SOTC Magazine Issue_24_2025 Summer

SLICE OF THE CITY NEIGHBOURHOOD NEWS, INSIGHTS & INVITATIONS FROM THE DOYLE COLLECTION ISSUE 24 SUMMER 2025

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As crisp spring air turns languid, the prospect (to butcher Mark Twain) of the ‘warm summer sun shining kindly here’ always raises the spirits. For less clement days we’re immersing ourselves in the Cartier exhibition at the V&A (with its glittering tiara room), we’re musing on the power of live performance with Róisin McBrinn, Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre, we’re discussing our new menu (inspired by Irish Aeronaut, Richard Crosbie) with The Coral Room’s cocktail maestro, Giovanni Spezziga, and talking to Dr Louise Smyth on bringing her destination Kinsale spa, KINS, to The River Lee.

CORK IN BLOOM The River Club summer terrace is a Cork City destination, and this year we’re celebrating Cork in Bloom (along with our drinks’ partner, Boatyard Distillery) with an installation that takes its inspiration from white native Irish flowers in season, such as apple blossom, thistle and wild thyme, hydrangeas and white primrose, with a specially created cocktail menu on the same seasonal theme. theriverclubcork.ie

News & Views THE CROKE PARK

HOT TICKET

HIDDEN GEMS

When you hear that the V&A is to open

Still on the Cartier tip, to mark the

the ‘first major exhibition in almost 30

occasion The K Bar is launching a brand

years dedicated to Cartier', you just know

new signature cocktail menu, Hidden

Explore our portfolio of Irish

it’ll be one of the hardest tickets in town

family-owned luxury hotels

to get your hands on. Luckily, at The

superbly located in the centre

Kensington, we’re able to offer a limited

of London, Dublin, Bristol,

number of tickets when you book our V&A

Washington DC and Cork.

Experience. The offer includes overnight

K Bar’s own reputation as a hidden gem

accommodation, a full English breakfast

itself, our four signature cocktails are each

and two tickets to Cartier at the V&A,

named after a gemstone that features

GET IN TOUCH

Gems, an homage to the gemstones that sparkle and glow in every Cartier piece.

Inspired by the exhibition and nodding to

without time or date restriction, meaning

Website

you can visit whenever it suits you, rather

doylecollection.com

than having to pre-book your time slot.

Instagram

doylecollection.com/hotels/the-kensington-

@thedoylecollection

hotel/packages/the-v-a-experience

prominently in the Cartier collection, and crafted with ingredients of absolute luxury. doylecollection.com/hotels/ the-kensington-hotel/dining/k-bar

Facebook TheDoyleCollection

MOTHER'S DAY AT THE PEMBROKE

OF ALL THE GIN JOINTS

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It's luxurious, it’s glamorous, it’s fun, and our

ON THE COVER

brunch at The Pembroke has made it a DC

Illustration: Steve McCarthy

destination for everybody’s favourite weekend

from The Coral Room's new

meal, so what better place to celebrate Mother’s

cocktail menu. See page 14.

Day in the USA? While the menu will feature

Opened in 2023, Rick’s is inspired by a golden

to our DJs instead. Though we’re guessing it must

age of Hollywood and, of course, that ‘Café’

have crossed our bartender’s minds to misquote

in the classic movie, Casablanca. While, today,

the iconic line ‘Of all the gin joints in all the towns

Slice of the City is

legendary dishes, from the superhealthy acai

Rick’s overlooks the super-modern Pero’s bridge

in all the world she had to walk into mine’ when

published on behalf of

and avocado on toast to our signature smashed

to the city’s floating harbour and, by day, is

they saw (according to Pól Ó Conghaile’s review

The Doyle Collection by

burger, (Maryland Chesapeake) Crab Benedict

flooded with natural light, its ‘40s inspiration is

in the Irish Independent) “Stanley Tucci stopping

Rivington Bye Ltd.

and lemon ricotta pancakes. Plus, there will be

evident in rattan furnishings, lush greenery, a

by not once, but twice, since the … bar opened

Reproduction without

bubbles (if you want them). thepembrokedc.com

bespoke gin and fabulous cocktails. And now

this spring. Tucci ordered a vodka martini … and

permission is strictly

we’ve a new signature cocktail list to share,

a Secret Longings, one of the bar’s signature

prohibited. All details

featuring seven brilliant creations from Rick’s

gin cocktails, mixed with Italicus Rosolio di

correct at the time of

bartender team, with names inspired by movies

Bergamotto liquor and Dry Vermouth (£11). But

publication but may change.

enjoyed her as Sister Michael in Derry Girls, Della in Amandaland, herself in the Great Pottery Throwdown or for her fine work on stage,

and every sip a delight. While Rick’s definitely has

he tweaked the Vermouth. Of course he did.”

For all editorial enquiries:

you’ll love her Cork tour. We’ve heard it takes in The Everyman Theatre, The Opera House, Triskel Arts, St Luke’s Church and Cyprus Avenue.

an old-school charm you’ll be saying ‘Play it, Sam’

instagram.com/ricksbarbristolhotel

enquire@rivingtonbye.com

Find out more at doylecollection.com/hotels/the-river-lee-hotel/slice-of-the-city/weekends-in-cork/meet-our-curators

a few surprises they appear alongside some

CORK CURATOR Latest in our elevated line of Cork natives sharing their favourite places in the city is, drumroll, Siobhán McSweeney. Whether you most

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crafted jewellery and artefacts. Eldest son Alfred joined the business young, bringing an almost uncanny affinity for gems (timely as Empress Eugenie adored them and where she led, society followed) and a resourcefulness that would soon prove essential. While business growth was strong and the Cartiers’ black book enviable, nonetheless when Alfred took over in 1874 their most elevated clients were still more likely to buy a (mere) silver tea service than fine jewellery.

MAISON D'ÊTR E

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Right top Manchester Tiara, Harnichard for

ouis-François Cartier was born to Pierre, a metal worker and laundrywoman, Antoinette in 1819 in Paris – whose dream was for their son to escape the grinding poverty into he was born. Being apprenticed at 14 to jeweller and watchmaker, Albert Picard offered Louis-Francois a rare lifeline, but what nobody could have anticipated was that, by 40, Cartier would be receiving both Princess Mathilde and Empress Eugénie of France into his own fashionable showroom. Though LouisFrançois had excelled during his apprenticeship, there wasn’t a well-trodden path from maker to manager – most craftsmen traded their skills for money until they could do the work no more.

And, while reliable, the work wasn’t well paid, so upon his marriage Louis-François had no choice but to live with his in-laws, all crammed into a tiny house. Despite his poverty, when Picard decided to sell his workshop the young Cartier made an offer then persuaded Picard to let him pay in instalments.

Cartier Paris, 1903.

Commission for Consuelo, Dowager Duchess of Manchester. Diamonds, gold and silver. Right A fully-flexible life-size snake necklace commissioned in 1966 by María Félix, a Mexican movie star who identified with snakes

As the V&A opens the first major exhibition in almost 30 years dedicated to Cartier jewels and watches, we discover the tale of this storied house, its people, and the extraordinary pieces that made its name…

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© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

as symbols of creativity, wisdom and strength.

