this regard, there is no room for the defeatist view that Ireland is such a small country that what we do here is unlikely to make any difference.

Everyone can forge a get-out clause to suit their own lack of action. The truth, of course, is different. If a country like Ireland leads the way, then it becomes easier for Governments elsewhere to insist that it is their duty to meet – and even exceed – their climate pledges. So what we do in Ireland matters.

Which is why the train service offers such a vital gateway into the future. Rail travel is by far the world’s safest and most environmentally sound means of getting around. It is, increasingly, the choice of those who care.

So this is an opportunity to take your time. Breathe deeply. Look around you. Step on the train, sit down and bask in the feeling of having carved out a bit of quality time, to do exactly what you want. Relax and enjoy the ride.

We know that much has to be done here in Ireland to address the climate crisis. It is not going to be easy. But working together as a society, we can make it happen...

MÁIRÍN SHEEHY

MELTING ICE SHEET IN GREENLAND, PHOTO BY NASA

Extreme weather events all over the world indicate that action to address the climate crisis is now a matter of the gravest urgency. The future starts here – and now...

MUSE OF THE WORLD

GO For It

MUSE

Grammy Award winning rock group Muse are set to shake the foundations of Dublin’s 3 Arena as they bring their Will Of The People World tour to the capital on Wednesday September 27. Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard’s massive sounding shows have garnered rave reviews thus far. The trio continue to blare fan favourites as well as newer hits under the light shows and imagery of their latest album, Will Of The People, which shot straight to number 1 on the UK Official Album Chart. Muse will be supported by English rock duo Nova Twins, whose modern sounding electro-rock is certain to set the tone for an evening of big sounds and even bigger entertainment.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN:

27 SEPTEMBER

WHERE: DUBLIN 3 ARENA

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

PICTURE PERFECT

PICTURE THIS

Athy indie quartet Picture This have announced a string of Irish shows this September as part of their headline tour across the UK and Ireland. The band will play Belfast’s SSE Arena on the 19th and 20th; Killarney’s Gleneagle Arena on the 21st and 2 2nd; and Dublin’s 3 Arena on the 25th and 26th. Offering some of the best singalong pop-rock to come out of the country in recent years, the group’s latest album Parked Car Conversations has added a whole new set of catchy guitar riffs, melodic hooks and anthemic choruses to be belted out by fans, in tandem with frontman Ryan Hennessy’s stunning vocals. Not one to be missed.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN : 19-26 SEPTEMBER

WHERE: BELFAST SSE ARENA / KILLARNEY GLENEAGLE ARENA / DUBLIN 3 ARENA.

GO FOR IT

THE ELECTRIC CO.

ELECTRIC PICNIC

Ireland’s flagship music festival returns to the 600-acre estate of Stradbally Hall, playing host to some of the biggest names in Irish and international music this September. A clever rearrangement of the main stage will increase the amount of space by 60%, giving revellers unrivalled views of the action. Headliners include The Killers, Billie Eilish, and Niall Horan, as well as appearances from the likes of Fred Again, Rick Astley, Mimi Webb, Johnny Marr, PinkPantheress and more. World-class bands aren’t the only thing to look forward to either, with a wide range of activities such as insightful talks, art installations, delicious food and more set to provide unforgettable entertainment for all age groups and tastes.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 1-3 SEPTEMBER

WHERE: LAOIS STRADBALLY HALL

ALL THAT JAZZ

GUINESS CORK JAZZ FESTIVAL

BELFAST & FURIOUS EMERGE BELFAST

Ireland’s most prominent electronic music festival is coming back to Boucher Fields in Belfast with a typically mouthwatering line-up. Camelphat, Mall Grab, Bicep, Carl Cox, Skin On Skin and Nina Kraviz are just some of the renowned noisemakers bringing the party to Northern Ireland this August. 2023’s edition of the Emerge festival offers a mix of worldfamous electronic acts alongside some of Ireland’s most exciting

emerging talent, with the likes of Fionn Curran, Hotline and Jenna Dailey stepping up to represent the best of what the island has to offer. Brought to you by the teams behind Belsonic and Shine, expect bespoke sound & lighting and AV installations across three stages.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 26 & 27 AUGUST

WHERE: BELFAST BOUCHER PLAYING FIELDS

The 45th iteration of the world-renowned Cork Jazz festival is set for its biggest and best programme yet. This year sees more ticketed shows than ever before, the addition of an extra date, an extended music trail throughout Cork City and a line-up of distinguished Irish and international musicians. Macy Gray, Corienne Bailey Rae, Morcheeba, Matthew Halsall and Grammy award winning Kurt Elling are the headline performers over the October bank holiday weekend. The festival has something for everyone, including boat rides, after-hours DJ sets at Cyprus Avenue, authentic jazz at the Everyman and a whole host of diverse pop-up events.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 26-30 OCTOBER

WHERE: CORK VARIOUS VENUES

FRINGE BENEFITS

DUBLIN FRINGE FESTIVAL

The Dublin Fringe festival is back to play host to some of the bravest and most unique ideas in the world of performing arts. Curious spectators will be provided with a brilliant showcase of creativity from around the globe. This year’s Fringe Festival boasts 586 performances in 27 venues, with 50 world premieres, 15 Dublin premieres and a grand total of 430 artists entertaining the city. Some of the standout events include Only An Octave Apart, a joyous play showcasing queer identity through music; stand up comedy from Greek mythology with Chiron: a one Centaur Show; and Dublinland, a hilarious satire that puts the fail in failte.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 9-24 SEPTEMBER

WHERE: DUBLIN VARIOUS VENUES

GOAL STANDARD

ERIC CANTONA

Yes, you read that correctly. Marking his live debut with a show in his home away from home in Manchester, Eric’s tour – ‘Cantona Sings Eric’ – sees The King brings his great passion for music to life in Dublin. This is no PR stunt either; Cantona’s music is seriously good, adding yet another string to his bow to accompany his talents in the worlds of acting and of course, football. The enigmatic polymath is set to showcase his seductive voice alongside piano in an intimate setting at Liberty Hall this Halloween.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 31 OCTOBER

WHERE: DUBLIN LIBERTY HALL

THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER

GALWAY OYSTER AND SEAFOOD FESTIVAL

The oldest Oyster festival in the world is getting ready to celebrate its 68th anniversary. Attractions include the Opening Night at the Festival Marquee, the World Oyster Opening Championship, the Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball and the Féile Bia Na Mara. As the sun goes down over the iconic views of Galway’s fabled Long Walk on Friday night, contestants from across the country will take to the main stage to compete for the chance to lift the Irish Oyster Opening Cup and an elusive qualification for a place in the World Competitions. On Saturday attendees can let their hair down at the Oysters Masquerade Party, guaranteed to provide wonderful food, entertainment, and dancing into the early hours.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 22-24 SEPTEMBER

WHERE: GALWAY SPANISH ARCH

STAND-UP TO BE COUNTED

GALWAY COMEDY FESTIVAL

The Galway Comedy Festival returns this October to take over a dozen venues in the city for the week. Since its inception in 2006, the event has grown to become Ireland’s biggest comedy festival, featuring the best of both Irish and international comics, improv, theatre, mime, table quizzes, photography, hip-hop, and much more. Recent iterations included the likes of Bill Bailey, Tommy Tiernan, Sean Lock, Aisling Bea, Russell Howard, Dara Ó Briain and more. This year’s carefully curated craic will see Reginald D. Hunter, Serena Terry, John Colleary and more have attendees in stitches out West.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 24-30 OCTOBER

WHERE: GALWAY VARIOUS VENUES

DRIVE TIME

LADIES IRISH OPEN

Mark your calendars for August and get ready to witness some of the world’s top female golfers compete in one of the most beautiful settings in Ireland. This Ladies European Tour event tees up ahead of the Men’s Irish Open taking place on the September 7, and will once again see Irish star Leona Maguire go head to head with a whole host of elite female golfers competing for a whopping €400,000 prize fund. The stunning Dromoland Castle will play host with its 18-hole, 6,824-yard, par 72 championship course – the perfect setting for the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 31 AUGUST – 3 SEPTEMBER

WHERE: CLARE DROMOLAND CASTLE

PULL UP TO THE BUNKER IRISH OPEN

The Irish Open returns to The K Club in 2023, with Rory McIlroy set to make his eagerly awaited return to the event. The Arnold Palmer designed course has hosted Ireland’s national open once before in 2016, and the elegant golf resort in Straffan, Co. Kildare will provide a fitting backdrop as the world’s best golfers battle it out for the €3 million prize. Accompanying the incredible golf will be equally top-class live music. Scouting For Girls are set to headline the main stage on Saturday, with The Stunning headlining on Sunday. The Horizon Irish Open takes place at The K Club from September 6-10, just 30 minutes from Dublin.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 7-10 SEPTEMBER

WHERE: KILDARE THE K CLUB

CLARE IT'S AT

CLARE ISLAND FOLK FESTIVAL

The second edition of the uniquely special Clare Island Offshore Folk Festival will bring together indigenous island creators and traditionbearers, with a blend of leading folk and traditional musicians. Headline acts include K aran Casey, Niamh Dunne, David Hope, The Barcelo Brothers and Foxford Session, Kseniia Rusnak and Padraig Jack, along with festival sessions each night. From the main stage and Bard room to the rare and magical Stone Barn, festival-goers are also encouraged to explore the mystical island, during what is sure to be an unforgettable celebration of Irish tradition and culture.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 8-10 SEPTEMBER

WHERE: MAYO CL ARE ISLAND

ALL THE KERRY BEST ROSE OF TRALEE

The Rose Of Tralee celebrates its 63rd outing in 2023. Initially established in 1959 and broadcast on RTE since 1978, the coverage has consistently topped the ratings, attracting audiences of up to a million viewers. The heart of the festival is the selection of the Rose of Tralee, which brings women of Irish descent from around the world to a gorgeous setting in Kerry for a global celebration of Irish culture. Alongside the main event is a week-long celebration of street entertainment, carnivals, live concerts, theatre, circus, markets, funfair, fireworks and the internationally renowned Rose Parade.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 18-22 AUGUST

WHERE: TRALEE VARIOUS VENUES

THOROUGHBRED ALERT

IRISH CHAMPIONS FESTIVAL

Save the dates for the Irish Champions Festival this September. The two-day event will provide some exhilarating racing and a full schedule of live music, fashion and entertainment. The festival is run over two days at two of Ireland’s leading racecourses, Leopardstown and The Curragh. Day one at Leopardstown will provide offtrack entertainment in the form of live music, gourmet food and more. As well as the racing, Sunday at the Curragh also plays host to the return of the beloved Thoroughbred Trails and Parade of Champions, giving racing fans the opportunity to meet some equine superstars. In addition, there will be plenty of other attractions for fashion lovers, courtesy of Weirs, Ireland’s premier destination for luxury, watches, jewellery and gifts. Families are also catered for, courtesy of free kids' activities.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 9 & 10 SEPTEMBER

WHERE: DUBLIN LEOPARDSTOWN RACECOURSE/ KILDARE THE CURRAGH RACECOURSE

DEFINITELY AVIARY

NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH-FLYING BIRDS

The Royal Hospital Kilmainham will host an evening packed full of musical legends, with Noel Gallagher’s High-Flying Birds the main attraction. The iconic songwriter is sure to have the audience in the palm of his hand, as he provides a mix of Oasis classics and songs from his acclaimed High-Flying Birds project. Joining them will be seminal dance-punks Primal Scream, as well as the eternally groovy Happy Mondays. It is sure to be an unmissable night of nostalgia and proper rock and roll.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 27 AUGUST

WHERE: DUBLIN ROYAL HOSPITAL KILMAINHAM

TWAIN’S WORLD SHANIA

TWAIN

Let’s go girls, the queen is back. Gearing up for another monumental chapter, the iconic Shania Twain has announced Dublin shows at the 3Arena on September 19 and 20. Following rumours circulating on the internet last year, the tour marks the first-time fans will get to see the singer in all her glam and glory in nearly five years. The platinumselling, genre-bending megastar is set to bring all her hits to the capital, along with material from her new album, Queen Of Me. Pink boots and cowboy hats are recommended, but not required.

NEED TO KNOW

WHEN: 19 & 20 SEPTEMBER

WHERE: DUBLIN 3 ARENA

Train News

All-Island Rail Review puts Ireland on track for a new age of rail

The rail network on the island of Ireland could be set for the most significant expansion in generations following the publication of the AllIsland Strategic Rail Review (AISRR) this week, by the Department of Transport in Ireland and Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland). The first All-Island Strategic Rail Review recommends electrification, new and enhanced routes, greater regional balance and improved speeds and frequency, developing a rail network that will significantly benefit commuters, communities, businesses, the environment and economies both north and south, and putting Ireland on track for a new age of rail. The review is being published alongside the associated Strategic Environmental Assessment for consultation and is expected to be finalised by the end of this year.

For all involved in the rail network and services on the island of Ireland, it is an exciting time as we work to become the backbone of its sustainable transport network. The AISRR builds on our existing investment programme, with key elements already being progressed through our Iarnród Éireann Strategy, and our Rail Freight 2040 and Sustainability Strategies. Additionally, recent Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding will progress studies to four-track the line from Connolly to Malahide and enhance the Dublin to Cork route.

If all the recommendations in this Review were delivered:

- The rail network would be decarbonised

- 700,000 more people would live within 5km of a railway station

- Rail journey times between some major cities could be halved

- Services on busiest intercity routes could run every 30 minutes in some cases

- Rail passenger number could double

- 90% of aviation passengers could travel to the airport by rail

- Two thirds of freight tonnage would pass through ports served by rail

- The island’s economy could be boosted by €20 billion.

We encourage everyone with an interest in our rail network and services to engage with the Departments’ consultation on the AISRR, which can be found at www.gov.ie/transport and is open until 25th September.

Connolly Station

Be a driver for a day at new kids' area at Malahide Model railway!

A new Children’s Interpretative Centre has opened at the Fry Model Railway at The Casino, Malahide, next to the DART Station. The exhibit which gives visitors a chance to see what it is like to drive a life-sized Iarnród Éireann train carriage, takes the form of a “carriage” with interactive screens, engaging on topics including working in the railway, safety in stations and onboard, and environment and biodiversity.

The concept is to encourage children’s natural curiosity through interactive elements as their train journey unfolds, enabling them to engage, connect and be taken on an immersive rail journey. The Museum aims to appeal to a younger audience while still engaging with all age groups and it has been designed with the neurodiverse in mind. It is

a self-guided experience, delivered through a continuous loop, and you can hop on or off at any time.

Housed in the beautifully restored Casino ‘Cottage Orné’ in the heart of Malahide Village, this exciting new project has been delivered thanks to a collaboration between Fingal County Council, Iarnród Éireann and Alstom. The Museum also offers a close-up look at the exquisite craftsmanship of Cyril Fry’s hand-crafted models. All hand-painted and considered the most elaborate in Ireland. There is also an interactive display, where you can watch the modern working models and learn about the Irish Railway & Tramway System.

