Tag: Irish

In Donegal, remote working tech hubs mean the question now is stay – or return?

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If you could work anywhere in the world, wouldn’t you rather work somewhere that boasts a great standard of living to match the great scenery? 

This St. Patrick’s Day, I want to tell you a small but life-changing story about what just happened to me in the place where I thought I’d never see it – Co Donegal, my home county. 

To begin with, I took the 45-minute flight from Dublin to the airport that’s been voted the most scenic in the world, Carrickfinn (Aerfort Dhún na nGall) located in the shadow of the majestic Errigal mountain and just about 15 minutes outside of Dungloe and Gweedore.

Hello Donegal. I’m very glad to be back. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/xzAm7xcAn3


— Cahir O’Doherty (@randomirish) February 14, 2023

West Donegal is Gaeltacht heartland, where Irish language-speaking communities proliferate, but now it’s also a growing tech hub, where people fleeing the exploding Dublin rental market – or in search of a better place to invest their time and money – are suddenly flocking.

They are returning – or in many cases moving into Donegal for the first time – because increasingly the internet has allowed professionals to work remotely from literally anywhere in the world via a lightening fast broadband connection. 

If you could work anywhere in the world wouldn’t you prefer to be a part of a supportive local community, featuring well-run schools, good public transport, creche facilities, and an open economy that rewards innovation and values the social cohesion that comes from investment in people as well as in corporations?

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Located in Gweedore, County Donegal, gTeic is a tech hub that connects the county to the world.

Things have clearly changed in Donegal and the questions facing emigrants are no longer the same. There are better options on the table now. In Gweedore, for example, Údarás na Gaeltachta (the regional authority responsible for the economic, social, and cultural development of the Gaeltacht) has expanded the stunning Gaoth Dobhair gTeic Business Hub to respond to the rapidly evolving business culture on the ground. 

Envisioned to provide essential services to companies, entrepreneurs, remote workers, community groups, and visitors, gTeic is a stylish, beautifully planned tech hub that has been busy attracting experienced emigrant talent back to their home county and boosting employment in the region in the process.

With its remote working hubs, broadband internet, impressively run digital infrastructure, and commitment to the national language – as well as to equality and social inclusion – gTeic Gaoth Dobhair is one of the many new county-wide hubs that are busy making the Donegal one of the most attractive remote working locations in the world.

“When people leave here to go to university, the challenge is to facilitate new ways that they can come back and work from here,” Aodh Mac Suibhn of Údarás na Gaeltachta tells IrishCentral.

“gTeic shows them it’s possible to do that now. When people go away to university from here there is the very real prospect that at least some of them can return.”

So Donegal, the county that was once a byword for geographic isolation and governmental neglect has become an unexpected new global hub, with high-speed broadband bringing the world to its doorstep via the magic of the internet. Talk about changing times.

“At gTeic, the Irish language is our primary concern, but you won’t have it without jobs,” Mac Suibhn explains. “So we’re here to look after the language and create employment at the same time and the two of those ambitions are intertwined with our growth, there’s no doubt about that.”

Charlie Boyle, the CEO of Customer Service Ireland, agrees and points to the unique way that commerce and community are intertwined here. “It takes me less than 15 minutes to get to work here through stunning scenery, but I love that the facilities at gTeic are on par with anything you’d see in New York, London, or Dublin. But the fact is it’s here, on the Wild Atlantic Way, in the heart of my community.”

‘Up here, it’s different,’ they like to say, in reference to the living link to the Irish language, but also to the values and traditions of the place, which the locals rightly feel are special and worth promoting and protecting, making the place unique even within Ireland itself. 

Taken together – the unique marriage of tradition and modernity – and you have the genesis of a new way forward for the entire county, both culturally and economically, built on the sturdiest of foundations.

Charlie Boyle, the CEO of Customer Service Ireland, has offices at gTeic in Gweedore.

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Charlie Boyle, the CEO of Customer Service Ireland, has offices at gTeic in Gweedore.

But if quality of life is what we’re after these days, especially post-lockdown when our priorities received an unforgettable reality check, what about the income to make all these aspirations possible? 

In Donegal, it’s often been a choice between one or the other, but now something truly exciting is happening there that could change the game for all comers, perhaps forever.