The 56cm piece took two

Though Cartier seemed instinctively to know the value of excellence in building a brand – and his extremely high standards as a craftsman were always central – he now had to learn how to build a business and ensure it survived. A collaborator by nature, he embraced the community of other jewellers, pooling resources to help meet demand and to build their collective reputations. In fact, by 1859 Louis-François was ready to follow his former employer into a smarter location, opening a showroom on Boulevard des Italiens, where the great and the good went shopping.

Alfred developed the business, building the bespoke side and using his knowledge of gems (including his ability to sniff out a fake) to grow their network, especially overseas. He was unusual in paying for gems on the spot – most jewellers expected to be invoiced – meaning dealers preferred to supply him. Alfred also worked with mines direct – and was happy to take Cartier pieces to customers, scoring early successes with British nobility in London.

Expansion paid dividends when the Franco Prussian wars shut Paris down in 1870, exiling the Cartiers to the countryside. During these challenging times Alfred continued to trade in London, while building a reputation as trusted seller of jewellery for French nobility fallen upon hard times. His excellent network and modest commission made him friends on both sides of the sale – enabling the House to survive.

But it took Alfred’s three sons (Louis, Jacques and Pierre) to lift Cartier into the jewellery elite. Eldest son Louis was the creative driving force, innovating and shaping a house spirit while making timeless pieces of breathtaking beauty. Initially based in Paris, he travelled widely for inspiration, to find suppliers and build relationships. Jacques headed to London to strengthen ties with high society. Pierre for New York, towards a customer with similarly peerless standards. But Louis became renowned

years to make and is set with 2,473 brilliant and baguette-cut diamonds.

Left Mountbatten Bandeau in Tutti Frutti style, 1928. Diamonds and carved emeralds, rubies and sapphires set in platinum.

Though Cartier was a little-known house, LouisFrançois’ insistence on impeccable service and discretion for their impressive clientele extended to everybody they encountered, rich and poor.

Quite simply people liked dealing with them, the wealthy recommended them and the Cartier name became synonymous with trust, charm and a democratic politesse alongside their impeccably

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Frutti pieces (known at the time as ‘pieces de couleurs’) with their unusual carved gemstones.

Royal patronage across Europe even saw Cartier nicknamed ‘Jeweller of Kings, King of Jewellers’, with their breathtaking tiaras fuelling the trend all over the world.

for first after first as he shaped the future of fine jewellery, creating iconic pieces of the 20th Century. With no time for fleeting fashion, he worked purely on instinct. Fortunately his instincts proved astoundingly good. When Paris’ fine jewellery Maisons fell in love with Art Nouveau, creating oversized, structural pieces using many semi-precious stones, Louis decided to focus on real gems. But multiple stones set in gold or silver were weighty and he was determined to create pieces both ethereal and light. So Louis experimented with platinum – seldom used in jewellery back then. He visited mines, even creating his own bespoke mix (adding iridium and nickel) to fashion a super-shiny, light, strong variant, which proved incredibly popular and was used in Cartier’s signature ‘garlands’ with diamonds appearing to float around the neck.

Top right Panther skin wristwatch. Cartier Paris, 1914. Onyx, diamonds, pink gold, platinum and black moiré strap.

Nils Herrmann, Collection Cartier © Cartier

Right Crash Wristwatch,

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made by Wright & Davies for Cartier London, 1967.

Sapphire, gold, blued steel and leather strap.

Left ‘Model A’ Mystery Clock, Made by Coüet for Cartier Paris, 1914.

Sold to Count Greffulhe.

When his great friend, eccentric Brazilian aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont (who used to bob around Paris in his runabout airship, mooring it outside Maxims at lunchtime) was struggling to steer his craft with an eye on his pocket watch during a timed competition, Louis Cartier saw an opportunity. Intricate bracelets mounted with a timepieces, more decorative than functional, were sometimes worn by women.

To take a proper watch from pocket to wrist required lugs top and bottom on a slim gold timepiece (Louis had negotiated a partnership with Jaeger-LeCoultre and they made the watch to his design), finished with a plaited leather strap and a blue sapphire winder. Louis named his wristwatch ‘The Santos’, and the aviator’s celebrity plus its stylishness ensured everybody wanted one. Cartier’s iconic Mystery Clocks followed (their mechanisms hidden in the base and hands appearing to float inside the clock).

Louis’ hire of the style icon Jeanne Toussaint as Cartier Creative Director in 1933 (she stayed until 1970) saw the emergence of the panther (her signature) and an enduring symbol of the Cartier brand. While the brothers took the business global, it was eventually sold, and has continued to grow, create trends and adorn the modern era’s style shapers (from Liz Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly while still owned by the family, to today’s Cartier afficionados, from Timothée Chalamet and Paul Mescal to Beyonce and Angelina Jolie). While Cartier’s work begs to be exhibited, it’s no easy task to choose which pieces to show – and with so many stories to tell finding the red thread and editing down the breathtaking pieces was far from easy. Cartier’s own archive is vast.

Named the Cartier Collection, it features over 3,000 pieces from 1860 to the late twentieth century, and it was here that the V&A exhibition curators and the conservators at Cartier started their search.

The story the V&A wanted to tell was simple, to explore the creativity of Cartier and the emergence of its signature style. To share the legacy of the brand’s technical ingenuity and craftsmanship, and to examine its sophisticated approach to image-making and maintaining its legacy and relevance in a changing world. The focus was also, naturally, on Cartier London and the exhibition culminates in a spectacular display of tiaras. To find out a little about the mind-boggling logistics and the thrill of seeing some of these pieces up close, we spoke to Rachel Garrahan, Project Curator, Jewellery at V&A;

Rock crystal, agate, diamond, sapphire, enamel, gold, platinum with eight-day movement.

Jacques Cartier’s travels brought back the inspiration, but it was Louis’ team that created their multicolour, hugely popular, signature Tutti 7

Contributing Jewellery and Watch Director at British Vogue and editor, writer and consultant.

“The exhibition was always going to happen, Cartier and the V&A have had a long relationship and share so many qualities – a reverence for creativity and craftsmanship, plus, of course, at the V&A we already have many Cartier pieces in our own collection. Thirty years after the brand’s last big exhibition seemed a good time to do it. It was a real process to narrow down the selection and we researched heavily to find rarer pieces – we really wanted to share with visitors things that hadn’t been seen before. Personally I was very pleased that we were able to track down and show the Duchess of Devonshire’s Opal Tiara – it’s a stunning 1937 Art Deco piece set with extremely unusual black opals, and it has never been exhibited before. It was originally commissioned for Edward VIII’s coronation by the Duchess of Devonshire, who later became Queen Elizabeth’s Mistress of the Robes – the most senior Lady in Waiting. The Opal Tiara, which can also be worn as a necklace, was very kindly leant by a private collector. With eighteen pieces in the tiara room, plus a few scattered through the exhibition, this offers a rare opportunity to see some spectacular tiaras up close.”

speak for themselves - and how we wanted it to be atmospheric.” In Khan’s words, “I wanted our collaboration to be a dreamscape where art and science converge, with Cartier’s pieces suspended in light, time and sound, allowing history to breathe and the future to linger.”