If you are in the area, drop in and take a look around!

THE BIG LIFT MEANS BIG IMPROVEMENTS FOR PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY ISSUES

Our ongoing commitment to making our stations and services accessible for all continues with the rollout of 2023 plans for our Big Lift project. The project which commenced in 2020 has seen 44 of our stations with lift upgrades complete and accessibility improved for customers.

2023 plans will see full lift replacements at Connolly and Bray Stations, along with an escalator replacement at Dun Laoghaire before the year ends. Additionally, a further ten stations will see mechanical systems renewed at lifts.

There may be some disruptions whilst the work is ongoing, but this work will provide more reliable station access for everyone in the future.Planning permission is being sought this summer for further works to install new lift and footbridge structures at Athy, Boyle, Claremorris, Longford, Maynooth and Rushbrooke stations.

Malahide Model Railway

Customer Event Teams supporting customers and

Summer Events

ith summer concerts and festivals taking place across the country along with major sporting fixtures in the GAA calendar, this summer has seen a huge surge in demand for our services across the network with demand reaching and exceeding preCOVID numbers.

This year we have dedicated CX Event Teams working during these events to assist our customers and manage capacity on our services. More trains running and more rail staff on hand will make for a

Wbetter day out for everyone.

It’s been a big success, with a great atmosphere meaning the journey is a big part of the

Big savings for the student fares, so make sure you have the right ID!

Huge discounts for students and young adults mean more and more are choosing the train! Ahead of the new college year, new and returning students are reminded to avail of the student fare, you must have the right ID, and there are changes!

To ensure a consistent approach across the Transport For Ireland network of public transport operators, from September 3rd 2023, only the TFI Student Leap Card or TFI Young Adult (19-23) Leap Card will be valid for student / young adult fares on all Iarnród Éireann Intercity, DART or commuter services.

Individual third level institution cards or ISIC cards will no longer be accepted from 3rd September.

event too. There’s lots more events to come, and we look forward to welcoming you on board.

Please ensure you have a valid card when purchasing student / young adult fares and can show it when inspected during your journey, to avail of those great savings.

staff over busy

period

"More trains running and more rail staff on hand will make for a better day out for everyone."

Rail staff at Malahide Events

Rail is the sustainable choice, as Iarnród Éireann appointed Sustainable Development Goals Champion

Customers often ask us about their carbon emissions when taking the train, reflecting the increased public awareness and concern about climate change. By taking the train today, you may have saved up to 77% on their Co2 emissions versus taking the car for the same journey. So as well as making sustainable travel choices, you can now encourage others and increase the shift to public transport for many more journeys.

Reflecting our commitment to sustainability, Iarnród Éireann has been appointed by the Minister for Transport to the 2023-2024 SDG Champions Programme, developed to raise public awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and to demonstrate that everyone in society can make a contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The role is for Iarnród Éireann to act as an advocate and promoter for sustainability good practice and how UN SDGs can be integrated into work and society activities.

Over 80 organisations applied to take part in the programme this year, with

26 appointed, underlining the readiness of Irish society to assist in ensuring that Ireland becomes a global leader in achieving the goals. Champions have been selected from across the public, private, community, voluntary, youth and NGO sectors and are represented by larger, national organisations and smaller, community groups.

Some of our major sustainability goals by 2030 include:

• 80 million passenger journeys per annum, up from the preCOVID high of 50.1 million

• 51% reduction in carbon emissions

• 70% recycling of all waste

• Pollinator plans at all stations Doubling of the number of female employees

• Trebling of the electrified network

MUM’S THE WORD

As she expands her artistry into the world of theatre, Imelda May discusses taking on the role of Kathleen Behan in Mother Of All The Behans.

INTERVIEW: LUCY O’TOOLE

like change,” says Imelda May, reflecting on her “cyclical” approach to artistic evolution. “I think it’s good for me, personally.”

She’s looking ahead to her theatre debut – with one Dublin icon set to step into the skin of another, as she takes on the role of Kathleen Behan in Peter Sheridan’s Mother Of All The Behans. Of course, this latest venture shouldn’t come as a complete surprise to fans of Imelda’s most recent work. There was a touch of theatricality and dramatic power running through both her 2020 spoken-word poetry EP, Slip Of The Tongue, and her latest album, 2021’s 11 Past The Hour. Last year also saw her make her acting debut in the film Fisherman’s Friends: One And All – and she’s set to return to the big screen in another project, out in 2024, she tells me

“To be uncomfortable is good for me, as an artist,” she resumes. “And to push myself in different ways works for me. If I get too comfortable at something, it doesn’t work. It can sometimes lead to complacency.

“So I’m excited by it all – not knowing what’s around the corner, and learning new skills. I don’t do anything unless it excites me!”

In addition to the excitement, of course, she admits that the thought of the one-woman play – which originally premiered in the late ‘80s, with Rosaleen Linehan in the starring role – is slightly “terrifying”.

“It’s just the small matter of trying to get an hour and 45 minutes worth of dialogue into my head!” she admits.

“So I look like a mad woman everywhere I am. I look like I’m talking to myself constantly, going over the lines. Because it’s just me – there’s nobody else to bounce off on stage.”

Although she’s acted before, and is

well accustomed to performing in front of a live audience, Imelda notes that theatre is “a totally different beast.”

“Between music, film and the play – they’re all so different, even though they’re all performing,” she points out. “Film is all about small nuances and small movements that the camera will catch, whereas the theatre is bigger. You have to project to the back of the room.

“With music, I spend most of my time being myself, and trying to bring honesty to things. Whereas I’m being somebody else in this. There’s loads of songs in this play, but I don’t sing them as me – I sing them as Kathleen, as I feel she would have.”

Kathleen Behan – a notable Irish republican and singer, whose children included the legendary likes of Brendan, Dominic and Brian Behan – is a particu-

larly special role for Imelda to take on for her first ever play, as a proud Dub herself. As she points out, when we look back at history, “we hear about men’s stories all the time, especially in Ireland.”

“It’s not the case that the women weren’t doing anything,” she resumes. “It’s just their stories weren’t told. Kathleen and her family were chest-deep in Irish history. So her story is a piece of Irish history that’s really important – what she was dealing with, with her family, whether they were fighting for freedom, or fighting for rights for workers.

“If that story’s not told, it’s forgotten. I’m adamant that women’s stories in Ireland – and certainly from that particular period of our history, which is incredibly important for who we are now – aren’t forgotten.”

“Between music, film and the play – they’re all so different, even though they’re all performing.”

Kathleen and Brendan Behan

That passion is also informed by Imelda’s own background, having previously spoken about her grandmother joining Cumann na mBan when she was just 16-years-old, and fighting in the 1916 Rising.

“That all added to it,” she confirms. “Kathleen feels like an amalgamation of many women that raised me. My granny’s story is right in there with her. My granny was a freedom fighter, as was my grandad. So I want people to hear Kathleen’s story, and have more of an understanding about who we are, and how grateful we should be to the likes of her.”

Of course, in the defiant spirit of Kathleen, Imelda’s journey into theatre hasn’t distracted her from the pressing issues facing musicians right now.

“The music industry is on its knees,” she asserts. “I’m looking at the strikes now, all over the place. Everybody is on strike, between the actors in America, and the nurses in the UK. And I think musicians should go on strike, for sure, against all the streaming platforms.

“I just watched a video this morning, with Snoop Dogg saying he has a billion streams on one of his songs – and so, he should get a million dollars from that,” she continues. “But he gets a fraction of that. So he’s thinking, ‘Who’s getting it?’ And he’s right. Even for artists on a smaller

level. He’s basically saying, ‘If I can’t make money off this, who can?’”

She points out that, at this stage, it’s not even about “making money – it’s about making a living.”

“I don’t know any other job where you’re offered exposure as a form of reward,” she notes. “Unfortunately, you can’t pay your rent with exposure, or buy your food with exposure!”

She’s equally clued into what’s going on in her native city. While she was devastated by the death of Christy Dignam, who she hailed as “a proper working-class Dub” in a heartfelt tribute, she reckons that there’s “still plenty of Dublin icons around.”

“And I’m hoping there’ll be more!” she adds. “The city always needs people from it to fight for it. And it needs it now. It’s been invaded in a totally different way – in that

it’s been built up, and built over.

“There’s a lot of hotels, and it looks like they’re still coming. It’s important to try and hold on to our beautiful places, and the culture within them. For instance, The Cobblestone had to really dig their heels in and fight – and they’re still fighting! What do we need another hotel for? All the tourists will be left sitting looking at each other – because there’ll be nothing to see! You have to nurture the people that live in the cities. Cities are about people, not about buildings and tourism.”

As for Imelda’s own connection to Dublin, she feels that she and her artistry are inextricably interwoven into the fabric of the city.

“

‘Dublin is me, and I am her…’ – that’s one of my poems,” she reflects. “She’s in me, and I’m in her. As I walk around the streets, the cobblestones, I can feel my mam and my granny walking before me.

“My family are buried underneath it. So it’s part of the bones of me, and part of the blood that runs through my veins. Every sound and smell and sight – it’s part of who I am, and it’s part of everything that I do.”

• Mother Of All The Behans runs at 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin from August 15–26.

“Kathleen feels like an amalgamation of many women that raised me.”

National Heritage Week A Feast Of Events & Activities

This year’s National Heritage Week will feature a thrilling selection of tours, walks, exhibitions, celebrations and more…

Over 1,000 free events are set to be held across the country from August 12–20, celebrating all aspects of Ireland’s built, natural and intangible heritage – with the eagerly anticipated return of one of Ireland’s largest cultural events, National Heritage Week. Unique settings, from historic houses and galleries, to gardens and barnyards, will be playing host to a wide range of events, covering architecture, music, archaeology and more…

At the heart of National Heritage Week is an effort to promote awareness of our heritage, and encourage its conservation and preservation. This year, there’s a particular emphasis on ‘Living Heritage’ – which is defined as “the practices, knowledge and skills that have been passed from one generation to the next, and are still in use today.”

One organisation that embodies the central values of the initiative is the Headford Lace Project – established in 2016, to research, revive and reimagine

the strong lacemaking heritage of Headford, in Co. Galway.

When the group started out, little was known about Headford’s lacemaking industry – which is one of the oldest in Ireland.

“When Galway City was 500 years old in 1984, there was an effort made to locate Headford lace at that time – and they couldn’t find any,” Headford Lace Project’s Norma Owens tells us. “It was almost extinct, and forgotten. We were so close to losing it forever.”

The Headford Lace Project team have now identified several pieces – including, most recently, Headford lace in Wales, which had been passed down through the St. George family of Headford Castle.

Jackie Magnin, Headford Lace Project’s bobbin lace tutor, has managed to “reverse engineer the pattern” of the pieces the group have uncovered, and is now teaching others to make the onceforgotten laces. They’re set to showcase their work as part of Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s August Craft Month, with an exhibition on August 19.

“For residents of the town, it can contribute to a sense of identity and a sense of place,” says Norma. “And because it’s women’s history, which has largely been written out of the books, it’s a different way to access that social history. It can enhance the visitor experience to the town as well, and promote tourism.”

Of course, celebrating heritage crafts is just one of the many features of this year’s National Heritage Week.

On August 13 & 19, head to the Medieval Mile Museum for Kilkenny Cats and Witches – a guided tour uncovering the linked history of witchcraft and cats, while paying particular attention to the history of cats in Kilkenny... Cork LGBT Archive are also putting on a walking tour with a difference on August 16, visiting places of significance to the development of the community in Cork City. For those with a passion for historic sites, Reginald’s Tower in Waterford will be open to the public for free on the first day of National Heritage Week, August 12 – as will all OPW sites!

There will also be a guided lunchtime walk of the Rock of Dunamase in Co. Laois on August 17, led by the director of the excavations taking place there.

Train enthusiasts will gather from far and wide on August 14, to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the arrival of the first train in Mullingar, with a full tour of Mullingar Railway Station – considered one of the finest examples of Victorian railway architecture in the country.

And less than an hour away is Athlone Castle, which will play host to Poetry, Prose and Music on August 20 – with local poets and artists showcasing their work in the unique setting of the castle’s courtyard. Of course, that’s just a small taste of the many events taking place in every corner of the country for National Heritage Week…

ONE NELL SWOOP

It’s been a whirlwind 2023 thus far for Nell Mescal, having supported Dermot Kennedy, P!Nk and Florence + the Machine, not to mention releasing a string of stellar pop singles. And there’s plenty more to come...

Interview Kate Brayden

PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID REISS

“Iam running so behind!” Nell Mescal tells Go Rail from her London apartment. An action-packed weekend lies ahead of her. “I’m playing in Birmingham tonight. I have to clean my house before I go. I’ve got a day off before Latitude festival, and then I’m supporting Will Young in Warwick Castle on Sunday. Plus I’m going to see Oppenheimer and Barbie at some point in between – Barbie is the main event, though.”

So Nell is balancing the average weekend of a 20-year-old with that of a burgeoning pop star with ease, then. Shows with The Last Dinner Party are scheduled before she and her band head back on tour for her headline run across the UK & Ireland this autumn. Indeed, Mescal’s rise has been formidable, with her songs drawing on subjects like childhood, relationships and family. With recent single ‘Punchline’ enjoying plenty of streaming action, the singer’s Electric Picnic debut will conclude her festival run in style.

“I’m so excited!” she beams. “I was on the bill a few years ago and then Covid happened. This year will be my first time going at all. The year Billie Eilish was there, all I wanted was tickets. I cried my eyes out the night she was performing because I wasn’t at it! I don’t think I’ve ever had FOMO as big as I did for Electric Picnic 2019.”

Speaking of the Grammy winner, Mescal’s cover of ‘What Was I Made For’, Eilish’s deeply personal Barbie single, is as enthralling as her previous take on Billie’s 2017 track ‘Watch’.

“I went two nights in a row to her London O2 shows and cried just as much both times,” Nell recalls. “I didn’t even realise I was such a big fan until I sat down and looked up at the screen. I had only just started being friends with Lucy Blue and it was one of our first friend dates. I was crying into her arms by the end.”

Can she imagine headlining a festival, being the age Eilish was when she did Coachella?

“I don’t know what goes through artists’ minds when they step onto a stage like that,” Mescal offers. “The stakes are so high. I watched every single video of Dermot Kennedy headlining Electric Picnic because it just looked so incredible. Especially when it’s an Irish person headlining that festival, like Hozier, it just looks unbeatable. Everyone knows all of those songs, and they’re there to see another Irish person do something amazing.