Now you can combine your expertise, your access to the global marketplace, and your preferred home base under one roof. What was once a faraway dream has become a reality and we are only slowly catching on to the economic implications.

When third-level education in the county exploded from the 1980s onwards, many left for college, seeking better-paid alternatives to factory jobs in the local community. Only now are these out-of-county and country workers finally able to contemplate returning home for the first time.

The prospect of combining professional skills with a return home can be a heady experience, as I discovered myself. In Donegal, on my second night home, I participated in a series of public readings that assembled some of the best-known writers and creatives in the county. Almost all of them were LGBT. 

Some were famous actors on TG4, the national Irish language station, others designed sets or costumes for film industry hits like “Game Of Thrones,” some were renowned poets like Cathal Ó Searcaigh or historians like Brian Lacey, and all of them lived and worked within a few miles of the venue in Donegal. 

It would have been science fiction to me growing up in Donegal in the 1980s to imagine a time when I could be surrounded by a room full of distinguished LGBT creatives in my home county – many of whom are also members of a local hill walking group and a re-wilding organization that provide ample opportunities to connect and share experiences, friendship and community support.

I have never been in a room anywhere, never mind in my home county, with so many talented and accomplished LGBT people, but here they were all living within fifteen minutes of Falcarragh where we gathered on the night.

If anything has ever made me contemplate a return to live in Donegal, a gathering like this, facilitated by the changed atmosphere and attitudes on the ground, would. I am still not over the delight of realizing, for the first time, that my community and county are making room and offering a welcome to all its family members.

My teenage self would never have believed this. So proud of my home town – and thinking of the ones who will be carried in our hearts today. 🌈 https://t.co/mkvB4fBGo2


— Cahir O’Doherty (@randomirish) June 5, 2022

In the Gaeltacht, the arts are baked into the everyday life of the community in a way that is quite unique, there is no real division or distinction made, and one doesn’t exist without reference to the others. 

At gTeic, I met the legendary musician Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, fiddler and lead vocalist of Altan, who pops into the center, as many creatives here do, to make use of the blazingly fast broadband when doing research or planning tours.

Not just a musician but a learned scholar of the local traditions, Ní Mhaonaigh grew up surrounded by artists (her father wrote plays and she quickly learned to play music herself) before becoming one herself.

“I’ve seen a change in how the younger people are thinking about their futures here,” she tells IrishCentral. “Places like this are offering them opportunities that were not here before and I like to pop in myself to connect with the wider world.”

If you’re going to be in Gaoth Dobhair, Donegal, and you’re interested in music, you should check out the session at @LoistinB on Mondays & Fridays.
Beidh ceol, caint agus craic ann.#AnGhaeltacht #trad pic.twitter.com/v3jhU9h7Hf


— Derek Hollingsworth (@DerekHolly7) August 9, 2022

Underlining how the local arts sector is flourishing county-wide, I also met with arts organizations like the Glebe House & Gallery (former home of the renowned artist Derek Hill) which are busy welcoming visitors, showing emerging artists, greeting bus loads of school students and inspiring the next generation of practitioners year round. 

At the Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair, the only Irish language theatre in the country that is situated in the heart of the Gaeltacht in Gweedore, I met with Adrian Kelly, Curator of the Glebe Gallery, who talk about a successful exhibition featuring three young local artists who’s careers are taking off. 

“Myrid Carten, Cliodhna Timoney, and Áine McBride (who uses They/Them pronouns) are all about the same age in their early 30’s,” Kelly tells IrishCentral. “And we had a really good exhibition of their work recently. Loads of people really hated it and I was saying at the time, you shouldn’t hate it that much, it’s clearly doing something to you!”

This summer, Glebe House will exhibit the works of many women artists. “Our collection is unusual because it has a lot of women in it,” Kelly explains. “Derek Hill, the collection’s founder, collected the work of a lot of women artists and so we are going to pull them all out.”

Thanks Jean, we had a very informative tour of The Glebe House and Gallery this evening @opwireland pic.twitter.com/tcmE6DeHiS


— Visit Donegal (@visit_donegal) August 15, 2017

Also at the Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair discussion was Danielle Nic Pháidín, who works as a facilitator with Ealaín na Gaeltachta, which supports the arts in Irish-speaking districts. Her guidance helps artists and venues in the local community to widen local access and participation in the arts.