Rachel continued: “We were also interested in the personal relationship between designer and client – and we sourced some incredible drawings

by Fred Mew (who was a designer at Cartier London) which his son had donated to the V&A – showing a commission from the Queen, the Williamson Diamond Brooch. It gives a really lovely glimpse into this relationship.”

Right Patiala Necklace, Cartier Paris, special order,

“The space will be amazing too. We’ve spent months planning the layout and the mounts that go into the showcase to safely display every piece.

Of course, the object is always paramount – so the way it is displayed has to be extraordinary.

We briefed (legendary architect and exhibition designer) Asif Khan with the narrative for the exhibition – how we wanted the objects to

Cartier made a habit of collecting Royal Warrants (so many tiaras!) and has adorned many icons of the 20th and 21st centuries, and this exhibition showcases landmark pieces from the majestic Manchester Tiara (V&A collection) made in 1903 for the Dowager Duchess of Manchester and the Scroll tiara worn by both Queen Elizabeth II and Rihanna (though not at the same time), to a gorgeous rose clip brooch once belonging to Princess Margaret, Grace Kelly’s engagement ring and a collection of the Cartier’s bejewelled panthers. Plus, of course, some serious watches. The final piece of the puzzle is a book edited by V&A co-curators, Rachel Garrahan and Helen Molesworth (with chapters by both, as well as a who’s who of jewellery historians, curators, Cartier historians and Francesca Cartier Brickell, chronicler of her own family history) and tells the story of Cartier via its pieces, its influence and its ability to reinvent itself. The pictures are heavenly.

1928. Commissioned

by Bhupinder Singh, Maharajah of Patiala.

Diamonds, yellow and white zirconia, topaz, synthetic rubies, smoky quartz, citrine set in platinum.

Top Left Panthère Clip brooch 1949. Named after Jeanne Toussaint, the maison’s Director of Fine Jewelry, who was nicknamed ‘the panther’ by her colleagues, and commissioned by the Duchess of Windsor, wife of the abdicted Edward VIII, an equally bold and vivacious personality.

Left Scarab Brooch, Cartier London, 1925.

Cartier is at the V&A South Kensington from 12th April to 16th November and tickets will be scarce.

Though guests who book our Cartier offer, will enjoy overnight accommodation, a full English breakfast and two tickets to the exhibition.

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Blue-glazed Egyptian faience with rubies, emeralds, citrine, diamonds, onyx, platinum and gold.

Vincent Wulveryck, Collection Cartier © Cartier; Nils Herrmann, Collection Cartier © Cartier

“It was also really incredible to visit the Cartier Collection in Switzerland and handle some extraordinary pieces especially the breathtaking diamond snake necklace commissioned by the Mexican movie star, Maria Felix in 1975. It was legendary at the time” (Maria Felix waited two years for it to be made and collected it by private jet!) “and though I had seen it I had never handled it before.”

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KINSfolk Dr Louise Smyth, founder of premier skin health clinic, KINS saw “the industry chasing quick fixes but skin doesn’t work that way” – a philosophy she practices daily at her new destination clinic in The River Lee

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ven on zoom Dr Louise’s skin has a preternatural clarity and the kind of glow that looks almost backlit. It’s the kind of calling card everybody wants their skin therapy guru to bring to the party and while it’s reassuring and aspirational in equal measure, listening, as we did, to Dr Louise’s common-sense explanations, her practical, holistic approach to using some pretty serious treatments and her absolutely state-of-the-art-tech made it all feel extremely achievable too.

It all starts with a consultation. But not one of those department store analyses of skin where you look at a photograph on a computer, squinting to work out what it all means. According to Dr Louise, skin health is practical and very simple. For starters, she is firmly in the ‘prevention is better than cure’ camp. So there’s no waiting for damage to occur before it’s countered, instead Dr Louise busts myths with honesty (and positivity) and transforms faces with everything from the latest regenerative techniques to a reality check on what will work for your age and stage of life.

Above Dr Louise Smyth and Kevin Roche welcome clients to the spa.

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In her own words “To treat your skin with respect is to honour it for all the protection it provides. At KINS, we work with our clients to navigate them through the healthy ageing process with tailored skin plans and advanced treatments that can be adjusted year on year as their needs change”. This combination of positive words and, for instance, the strongest LED light (to reduce inflammation and stimulate production of collagen) in the region, means you can enjoy skin that looks healthy as time passes, as well as wishing for agedefying results.

“With KINS I never wanted to be just another aesthetic clinic, plus the treatments we offer go far beyond what you’d find at a regular beauty salon. Because my background is as a GP, we always came at things from an holistic, whole skin point of view that’s much more in keeping with the medical spa world, more commonly found in America and some parts of Europe.”

“To treat your skin with respect, is to honour it for all the protection it provides”

“So, for us, it’s all about creating plans and tailoring protocols to the individual.

Which means we do lots of combining and stacking of benefits. So, for example, we have a skin signature protocol (which is really popular) which offers the right mix for a person’s skin type, their skin age – which we always assess - and any concerns they want to have dealt with.

And the protocol might offer IPL, then a second layer that might be a little injectable, and then a third layer perhaps involving an LED light treatment.” And, while pampering is always indulgent, these treatments are in a completely different league. “When we’re in Kinsale we offer more protocols that require a little bit of downtime for recovery – but at The River Lee, guests are less likely to have the time for all that, so there we offer a mix of transformative facials along with a selection of the more serious treatments.”

When it comes getting the most out of your skin, knowledge is power. “So we start with our Visia Skin Analysis. This gives us full visibility of what’s happening in all three layers – enabling us to create a treatment plan that proactively addresses issues before you physically see them on your face.

We start with a deep dive into conditions past and present before targeting any 11

Above Visia Skin Analysis gives an in-depth summary of your facial characteristics, telling you (and your therapist) all we need to know about your skin’s strengths and weaknesses and the condition it’s in.

problems in a sustainable, strategic way, then we create a manageable and effective skincare treatment plan. Observing the skin this closely tells us exactly what it needs, so we can select the treatments and products that will make the difference.”

Above, from left CO2 carboxy lift mask delivers enhanced circulation to enhance skin elasticity; Antioxidant ZO brightening mask helps even skin tone, soothe and protect; Facial rejuvenation treatment tightens, tones, firms and improves skin texture.

Above, from left CO2 carboxy lift mask, scientifically proven to help reverse visible ageing; Dermalux Tri-wave LED therapy stimulates collagen production for firmer, supple skin; Lumecca IPL helps counter age spots, rosacea, sun damage and broken capillaries.

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“We don’t just look at what your skin is trying to tell us. We also look at the factors that have affected it in the past. Eighty per cent of skin damage is down to lifestyle factors, from smoking to stress, lack of sleep to (the worst offender) sun exposure.