“After a support slot, I tend to leave the stage and for the first hour, I’m so happy. Then I go very existential. It’s really difficult to be on stage, trying to remember the words to every song in the set, and then also trying to make sure everyone is engaged at all times – which is just impossible. People won’t be paying attention for that long, because they’re not there to see you. Your main job as a support act is to get people excited for the main person. I’m at the very beginning, but it’s such an exciting journey to be on.

“I’m very lucky that I’ve been able to support artists who I’m obsessed with and love. I see how they interact with their fans. Imposter Syndrome is very real and that never goes away, but everyone I’ve supported who I’ve met has been so lovely with their time. Florence Welch gave me advice. It’s nice to be able to say that they’re all sweet, and actually mean it!”

There’s still one or two artists Mescal dreams of warming up for.

“Taylor Swift is an obvious one, but also Billie Eilish is a huge inspiration of mine. She’s incredible. I don’t even know if I could be in the same room as some of the people I listen to because I’d freak out. Taylor especially, so that’s probably not a good idea! My friend surprised me with Eras Tour tickets. I freaked out. I’m going to Wembley, and my friends are going to pick Eras out of a hat and dress in that theme.

“Lana Del Rey last week at Hyde Park changed my life. My friend Lucy is a huge fan of hers, she quotes Lana in her own songs. I was wrecked after doing a few shows. I will fully remember that gig forever! I was a fan going in, but now I’m obsessed. I want to dive into every one of her songs and read all the lore. It was incredible. ”

It must be strange getting an insight into passionate fan bases from inside the bubble.

“When the rumours about Matty Healy and Taylor Swift were going around on social media, you get consumed,” Mescal nods. “All my friends were talking about it, but you need to take a step and realise that you’re talking about two people that are adults! Everyone needs to go offline, not just if you’re in the public eye. We all need to take a big break.

“I used to not really think that I’d compare myself to other people or go so deep into that area but you do. Every single swipe causes that. It’s not good for anyone. It’s a huge part of my job, especially when I’m not playing shows, because I have to go online and remind people that I still exist. It’s so taxing. I’m not good at taking breaks.”

Happily, Nell seems to be staying grounded, which returning to Irish soil will presumably nurture.

“I can’t wait to be home, playing those shows to friends and family,” she grins. “Out of all the festivals, I’m the most excited about Electric Picnic. It’s the last show we’re doing on the festival circuit, but it’s the ultimate one. We’ve got a really nice slot, which I’m very grateful for. I’m really excited to see Fred Again. That audience is going to be so sick. A load of my friends are playing, so I’m buzzing. I’m hoping to stay down for the whole weekend.”

•‘Punchline’ is out now.

“I CRIED MY EYES OUT THE NIGHT BILLIE EILISH WAS PERFORMING AT ELECTRIC PICNIC BECAUSE I WASN’T THERE! I’D LOVE TO SUPPORT HER.”

FRED AGAIN

What Will You Pass On?

Why passing on a happy childhood can make a vital difference

Barnardos is a children’s charity, providing essential services to the most vulnerable children in Ireland, because childhood lasts a lifetime. But the organisation needs consistent funding – making their new ‘Pass It On’ campaign all the more vital. Legacy Manager Ciara McGowan explains how you can make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children in Ireland, by leaving a gift in your will.

By Molly Cantwell

Negative news around childhood homelessness, mental health issues and poverty is more prevalent in Ireland than ever before. The effect is that families around the country are increasingly reliant on the kind of services provided by the children’s charity, Barnardos.

Founded by Thomas John Barnardo in the UK in 1866, when exploitation of children was scandalously commonplace, and deeply destructive, the charity has been helping Irish families since the establishment of Barnardos Ireland in the 1960s.

The aim, of what is a hugely important charitable organisation, is to help the most vulnerable children in society achieve their full potential – regardless of their family circumstances, their gender, race, or disability. In all, they have 54 service locations, covering the length and breadth of Ireland. Each location tailors its services to provide programmes designed for what that particular local community needs.

Inevitably, making services on that scale work and run smoothly costs a lot of money – and Barnardos needs consistent funding to continue. Which is why their latest fundraising campaign ‘Pass It On’, is so important…

TR AUMA-BASED BEREAVEMENTS

Ciara McGowan is the ‘Pass It On’ Legacy Manager with Barnardos. One of many dedicated staff in Barnardos, she explains how the services run by the charity work around the country, and what the charity actually does, in real terms, to help families.

“These centres and staff are absolutely amazing,” Ciara says with a smile. “I love going to the centres and listening to all

the stories, because the things they do for the children… these project workers go above and beyond the call of duty all the time, to help and support the children. You can see that it is a vocation and that they love it.”

Barnardos also successfully run family support centres, bereavement programmes and domestic violence supports.

“We have family support services in most of our centres, for children with behavioural needs.” Ms. McGowan clarifies. “The parents might be separating, or there’s been a bereavement, or parents might be struggling with addiction – there’s so many

different life situations that can affect children adversely.”

Barnardos bereavement programme has reflected some of the starker societal changes that Ireland has been undergoing. It is, you’d have to conclude, a tough time to be young.

“We have bereavement programmes running in Dublin and Cork, and there’s also a national helpline,” Ciara explains. “When the bereavement hotline was originally started, approximately 70% of the referral calls were to do with standard bereavement. Now, 90% of the referrals are from trauma-based bereavements: children have witnessed

“Despite their exceptional advocacy and work on behalf of children – there is only so much they can do without sufficient funding.”

somebody being injured or murdered, or parents that have died by suicide.

“Our waiting lists for that service are high,” she adds, “which is incredibly sad, because we want to be offering support as soon as we can to these children.”

PAS SING ON POSITIVE VALUES

Despite the critically important work they do, organisations like Barnardos have to rely on donations. The reality is that –despite their exceptional advocacy and frontline work – there is only so much they can do without sufficient funding.

“‘Pass It On’ simply means leaving a gift in your will,” the Legacy Manager explains. “As a nation that marks death in such a supportive and community-minded way, wills can be an interesting conversation in Ireland.

“Giving a gift in your will might not necessarily be a conversation that everybody has had – it’s quite a niche area. But it is an important one.

“We want to initiate those conversations, and take the taboo away from discussing and planning for these things, so that when you do pass, you’re giving the gift of a happy childhood; and you’ll have done something genuinely good.”

ANOTHER LAYER OF ADVERSITY

There are many different options for how you can leave money to Barnardos.

“Within your will, you can choose a specific way your donation is used,” Ciara explains. “Say, for example, you had a particular interest in early years or domestic violence or bereavement – you could say you want it specifically to go towards one of these programmes. Or you could specify if you want it to go to a specific area of the country.

“That said, leaving your legacy gift without restriction allows us to decide where the money is most needed at that particular

time, and so it does more immediate, tangible good,” she adds. “Most of our services are needs-led, meaning we assess each situation, and put together a plan for each individual one. One plan might require more work, more interventions, more support, etc. Having flexibility with funding allows us flexibility with plans we’re offering to families.”

As the cost-of-living crisis rages on around the country, Ciara discusses why this new campaign is coming at a vital time.

“Since this time last year, the cost-of-living crisis has been at the forefront of a lot of the work we do,” she says. “Children started coming to services wearing pyjamas, dirty clothes, or shoes that were too small. One of the project workers spoke to a parent who said that they couldn’t afford to run the washing machine at home, and that’s why the kids were in dirty or old clothes. In that situation, it was organised that this parent could use the washing machine in that Barnardos service.

“We’re lucky we have people who support us in putting together food packs. For families who have to make decisions between paying bills and putting food on the table, that pack will give them things like cereal, beans, pot noodles…

“There’s been much more demand for these food packs in the last 12 months,” Ciara concludes. “It sounds awful, but it’s become the norm. It’s just another layer of adversity for these families who were already facing adversity before they came to Barnardos. So our role has become more important than ever.”

The time to ‘Pass It On’, or to support Barnardos in any way you can, is now…

• To learn more about Barnardos, donate, or read more about their Pass It On campaign, visit www.barnardos.ie or call 01 453 0355.

All images used to represent children are actors or models

“A gift in your will is a wonderful way of passing on the best parts of you – your kindness, your compassion and your commitment to creating a better world.”

Suzanne Connolly, CEO Barnardos

LEFT: Children recieving assistance at Barnardos Centres.

THE SECRET OF HIS SUCCESS

Over the past two years, Andrew Omobamidele has established himself as one of Ireland’s brightest young sports stars. Here, the Norwich F.C. and Irish international footballer discusses the joys of growing up in Leixlip, his family in Wexford, inspirational football figures –and the quality of the emerging talent in Irish football.

Interview Andrew Walsh

PHOTOGRAPHY: STEPHEN M c CARTHY

For Andrew Omobamidale, the journey he’s on has nothing to do with mere good fortune. Sure, the pieces have to slot into place. You need to avoid the obvious pitfalls. If you can stay injuryfree, all the better. But his development has been the product of a long-term, calculated effort.

Andrew has always kept a level head, He has put the work in. As well as constantly analysing his own performances, he’s been studying the moves of other Irish legends from childhood.

“Paul McGrath was always an inspiration,” he says. “I remember hearing about him when I was a teenager. I used to watch clips of him on YouTube!”

Will there be an Omobamidele chant that rivals “Ooh, ah, Paul McGrath”? Andrew laughs at the

It’s been just over two years since a fresh-faced 18 year old defender Andrew Omobamidele was first called up to the Irish national football team. The young centre back, a recent signing for then-Premier League side Norwich City FC, was named as part of the squad for two friendly matches against Andorra and Hungary in the summer of 2021. He may not have made it onto the pitch – his debut cap would come soon afterwards – but it was extraordinary to see him in the dugout alongside established stars of the team.

“It was just surreal at the time,” Andrew enthuses. “I had a good seat for the games, and being surrounded by veterans like Seamus Coleman was something else.”

There have been ups and downs in the meantime with injuries, but the extraordinary composure and awareness which Omobamidale showed playing for Ireland suggested immediately that he was – or rather that he is – different class. Now, with six international caps under his belt, and having been named captain of Norwich FC – aka The Canaries –on several occasions last season, the young Kildare native is clearly on a steep upward trajectory. There are those in the know who insist that he is on course to become the most expensive – and potentially successful – Irish footballer ever. Mind you, the competition on that front is getting tougher, with a young star like Evan Ferguson elbowing his way into the picture. But Norwich City reportedly recently turned down an offer of over £20 million for Andrew, so it is clear that top level football beckons. A number of Premier League sides are keeping tabs on the defender, while Italian giants and Champions League semifinalists AC Milan are also interested. As the song says, the only way is up...

question – but much like his predecessor, on the pitch Andrew displays a remarkable composure and innate understanding of the game, standing tall in the face of adversity and emerging as a beacon of footballing reliability. With every decisive tackle and graceful interception, he echoes the elegance and defensive prowess that made McGrath a legendary figure in the sport.

“Premier League football has always been the end goal for me,” he says. “I think everyone around me knows it, especially my mam. From about the age of 13, I literally ate, slept and breathed football, always wanting to go and play in England, always wanting to be a professional footballer.”

Andrew showed glimpses of his prodigious talent from a young age at Leixlip United FC, the local schoolboy team where he played throughout his teenage years. Andrew attributes a lot of his sporting success to his local coaches.

“I think it’s honestly down to the coaching

Omobamidele playing for Leixlip

“When you’re a teenager, you don’t understand the value of training because it’s just repetition or simple things – but looking back now, the training is what made our team what it was.”

there,” he observes. “They’ve always had strong morals and they’ve instilled that into the players from a young age, especially in my case with my coach Kenny Malloy, and also Robbie Fay.

“When you’re a teenager, you don’t understand the value of training because it’s just repetition or simple things – but looking back now, the training is what made our team what it was. It’s not even professional level either, it’s just grassroots, so the Leixlip United coaches are just doing it out of their love for football. It’s such a testament to them.”

The Leixlip team achieved remarkable success during Andrew’s time there, competing against other top-level teams across Dublin including Belvedere and St. Kevin’s. They won the All-Ireland Under-16 Cup in 2018.

“I fondly remember matches in Fairview Park in Clontarf, and in Turner’s Cross Stadium in Cork,” he smiles. “We got to go everywhere with Leixlip United. It’s one of the joys of playing at that level. The team all had a great time together.”

Andrew regularly returns to Leixlip, never forgetting his roots.

“The best way I can describe Leixlip is that it’s a very relaxed town, everyone is kind and friendly,” Andrew says. “I never had any problems growing up there. I just look back and remember the fun times playing football with my friends on any patch of grass we could find. That community got me to where I am now. It’s been great for support”.

He particularly enjoys visiting during the Leixlip “mini leagues”, where hundreds of children from across Leixlip compete in a thrilling weekend footie tournament.

“It was the community that helped me get to where I am, so I’ll always have a love for the club. I get some joy from it, you know, going back and seeing how happy the kids are there, because I was in their shoes at one stage.”

There are moments in every young footballer’s career when they have to step up to the plate – or risk fading away. Adapting to new challenges and rising above them is an essential part of becoming successful. The move from Leixlip United to Norwich City FC, where he had initially been signed on for two years, was tough for his family.

“My mam was a bit nervous and scared,” he recalls, “because it was unknown waters for her. There was a chance I would get released after two years – and that made it quite a tough decision for her.”

Keeping his links to Leixlip strong is one thing, but Andrew spent much of childhood visiting his relatives in Wexford –and he remains close with his extended family.

“Every summer when I was younger, I used to go to Wexford with my grandparents,” he tells me.” My granddad had a very old car that had one single headlight at the front, and he would take us on drives to the Courtown Amusement Centre. It was great. We had a little holiday home up there beside the beach, and I used to go with my sister. I still have fond memories of it now.”

Aiming to make it as a professional in the UK was one thing – but there was a moment when Andrew suddenly saw the possibility of playing international football. His very first international cap saw the defender being handed the onerous task of keeping Cristiano Ronaldo quiet in a World Cup qualifier against Portugal.

“When Dara O’Shea got injured and I knew that I was going on, I just wanted to be solid and do my job,” he recalls now.”

“So when I come on, and Ronaldo is there, it’s a surreal feeling standing beside him. But the feeling can only last for a couple of seconds because at that level of football you need to be one hundred percent concentrated. I let myself have two or three seconds of that surreal moment, then switched it off. We’re both professional footballers.”

The Portuguese legend may have scored two last-ditch goals to secure a win against Ireland, but Omabomidele did nothing wrong, kept his cool and proved himself against one of the game’s acknowledged superstars.

“He’s obviously one of the best players in the world,” he says, “and what he’s done for football is second to none! Getting the chance to defend against him one-on-one and not letting him get by me – those are memories I always have and that will stand to me. That’ll be something I can tell my children one day.”

• Ireland play the Netherlands at the Aviva, Dublin on September 10.