“Our main objective is to provide the funding as well as support to help the theaters, and galleries and to support different arts projects. The brief is fairly wide in terms of Irish-speaking arts and initiatives and projects.” 

Later I toured the 300-seater Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair itself, the beating heart of the wider Gaeltacht community, providing a forum for plays, musicians, public talks, and concerts.

Errigal and the ancient landscape of West Donegal

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Errigal and the ancient landscape of West Donegal

Historian Breandán Mac Suibhne, who went to grad school at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh and who now oversees the University of Galway’s Acadamh (Academy) which has a study centre in Gweedore, laid it out for me: “I am biased, I was born here, but I can’t think of a better base for US study abroad programs anywhere in Ireland than west Donegal.

“We have a stunning natural environment, with great transport links to Dublin. And from learning Irish to exploring the places that inspired the great plays of Brian Friel and Frank McGuinness to visiting our regional capital, Derry, and working to understand everything from the monastic culture of the medieval period to the 17th-century plantation of Ulster to the politics of Ireland’s late 20th-century Troubles and peace process – students get it all, whether they come for a short stay or a semester-long visit. It’s all here.”

Anna Ní Bhroin, who works on International programming for the University of Galway, agrees: “It is a win-win. The academic, business, and cultural sectors—that A, B, C—are all working together here. The relationships built today in one sector will stand to us tomorrow in another.”

It’s hard to miss the renewed energy at work in this diverse, progressive, and ambitious Irish language community and county. There is good reason for it, too. Irish fluency has become a cool aspiration for the young in a way that turns the attitude of previous generations on their head.

Nowhere is this change of direction more evident than in Irish language film production, which just made history with an Oscar nomination for “The Quiet Girl” (“An Cailín Ciúin.”) 

‘You’re graaaand’ @jamieleecurtis shares her love for Ireland on the #BAFTAs red carpet. Plus Barry Keoghan and Paul Mescal are overjoyed for the Irish film industry | Read more: https://t.co/e0JuSql4Cz pic.twitter.com/l5pHeSQJws


— Entertainment on RTÉ (@RTE_Ents) February 20, 2023

Deirbhile Ní Churraighín, the Commissioning and Acquisitions Executive at TG4 who was in Hollywood for the Oscars this weekend, told IrishCentral: “Whatever happens on the night, we’ve already won. The impact that ‘An Cailín Ciúin’ has made internationally is an unbelievable thing for the Irish language. And it’s just it’s such a special film.

“At TG4, Alan Esslemont, the Director General, believed that we needed to find a way to make feature films. So we talked to Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and once they were on board, he talked to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. And that created the magic triangle of three Irish funders.

“Another historical thing that people are not talking about is the fact that this film was completely made in Ireland, by an Irish-speaking writer, director, producer, an Irish-speaking cast and crew and it was completely funded in Ireland. So it just goes to show what can be done when people come together and say, ‘Okay, we’re going to do this.’

Why I hope “The Quiet Girl” wins an Oscar

In “The Quiet Girl,” Colm Bairéad has done something that I have rarely seen in Irish films – he saves us from pastiche, from becoming caricatures of ourselves. https://t.co/h9CUZGV3Rm


— Cahir O’Doherty (@randomirish) January 21, 2023

All along the Wild Atlantic Way, from Connemara through the University of Galway to the Gaeltacht to Letterkenny and Inishowen, a network of activists, academics, Irish language speakers and online entrepreneurs are coming together to build a new route to a mutually rewarding future and it’s working.

Growing up in Donegal herself, Ní Churraighín doesn’t sugarcoat how dramatically social attitudes have changed within her own lifetime. “I think a new atmosphere has been created by and for the LGBT community there now. I mean, they’re safe now. And as you well know, there was a time when they were not safe.”

She continues: “I think the marriage referendum opened a lot of people’s eyes. I mean people were coming home to vote to make sure the change happened. So I think now it’s about quality of life for all in Donegal. It’s about getting back to the mothership, being with the neighbors, collaborating on arts projects, whether it’s sculpture or painting or song or instruments or filmmaking or theater-making. The space is there now for people to be fully themselves.”

Why should you return now, after all these years abroad, you may ask yourself? For me, the answer isn’t found in all the dramatic contrasts between the past and the present.