Genetics only accounts for 20% of the damage, which means getting your dermis into the best possible shape is largely down to you.” Regardless of the condition of your skin at the outset, Dr Louise’s protocols focus on all three layers, treating everything from the most superficial damage to the distribution of fat cells under the skin. An approach proving popular with customers all over Cork – with testimonials from many clients celebrating the results Dr Louise and her team are able to deliver – whether their skin is crying out for microneedling or botox or whether it’s just about highly effective facials.

For now, the question we had for Dr Louise was “Why the River Lee?”. “Actually Bernie (Gallagher, The Doyle Collection

Chairwoman) got in touch with me to discuss possibly taking the space – which was previously a suite of spa rooms – at a time when I had almost given up looking for somewhere to expand into. It was a perfect space as it needed refurbishing (and I would have wanted to anyway, to get our sense of luxe minimalism into the space), but then I only had three months to make it happen, which of course was stressful – but worked really well as we switched, trusting our instincts. We were able to bring in state-of-the-art equipment, highly trained staff and high tech analysis machines. Then we transformed the space – into something modern and simple, but incredibly warm and inviting.

It’s sophisticated, it's luxurious and it’s comfortable – a great space to welcome existing clients, as well as for hotel guests that want a lasting treatment with zero downtime afterwards.”

“We don’t just look at what your skin is trying to tell us. We also look at the factors that have affected it in the past”

“We’ve created a menu of facials that deliver results made to last, with formulas, protocols and additional tech making all the difference. Take the Forma – it’s a hand-held device that uses radio frequency to achieve skin and tissue remodelling, with the kind of results that have made it a red carpet skincare must-have. Or our signature Hydrafacial, which uses VortexFusion™ technology to amplify the effects from gentle lymphatic massage (reducing the swelling, puffiness and inflammation), deep cleansing and exfoliation with optional, super-gentle acid peel, collagen boost for skin tone and elasticity, and hydration with antioxidants, peptides and hyaluronic acid. While our CO 2 mask brings dry and damaged skin (perhaps after Morpheus 8 or microneedling treatments) back to (nourished, supple) life.”

“All our formulas come courtesy of medical skincare dermatology brand, Zo, chosen for its pioneering results designed to work wonders solo and alongside more invasive treatments. Your personal skincare needs are diagnosed in our custom consultation, during which your therapist will recommend the right treatments especially for you.”

KINS at The River Lee is open weekdays from 10am. kins.ie/our-space 13

MR CROSBIE'S AERONAUTIC ADVENTURE

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here are so many ways to conjure a tale on which to hang a new cocktail menu. It could be a slice of life of a place or a time, the sights and sounds of an evocative landscape, or childhood nostalgia captured in grown up flavours. But sometimes, you just can’t beat a cracking yarn – real or imagined. And ours is a mix of both.

We wanted a menu that spoke as much to our Irish heritage as our global inspiration.

Something that encapsulated that curious dynamic of being rooted in a culture but based in another place – with every guest a traveller. We wanted global flavours with a journey in between. Then we chanced upon the story of Ireland’s first aeronaut.

Richard Crosbie was born in 1756, a man seemingly untroubled by fear and absolutely obsessed with flying his own balloon. A man who studied engineering at Trinity College (though never graduated) and became a consummate maker of things. According to a childhood friend, “He was, beyond comparison, the most ingenious mechanic I ever knew. He had a smattering of all sciences, and there was scarcely an art or trade of which he had not had some practical knowledge.”

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Whatever Crosbie’s skills, they were all applied in quest of one thing. To fly under a balloon, ideally for some distance. By January 1785, he undertook his first successful attempt, from Ranelagh Gardens in Dublin, waved off by 20,000 people, his hydrogen-filled balloon raising the curious boat hanging below up, up and away. Before lowering itself safely after a 10-minute flight. His second attempt took him higher in the sky – opening a view to Wales – before bad weather ejected him

from sky into sea, where he calmly put on his cork jacket and awaited (swift) rescue.

Crosbie’s final flight took him up, bobbing above Shannon for three hours while he enjoyed dinner and a bottle of wine, before safe landing. Crosbie had no choice but to design and build his own craft in the years before air travel was possible. So, for this menu, we decided to liberate him from the shackles of time and take him on a journey, dressed up to the nines on a splendid aeronautic (and culinary) adventure.

Over to our Irish illustrator, Mr Steve McCarthy. “While Richard Crosbie was a man ahead of his time – his many leaps of faith surely deserved a tribute in return?

So I imagined, what if he took that thing on a little tour? All around the world on a flight of fancy.” So, Steve illustrated man and balloon in every destination, his drawings set before 18th Century paintings, showing places the way Crosbie would have known them – and as they would have been - at the time.

Next Gio Spezziga, General Manager of The Coral Room and Dalloway Terrace, created the cocktails. “I have a team of 62 bartenders with 42 nationalities between them, so while Steve was illustrating, we

Brugal 1888 Rum Mr Black Coffee Amaro Macadamia Eucalyptus Tincture Banana Lime

koka koala “We’re so close to these antipodean creeks I can see koala bears”, said Crosbie as he plucked a tree-top Eucalyptus leaf and plunged it into his smooth, banana rum cocktail.

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X Muse Vodka Cucumber & Dill Axia Extra Dry Mastiha Mint Greek Yoghurt Lemon

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silver nymph The cocktail ingredients are those of a milk punch infused with the scents of a Greek hillside in Spring are served in a cup set in to the capital of a Greek Left column.

A rare view from the 'bridge' high

X Muse Vodka Cucumber & Dill Axia Extra Dry Mastiha Mint Greek Yoghurt Lemon

silver nymph “From up here the Parthenon frieze looks perfect as it is”, shouted Crosbie to a chisel-wielding foreigner in a tricorn hat.

“Cool down with a Cypress-flavoured milk punch instead.”

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started looking at the places the balloon would visit and coming up with ideas.”

Naturally Crosbie starts out in Dublin but in our retelling, he flies over Bilbao, La Mancha, Rome, Morocco, Greece, Jaipur, Mount Fuji, Australia, Mexico, Havana, the Appalachians, Welsh waterways, German forests and Scandinavian skies, touching down in Blighty. In each destination a cocktail awaits.

little curry leaf for freshness. It's served in a sustainable yellow glass with a sprinkling of crushed pistachios. It’s decadent, very delicious and completely original.”

leather and a smoky finish, with corn liqueur from Mexico, coriander, pineapple and a clear layer of mezcal floated on top – it’s sweet, salt, sour, smoky and boozy.”

“For the Shisoni, I wanted a Japanese homage to the negroni with a green tea infused gin, bittersweet aperitivo, white sake, fragrant lychee and some yuzu sherbert – zingy, fresh and fruity. In Piñata we’re celebrating Mexican flavours – in a corn whisky with notes of honey, vanilla,

“When it’s sunny outside people love the Quixote – Sipsmith Gin, infused with charcoal padron peppers (we torch the peppers then sous vide them in the gin with a touch of sherry, before macerating with orange). We make our own melon liqueur from cantaloupes and melon balls, which we freeze in place of ice cubes. The drink is topped with pink grapefruit soda and is light and fruity with a little sweetness.”