“When I come on, and Ronaldo is there, it’s a surreal feeling standing beside him. But the feeling can only last for a couple of seconds”

Courtown Amusement Centre

MY FAVOURITE JOURNEY

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH

The train remains by far the most pleasurable way to travel. My father’s mother’s people, from New Twopothouse, a crossroads of a place between Buttevant, Mallow, Doneraile and Ballyclough, all worked on the railways, so there’s maybe some lingering tinge of the romance and graft of it in my blood.

On a train, I love chatting with strangers, but mostly I like to get beside a window, facing into the journey rather than with my back to it, to watch the landscape unfurling, and to let the world wash over me. I always have a book with me, which after a few pages has to sit on my lap unread, because invariably the story or novel I’m working on needs thinking about. I’ll peoplewatch, too, and I’ll be listening. Some of what I’ve overheard on trains can’t bear repeating, but I am forever glad I’ve caught such snatches.

I’ve had my share of memorable trips, travelling the length of France by train, and another time zigzagging my way through Spain. I’ve seen the breathtaking scenery of Portugal’s Duoro Valley, through the Cotswolds towns, and up along Scotland’s wild east coast, and gone by train to Salem at (nearly) Halloween-time, and out to Coney Island on the bleakest of January days.

And in 2014 in China, bone-weary from an adventure that had already taken me to Inner Mongolia, Tiananmen Square, dinner at a frog restaurant, and a violent and explosive foodpoisoning eruption (unrelated to the plate of frogs) in the bedroom of Mao’s summer residence, I was journeying down from Beijing to Shanghai, when, an hour or two hours in, too tired to sleep and gazing in that numb, trance-like way from the window, the train crossed a small bridge and on the narrow river I caught sight of a small wooden sampan, one of the traditional fishing boats.

And in that instant a story dropped into my head, fully formed, the only time it’s ever happened to me in such a way, and scrambling for my notebook and pen I began to write, finishing it several sleepless hours later in Heathrow airport. That story, The Boatman – whether a miracle or some incomprehensible alchemical confluence of being in the right place at the right moment, the light perfect, the exhausted wide openness of my mind and, as much as anything, the relentlessly hypnotic rhythm of a charging train – proved a

transformative moment for me, elevating my writing to another level and, following a shortlisting for a major award, starting to open doors that up until then had stood firmly shut. So, to say that a train journey changed my life in all the best ways is no exaggeration.

Because the Irish landscape is so beautiful, none of our trains disappoint. I recently travelled to Armagh to read at the John Hewitt festival, and the Dublin to Belfast journey, which ahead of Drogheda runs alongside the Irish Sea, is as scenic as anything you could hope for.

For me, though, the country’s most idyllic and inspiring stretch of line belongs to the Cork to Cobh service. When the sun is out, especially, but even on a day in grey, wet winter, the twenty-five minute journey is something to savour, traipsing slowly out through Little Island and into the spectacular wetlands skirting Fota Wildlife Park. When I was young, a story was told about two chimps that escaped the park, boarded the busy train and, without interference, spent an enjoyable day strolling around Cobh.

When the tide is out, the wetlands thrive with warblers, egrets, oyster-catchers and sandpipers, and at high tide the light skids across the water’s surface in a dazzling spill. Continuing on, the Lee starts to widen in anticipation of meeting the ocean, and as the land turns with titanic Cobh just ahead, the coloured homes and small marina of Monkstown presses into view across the way, gorgeous from such distance, a sight that can’t but make the heart lift. Maybe it’s the framing, but everything and everywhere looks better from the window of a moving train.

JOURNEY: CORK TO COBH

“BECAUSE THE IRISH LANDSCAPE IS SO BEAUTIFUL, NONE OF OUR TRAINS DISAPPOINT.”

Author Billy O’Callaghan on why loves the Cork to Cobh route.

• Billy O’Callaghan’s novel The Paper Man is out now.

FEEL GOOD HIT OF THE SUMMER

One of the biggest cinematic phenomenons in recent memory, BARBIE has completed a successful takeover of the pop culture zeitgeist. ROE

MCDERMOTT gets director Greta Gerwig’s take on the film, and explores the marketing, design, diverse casting and soundtrack.

This summer’s ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon has proved one of the most significant moments in recent cinematic history. The unlikely simultaneous release of two stylistically opposing blockbusters – Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer , a biopic of the titular nuclear physicist, and Greta Gerwig’s fantasy comedy Barbie – has caught the imagination of both the media and audiences around the globe.

The result has been some serious box office action at a time when the film industry is

still in flux post-Covid – a state of affairs intensified by the current writers and actors’ strike in Hollywood – with Barbie to date having earned north of half-a-billion dollars, with no end in sight.

The hype for Barbie movie has been irrepressible, thanks in no small part to the film’s ingenious marketing strategies. As well as the hilarious trailers that show how Gerwig has captured Barbie’s pink plastic world to perfection, you can see inside the Barbie Dreamhouse on a stylish video by Architectural Digest.

If looking isn’t enough, and you want to actually stay in Barbie’s oceanside mansion in Malibu, there’s now a life-size pink building that you can actually win a real night in.

Photos of stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling rollerblading in neon outfits and requisite visors on Venice beach went viral last year, starting a new Y2K neon trend (and a rush on the neon rollerblades themselves, $289 on Impala Skate). Star Margot Robbie has spent the press tour – well, the part of it that lasted until the actors’ strike – in sublime outfits paying homage to Barbie’s greatest fashion moments, including a black and white Hervé Leger bodycon dress that evoked Barbie’s very first striped swimsuit in 1959.

Even Robbie’s cursed Chanel contract has been well-used, as the iconic pink tweed just screams ‘Businesswoman Barbie’, or maybe

‘Avon Representative Barbie’, another one of her illustrious careers.

Gosling, usually thoughtful and considered about his movies, has leaned into the delightful camp and silliness of his role as peroxide blonde dreamboat Ken, declaring in one interview, “Ken, his job is beach. For 60 years, his job has been beach. What does that even mean?”

ORIGINAL GIRL EMPOWERMENT

The film is directed by Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha, Little Women, Lady Bird) from a script co-written by Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach (The Squid And The Whale, Marriage Story) – both indie darlings, and possibly not the immediate team one would envisage for the plastic pink project. But then, the idea for a Barbie movie has been floating around for years, waiting for the right creative team.

Back in 2016, Sony Pictures had the rights to “Barbie” and cast Amy Schumer to star in a movie based on an original idea and screenplay by Hilary Winston. Schumer and her sister, Kim Caramele, planned rewrites, but the comedian left the project less than a year later, citing scheduling difficulties, though she later revealed to Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that, “It really was just creative differences. But you know, there’s a new team behind it, and it looks like it’s very feminist and cool, so I will be

seeing the movie.” Schumer also said that Sony “definitely didn’t want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it.”

Years later, Robbie – who also runs her own female-focused production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, which has produced I, Tonya, Birds of Prey and Promising Young Woman – got the rights, and handpicked Gerwig to direct.

“ Barbie came to me through Margot Robbie,” says Gerwig. “Margot was the one who had gotten the rights, had brought it to Warner Bros., had sort of spearheaded this whole project, and we had met, and I was a big fan of hers as an actress. But then when we talked, I realised what an incredible producer she was. She was super smart and extremely involved and really interesting.”

And, of course, the ideal Barbie.

“Margot is our Stereotypical Barbie,” continues Gerwig. “As she says in the film, ‘I’m the Barbie everyone thinks of when you think of Barbie’. And when you think of the most beautiful, cheerful, friendly, blonde lady you’ve ever seen, that’s Margot! But the thing I wanted to do most of all was allow her to be outrageously funny.

“She’s the person you’re going to go on a real journey with in the movie, and because she’s always able to make things grounded, relatable and very emotional, even when it’s ridiculously heightened and funny, you never feel like you lose the humanity.”

Gerwig was excited by the prospect of taking such a beloved character and bringing her not only to life, but into the modern era. Barbie has always been both a beloved and a debated figure. The doll has been accused of promoting unattainable beauty standards for young girls. But over time, there have been Black Barbies, plus-sized Barbies, and Barbies in wheelchairs. She’s also come to represent female ambition, with Barbie’s 200-plus jobs letting little girls imagine themselves as accomplished achievers.

As toy manufacturer and Barbie creators Mattel say, “Starting at age 5, many girls begin to develop limiting self-beliefs. They stop believing their gender can do or be anything. This is the Dream Gap, and this is the year Barbie begins working to close it. As the original girl empowerment brand, we’re proud to announce the Dream Gap Project, an ongoing global initiative that aims to give girls the resources and support they need to continue to believe that they can be anything.”

DIVERSE REPRERSENTATION

Of course, most PR can be taken with a quiet grain of salt (a full meal for a Barbie!). But the discourse around Barbie points to how iconic and influential she is – and it’s this perfection-driven, icon status that made Gerwig feel there was something interesting to explore. What would happen if Barbie’s

“MARGOT WAS THE ONE WHO HAD GOTTEN THE RIGHTS, HAD BROUGHT IT TO WARNER BROS., HAD SORT OF SPEARHEADED THIS WHOLE PROJECT.”

Barbieland of hope & glory: (clockwise) Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken; Kingsley Ben-Adir and Ncuti Gatwat; Simi Liu.

world of perfection began to crumble, and how she would fare in the real world?

“Barbie has so much recognition, so much love, and of course a 60-plus-year history, which was exciting for me,” says Gerwig. “As a writer and a director, I’m always looking for a fun challenge. As with Little Women, Barbie is a property we all know. But to me she felt like a character with a story to tell, one that I could find a new, unexpected way into, honouring her legacy while making her world feel fresh and alive and modern.”

She was determined to make the world of Barbie feel diverse, and as well as Robbie, other Barbies onscreen include Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp and Ana Cruz Kayne.

“The idea of the multiplicity of the Barbies and then the Kens really did come out of my first meeting with Mattel,” says Gerwig. “When I started talking about different characters they said, ‘No, we don’t have different characters. All of these women are Barbie’. And I replied that if all of these women are Barbie, then Barbie is all of these women, and they said, ‘Yes’.”

Actress Alexandra Shipp, known for playing singer Aaliyah in Aaliyah: The Princess Of R&B and Kimberley Woodruff in Straight Outta Compton, says that seeing a diverse cast of women all play Barbie felt like Gerwig was really trying to live up to the promise and potential of the character.

“It was beautiful to see the various types of Barbies that Greta brought in – people from all ethnic backgrounds, of all sizes, some differently abled,” says Shipp. “I think that it’s

important for people to see that Barbies don’t just look like Margot, and that means a lot. Greta’s approach to what makes each Barbie unique was a mixture of getting to know us as individual humans, and then fusing that with what she saw for these various Barbies.”

Ana Cruz Kayne, who had a small role in Gerwig’s Little Women, also found the diverse representation refreshing.

“I have a very diverse background as my mom is from the Philippines and my father is a Jewish man, so I was raised deeply in both cultures,” says Kayne. “And I don’t think that is a unique story to me. I think there are many people who hold two cultures very richly in their lives and they don’t present one physically and phenotypically, but it is actually extremely unique to them and a big part of their background. My Barbie represents those people, and I feel emotional about it, because I rarely get to be all the parts of myself.”

Every detail of the film has been meticulously planned, from Barbie’s delightfully artificial world (Gerwig called director Peter Weir to ask about his work on The Truman Show in relation to creating that authentically artificial feel that she wanted for Barbie Land), to the costumes that develop over the film. These illustrate Barbie’s evolution through decades of trends, while the bop-filled soundtrack features Nicki Minaj, Lizzo, Ice Spice, Karol G, HAIM, and Charli XCX among others.

Dua Lipa’s song ‘Dance The Night’ has a sparkly Barbiethemed video with Gerwig, Robbie and Issa Rae making cameo appearances. Gosling doesn’t appear in the video, but he will be singing ‘I’m Just Ken’ on the soundtrack – a song to rival his work on La La Land, we presume.

“There’s a lot of music in the movie – that was always super important to me,” says Gerwig. “Barbie has a level of optimism that influenced us when we were writing the script, a sort of sincerity mixed with joyfulness meets a ‘doesn’t everybody just want to dance?’ attitude. Mark Ronson really threaded that through the movie with the amazing artists who contribute songs! It was such a treat to work with these artists. And Mark and his partner, Andrew Wyatt, wrote an anthem of sorts for Ken, which Ryan sings. It’s epic. It made me cry when I heard it.”

• Barbie is in cinemas now.

“IT WAS BEAUTIFUL TO SEE THE VARIOUS TYPES OF BARBIES THAT GRETA BROUGHT IN.”

Perfect In Pink: Margot Robbie as Barbie; Issa Rae as President Barbie; Barbieland.

Park in Dublin 4 from August 17-20 for “four days of fire, food and fun.”

Along with such familiar foodie faces as Ben Quinn, Chris ‘Chops’ Taylor, Jess Kelly, Mercedes ‘Mecha’ Solis, Marcus

we’re looking forward to getting our laughing gear around the festival fare that the likes of Bahay, Chimac, Crudo, Reyna, Nan Chinese, Reggie Does Pizza, Los Chicanos and Pitt Bros will be rustling up.

SPREAD THE LOVE

Not content with making their heavenly plant-based ice creams, the lovely folk at Nobó in Rathmines are wowing us with their equally celestial and vegan-friendly Roasted Pistachio Caramelly Spread, Piedmont Hazelnut Chocolate Spread, Roasted Almond Butter and Piedmont Hazelnut Drizzle. The jars look absolutely stunning, so if you’re in no of pressie ideas for that special foodie in your life, hit up the nobo.ie shop.

COOKING THE BOOKS

The Ginger Devil, Wicklow Wanderer, Frozen Jameson, Ginger Ale& Lime and Mrs. Doyle’s Iced Tea are among the fine libations to be found in Irish Kitchen Cocktails: 60 Recipes You Can Make With Everyday Equipment, the upcoming tome by drinks expert Oisín Davis which ahead

of its October 5 publication is available at the pre-order discounted price of €15 from ninebeanrowsbooks.com.

New this month from the always Wasted, chef Conor Spacey’s guide to ensuring that the contents of your fridge end up in your tummy and not the bin.

If Mr. S looks familiar, it’s probably because he’s become a Virgin Media Six O’Clock Show regular. blastabooks.com.We also took a serious shine to the Vanilla Crème Brûlée, with Hazel & Chocolate Nut Cookies. Yum! bellinterhouse.com/dining.

SUMMERTIME & THE LIVING IS CHEESY

Whether you’re a sourdough nut, a crispbread aficionado or go all trembly at the thought of a toasted bagel, Tullahay Farm Fresh Soft Cheese with Honey & Chilli is heaven in a plastic tub. Also available in Original and Tomato, Basil & Garlic flavours, the people we have to thank are the O’Shea family who handmake it on their Grangemockler, South Tipperary farm using milk from their specially bred Friesian herd. After being a well-kept secret, it’s now available from selected Dunnes and Aldi stores. tullahayfarm.ie.