I found it in the effort a young worker in a local supermarket took to make sure I found the place where the coffee was stored, then the sandwiches, then the wooden spoons to make sure I could give it a good stir. She happily led me from pillar to post, asking where I’d come from, talking about the weather that morning and even discussing the breaking news headlines. 

Picture the last time that happened to you in America or Australia or Canada or the UK? It was just another Wednesday morning in Donegal. Her cheerfulness was infectious. Her kindness spoke for her community and upbringing.

In the past growing up in Donegal, you eventually have to make a life-altering decision: stay or go? There have been many Irish dramas written about this classic emigrant’s decision. 

But does it have to be this way still? Can’t there be a happier outcome to this age-old story between those who leave and those who stay? Are we still fated to endure this halting and haunted leaving and staying dance? 

Or can we do better for ourselves now, for our loved ones, and for the people who will be coming after us? In Donegal, the answer – the maths – and the opportunities are dramatically expanding and it’s time we recognized it.

The age-old game of emigrant musical chairs may be finally coming to an end. To find out how you can make the move – or the return – visit DonegalDigital.ie.



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#Donegal #remote #working #tech #hubs #question #stay #return

Roma Downey’s new spirit guide “Be An Angel” hits the bestsellers list

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Roma Downey, Irish actress, Hollywood producer, and New York Times bestselling author, is back with her new book “Be An Angel: Devotions to Inspire and Encourage Love and Light Along the Way.”

In the last few years, we have all needed some pick-me-ups. Whether they were spiritual, physical, or otherwise, the pandemic left many people struggling with issues like isolation, loneliness, and even moments of despair.

“We have never needed kindness more,” actor and producer Roma Downey, 62, tells IrishCentral.

“That’s why in my new book I want to encourage you, as I’ve been encouraged, to live like an angel on earth,” she says. 

But we begin by talking about Co Donegal, a place she’s known since her childhood, visiting from her nearby hometown of Derry. The beauty of Lough Swilly and the hills beyond are something she still thinks about, she says.

“I always find that instead of that making me feel in any way insignificant or unworthy, there’s just a great sort of humility and beauty to be found in places like that.

“And if I have worries or I’m stressed about work or deadlines or whatever things are going on in my professional life, there’s something about bringing it all to the water’s edge and just setting it down for a minute that can be restful and restorative.”

Taking the time to reconnect to your spirit and to other people is one of the recurring themes of Downey’s third book “Be An Angel.”

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“Be an Angel: Devotions to Inspire and Encourage Love and Light Along the Way” by Roma Downey.

“As you know, angels are no strangers in my life having played one on TV for almost 10 years,” she says, referring to the hit 90’s show “Touched By An Angel.” 

“But in preparing to write this, I went back to the Good Book and to the literature, to find any references to angels, and time and again the significant message that they deliver is just to not be afraid. Fear not, they most frequently tell us.” 

That was a message that Downey felt she could enthusiastically share. “I wanted this new book to be a devotional because I find devotionals very helpful in my own life.

“Anytime you can create something that’s habit-forming in a positive way, I always hasten to add it, because it just sort of anchors you to make a habit of it.”

There’s a great quote by leadership coach John Maxwell where he says you’ll never change anything about yourself until you change something you do every day, Downey says.

“The secret of your success can be found in your daily routine. And so I just begin with morning prayer, morning meditation, morning mindfulness, whatever that is for you. Just take that time in the morning to sort of reset yourself.”

Downey’s personal reset formula in the book is as simple as it is effective. “I offer an anecdote, I offer a reflective quote or a piece of scripture, and then I suggest an action. If the story you have just read in the book has touched you in some way, is there an action that you might in turn do for somebody else?”

Books take a while to write, Downey admits, and she’s been busy doing other things like producing and editing her next movie called “On A Wing And A Prayer,” which will come to Amazon Prime on April 7, starring Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham.

An extraordinary true story of faith and survival. On a Wing and a Prayer stars Dennis Quaid, Heather Graham, and Jesse Metcalfe. Coming to Prime Video this Easter on April 7. #OnAWingAndAPrayer pic.twitter.com/QOJjfrCipj


— Roma Downey (@RealRomaDowney) February 22, 2023

“To make time to get the book finished, I would get up very early in the morning and write,” she confesses. “It took time but I’m delighted with how it looks and feels because, as an old art school grad, the sense of aesthetic was just as important to me.