“We launched this menu in Irish month (just before St Patrick’s Day)”, Gio told us.

“And it’s all about Irish hospitality and our welcome to all nationalities. But mostly we’ve focused on the destinations – and the flavours my team has conjured up to bring them to life.”

Ki No Tea Gin Heavensake Junmai Ginjo Yuzu Sherbet Amaro Santoni Lychee

shisoni As his chariot grazed the tip of Mount Fuji in the Land of the Rising Sun, Crosbie felt moved to compose haiku in praise of the oriental negroni.

“I have four people from India, so we knew we wanted to distil all our favourite flavours into the Amber Palace. It’s crafted around a warm, rounded single malt, then we made a mango lassi here with fresh mango, oat milk, honey and yoghurt, added spice with aromatic black cardamom, and a Top from left Botticelli (Italy), Beyond the Pale (Ireland), Koka Koala (Australia).

Right Shisoni cocktail glass (Japan)

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“On the opposite end of the scale I love our revamped Irish coffee (Beyond the Pale) with our own (medicinal! It’s good for you) dandelion root ‘coffee’, Irish whisky and Mare Nonino (a bittersweet herbal digestive) which we top with, instead of cream, a mint chocolate cream.”

Ki No Tea Gin Heavensake Junmai Ginjo Yuzu Sherbet Amaro Santoni Lychee

shisoni As his chariot grazed the tip of Mount Fuji in the Land of the Rising Sun, Crosbie felt moved to compose haiku in praise of the oriental negroni.

Named Mr Crosbie’s Aeronautic Adventure, the new, balloon-shaped menu, with its 16 original recipes is now being served in The Coral Room. Regulars to the bar are starting at the beginning and working their way around the world. And why not? thecoralroom.co.uk 19

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f you had to name the one theatre in Dublin born out of a desire to bring “all the riches of the theatre … of all of the world and irrespective of nationality”, you might not immediately think, “Oh, that’ll be the 371-seater Georgian Assembly Hall, attached to a maternity hospital, in the north of the city”. And yet the Gate Theatre’s intimate little stage is “limited only by the limits of the imagination”.

The ‘why?’ was naturally the first question we asked Róisín. “Obviously part of that is down to our founders’ vision and the reputation we’ve built over nearly 100 years, but also the Gate Theatre is a really challenging stage for actors. There’s absolutely nowhere to hide and actors love that intimacy and the connection it gives…” It’s also worth remembering the Gate Theatre founders’ lofty ambition and the giants of stage and screen upon whose shoulders we all stand today. Or as Roisin put it, “the history in the air and the magic of the space”.

TINY THEATRE BIG NOISE It’s a Dublin icon (and good friend of The Doyle Collection), so we were delighted to chat cultural zeitgeist, some of the collossi of Irish theatre and upcoming productions with Róisín McBrinn, Artistic Director of the small yet mighty, Gate Theatre, Dublin…

20

The Gate Theatre was founded in Dublin in 1928 by Hilton Edwards, an Englishborn Irish actor, singer and director, along with his partner, the actor, dramatist, director, designer and impresario, Micheál Mac Liammóir. Born Alfred Lee Wilmore in London, Micheál moved to Ireland as a young man, conjuring Irish ancestry along the way, changing his name and assuming his lifelong identity as an Irish patriot ‘from’ Cork. He and Hilton Edwards met on a 1927 tour of the South of Ireland.

Living openly as a gay couple in the 1920s was unusual but if Edwards and Mac Liammóir were fearful, their strategy seems to have been simple. To take Dublin’s cultural identity by the scruff

Left For a heritage building the Gate Theatre is a surprisingly versatile space.

Right Artistic Director, Róisín McBrinn.

21

Living openly as a gay couple in the 1920s was unusual but if Edwards and Mac Liammóir were fearful, their strategy seems to have been simple.

To take Dublin’s cultural identity by the scruff of the neck and hang the consequences.

of the neck and hang the consequences.

Of the many things they had in common was a passionate desire to open their own theatre - something new and different in Dublin at a time when the Abbey had been designated Ireland’s National theatre.

While Mac Liammóir was an extremely vocal nationalist (and had campaigned for Sinn Fein in 1918) his and Edwards’ theatrical vision was for something much more international.

Well-travelled, they both wanted to attract the best plays and players from all over the world to the capital. In their first season alone, the bill featured Peer Gynt, Rossum’s Universal Robot (by Czech playwrite, Karel Čapek) The Adding Machine, Jeanne d’Arc (Shelley) and The Second Mrs Tanqueray, with Chekov, Brecht and Eugene O’Neil following shortly after.

Such diverse programming brought in international talent; Orson Wells made his professional debut at 16, while James Mason’s stellar career was launched from this stage. For Irish actors, the venue was

a springboard for many an international career, think Stephen Rea, Cillian Murphy, Ruth Negga, Dónal Cox, David Shannon, Michael Gambon and the Cusacks.

As Róisín says, these days the reputation for performances of a certain calibre, the visceral closeness of the Gate Theatre and its pipeline of productions, collaborations and new works (they commission about six plays a year), is just as likely to bring big Irish names back, as it is to launch their departure. Take Northern Irish actor, Conleth Hill. A theatrical legend, serial awards troubler (Olivier, Tony, SAG), veteran of film, TV, radio and stage – and star of The Gate’s recent acclaimed production of King Lear.

“We would not have put the play on at all if we couldn’t have our Lear”, said Róisín.

“We really wanted to work with Conleth anyway, but we knew that he was the only one for King Lear (which, to add urgency, is on the schools' Leaving Cert this year) and we were so lucky he was able to join us.

In fact, I felt that this was a perfect Gate production, because so much of what we do relies on getting world-class artists into the organisation and bringing people in to watch them work up close.”

All images: Ros Kavanagh

And those lucky enough to get a ticket were able to see every nuance of what The Stage described as Hill’s “supple combination of sweetness, pathos, menace and thundering rage” in a production that was all about the acting. While the size of the theatre brings the audience right into the action, and Lear was sparely staged to make that the focus, for some productions the intimacy and small stage demands greater creativity.

According to the Irish Independent, when it came to 2024's Christmas show, The

22

Left Ben Morris, Claire O’Leary, Aoife Mulholland and David Rawle in The Borrowers by Mary Norton, adapted by Charles Way, music and lyrics by Fionn Foley. Above Chloe Cody, Killian Donnelly and Frances McNamee in Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron’s Fun Home. Both plays directed by Róisín McBrinn..

Borrowers, entirely successfully: “Róisín McBrinn’s spirited production has great fun with perspective, dramatising the size difference” (between Borrowers and ‘human beans’) “in an endless variety of ways: the Borrowers are sometimes little puppets; sometimes they are shown in shadow; sometimes projections.

The impressive theatrical trickery is a combination of high-tech video and oldschool sleight-of-hand.”

This goes to the heart of Róisín’s passion for live performance (planted by childhood visits with aunties to the Gate Theatre).