THE BIG GRILL

NOBÓ ALMOND SPREAD

GINGER AND LIME

A TOTAL BLUR

Interview Paul Nolan

PHOTOGRAPHY: REUBEN BASTIENNE-LEWIS

With the tour set to kick off in May, it gave the band a short window of time to complete The Ballad Of Darren.

“Something had to give, and in the end, it was rehearsing the tour,” laughs Dave. “We didn’t really do enough of that! But there wasn’t much time, and that’s why it was an open question as to what we’d do. We usually do some recording, so I was pretty confident we’d do something. But by the time we got to January, in order to get the album out by the end of the tour, we’d have to finish it in a couple of months.

“That’s not long at all, and we’d never really made an album in that short a period of time before. I don’t think it was a given that it was going to work out really. We had to come up with the goods pretty quickly and everything had to be right first time.”

Some artists make a virtue of speed in the studio, with David Bowie famously knocking out brilliant work at a dazzling rate. At the other extreme, Leonard Cohen would angst interminably over his compositions, especially the lyrics, sometimes for years at a time. Albarn and Blur definitely seem to lean toward the Bowie approach.

“In some respects, having deadlines can be quite creative,” suggests Rowntree. “You’re forced into making decisions

One of the most celebrated and successful ever to emerge from the UK, Britpop heroes Blur have this summer returned with their ninth album, The Ballad Of Darren Their first LP since 2015’s The Magic Whip, it’s another brilliant collection of buzzing art-rock, catchy pop and elegiac ballads, confirming that their ever-prolific frontman, Damon Albarn – also the mastermind of animated group Gorillaz –maintains an exceptionally high level of quality control.

In addition, the record – an Irish number one – again showcases Blur’s uncanny, careerlong ability to capture the zeitgeist, whether on the withering social media commentary ‘The Narcissist’, or on the unsettling likes of ‘St Charles Square’ and ‘Barbaric’, which reflect the fraught times we live in. Go Rail meets Blur’s guitarist, Graham Coxon, and drummer Dave Rowntree on the day of their recent Dublin show in Malahide. The concert was part of a run of shows that also included two nights at Wembley stadium in London, which were announced at the end of last year.

“For years, there had been vague plans to do something,” notes Dave of Blur’s comeback shows. “For one reason or another, between the pandemic and so on, it just wasn’t possible. Then all of a sudden, I think the Wembley authorities took pity on us, and they agreed with the local council that they could release some more dates for bands to play. They rang our agent and gave us first dibs on one of these dates.

“So it went from, ‘Oh god, another year gone by with nothing happening’ to ‘Wow, we’ve got a date! And we’ve got to put the tickets on sale on Friday!’ Meanwhile, the office is on holiday and everybody’s on tour!”

Wembley would be Blur’s biggest headliners to date, and Graham alludes to the nerves he felt.

“It was pretty anxiety inducing,” he reflects. “Wembley stadium is big, so you’re going, ‘Can we do it?’ But it was like, ‘Let’s have a go and see if we can.’ In a healthy way, it was amazing that it sold out.”

and being assertive. The worst feeling is being stuck in that thing of, ‘Oh god, is this any good?’ You can sit in that forever.”

“If you ask to ask if it’s any good,” adds Coxon, “it usually isn’t.”

“Well, I don’t know about you,” says Dave, “but I get crises from time to time going, ‘Maybe this is complete rubbish. Why have we even started to do this?’ That struggle with the blank page can just eat up pointless time. If you’ve got a deadline approaching, you’ve got to do something. You’ve got to do it now and it’s got to be good.”

Ideally, Graham says, he might have liked a bit more time with the album.

“In a perfect world, I’d like to have listened to what we thought was the finished record for another month,” he considers. “And then gone, ‘Hang on, let’s maybe do this.’ But getting things down the way we did was good for the spontaneity, and what happens when you’re going over and over the songs, and feeling your way through them.

“Stuff happens that you don’t know is going to happen. Getting things all tidy is a little bit boring too, so the Leonard Cohen approach, taking ages over it, is unnecessary. It’s like, do it and write something else. You can right your wrongs on the next album.”

IRISH HISTORY

Blur have an extensive history of gigging in Ireland, with some early landmark shows coming in 1995, when they were

“If you’ve got a deadline approaching, you’ve got to do something. You’ve got to do it now and it’s got to be good.”

Back with their latest masterwork, The Ballad Of Darren, Britpop heroes BLUR talk reinvention, Irish memories, Elvis, The Pogues and a whole lot more.

in the midst of a famous chart showdown with arch rivals Oasis. That summer found them headlining the Feile festival in Cork’s Pairc Ui Chaoimh, while that November, they returned to play at a sold-out Point Theatre (now 3Arena) in Dublin. The band were most definitely in the eye of the hurricane.

“It was our first time being terribly fried and exhausted,” says Coxon. “And not quite knowing how to deal with that, I suppose.”

“It’s very different from the inside,” muses Rowntree. “Because I was living through it with the same people, doing the same things every day, I didn’t really get a sense of the import of it all until much later. You get very fixated on what the music press is writing about you that week and it’s very hard to see the big picture.

“A symptom of that is that almost all the ephemera to do with a being in a band simply got thrown in the bin, like the stage sets, the lyrics and that kind of stuff. It just got chucked away, cos it never occurred to us that at some point in the future, that would be the history of the band. At the time, the pace of everything just got more and more frenetic.

“The days got longer and the sleep got shorter. We’ve never recovered from that really, it’s stayed with us for the rest of our lives.”

With their era-defining classic album Parklife coming out in 1994, the band had actually first gone truly supernova in early ‘95, when the LP scooped a record four awards at the Brits ceremony in London.

“We were certainly trying to tear it up,” says Graham of an era

that produced iconic hits like ‘Girls & Boys’, ‘Country House’ and ‘The Universal’. “We kind of knew that what we were doing was really good. But we also had a good idea of how absurd it was. It’s complicated. In a lot of ways, we were these scruffy oiks! But obviously, we very serious about the music we were making “It always surprises me how scruffy the ’90s were. Maybe it’s so just different to how things are now, where everything is so perfected. It’s all about the business and looking good. I was watching the Arctic Monkeys at Glastonbury last night, and it’s really a lot of style. We’d chuck on a filthy old Fred Perry, some scruffy jeans, and a pair of desert boots or Vans.

“They were our working clothes and we would just play like our lives depended on it. But we were coming from a school of rock and roll that preceded us, and that’s not happening with bands now. We were coming from punk rock, new wave, The Who and those ’60s people we were all into. So it’s a completely different set of ideas, performance-wise.”

Rowntree sees further differences in today’s musical landscape. “Bands spend all their time on social media now,” he observes. “That’s the gig when you’re not performing, you’ve got to be pushing yourself on TikTok and everything. In those days, bands had to be doing things that were press-worthy, to satisfy the voracious appetite of the music papers.”

ELVIS & THE POGUES

Another notable Irish Blur show came in summer 1996, when they wrapped up the tour for their follow-up to Parklife, The Great Escape, with an outdoor show at the RDS, in front of a teen crowd thrilled at having just completed their Junior and Leaving Certs. At the time, the band were experiencing a backlash in the UK,

“The days got longer and the sleep got shorter. We’ve never recovered from that really, it’s stayed with us for the rest of our lives.”

Blur in 1993

where Oasis were now in the ascendant on the back of the all-conquering (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?

But Blur have always drawn a lot of energy from going against the prevailing cultural grain. At the RDS, they debuted the grungy anthem ‘Song 2’ – eventually to become a staple at sports events the world over – as they embarked on another reinvention, which eventually came to fruition on their self-titled fifth album, released in early ’97.

“Other than a short period where a couple of records sounded a bit more similar than usual, all the records have sounded very different from one another,” says Rowntree. “That’s quite deliberate, we’ve never been particularly interested in doing the same thing twice.”

“On Blur we were thinking a bit more experimentally,” Coxon recalls. “I was listening a lot more to American stuff. On the next album, 13, we made a choice to go with William Orbit and then things got really free-form. We could take advantage of digital recording and the DAW situation had a lot to do with all of that.

“With the first few albums, we had to be really rehearsed and know our stuff – we couldn’t take a chorus and stick it on the end as an outro to see how it worked. But when our producer, Stephen Street, brought in the Radar system on Blur, we could start to make loops and be a bit more experimental.”

The band would play the Point on both the Blur and 13 tours, while the itinerary for 2003’s Think Tank – completed without Coxon, who exited during the fraught recording – included a number of dates at Dublin’s Olympia. With the guitarist back onboard, Blur headlined Oxegen in Kildare during their wildly successful 2009 reunion tour, while The Magic Whip excursion found them topping the bill at Electric Picnic.

Sandwiched in between was a 2013 show at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the week of which also saw IMMA host a Blur exhibition, featuring artwork, photography and design from throughout their career. Of course, the four members always keep busy with on the extracurricular front too, with Albarn involved in numerous projects alongside the enormously popular Gorillaz; bassist Alex James making cheese and hosting the Big Feastival bash at his Oxfordshire spread; and Coxon composing soundtracks and playing in The Waeve alongside Elinor Rose Dougall.

Rowntree, remarkably, arguably outdoes them all. A qualified solicitor and pilot who has also served as a Labour councillor in the UK, during lockdown, he also found time to host his own music podcast on Spotify, which on one episode found him alluding to a famous Irish act.

Reflecting on the radical reinvention Blur underwent between their baggy/shoegaze-influenced 1991 debut Leisure, and their 1993 sophomore effort, Modern Life Is Rubbish – a virtual anthology of late 20th century British rock and pop styles – the drummer said the band felt compelled to explore their English roots, in much the same way The Pogues dived into the Irish folk tradition.

As Dave notes, Modern Life Is Rubbish grew out of a disastrous 1992 tour of America, where Blur found themselves severely out of kilter with the prevailing grunge zeitgeist.

“That experience in America definitely changed us as a band,” he remembers.

“It was the first time any of us had been away from home for any considerable period of time. That changes you, there’s a lot of growing up involved in doing that. It gives you perspective on where you come from, so we definitely started to have those kinds of conversations.

“Damon talked a lot about it in interviews later, and explained how he was thinking, ‘What would music be like had Elvis not had the overwhelming influence that he’d had?’ It’s like asking, ‘What would music be like if The Beatles hadn’t had that overwhelming influence?’ But because we were in America, it was like, ‘Well, if you subtract Elvis, what’s left from popular music? What direction might it have taken?’

“That’s a really creative way to think about music, I think. Being away from home gave us the perspective to think about what we did and didn’t like about England. When you’re immersed in it, it’s harder to have those thoughts. Even though some aspects of that American tour were horrific, in some ways that was the making of us, because we came back with a completely different mindset about pop music.”

Dave offers a final thought on the band’s relationship with Ireland.

“Dublin’s always special for us because of Leo Finlay, who’s the journalist who discovered Blur,” he says. “We played just down the way at his wedding in the very early ’90s. And to go back to The Pogues, I was always entranced by them, because I hadn’t heard those songs before. It wasn’t clear to me which songs Shane had written and which were traditional folk songs. But that attitude of taking something and giving it – it’s a terrible thing to say – a punk ethos, I found really appealing. I thought it was just great.”

• The Ballad Of Darren is out now.

“That experience in America definitely changed us as a band. It was the first time any of us had been away from home for any considerable period of time. That changes you”

PHOTO: COLIN BELL

Blur at IMMA

“Active Retirement Ireland Changed My Life”

Active Retirement Ireland is proudly celebrating its 4 5th anniversary this year, growing since its establishment in 1978 to become the country’s largest membership organisation for older people – with local Active Retirement Associations the length and breadth of Ireland.

For 45 years, Active Retir ement Ireland has supported older people to stay connected in their communities after retirement, whether from paid or unpaid work, to prevent loneliness and isolation. The organisation has its roots in community, built for older people by older people who knew instinctively then what has only recently gained wider recognition in national policy: that social connection is essential for better health and positive ageing.

The first Active Retirement Association (ARA) began in Dun Laoghaire. Phyl McDonald was one of the first to join and today, at 99 years of age, she is the organisation’s longest serving member.

It was when Phyl was in her early 50s,

with her three children all grown up, that Active Retirement Ireland became a part of her life.

“I had worked all my life,” she reflects. “I went to work when I was 16, got married when I was 23 and then I had three children

people.”

Phyl credits the foundation of Active Retirement Ireland in large part to two of the priests in Dun Laoghaire at the time, Father Brian Connolly and Father Chris Mangan, who identified a need for more social outlets for older people living in the area.

“Father Connolly and Father Mangan recognised that people would come down to 10 o’clock mass and go home, turn the key in the door and they wouldn’t see anybody until the next day,” Phyl says. “It was them who said, ‘Something has to be done, because it’s not right.’”

– and then the rest of my life was just devoted to them. And then, they grew up and had their own interests, and I never even thought of Active Retirement. It was only when I joined that I realised – it changed my life. I became so interested in other things and met so many lovely

And so, in the basement of Father Mangan’s home, Active Retirement Ireland began.

“It wasn’t what you would call ideal –there wasn’t heating or anything! – but we did it up and some of them painted,” she recalls. “We started from there.

Dun Laoghaire Active Retirement Association

“It was only when I joined that I realised –it changed my life.”

“We started with whist,” she continues. “We started on a Monday morning with a cup of tea and a biscuit and a game of whist. And it snowballed and snowballed.”

Right from the beginning, there was an emphasis on people joining to contribute and be involved. To this day, Active Retirement Ireland has maintained a strong ethos of ARAs being member-led.

Dun Laoghaire members began running a wide range of social and creative classes, such as art and craft, dress making and photography. At one time, the ARA had more than 20 classes and activities including a choir, pottery, knitting, gardening, and yoga, as well as French, Italian and Irish language classes.

“It was all so new,” Phyl says of the early days of Active Retirement Ireland. “It was something that needed to be worked out, and people were very enthusiastic.”

It was this enthusiasm that saw this first ARA in Dun Laoghaire grow to 600 members at its height.

The founding members had been right – and the interest among older people

was so great that it became necessary to divide the ARA into smaller groups of local areas to ensure the best possible experience for members.

“The first one was in Dalkey, which was tremendous,” Phyl recalls. “It was a great success. And so we went to Blackrock, we went to Ballybrack, we went to Shankill and out and out, even as far as Gorey. Three of us went down on the train to set that one up.”

Today, Active Retirement Ireland is a network of some 500 ARAs and 20,000 members, all carrying on the work and the vision of the founding members to provide a social outlet and combat loneliness and isolation among older people in their community.

The strong foundation built by Phyl and the Dun Laoghaire ARA all those years ago – and the principles of being member-led and centred around friendship, connection and contribution – remains the model by which Active Retirement Ireland continues to thrive.