“My original thought is that ‘Be An Angel’ could and should be used as a gifting book, for people to give to those who have been like angels in their life, people have been kind or good.”

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Every time we speak, Downey reminds me, some new outrage has occurred in America. “Just last week here in California, we saw not just one but two horrific mass murders. I mean, it just goes on and on and on. And it’s heartbreaking to see for most of us who don’t have any way of making a difference. It creates a kind of a helpless feeling.

“But one of my favorite quotes always has been Gandhi’s, when he said you have to be the change that you want to see in the world. I really do believe, call me naive or overly optimistic, that if each of us was just to set an intention each day to try to be more conscious and kinder that maybe together we could just make the world a wee bit better.”

Roma Downey is equally as comfortable at work behind the camera

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Roma Downey is equally as comfortable at work behind the camera

Monica, the angel character that Downey played in the hit show, has stayed with her in since the show ended, but the deep friendship that Downey had with her co-star Della Reese turned out to be life-defining.

“My friend Bella Reese was everything to me. I actually dedicated this book to my mum and dad and also to my adopted mother and former co-star Della who taught me how to be an angel and how to trust my wings. She was one of a kind Della, she talked the talk but she walked the walk, she was funny and sassy, bright and strong.”

Then Downey confides something extraordinary: “When we were working on ‘Touched by an Angel’ together, I did some work volunteering at the Children’s Hospital. On one occasion I found myself walking by a ward and a family came out and a kind of gust of grief came out ahead of them.”

It became apparent they had just lost their child. “And so I tried to just make myself very small, to get by them. I just wanted to give them the dignity of their grief in that moment and I just cast my eyes down.

“But the next thing, the mom saw me and she, of course, associated me with ‘Touched by an Angel’ and she started to cry.

“She said ‘Monica,’ which was the name of the angel I played in the show. She said ‘Monica, I prayed that God would send an angel for my baby and here you are.'”

Downey was thunderstruck. “I honestly didn’t know what to say, so I just held her quietly. I held her close. I silently prayed for her that she would be comforted.”

When she got home that evening she called Della. “I said, I didn’t want the woman to think I was pretending to be an angel, because I’m just an actor. And she said, ‘She didn’t need an actor, she needed an angel.’

“And I said, ‘I understand that. But she thought that God had sent me there.’

“Then Della said, ‘And who said he didn’t?’

“She said, ‘if we’re going to be used by God, during the show, we need to get out of the way.”

“And that’s really what this book was about. It’s just a way to encourage a reset each day to offer some gratitude, to live with kindness. to encourage the reader, and in return, to ask them to encourage somebody else and pay it forward. And always throughout, you know, remembering that we reap what we sow, and and what goes around comes around, you know.”

Meanwhile, Downey has noticed a significant change in her own life. “I’m much more nostalgic about Ireland now than I used to be. Maybe it’s just ‘the pipes, the pipes are calling’  but I feel a longing for the place. COVID prevented me from traveling, and I found I had incredible homesickness.

“So I think that in my future, in the next decades, I’m hoping to spend a bit more time over there, and my dream would be to actually write my next book in Ireland!”

“Be An Angel: Devotions to Inspire and Encourage Love and Light Along the Way” is published by Convergent Books, $22.00.



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#Roma #Downeys #spirit #guide #Angel #hits #bestsellers #list

Liam Neeson is back in stylish Hollywood thriller “Marlowe”

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Liam Neeson is back in the atmospheric 1930s-set crime caper “Marlowe,” based on the book by John Banville, a screenplay by William Monahan and directed by Neil Jordan (that also stars Colm Meaney).

Talk about an Irish fest – and how refreshing to catch a new movie that reminds us how they used to make them – which “Marlowe” certainly is. 

Set in Tinseltown in the 1930s, the story is based on “The Black-Eyed Blonde: A Philip Marlowe Novel” by celebrated Irish writer Banville, with a screenplay by award-winning Irish American screenwriter (of “The Departed”) Monahan and Jordan himself.

“Marlowe” begins with Irish American heiress Clare Cavendish (“Clare like the county,” she says) who is equal parts ravishing and deadly. 