“The things that make theatre unique have always interested me. Obviously, there’s the very simple factor of the live performance and that experience of communing together. And there’s the specificity of design – the sets, the staging, the costumes – all of which pushes the boundaries of how we can make magic out of so very little which is just so different to film, to a novel, to any other medium. And I know that's kind of an obvious thing to say, but when I really dig into it, it's why I work in theatre.”

“We would not have put the play on at all if we couldn’t have our Lear. We really wanted to work with Conleth anyway, but we knew that he was the only one for King Lear and we were so lucky he was able to join us.”

23

“Rather than mimicking real life or taking up the space between an individual and a text, it’s about the power of the communal suspension of disbelief and the question of what it means to share the air with the person who is channelling the character on stage at that moment – bringing to each individual and the collective the world we're being invited to make the leap into.

It’s that provocation of imagination that has always most inspired me. Because I think that's where the transformation is. Whether that's about transforming someone's mood in a moment or encouraging them to reconsider a political stance or a learned dogma. Or, as happened to my younger self, simply to make them feel part of something, rather than being lost in their own thoughts, and in doing so discovering unity in the common experience. The moment I discovered that I just knew what I wanted to do.”

We discussed the women in leadership roles in Dublin’s culture sector. “Lots of people speak about the emergence of more women heading up cultural institutions and to me that taps into a similar thing around gender. I’m asked about it a lot and obviously here in Dublin we have many inspiring women. I’m thinking of Caitríona (McLaughlin) Artistic Director and co-CEO at the Abbey, Sophie Motley (Artistic Director at Project Arts Centre), Róise Goan (Artistic Director and CEO of the Dublin Theatre Festival) and so many more. Just as I kind of found myself when I went to the theatre as a child, I also know that if you can’t see something it’s much harder to be it. So, not surprisingly, I believe passionately in the power of representation in my work and in our society - so I think today girls can see

Right Niamh Cusack, Marty Rea, Imogen Doel, Hazel Doupe and Risteárd Cooper in Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation, directed by Róisín McBrinn.

24

themselves in this kind of role because women like us are doing it now.”

While shows at the Gate Theatre are the main attraction, and Róisín’s career has taken her from a life-changing first job, as resident assistant director at the Donmar Warehouse, to the National Theatre, The Crucible, The Young Vic and Sherman Theatres, among many others, the community aspect of her work is ever present and something she has made a focus of throughout her career. In fact, Róisín’s previous leadership role was as Artistic Director and CEO of the Clean Break Theatre Company, ‘dedicated to transforming the lives of women who have been in prison or are at risk of involvement in the criminal justice system’. And it’s impossible to come closer to the healing power of live theatre than supporting women who have been incarcerated through part of their rehabilitation back into society.

So, what’s next? “I’m always looking at what’s going on, watching productions, checking out performances. So I go to London and to New York, of course. I see a lot of plays and I’m always looking, always thinking how can that inspire us, what stories can we tell and who can we bring here to tell them? Obviously, the best job is always the next one and we’re just getting started on pulling together a new production of Abi Morgan’s Lovesong.

It’s a beautiful celebration of love, of a marriage and a consideration on ageing – with the older couple and the same couple when young played by different actors on the same stage. It’s directed by David Bolger, he’s a very important Irish artist and a choreographer so we’re telling this tale really powerfully with movement as well as the words. I’m really excited about how it will come together.”

Lovesong is at The Gate Theatre from 9th May to 15th June. gatetheatre.ie 25

Events & Happenings

since the turn of the 20th

Step out of your hotel and into our pick of this month’s most captivating events

of astonishing craftsmanship

The Marylebone

writer but it’s Victor Hugo’s

refuge from a very public

drawings of castles, monsters

life) being celebrated in

VICTOR HUGO

and seascapes described by

the Royal Academy, 140

and artistry, historic

He may have been France’s

Van Gogh as “astonishing

years after his death.

gemstones, iconic

most famous 19th-century

things” (and his private

Astonishing Things: The

century with over 350 pieces

The Bloomsbury

timepieces, Grace Kelly’s

Drawings of Victor Hugo

engagement ring and a

Royal Academy of Arts

roomful of twinkling

21st March – 29th June

tiaras. It will be the

royalacademy.org.uk

RUGS OF WAR

hottest ticket in town.

While the subject matter is

Cartier

PIRATES

serious there is something

V&A South Kensington

On those days when for

both witty and beautiful in

12th April – 16th November

children over the age of

the traditional hand-woven

vam.ac.uk

seven and their adults only a

rugs of Afghanistan switching

parley with pirates will do,

out historic motifs inspired

LONDON PRIDE

we heartily recommend

by nature, myth and legend

While not the biggest Pride

Greenwich. Especially the

in favour of real life Russian

celebration on earth, London

National Maritime Museum’s

guns, grenades and helicopters

still drew one million to the

brilliant exhibition contrasting

from 1979’s 10-year invasion.

capital to celebrate its 50th

the swashbuckling stories

War rugs: Afghanistan’s

anniversary in 2022, and

of myth and legend with

knotted history

continues to grow - into one

the everyday lives of

The British Museum

of the biggest weekends

pirates of yesteryear.

4th October 2024 –

on the calendar. Expect

Pirates

29th June 2025

events in LGBTQ+ venues

National Maritime Museum

britishmuseum.org

all over the city, as well as

29th March 2025 – 4th

the official parade, concerts

January 2026

OH FLAMENCO

and after parties aplenty.

rmg.co.uk

Cast those castañuelas and

Pride in London 2025

cliches aside as Sadler’s Wells

All over the City

SONDHEIM

Theatre once again hosts

5th July

When the 20th-century

its hugely popular festival

prideinlondon.org

maestro of musical theatre,

of Flamenco featuring the

Stephen Sondheim’s final work

artform’s biggest global names, the most extraordinary story

a lonesome stranger are

30th June – 18th July

AND, TREES

tellers, musicians and dancers

her ticket to happiness.

rbo.org.uk

Going to Kew Gardens

for an fortnight of spectacular

Intimate Apparel

performances across three

The Donmar Warehouse

of the theatre’s spaces.

20th June – 9th August

Flamenco Festival

donmarwarehouse.com

Sadlers Wells Theatres

26

(home to 11,000 trees) for an

The Kensington

exhibition about trees might feel a little bit meta, but the mix of video installation and more

ED ATKINS

traditional painting and drawing

27th May – 8th June

SEMELE

When poet, videographer and

brings them into the kind of

sadlerswells.com

In 1740 Handel stopped

contemporary artist, Ed Atkins

focus that can only enhance

writing operas in favour

puts on a show, especially at

the walk around grounds

INTIMATE APPAREL

of oratorios and musical

Tate Britain, people listen. This

and Victorian hothouses

Lingerie, liberty and love

dramas, of which Semele is

time Atkins is using his own

that will inevitably follow.

letters shape this wonderful

one. The story comes from

experiences, feelings and body

The Power of Trees

production of double Pulitzer

Ovid’s Metamorphosis, with

as models to explore themes

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Prize-winning writer Lynn

an original libretto by William

of intimacy, love and loss in

12th April – 14th September

Left Intimate Apparel opens at

Nottage’s tale of Esther (maker

Congreve and is known for

moving image, writing, painting,

kew.org

the Donmar Warehouse in June.

of exquisite lingerie played

its polyphonic choruses,

embroidery and drawings.

by Emmy winner, Samira

electrifying in the acoustics

Ed Atkins

CARTIER!

artist Ed Atkins at Tate Britain.