45 years after attending her first meeting, and with her 100th birthday just around the corner, Phyl still attends monthly meetings of the Dun Laoghaire

ARA.

“I have to keep them in order!” she asserts. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of being in Active Retirement. It changed my life and I was so happy, and I am so happy that all of the rest of the people will get as much out of it as I did, and that is good.”

• Active Retirement Ireland is open to anyone who is retired or semiretired from full-time, part-time, paid or unpaid work.

All older people are welcome to join Active Retirement Ireland to have fun, feel more connected and have their voices heard regardless of age, gender or culture.

National membership costs €12 a year. Membership benefits information is available on the Active Retirement Ireland website or from your local ARA. Some local ARAs also require members to pay a small additional contribution to cover venue costs where they exist.

To join your local ARA or to find out more, visit www.activeirl.ie or call 01 873 3836.

Tea Breaks at Active Retirement

“We started on a Monday morning with a cup of tea and a biscuit and a game of whist. And it snowballed and snowballed.”

Day trip to Templemore

Socialising at Active Retirement

A New World of Adventure

Pilates

Considered one of the best anti-ageing exercises, Pilates is a fantastic way to upkeep and improve your physical and mental wellbeing. The activity prioritises movements which target the mid-range of the body. By developing this area, Pilates improves mobility, strengthens joints and helps you gain control of your body Pilates with Martin in South Dublin offers various classes for seniors and beginners. Contact them via their website (pilateswithmartin. com) or phone number (0861736720). You can also search the web for other options around the country.

Walking

Walking mightn’t seem to be the most obvious thing that springs to mind regarding exercise, but it’s a simple way to get some good quality physical activity in. Even walking for 20-30 minutes per day has numerous health benefits. It helps steady your weight as well as lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. It can also be a social activity and a great way to meet new people. Visit Getwalking.ie to find a walking group nearby.

Cookery Classes

Cookery classes are a great social option to learn new skills and boost your culinary confidence. If you already know your way around the kitchen, there are plenty of classes which will teach you more advanced skills or focus on a specific cuisine. The award-winning Ballyknocken Cookery School is a good choice which offers a range of

lessons on different themes and at different levels. Visit their website (ballyknocken. ie) or give them a call (+353 (0)404 44627) for more information.

Book a Hotel Getaway

Ireland is host to some of the world’s most beautiful hotels, from stunning countryside manors to classy city-centre establishments. A break at a high-quality hotel is a great way to relax and discover unique experiences.

Learn a Musical Instrument

It’s never too late to learn a musical instrument. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to dust off that guitar in the attic, playing an instrument has a range of benefits for your brain as you get older, including improved memory retention, hand-eye coordination, and motor skills.

Whale Watching

The Irish waters are home to some beautiful species of marine life. and whale watching is a great way to get in touch with nature without too much physical exertion. The south coast provides the perfect backdrop, while late summer/ autumn sees the return of minke, fin and humpback whales to the region. Whale Watch West Cork in Baltimore is a recommended and highly rated agency. For more information on booking whale watching tours, visit their website (whalewatchwestcork.com) or call Nic at (086) 1200027.

MY LEGACY

Recognising that increasingly people want to leave a positive mark on the world, over 90 Irish charities have joined together under the umbrella group My Legacy – to make gifts in wills the norm in Ireland and ensure their vital services can continue to help people into the future.

“From small seeds grow great forests – every legacy gift will contribute to a collective benefit to our future society,” says Niall O’Sullivan, chairperson of My Legacy.

Making a will can take as little as an hour. Simply make an appointment with a solicitor, look after your loved ones, and consider including a legacy gift to a cause that means something to you.

For more information, visit mylegacy.ie.

Ballyknocken Cookery School

Whale Watching

Walking

Hotel Getaway

There are a range of brilliant ac tivities on offer for retirees and the over-55s –we look at some of the exciting options available.

PAUL CHARLES ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

“A must-read for every music fan.” Mark Billingham, Author Of The Tom

ONE OF THE IRISH TIMES BEST BOOKS OF 2023 SO FAR

ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND PAUL CHARLES

An extraordinary true life story, offering the most brilliant insights ever into the fascinating, often exhilarating – and sometimes emotionally devastating –world of contemporary music at the highest level.

“All music fans will relish this fascinating, revealing, wonderfully enjoyable memoir...Full of anecdote, insight and heart.”

- BEST-SELLING AUTHOR JOSEPH O’CONNOR

“His stories are absolutely jaw dropping… an absolutely essential read.”

- BROADCASTER AND MUSICIAN TOM DUNNE

Available in hardback and original paperback.To order, and secure a copy personally signed by the author, with all the add-ons, go now to hotpress.com/shop

Thorne Novels

PLAY IT AGAIN, WHAM

Director CHRIS SMITH discusses his hit Netflix documentary Wham!, which explores the soaring success and eventual split of the ’80s pop icons.

Interview: PAUL NOLAN

As detailed in the new Netflix documentary Wham!, ‘Careless Whisper’ was just one of several era-defining hits the late, great George Michael created whilst part of the titular duo with Andrew Ridgeley, including ‘Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)’, ‘Club Tropicana’, ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ and ‘Last Christmas’.

After Wham! went their separate ways in 1986, Michael embarked on a spectacular solo career, creating even more mega-hits and iconic pop culture moments. Simultaneously, however, he also joined the extensive ranks of music’s tormented geniuses. Having previously lapsed into a coma having contracted pneumonia in 2011, Michael ultimately passed away from heart disease in his Oxfordshire home on Christmas Day 2016, the same year that also saw the deaths of Prince, David Bowie and Leonard Cohen.

The first act of Michael’s career is compellingly detailed in Wham!, directed by US documentary maker Chris Smith, who previously helmed Fyre – about the ill-fated titular music festival – and served as an executive producer on lockdown

smash Tiger King. Chatting over Zoom, Smith explains that he was approached about the project by Wham!’s one-time manager, Simon Napier-Bell.

“It was his idea to make a movie about Wham!” says Smith. “That was four years ago, and it has taken that long to complete the process. It took an incredible amount of time to locate all the archive stuff, and then putting it together took another year. With George, we used a range of interviews, although one of the primary sources was in the early 2000s.

“It was not so far away for him that it became a distant memory, but it was far enough away that he had some perspective and could understand the period. The interviews with Andrew are all current. I went with him to a studio, and the two of us had days and days of recording sessions.”

Was Smith already a Wham! fan?

“I don’t know if I was or not,” he considers. “At the time, I was probably listening more to The Smiths. I was a high school kid, so that was more my world. I was aware of Wham! when it happened, but probably like a lot of people, I understood them to be this major pop band from the ‘80s. I knew next to nothing about the actual story behind the group.

“But I did leap at the opportunity, because with any subject matter that gets

presented to me, it’s really instinctual. It’s a case of, ‘What do I know about this subject and do I want to know more?’ I felt like this was a subject I didn’t know. I think the best documentaries are stories you think you know, but then you realise you don’t. This definitely had that quality.”

In the aftermath of Wham!, Michael’s status as an artist continued to grow thanks to revered albums like his 1987 debut Faith, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 in 1990, and 1996’s Older . Like many, Smith came to appreciate his unique talent.

“Following his career post-Wham, he gained a lot of respect and admiration from a huge amount of people, and I was definitely among those,” he reflects. “In terms of what surprised me about the Wham! story, I didn’t know that he and Andrew were childhood friends who had the idea of starting this group. They had

this other band called The Executive, which kind of imploded.

“The two of them were left and then they started Wham! That journey the two of them went on over that four-year period, I just didn’t know that side of the story. You saw this band, you saw the videos, but I never knew about everything else that happened.”

Although Michael comes across as relatively upbeat in the film, there always seemed to be something haunting him.

“Just even from the interviews in the film, you come away with this new understanding of the person,” says Smith. “It made me understand him and his journey, and his career post-Wham, in a way I hadn’t before.

“You end up liking him more, just seeing the breadth of this conversations, because they were so open and honest. His use of language, and the way he communicates his thoughts and the challenges he faced, is very human.”

Smith was also impressed with the way Wham! reinvented themselves throughout their career.

“I thought it was so interesting looking at where they started with ‘Wham Rap’, and then they make this pivot with ‘Club Tropicana’,” observes Smith. “It was so interesting to see that they were consciously able to make that shift. I thought that was really fascinating, because a lot of people would say, ‘This is working, so we’re gonna stay with this.’

“But they realised very quickly that they needed to evolve. I always love when an artist creates an identity that is so unique and hasn’t been seen before. I felt like Wham definitely forged new territory in that way.”

For many years, Andrew Ridgeley kept firmly out of the public eye, but these days he seems a lot more open to discussing the Wham! story.

“I think Andrew is proud of the accomplishments and successes that Wham! achieved,” says Chris. “He’s excited at the opportunity to keep the legacy alive. I struggle to find a whole slew of bands like Wham! ” Revisiting the Michael interviews, did Smith feel there were any indications his story would have the tragic ending that it did?

“We focus on Wham, so I think there’s a whole other movie that could be made about George’s post-Wham career. For us, it was really important to keep the focus on this four-year period, covering the start and beautiful end of this group.”

As for the prospect of a documentary on Michael himself arriving, Smith says “that’s definitely a possibility”. Would he like to make it?

“I would!” he responds. “I think anyone would. He’s such an enigmatic character and those are hard to find.”

• Wham! is available to stream on Netflix now.

“I THINK THE BEST DOCUMENTARIES ARE STORIES YOU THINK YOU KNOW, BUT THEN YOU REALISE YOU DON’T.”

WHAM WRAP : George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, and (below) Wham! celebrate their Christmas No.1.

THE ITALIAN JOB

With its breathtaking natural vistas, a feast of seafood-rich cuisine, lively port cities and romantic fishing villages, Liguria –located on the Italian Riviera – is begging to be explored.

By Riccardo Dwyer

Genoa

Known for being the birthplace of Christopher Columbus and pesto, the capital of Liguria is a vibrant and often under investigated port city. Due to its distinctive position of being wedged between the sea and the Ligurian Appenines, the thin long stretch of city encompasses 30km of coast.

Genoa’s dramatic geography has led to innovative transportation modes. Ten lifts and three cable cars link lower and upper city levels. These funiculars spare locals the effort of climbing stairs and steep streets to reach their homes in the city’s hills.

The lift of Castelletto was built in 1909 and is Genoa’s oldest. Alongside its function as a public transport vessel, it provides tourists the means to reach Spianata Castelletto in only a few minutes. This spot offers panoramic views of the old town’s historic roofs as well as the port.

The Cittá Vecchia, just east of the Porto Antico, is Europe’s largest medieval town. The labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways offer countless charming trattorias, bars and shops to explore.

In the centre of the old town, you’ll find the Cathedral of San Lorenzo With its facade of black and white bands and bell tower, the meticulously detailed church has dominated the historic centre of Genoa since 1098. Genoa’s Royal Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings in Italy.

The residence has survived various conflicts, being passed on from one noble family to the next completely intact. It boasts stunning interiors with original furniture and an extraordinary collection of fine art including masterpieces by Veronese and Van Dyk. The exterior of the building is equally as impressive, with the hanging garden and terraces offering breathtaking views of Genoa’s port.

In tune with the city’s rich seafaring history, Genoa’s aquarium is the biggest in Europe. Located in the Porto Antico, it boasts 600 species of sea creatures including sharks and dolphins. The moored Grande Nave Blu offers a f loating display which exhibits a colourful array of coral reefs sure to entice nature lovers of all ages.

A short walk from the aquarium is the Galata Maritime Museum, the largest of its kind in the Mediterranean. It contains four floors of artistic treasures (including Grassi’s Veduta di Genova and a portrait of Columbus) and maritime wonders. The hands-on journey through history is made immersive through the museum’s multimedia experiences.

Those visiting around Halloween with a taste for the macabre should look no further than the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno. Once described as “One of the wonders of the world” by none other than Ernest

The labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways offer countless charming trattorias, bars and shops to explore.

Top: Manarola

Middle: Cathedral of San Lorenzo

Bottom: Piazza delle Erbe

Hemingway, the tomb of the Appiani family also features on the cover of Joy Division’s 1980 album Closer.

The Genoese take immense pride in their city’s rich food culture. Genoa is renowned for its hearty and delicious cuisine. The home of the world-famous trofie al Pesto, it’s also prime seafood destination. From family run trattorias to high-end establishments, Genoa is the epicentre for sampling Liguria’s distinctly delicious produce.

Before dinner it’s essential to walk around the city and stop at one of the many charming bars for an aperitivo, the Italian equivalent of happy hour, during which locals indulge in a light drink, accompanied by (usually) complimentary plates of food.

Have a Spritz along the busy port or visit one of the various bars in Piazza delle Erbe to have an aperitivo like a local at affordable prices.

The Cantine Matteotti is a wine bar which encapsulates the true meaning of la dolce vita, with relaxing classical music and a friendly atmosphere. It offers one of the best selections of wines in the city and is a great place to sample Liguria’s vino alongside generous portions of light bites.

For an authentic dining experience, visit Le Rune near Piazza del Portello. The restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere with its intimate dining rooms. The seasonal menu has an emphasis on fish and seafood, as well as traditional Ligurian dishes made from artisanal and locally sourced produce.

Genoa is renowned for its savoury Focaccia bread. Focaccia e Dintorni is an establishment that specialises in the product and is a favourite snack stop amongst locals.

West Liguria

The stretch of coast between Genoa and France offers some of the most underrated beach getaways in the Mediterranean. Easily accessible from Genoa and Nice via train journeys with magnificent views, this corner of Liguria is a great option for those looking to kick their feet up and holiday like a real Northern Italian.

Alassio

A town that boasts a 3km long sandy beach, Alassio was once a haven for wealthy English holidaymakers.

Alassio is known Budello, a narrow pedestrian walkway lined with shops offering everything from souvenirs and trinkets to luxurious high fashion products.

In the heart of the Budello is the Caffé Balzola, a bakery and bar that has preserved its elegant aesthetic from when it opened in 1902. It’s one of the best places to try out the Baci di Alassio, the small chocolate treats for which the town is famous for

The Muretto di Alassio, is the Alassio’s most famous landmark and is just a short walk from the train station. The wall began in the early 1950s, when Ernest Hemingway decided to put his signature on a ceramic tile and place it on

Top: Alassio

Middle: San Remo in bloom

Bottom: San Remo Russian Orthodox Church

the wall across from the Caffé Roma. This evidently started an ongoing trend and now the Muretto is a colourful sight featuring the signatures of over 500 celebrities.

Hemingway’s watering hole still exists to this day next to the Muretto and is a sophisticated option for an aperitivo or a morning coffee for those looking to relive the 1950s peak of La Dolce Vita. If you wish to swap the grapes for hops, head next door to The Victorian for an impressive range of rotational brews and generous food portions.