Played by Diane Kruger, it’s clear from her first appearance there is far more to her than meets the eye, which world-weary gumshoe Marlowe (played by Neeson) intuits during their first consultation.

Cavendish reveals she has a no-good paramour named Nico Peterson (played by Francois Arnaud) who has gone missing. She’ll pay Marlowe handsomely to have him found.

What her real interest in this womanizing, ‘evil-incarnate’ player really is isn’t immediately obvious, but that pulls the audience in, as does Kruger’s all-electric screen presence. 

Film noir detective flicks have been a Hollywood staple since the days of Humphrey Bogart and in “Marlowe,” Neeson is a gumshoe for our own fraught times. Sensitive, smart, and impossible to hoodwink, he plays to his screen strengths in this wisecracking and world-weary role. 

Neeson’s Marlowe is an Irish immigrant and former World War One soldier in the Royal Irish Rifles. A former LAPD cop who’s lost his badge and taken up detective work, he has a reputation for solving the toughest crimes.

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Diane Kruger as Clare Cavendish and Liam Neeson as hardbitten Irish Phillip Marlowe in “Marlowe.”

As Clare’s brilliant but untrustworthy mother, Jessica Lange plays former Hollywood it-girl Dorothy Cavendish, who is as familiar with the works of James Joyce as she is with the dubious machinations of Hollywood. 

Lange’s character has a toxic competition with her daughter for the attention of her Hollywood producer husband now about to be ambassador to the Court of King James. A former bootlegger who hit the big time, the Kennedy echoes are unmistakable, as is the suspicion of the rough work that undergirds his fortune. 

What director Jordan delivers is a hugely atmospheric and stylish period drama that pulls you in from the first frame. The skillful use of computer animation to bring to life 30’s Hollywood boulevards, the neons and billboards and passing motors, gives this film an authenticity that evokes its era artfully.

But it’s Neeson’s performance as a hardbitten detective that makes the film sing. He knows he’s getting too old for the kind of rough and tumble the job often demands but without his badge and pension what choice does he have? 

The scenes where he takes on the tough guys are convincing and often surprisingly funny. After he knocks one guy out he picks up a chair and shrugs “f—k it,” then breaks it over his back to keep him out cold. This kind of lived-in character note brings his “Marlowe” to life and makes you root for his good guy in a bad world persona.

The plot of the film has other plots concealed within its lines, of course. It turns out that the pronounced dead Nico Peterson is still very much alive, as Clare Cavendish suspects, and that the spider’s web of intrigue only builds from there.

Crime has always been the dark underside of the American Dream and this film takes a deep dive into the compromised lives and actions that support it. No one is a piece of virtue, but almost no one is entirely composed of, as Alan Cumming’s entertaining character Lou Hendricks calls it, “tarantulas.”

Instead, this L.A. is a fallen Eden, a place where innocence and promise curdle faster than milk in the sun and where wisecracking cops like Bernie Ohls (played by Colm Meaney) and Joe Green (played by Ian Hart) have had a belly full of seeing enough.

Liam Neeson as Hollywood Irish detective Phillip Marlowe in Marlowe

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Liam Neeson as Hollywood Irish detective Phillip Marlowe in Marlowe

Jordan keeps things loose and funny – as well as unsettling – as the film unspools, focusing on the palm trees and all the neon-lit glory but reminding us how Tinsel town got made. “Why this is hell nor am I out of it,” says the wily ambassador, quoting Doctor Faustus, as Marlowe circles the dark web of deceit and murder that has helped build his empire.

For all its dark themes, the film is an unexpected romp. Yes, it’s assembled some of the most compromised and compromising people you will ever encounter, but there are exchanges between them that light up the screen.

When Marlowe grills country club impresario Floyd Hanson (played by Danny Huston, who is the image of his famous father, Irish American director John Huston) he says it must have been hard for him to witness Peterson’s mutilated body lying in the road. But Hanson replies, “I’ve seen men in more disarray than that in which Mr. Petersen was discovered,” adding that he’s a World War One veteran like Marlowe and says, “Once, after an artillery strike, I found a friend’s tooth in my whiskey glass. I drank the whiskey.”