Wiley) and her longing to

of the Royal Opera House.

Tate Britain

The first major Cartier

Right The excellent Pirates

fall in love as we find out if

Semele

2nd April – 25th August

exhibition in 30 years, this V&A

exhibition at the National

unsolicited love letters from

The Royal Opera House

tate.org.uk

offering charts Cartier’s legacy

Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Top Right Videographer, poet,

27

Bristol

in early May gives folk the big

to the kora music of West

28th June – 13th July

MODERN ARTS

to unpicking the art of the

by Donna Haraway’s seminal

city treatment with a fantastic,

Africa, all human life is there.

bristolpride.co.uk

Right now, the Irish Museum of

Alabama quiltmaker showcased

work, Staying with the Trouble.

to the New York Times), with

FESTIVAL OF FOLK

super eclectic festival of folk

Bristol Folk Festival

Modern Art (IMMA) is having

in Kith & Kin, and the group

IMMA

a book by David Ives in a

Bristol is the beating heart of

and roots music, from classic

Venues around the city

a moment. For May-July, we’re

show featuring over 40 Irish or

2nd May – 27th October

joint venture between

music in the west country – and

harpists, fiddlers and ceilidhs,

2nd – 4th May

particularly looking forward

Ireland-based artists inspired

imma.ie

is put on in a ‘breathtakingly chic production’ (according

The National Theatre and

The Westbury

bristolfolkfestival.org WILDE ALOUD

The Stephen Sondheim Trust, it’s a must visit.

GARDEN OF COMEDY

Marking the 125th anniversary

Here We Are

It’s not every day you get to see

of Oscar Wilde’s passing,

The National Theatre

everybody who is anybody on

Dublin’s Museum of Literature

23rd April – 28th June

the comedy circuit in one place,

is celebrating De Profundis,

nationaltheatre.org.uk

but Bristol’s summer comedy

his only work completed in

festival is the exception. 2025’s

prison and “One of the greatest

OPEN AIR THEATRE

bill is topped by Frankie Boyle,

love letters ever written”. “At

Regent’s Park Open Air

bottomed by Mark Watson

times deeply philosophical,

Theatre is one of London’s

and features everyone from

at times white with rage, at

best-kept secrets – and

Ed Gamble and Sara Pascoe

times heartbreakingly tender”,

watching fabulous

to Bridget Christie and Mike

the piece is movingly read on

Shakespeare under a felted

Wozniak in between.

film by a gathering of voices.

blanket clutching a cup

Bristol Comedy Garden

De Profundis

of hot chocolate a rite of

Queen Square

Museum of Literature

passage for many young

4th – 8th June

7th March – 1st October

Londoners. In 2025 it’s

bristolcomedygarden.co.uk

moli.ie

theatregoers will be flocking

BRISTOL SOUNDS

LEST WE FORGET

to see (based on Marjorie

More music fun as we turn to

Blackman’s brilliant novel

Bristol’s legendary harbourside

of the same name).

open air outdoor festival, Bristol

Noughts + Crosses

Sounds is just a short walk

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

from The Bristol and brings

28th June – 26th July

in some of the biggest bands

openairtheatre.com

of the noughties and tenties, featuring (among others) Supergrass, the Kaiser Chiefs, The Fratellis and Olly Murs.

Bristol Sounds Canons Marsh Amphitheatre 25th - 29th June bristolsounds.co.uk BRISTOL PRIDE You can’t mention Bristol in summertime without talking Pride and its two weeks of events, Queer Vision (film) plus the festival proper with its main stage, cabaret stage, Pride Day on the Downs and the parade, drawing hundreds of thousands to the city.

Some serious headliners have already been signed – so get your wristband and go.

Bristol Pride All over the city

28

Daphne Wright, Stallion, 2009, the IMMA, Dublin © the artist. Courtesy the artist and Frith Street Gallery, London. Photo: Alex Delfanne.

Noughts + Crosses It’s a sobering experience but when a small nation lost well over a million of its people to an entirely preventable famine, it should never be forgotten. This excellent mobile exhibition tells the story in rare 19th century photographs, witness accounts, contemporary sketches, as well as maps and statistics.

FESTIVAL OF WRITING

Irish Famine Exhibition

With over 60 speakers, from

2nd Floor, St Stephen’s

Rupert Everett to Carole

Green Shopping Centre

Cadwalladr, Margaret Drabble

1st April – 30th September

to Merlin Sheldrake, the Borris

theirishpotatofamine.com

House Festival of Writing and Ideas (we’re a proud sponsor) will certainly fulfil its modest commitment to a weekend of “stimulating

Left, Top Bristol's harbourside

dialogue and discourse,

festival Bristol Sounds.

gathering together intriguing

Left Premiered at The Shed

international minds”. And in

theatre, New York last year,

2025 there is much to discuss.

Here we are - Sondheim's last

Festival of Writing and Ideas

musical, opens at The National

Borris House

Theatre, London in April.

6th – 8th June

Right, Top Daphne Wright,

festivalofwritingandideas.com

Stallion, 2009, IMMA, Dublin Right De Profundis at Dublin's Museum of Literature

29

The River Lee

out, especially in 2025 when

festivals, performances,

join in and show their support.

founded by Arthur Ashe,

two different moments

CoisCéim Dance Theatre.

DALKEY BOOK FESTIVAL

they’re celebrating 30 years of

exhibitions, workshops,

World Pride 2025

Donald Dell and John A.

in one couple’s life, It's

Lovesong

There’s a coastal informality

CORK HARBOUR FESTIVAL

pride. It’s the last week of July

food tastings and the

All over the city

Harris, is DC’s opportunity

directed by David Bolger,

The Gate Theatre

as the great and the good

Cork is home to the second

into August and takes place all

super popular Embassy

17th May – 8th June

to watch the world’s best

esteemed choreographer

14th May – 15th June

descend upon Dalkey to

largest natural harbour on

over town – with performances,

and Consulate open days,

worldpridedc.org

tennis players competing in

and Artistic Director of the

gatetheatre.ie

celebrate the written word

earth (after Sydney) and

an actual public park. Past

and music all over town.

celebrates its rich maritime

champions include Connors,

Probably best summarised

history annually with the Cork

Evert, Navratilova, Lendl,

by recent attendees: Salman

Harbour Festival featuring

Hingis, Roddick, both Williams

Rushdie (“the best little

everything from music,

sisters and Agassi (five times)

festival in the world”),

art, poetry, workshops and

Mubadala Citi DC Open

Marlon James (“expansive

family-friendly events to the

Rock Creek Park

conversations in intimate

flagship Ocean to City – An

19th – 27th July

settings”) and Bono (“Gigantic

Rás Mór, Ireland’s premiere

mubadalacitidcopen.com.

ideas”). Go. It’s wonderful.

long-distance rowing race.