San Remo

San Remo is known as the ‘City of Flowers’ due to the creative floral displays present along the town’s promenade. Alongside its flowery exhibits, San Remo is also perhaps best known for the song contest which takes place there every year, the winner of which qualifies for the subsequent Eurovision.

In many ways Liguria’s answer to Monaco, San Remo is home to the Casino di Sanremo, for those who are feeling particularly lucky.

San Remo was a holiday destination for Russian aristocracy, including members of the Imperial family, in the late 19th century. This led to the construction of the town’s iconic Russian Orthodox Church, a project that was personally funded by Tsar Nicholas II in the 1910s.

San Remo is also credited with being

Culture enthusiasts will find a treasure trove of art and antiques at the  Museo Amedeo Lia.

the birthplace of the Ligurian Sardenara, a variant of pizza usually topped with things such as olives and anchovies. Visit Enea Sardenaira for an authentic taste of the portable delight that can be enjoyed while exploring the rest of the town.

A forty-five-minute drive inland from San Remo, closer to the Franco-Italian border, is the charming village of Dolceaqua. The townlet is the location of a medieval bridge which was the subject of a painting by French impressionist Claude Monet.

Imperia

Imperia is a real workers’ town and the region’s largest. The port is where fresh seafood makes its daily journey to restaurants only a few steps away. One of the best restaurants in all of Liguria is Chez Braccioforte. Passed down through four generations, the spot is known for its luxurious dining experiences.

The town is home to Villa Grock. This villa was built by a famous Swiss clown in the 1920s to provide work for the locals. Whenever construction was in danger of being completed, he came up with another addition to the house to keep the project going. The result is a one-of-a-kind landmark that is as spookily off-kilter as it is beautiful.

East Liguria

La Spezia

La Spezia is Liguria’s second largest city. The industrious port town is home to Italy’s largest naval base and is often overlooked by those travelling through the region.

Nestled in between two tourist hot spots in Cinque Terre and The Gulf of Poets, La Spezia is an affordable basecamp for overnight stays that is absolutely worth exploring in its own right. Unlike many Italian tourist destinations, La Spezia is a lived-in city where you can get a real feel for daily life in an Italian port town.

Pay a visit to the Church of Santa Maria Assunta with its fusion of Gothic and Renaissance styles. The church dates to at least the early 1400s and was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War. It was rebuilt in the 1950s and fortunately, most of its priceless artworks were spared during the bombings.

Set on a hill overlooking La Spezia, Castello di San Giorgio is a castle-fortress founded in the 1200s with an archaeological museum containing Roman artifacts. Culture enthusiasts will find a treasure trove of art and antiques at the Museo Amedeo Lia.

When hunger strikes, head to Osteria Della Corte, reputed for its top-notch local cuisine and a menu dictated by the day’s catch.

Gulf of Poets

Only twenty minutes away from La Spezia, The Gulf of Poets or Golfo Dei Poeti, got its name from being a source of inspiration for the likes of Shelley, Byron, Petrarch and even Dante.

Portovenere, a charming village on the gulf’s edge, is a designated UNESCO World Heritage containing picturesque streets and vibrant houses. Sights include the enchanting St. Peter’s Church which stands on a cliff over the sea, and the nearby Byron’s Cave, where the English poet is said to have swum regularly.

Lerici, the Gulf’s most prominent town, is crowned by a stunning castle dating back to the 3rd century. This fortification offers a remarkable view over the town and sea. Feast on a plate of trofie in the town’s main

square or enjoy a regional meal at Il Fico Trentacareghe, which offers incredible sea views from its terrace garden.

The gulf is also known for its three unique islands – Palmaria, Tino, and Tinetto – accessible via a short boat rip.

The island of Tino is usually under strict control of the Italian military. However, this UNESCO world heritage site opens to tourists every September during the festival of San Venerio, when you can explore the Roman ruins and enjoy great views of the gulf.

Cinque Terre

Of all the romantic settings hugging the coast of Italian Riviera, the five fishing communities of the Cinque Terre are by far the most revered. These five villages are no longer the secret communities they once were, but they still manage to retain their unspoiled beauty.

The largest Cinque Terre hamlet, Riomaggiore’s pastel-hued structures descend into its petite harbor, offering an enchanting sunset view best enjoyed from the water. Not to be missed is its botanical garden and bird-watching centre located above Fossola Beach.

Manarola is renowned for its vineyards, which produce the sweet Sciacchetrà wine. The oldest village, it contains medieval relics and an active main street with numerous fishing boats littering the waterfront.

Atop a 330ft-high peak, Corniglia is the only village without direct access to the sea. Its serene streets feature typically painted houses and lead to a terrace with a viewpoint of the rest of Cinque Terre. Visitors can access the village via the 377-step stairway or a shuttle bus.

The steepest of the five villages, Vernazza’s sheltered harbour is home to relaxed cafes, a cobblestoned main street and a series of narrow lanes offering periodic glimpses of the sea.

The only village with a conventional beach, Monterosso is known for its lemon trees and anchovies. The village is split in two and connected by an underground tunnel, which makes for some intriguing exploration.

Cinque Terre

Vernazza

BEE HERE NOW

Firmly established as one of Ireland’s leading literary novelists thanks to acclaimed efforts like 2010’s Skippy Dies and 2015’s The Mark And The Void, Paul Murray might just have written his best book yet in his latest offering, The Bee Sting

Acclaimed author Paul Murray discusses his new novel The Bee Sting, an engrossing epic focusing on a troubled family in the Irish midlands, which was recently long-listed for the Booker Prize.

Interview: Paul Nolan

Photography: Lee Pellegrini

The book has received a hugely enthusiastic critical response as well as a place on the Booker long-list, with Murray featuring alongside three other Irish writers, Elaine Feeney, Sebastian Barry and Paul Murray.

It focuses on the various members of troubled midlands family the Barnes, including father Dickie, who alternates between trying to save his floundering car business and building an apocalyptic bunker in the garden; mother Imelda, who could be on the verge of an affair with local cattle dealer Big Mike; 12-year-old PJ, who’s intent on running away from home; and angsty teen Cass, who’s set to binge-drink her way to her final exams.

Set in post-crash Ireland, The Bee Sting is a compelling study of the national psyche, shot through with Murray’s trademark comedic flair.

Had he always wanted to write a family saga?

“I hadn’t really had it in mind, no,” replies the softly-spoken Dublin author. “There’s a famous John Lennon line, ‘Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.’ Sometimes books work in the same way. I spent a couple of years working on a screenplay for a film, and that’s a very rigid template you have to work from. So I was very excited about starting a book after that, but I was also quite hesitant.

“I went through this long, strange, schizophrenic period where I was working on three different ideas, and I couldn’t decide which one to do. I sent them off to my editor and he selected one, which was a two-hander set in Trinity College – this was right before Normal People came out. But as soon as I sat down to write it, I realised I didn’t want to do it. Maybe I’d over-planned it, but it just wasn’t interesting to me.”

Eventually, Murray hit on the kernel of The Bee Sting, but it took some time.

“That first story was going to be about a boy and a girl,” he reflects. “He was from south Dublin and she was from the midlands. I realised I wasn’t interested in writing about him, but I was interested in writing about the

girl, and what happened to her – she had some kind of trauma. I wanted to know what happened to her before she got to Dublin.

“That’s how I found my way into it – I started writing about Cass. The mind is a strange thing. Once I’d made that pivot, all these other ideas started coming to me and it all coalesced. The first part of the book was probably the hardest to write, I was just writing stuff about the town and the family without knowing where it was going. But once I got moving on it, it all started flowing quite rapidly.”

With all of his previous books having been set in Dublin, Murray found it an exciting new departure to set a book in the midlands.

“It’s a beautiful part of the country,” he says. “I don’t have family from the midlands, but I have lot of friends from there who tell me stories. With this book, so much of the seeds came from tiny things people had told me. I remember a friend of mine talking about going home to her parents, and there’s a playground in town, with monkey bars next to the exercise machines.

“She’d go down in the morning to use the exercise machines, and she described the cars slowing, with the windows rolling down and people going, ‘Who’s that?!’ People want to place you in the map of the town. It’s that idea of a place where you have to be known. It’s not to say your existence isn’t your own, but it’s something that’s observed, patrolled almost.

“That was really interesting to me. For some of the characters in the book, the city is like this fantasy place where you can disappear. Which is what cities are like, I guess, in some places anyway. But that was the appeal of writing about the midlands. You don’t know what’s going to happen when you start writing anything, but it was really fruitful.”

Murray certainly found the subject matter rich with potential.

“All these new possibilities came into being,” he nods. “In a small town, you see the same people every day, even though they’ve got nothing to do with your life necessarily. Whereas in a city, it’s random – you see somebody and you might never see them again.

“So you could have these characters who the protagonist didn’t especially relate to or want in their lives. They didn’t especially have anything in common with them except this geographical coincidence, and yet, there they are. And you have to be answerable to them in this very claustrophobic way.”

Although the setting feels very authentic, The Bee Sting isn’t set in a specific county.

“I did an event last weekend with Caoilinn Hughes,” notes Paul. “She set a book in Roscommon and she said she got a lot of grief from the people of Roscommon, and she wished she hadn’t named the county! (laughs) No town is generic. At the same time, I wanted to take little bits and pieces from different towns, just for the purposes of the book. So I didn’t want to lock it down to a particular town.”

How much of The Bee Sting was planned in advance?

“There’s so much revision that it’s hard to remember,” says Murray. “I started writing this Cass section, and quite quickly I had this idea for a big plot driver – the book’s very plot-y, so I don’t want to give too much away. But one of the major dynamics appeared. What if it’s about her relationship with her family, and her dad in particular? And what if he has this different life she doesn’t know about?

“That was there almost from the start. I was looking back over the notes the other night, and I was surprised to see

that. The other stuff sort of appears organically. There’s this quote from a Persian poet called Rumi: ‘As you walk, the path appears.’ As you’re writing page one, ideas for page 50 and 70 are coming to you. There are possibilities that you can pursue.” From a creative standpoint, the author feels it’s best to keep an open mind.

“I find if the framework is too rigid, then you’re gonna kill it,” he suggests. “It’s this weird mix of stuff you think up in the moment, and stuff that’s plotted in advance. You might simply need to get a character from A to B, but sometimes when you’re writing the tedious part in the middle, other ideas occur: what if she met this person along the way?”

Fate is a big theme in the novel, with the characters trying to escape the influence of various incidents in the past, including the titular bee sting.

“It’s a big literary theme going back to Homer,” he says. “There’s something you did, or your grandparents did or whatever, and it just casts a shadow over your entire life. Over lockdown, I read a lot of William Faulkner. I’d read a lot before, but I tuned into those books again. The way he uses time is fascinating – the past is like this mysterious knot that gets unravelled over the course of the book, and it just recurs and recurs.

““If you go through the whole family, you start to understand that none of them really know what’s going on. These terrible decisions that someone made a long time ago are driving the kids’ lives. It’s present and it’s driving the action in a way that sounds kind of mystical, but that’s actually the way life is.”

• The Bee Sting is out now, published by Hamish Hamilton.

BUZZED ABOUT: Trinity College and William Faulkner.

“So much of the seeds came from tiny things people had told me.”

BARBIE, BUSINESS, AND BASICS

From the fun frivolity of Barbiecore to this season’s new power dressing to timeless basics, Roe McDermott looks at the trends taking us from Summer into Autumn and Winter.

BARBIECORE

Prepare to dive into a world of pink, as the fashion world is currently captivated by the rise of Barbie-inspired fashion, affectionately named ‘Barbiecore.’ This trend has taken the style scene by storm, and it’s not just about wearing pink – it’s about embracing a vibrant, carefree aesthetic that channels the spirit of the iconic Mattel doll.

Though Barbie fashion obviously reached fever pitch when Greta Gerwig’s film was released in July, the pink aesthetic was captivating fashion lovers long before Margot Robbie’s interpretation of Barbie graced our cinema screens. The allure of hot pink was unmistakable at the Grammy Awards of 2022, following the influential Valentino show in March.

From Saweetie’s eye-catching ensemble to Justin Bieber’s vibrant fuchsia beanie, the red carpet was adorned with the power of this bold hue. The fervour for hot pink continued to make a statement at Coachella in April, where stars took to the stage in their Barbiecore-inspired ensembles. Conan Gray impressed the audience in custom Valentino attire, while headliner Harry Styles captivated in pink feathers. The surprise appearance of Lizzo added an extra touch of pink flair to the stage.

Even the prestigious Met Gala of 2022 was not immune to the pink craze, as it graced the red carpet in full force.

Sebastian Stan made a striking impression, dressed head-to-toe in a pink monochromatic look, while Glenn Close opted for an electric pink suit that turned heads and left a lasting impression.

But of course, the Barbie film has fuelled the obsession, and Barbiecore has emerged as a fun and flirty way to end the summer on a fashion high.

The essence of “Barbiecore” extends beyond just the colour; it embodies a sense of nostalgia for simpler and sunnier times, drawing inspiration from the 1980s to the early 2000s. Barbiecore’s wardrobe features a wide array of silhouettes, from latex mini dresses to dainty fitand-flares.

The devil is in the details, with sparkles, feathers, and the iconic plastic hair clips reminiscent of the beloved doll’s style. The shoe choices are just as diverse, ranging from ultra-high pumps to jelly block heels, mirroring Barbie’s endless fashion possibilities.

Celebrities have eagerly embraced the Barbieinspired fashion, with Margot Robbie herself rocking nearidentical recreations of Barbie’s outfits during the film’s press tour. If you need more inspiration to join the Barbiecore craze, just scroll through Robbie’s off-set Barbie-inspired wardrobe for ideas to recreate your own looks.

1. BABY PINK MALIBU PUFF PRINT CROPPED T-SHIRT €11 (39% OFF), PRETTYLITTLETHING

2. PINK METALLIC LEGGINGS €18, PRETTYLITTLETHING

3. PINK PADDED HANDBAG €11, PENNEYS

4. PINK VINYL DRESS €11, PRETTYLITTLETHING

5. PINK TWIST KNOT PLATFORM HEELED SANDALS €82, MONSOON

QUIET LUXURY

The world has been witnessing the tumultuous ripples of a global economy in turmoil, leaving no aspect of society untouched. Fashion, being a reflection of the times, finds itself in a transformative phase where frivolity and excess are questioned.

In the midst of this turbulence, a classic fashion trend is emerging on the catwalks –a trend that acknowledges the essence of what the majority of women desire to wear. It is the resurgence of “quiet luxury,” a trend that showcases elegance through refined and functional wardrobes with enduring appeal.

The autumn/winter 2023 shows witnessed a shift from the maximalist party dressing that characterised the post-Covid era to more timeless and classic collections. Designers from notable fashion houses like Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Gabriela Hearst, and Ferragamo grasped the desires of the modern woman. They presented a sophisticated and understated aesthetic filled with “wearable” clothes, bringing back elements

of sharp tailoring, capsule wardrobe must-haves, and ‘90s minimalism.

These timeless pieces became the canvas upon which the concept of quiet luxury was reimagined, presenting the perfect balance between sophistication and simplicity.

Quiet luxury embodies the idea of effortless elegance, where each piece in a wardrobe is thoughtfully chosen for its versatility and lasting appeal. This concept celebrates quality over quantity, emphasising pieces that withstand the test of time and transcend trends. To embody this style, focus on well-tailored classic pieces in good materials that will stand the test of time.

Look for the timelessness of a classic trench coat, a good Breton stripe top, classic linen trousers, a simple jersey dress. For casual days, a good coat thrown over a pair of wellfitting leggings and simple hoodie will elevate your errands outfit. Always pay attention to bags and shoes, as good quality materials will elevate any simple outfit.

BACK TO BUSINESS BASICS

Fashion has always been about embracing contrasts and extremes, and as some fashionistas are loving the fun, frills and frivolity of the ultra-femme pink Barbie trend, other fashion lovers are turning to more austere professionalism.

These are the Oppenheimer fans, if you will, who are bringing some classic gravity back to business suits, tweed, white shirts, and black coats. In a world characterised by uncertainty, these wardrobe essentials have made a powerful statement on the runways, showcasing their versatility and enduring appeal.

Classic white shirts have always been a wardrobe staple, but this season they take centre stage, reimagined in ingenious ways. Designers have showcased a variety of styles, transitioning

from chorus line basics to captivating spotlight pieces.

At Valentino, they are presented in long and lean, gown-like styles, sweeping the floor with grace and sophistication. Meanwhile, Prada explores a more boyish approach, pairing white shirts with chic miniskirts, creating a perfect balance of elegance and modernity. Boxers at Bottega Veneta are elevated by pinstriped styles paired with white shirts, combining effortless charm and refined simplicity.

The corporate-infused looks make a bold statement, embracing pinstriped suits and ties as catwalk staples. These looks exude confidence and power, evoking the essence of promotion and success. When facing a potential financial crisis, dressing for promotion might

just be the right strategy, as demonstrated by Dior, Valentino and Alexander McQueen.

Pinstripes, often associated with boardroom aesthetics, now make their way into the forefront of fashion, exuding professionalism and ambition. Tweed, a classic fabric known for its timeless appeal, is also making a comeback, representing the perfect combination of sophistication and warmth for the fall season.

This fabric exudes an air of refinement and elegance, making it a favourite choice for women who seek an elevated yet comfortable look. Embracing this trend sends a clear message – dress for the job you want, projecting strength and confidence in the face of uncertainty.

1. TEXTURED BLAZER €32, PENNEYS

2. JUMPSUIT €82, JOE BROWNS

3. BOATNECK STRIP TOP €16, JOHN LEWIS

4. GOLD BOUCLE SHOES €105, DUNE

5. CLASSIC TRENCH MADE USING RECYCLED POLYESTER €50, PENNEYS

GO Review

REVIEW

JULIE BYRNE

PAGE 55 / GO LISTEN

A selection of mustlisten new albums, including Julia Byrne and Grian Chatten.

PAGE 56 / GO WATCH

The best new TV shows, including Star Wars: Ashsoka and Shelter.

PAGE 57 / GO READ

New books from Naoise Dolan and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

SUPERSTAR PJ

A round-up of the best new music releases, including I Inside The Old Year Dying, the latest album from alt-rock star PJ Harvey.

JULIE BYRNE THE GREATER WINGS

Seven years on from her Grammynominated The Hope Six Demolition Project, PJ Harvey has reunited with long-time collaborator John Parish and producer/ vibemaster Flood. I Inside The Old Year Dying doesn’t exactly sound like you’d expect a PJ Harvey record to sound, particularly her vocals, but that shouldn’t be surprising, as Harvey has never been afraid to push herself creatively. This is Harvey at her most esoteric, with songs swirling their way quietly under your skin. Not an immediate album by any means, but well worth sticking with.

John Walshe

Julie Byrne’s third album is a meditation on grief and a love letter to life, healing and the mornings yet to come. Byrne started working on The Greater Wings with her long-time producer and former boyfriend, Eric Littmann, before the pandemic, but the project was derailed by his death in the summer of 2021. Throughout this release, the spectre of mortality is ever-present and given a mournful lustre by Byrne’s sad, expressive voice. The architecture of the record is both brittle and effervescent. Synths coo, Byrne’s voice, if powerful at moments, sometimes shakes and shudders from the sheer emotion. Ed

Power

CHATTEN CHAOS FOR THE FLY

Produced alongside long-time collaborator Dan Carey, Skerries’ own Grian Chatten embraces a more pared back, documentarian approach than Fontaines D.C.’s typical noise-rock sound on his debut solo album, Chaos For The Fly. The hypnotic result pulls the listener into experiences of people we brush past on the street without throwing a second glance at. Surreal laments on loneliness, inner demons and debauchery mingle with poetic character studies, creating anonymity as to which vivid lyrics mirror Grian’s real emotions. Chaos For The Fly archives the exaggerated aspects of Chatten’s soul into something deeply spiritual.

Kate Brayden

THREE ALBUMS TO LOOK FORWARD TO...

HOZIER UNREAL UNEARTH

If you thought that scoring a US number one with Wasteland, Baby! means that Hozier has nothing left to prove, think again. When Go Rail spent some quality time with him recently, you could sense the Wicklow singer’s quiet determination to take things to an even more exalted level – which he does on a third studio outing that’s based on Dante’s Nine Circles Of Hell. There’s lots of musical risk-taking but zero missteps on an LP that fully realises his ambitions – and then some! OUT AUGUST 18

PICTURE THIS PARKED CAR CONVERSATIONS

The Kildare quartet return with their longawaited fourth studio album, Parked Car Conversations, followed by a three-stop run around Ireland Comprising 15 songs written over the last three years, it’s said to be an emotionally-charged and confessional affair. The announcement of the album came after the release of two singles, ‘Get On My Love’ and ‘Song To Myself’, which both find the band at their most sonically adventurous.

OUT SEPTEMBER 29

GLEN HANSARD ALL THAT WAS EAST IS WEST OF ME NOW

Amidst his reunion with Swell Season partner Markéta Irglová, which is also expected to yield a new album, Glen has released ‘The Feast Of St. John’, the first taster from his upcoming solo record, All That Was East Is West Of Me Now Redolent of Neil Young and Crazy Horse and Eddie Vedder who he toured with last year, it’s his rockiest record in quite a while, with a new-found grit in his vocals to compliment the razorsharp songwriting we’ve come to expect from the Dubliner. OUT OCTOBER 20

PJ HARVEY I INSIDE THE OLD YEAR DYING

GRIAN

SIX OF THE BEST

From blobby blue aliens to killer masseuses, STUART CLARK is spending the summer glued to his TV.

SHELTER

Prime Video, August 18

The smallish screen Harlan Coban adaptations keep on coming with Jaden Michael starring as Micky Bolitar, a high school pupil who stumbles across a dark secret lurking behind his New Jersey town’s quiet suburban façade. With the help of his friends – the inventive Spoon and secretive Ema – he tries to find the answer to decades of covered up disappearances and deaths.

STAR WARS: ASHSOKA

Disney+, August 23

Rosario Dawson reprises her role as Rebel Alliance member Ashoka Tano in this limited series – eight episodes and that’s yer lot –spinoff from The Mandalorian Our heroine is tasked with investigating an emerging threat to the galaxy following the fall of the Empire, which is the cue for all manner of intergalactic intrigue.

THE HORROR OF DOLORES ROACH

Amazon Prime, Now

Six Feet Under and Jane The Virgin’s Justine Machado stars in this pitch-black comedy whose titular anti-heroine is also struggling to adjust to post-prison for life. Things look up when Dolores sets up a massage parlour in her stoner friend’s basement – but quickly look down again when a customer ends up and she has to dispose of their body. Similar in tone to Breaking Bad, it has all the necessary ingredients to become a cult hit.

THEN YOU RUN

Sky Max, Now

Having impressed as Rachel in Normal

People, Limerick thesp Leah McNamara bags a starring role in Then You Run, a turbocharged thriller about a group of London teenagers who go on the run after unwittingly depriving some murderous drug traffickers of their heroin. National borders are crossed with alacrity as they try to stay one step ahead of the bad guys and girls. There’s also room in the cast for Cillian O’Sullivan who was last seen in brilliant shape-shifting espionage romp, In From The Cold.

ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

Walter Presents

The days of Finland being the Nordic Noir poor relation are well and truly over with this eight-parter as nail-biting as anything that’s come out of Denmark or Sweden recently. Smalltown reporter Katka finds her own life threatened when a professional footballer’s supposedly accidental death turns out to be far more sinister.

Check out the Walter Presents strand of Channel4.com for it and lots more quality international drama.

STRANGE PLANET

Apple TV +

Based on Nathan W. Pyle’s bestselling graphic novel of the same name, this razor-sharp and frequently hilarious adult animation introduces us to the blobby blue inhabitants of an alien world not dissimilar to our own. Co-created by Pyly with Rick And Morty and Community man Dan Harmon, it might be about extra-terrestrials but is full of heart-warming humanity.

Photos Courtesy Of Sky, Prime, Apple, Amazon, Disney

HAPPY HOUR

We look at the best new book releases, including The Happy Couple, the bitingly funny offering f rom acclaimed Irish author Naoise Dolan.

Having earned considerable acclaim for her 2020 debut E xciting Times, Naoise Dolan successfully builds on that impressive start with The Happy C ouple. The titular pair are Dublin twenty-somethings Celine and Luke, the former a concert pianist and the latter a multinational tech drone.

When they decide to marry, it’s the cue for a comedic saga of twists and turns, with Dolan offering her usual sharp insights into love and relationships. Complicating Celine and Luke’s quest for conjugal bliss are their tangled feelings for their respective exes, Maria and Archie, while the intrigue further deepens courtesy of the antics of Celine’s sister and bridesmaid, Phoebe, and another of Luke’s exes, Vivian.

Maintaining the ironic and humorous style of her debut, Dolan skilfully teases out the psycho-drama between the characters, whilst always remaining sympathetic to their tribulations. Equally impressive is her flair for dialogue, with the protagonists’ playful jabs at each other often concealing deeper and more complex feelings.

Overall, another hugely accomplished effort from one of Ireland’s best young authors.

Paul Nolan

Since the release of his collection of short stories, Friday Black in 2018, the hype for Adjei-Brenyah’s debut novel has been immense. ChainGang A ll Stars matches the hype and more – this is a very important book. Jessamine Chan’s prediction that it will be read for generations is bang on the money: it will and it is absolutely necessary that it is.

One of America’s most revered authors, Pulitzer winner Richard Ford closes out his acclaimed Frank Bascombe series with Be Mine, in which Bascombe dwells extensively on the pursuit of happiness – and whether it can ever truly be attained. In his advancing years, Frank finds himself acting as caregiver to his middle-aged

Lovers Hurricane Staxxx and Loretta Thurwar are the box-office stars of Season 33 of Chain-Gang A ll Stars, a sports show where contestants are press ganged from prison to compete in death matches, beamed live to masses of bloodthirsty and adoring fans. Think a mash-up of The Hunger Games, X Factor, I ’m A Celebrity, UFC and 2000 AD’s Bad C ompany, complete with futuristic corporate endorsements (Wal-Stores, McFoods), and David Foster Wallace-style footnotes on the billion-dollar incarceration industry. If you only read one book in 2023, make it this!

Will Russell

son Paul, who has been diagnosed with ALS.

In a scenario recalling everything from Death Of A Salesman to G lengarry Glen Ross, Bascombe is seeing out his days working a mundane job in a New Jersey realtors. He takes time away to embark on a symbolic journey with Paul to Mount Rushmore, where the quartet of presidents of course includes Thomas Jefferson, who originally included the phrase “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” in the Declaration of Independence. Naturally, Frank and Paul’s odyssey also includes musings on family, mortality and much else besides, with the lofty subject matter nicely leavened by Ford’s flair for humour.

Paul Nolan

NAOISE DOLAN THE HAPPY COUPLE weidenfeld & nicolson

NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH CHAIN-GANG AL L S TARS harvill secker

RICHARD FORD BE MINE bloomsbury

“IF YOU ONLY READ ONE BOOK IN 2023, MAKE IT THIS”

“A POWERFUL EFFORT FROM A TRUE LITERARY MASTER.”

GO RAIL COMPETITION

Win an Overnight Stay for Two at The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat

Situated just 20 minutes from Belfast and 10 minutes from Belfast International Airport, The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat is located in the picturesque village of Templepatrick in the heart of the County Antrim countryside.

Part of the Galgorm Collection, Northern Ireland’s premier group of luxury hotels, bars and restaurants, the four-star Rabbit Hotel & Retreat is perched over a stunning lake and is the winner of multiple awards.

Also one of the Irish Independent’s ‘FAB 50’ Top Stays in Ireland 2021, The Rabbit is home to quirky room types, an unrivalled spa experience, and delicious dining in its AA Rosette restaurant and Hunter’s Bar.

The Rabbit has an iconic wedding venue, The Loft, which provides the perfect setting for your big day. It boasts high vaulted ceilings, decorated with twinkling feature chandeliers entwined with celebratory planting, and large statement marble dining tables, adorned with greenery, candles and candelabras, for an unique experience.

The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat is dog-friendly too, and has its own resident pup, Florence the Cockapoo!

Hotel residents enjoy complimentary access to The Spa with the facilities including a Roman bath, complete with showstopping overhanging disco ball, Swedish sauna, steam room, salt cave, relaxation room, hot tubs, and the only manmade heated pebble beach on the island of Ireland.

Offering unique spa treatments ranging from an IMAGE tailored facial, to a Healing Obsidian and Onyx Stone Massage, Pomegranate Body Scrub and much more, The Spa at the Rabbit is the only spa in the island of Ireland to use luxury skincare brand Germaine de Capuccini for body treatments –making a visit to The Rabbit truly unforgettable!

Find out more at rabbithotel.com

THE PRIZE:

Enjoy an overnight stay for two guests at The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat, crowned Northern Ireland’s AA Hotel of the Year in 2022.

Overnight stay in a Comfy room with outdoor tub, private Duo Clay Ritual Experience, access to The Spa, 3-course dinner for two in The Rabbit Restaurant. and breakfast the following morning.

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

THE QUESTION:

GO RAIL COVER STAR IMELDA MAY APPEARS IN A PLAY ABOUT WHICH FAMOUS IRISH FAMILY?

A. THE JOYCES

B. THE BEHANS

C. THE GLEESONS

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