Dalkey Book Festival

Cork Harbour Festival

All over Dalkey

24th May – 2nd June

The Croke Park

MARKING MIDSUMMER

BACON’S WOMEN

DUBLIN PRIDE

In Cork, Midsummer is

Head to the Hugh Lane

Dublin Pride draws over

celebrated in a cavalcade of

Gallery but particularly for

60,000 people to the capital,

some of the most exhilarating

John Deakin’s evocative

making it one of the largest

theatre, dance and music

photographs of some of Francis

rainbow celebrations in

in the country, along with

Bacon’s favourite women

Europe. There’s a Pride Village

cabaret, comedy, food,

from 1960s Soho, featuring

(the festival bit), a market,

street performers, as well as

Colony Club chatelaine, Muriel

performances (check out the

debate, exchange of ideas

Belcher, artist, model and

Dublin Gay Men’s Chorus),

and conceptual art, in venues

designer, Isabel Rawsthorne

the legendary Block Party

and outdoor spaces all over

and ‘uncrowned Queen of

and, of course, the parade.

town, many of them free.

Soho’, Henrietta Moraes.

Dublin Pride Festival 2025

Cork Midsummer Festival

Bacon’s Portraits of Women

20th – 28th June

All over the city

Hugh Lane Gallery

dublinpride.ie

13th – 22nd June

18th February – 13th July parades, music, dancing,

bringing everyone together.

FIFA CLUB OF CLUBS

street food and something

Passport DC

To the country that calls it

THE BEACON

for everybody at every age.

All over the city

soccer, FIFA’s brand new

LOVESONG

The Beacon is by prolific

Cork Pride

1st – 31st May

club world cup competition

Lighting up Dublin’s iconic

BAFTA-nominated playwright

27th July – 3rd August

eventsdc.com/passportdc

brings 32 of the world’s best

Gate Theatre this summer is

Nancy Harris and is a thrilling

All over the city

teams from every continent in

Abi Morgan’s poetic, nostalgic

and darkly funny family drama

corkpride.com

WORLD PRIDE

a gladiatorial contest to find

“story of our beginning and

that asks, can we ever really

Already one of the largest

football’s club of clubs. Will

our end”, mapping a loving

know the truth of a thing – a

Pride events on earth, three

the old order triumph? Or the

40-year marriage told from

person, a place or a work of

million people are expected

new? Matches will be played in

to visit Washington DC's

12 different venues across the

month of celebrations,

US including DC. Go. Holler.

corkmidsummer.com

art? And if we could, would we want to? Head to the Cork

30

12th – 15th June

corkharbourfestival.com

The Dupont Circle

dalkeybookfestival.org

hughlane.ie

Everyman to find out more.

PASSPORT DC

which have been planned to

FIFA Club World Cup 2025

Left An Rás Mór, Ireland's

The Beacon

Passport DC is that month

celebrate Pride Month’s

Audi Field DC

long distance rowing race

The Everyman

(May) when visitors get

50th anniversary. Featuring

14th, 22nd and 26th June

at Cork Harbour Festival.

4th – 19th July

to take a journey into the

events, awards, lectures,

fifa.com

Right, Top Embassy of

everymancork.com

city’s thriving diplomatic

performances, parties,

community to discover

pageants, club nights and, of

DC OPEN

Washington's Passport DC.

PRIDE IN CORK

diverse cultures showcased

course, its epic parade, it’ll

It’s a sporty summer in

Right Dublin Pride flags

It’s Ireland’s second city, and

in a fascinating programme

be a month to remember

Washington DC – and the

and umbrellas on Ha’Penny

Cork certainly pushes the boat

of events including street

for anybody that wants to

Mubadala Citi DC Open,

Bridge, Dublin.

Haiti open day as part of

31

24 HOURS

WITH FURRY FRIENDS

Small dogs are welcomed at The Kensington with treats, cosy bed, blanket and bowls. We’re just minutes from Hyde Park (AKA Dog Heaven) but what about those days when you want to shop and sightsee, too?

8.00 COMFORT BREAK Pop outside for the handsome, handy trees. Feed pooch. Enjoy a Full English on room service.

10.00 BAD APPLE You’ve got big plans today, but you’ve cracked your smartwatch. Luckily, there’s an Apple shop close by, and it’s dog friendly. As is Peter Jones, if you need a replacement. apple.com, johnlewis.com 10.30 AND, BREATHE Grab a coffee at Farm Girl. They’ll even do a little dog face on top. thefarmgirl.co.uk 10.45 TO BATTERSEA! A 20-minute stroll down Old Church Street takes you to the river – take in Cheyne Walk, and cross Albert Bridge to Battersea Park. Let your pooch run free. friendsofbatterseapark.org 12.00

POWER SHOP

The iconic Battersea Power Station is the capital’s latest destination for shopping and dining, and welcomes all dogs (as do most of the stores within). batterseapowerstation.co.uk 2.00 FLOAT YOUR BOAT You can easily spend the day in Battersea but if you’re whistle-stopping hop on a Thames clipper and sightsee enroute to Tower Bridge, before lunch at Butler’s Wharf Chop House. chophouse-restaurant.co.uk

EGYPTIAN GALLERIES, BRITISH MUSEUM, 1875

THEN Virginia Woolf was born just seven years after this picture of the First Egyptian Room in the British Museum was taken in 1875, and the mummies within it became a source of fascination to her, along with most of Victorian London – in the grip as the nation was of Egyptomania. It was a time obsessed with mortality, the

Rosetta Stone (first displayed in 1802) and the high profile, swashbuckling archaeological discoveries. The Egyptian Galleries were free to visit, too, bringing rich and poor in vast numbers.

This image shows displays of the minutiae of daily life which were pored over endlessly – especially the 4,500 year-old costumes.

& NOW Officially opened in 2001, the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Gallery of Egypt and Africa (Room 65), is more educative (with exhibits explaining the process of mummification) and contextualised – as well, obviously, as being better lit and displayed.

While it would certainly feel different, Virginia Woolf and her contemporaries, while perhaps

mourning the clutter, might see some recognisable anthropoid coffins and artefacts from Victorian times. Today the space also showcases some impressive statues and pieces that, together emphasise Egypt’s deep African roots, presented through a big picture lens on trade, conflict, politics and, of course, modern science. britishmuseum.org

3.30 BRIDGE’N’BONE The don’t really hand out bones but the Tower Bridge Museum is fascinating and one of the few that welcomes dogs. towerbridge.org.uk 5.00 FOAMING PINT Sail back and stop off for a pint on the way. angleseaarms.com 7.00 EVENING AIR After all that, normal dogs would disappear into bed, but if yours is a bundle of energy we can book a dog walker while you enjoy cocktails at the K-Bar. townhousekensington.com/k-bar

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EGYPTIAN GALLERIES, BRITISH MUSEUM, TODAY