“You’re a terrible man,” says Marlowe. “I needed the whiskey,” Hanson replies. This is the kind of noir-ish dialogue that we pay the money for and Monahan doesn’t disappoint.

It’s good to see Colm Meaney and Neeson mix it up onscreen again and they are well-met as two seen it all cops who stand on either side of the law but work together. As Bernie Ohls, Meaney quietly looks out for his former college and reminds us of the danger Marlowe puts himself in for a paycheck.

The story changes track multiple times as Marlowe progresses but it’s clear at all times who the most dangerous protagonists are. Some might grouse that the big reveal is undercut by the secondary characters, but that’s to miss the point here. The lines that aren’t ever crossed belong to the quietly un-buyable Irish detective, the one good man in an ocean of the unjust. 

“You’re a long way from Tipperary,” Marlowe says as he watches Dorothy Cavendish move through her unhappy world of great wealth and privilege. It’s a funny line but it’s also a reminder that Marlowe is very far from Ireland now himself, and the two Irish immigrants have taken very different and contrasting paths that tell the story in miniature.

The roles you play offscreen are as important as the ones you play on, “Marlowe” reminds us. So be careful not to get typecast or worse do it to yourself. In this film, the masks that people wear become their prisons. Only Marlowe himself emerges free in the end.

“Marlowe” is in theaters now.



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#Liam #Neeson #stylish #Hollywood #thriller #Marlowe

John Connors to host Craic Music Fest in New York this month

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Actor John Connors has emerged as one of the most vital – and sometimes controversial – voices in Irish cinema. Agree or disagree with him, there’s no doubting his gift as a screen star.

Connors is back in New York next month at the 25 Craic Fest with his new film “The Black Guelph,” about how Ireland deals – and fails to deal – with its past.

But Connors will also be on site this month to MC the Craic Music Fest on February 24 at Rockwood Music Hall.

First, though, let’s start with his film: “The Black Guelph” is his hard-hitting drama about the way generations can unwittingly hand on trauma – and consequences – to the ones that follow them, but it is also a black mirror reflection of the kind of country that Ireland actually is. 

“The Black Guelph were a group of people in ancient Rome that wanted to uphold the power of the Pope, they were pope loyalists, and anybody went against them, The Black Guelph either massacred or banished them,” Connors tells IrishCentral, with the kind of follow the dots speaking style that can infuriate his critics.

“What we’re essentially saying,” he continues, “is that the Irish state and successive governments are The Black Guelph, because they protected the power of the church’s interests over time.” 

The film is set in the modern day, he continues. “We follow a young man called Carl who has drug addiction problems and who is selling drugs, and you see him as a bit of a thug, a bit of a gangster.”

Soon we settle into the assumption we watching a film about his struggles but then his father comes into the situation, the father who once abandoned him, and we get into his father’s story too. 

“Eventually audiences figure out that we’re actually watching a film about intergenerational trauma, but specifically about the effects of intergenerational clerical abuse, about how all that trauma gets passed on.”

It’s heavy subject matter, Connors is the first to admit. “But there has never been an Irish film that has carefully examined the intergenerational trauma arising from clerical abuse. It’s something we’ve avoided. Yet it’s such a massive problem in Ireland and I think it’s a big reason why we have so much drug addiction, alcohol addiction and so on. These are just the tools that people use to repress their emotions rather than to express themselves.” 

To be clear, did you say that the church colluded with the government to look after its interests, I ask? Is that what you believe?

“Absolutely and literally. Of course. That’s clearly what happened. And it was about protecting the institutions against the interests of the people. The Irish state has never acted in the interest of the people. Or at least not all the people. And I could still say that today,” he continues. 

“Instead it has always acted in the interests of the powerful elites, who are all attached to the big institutions. We are a small country. And the people who run the institutions are all friends that are all in the one club. And you know, we the ordinary people also definitely colluded with the church.”

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Breakout Irish star Graham Early in The Black Guelph.

Recall that the last Magdalene Laundry in Sean McDermott Street was still open in Dublin until 1996, Connors reminds me. “And since then, there hasn’t been real justice. The redress system was set up in order to address the problems and grievances of abuse survivors, the physical abuse, the emotional abuse, and people were supposed to lodge a a claim and get money, but what would actually happen is that they’d have to go on the witness stand and be lambasted by the state’s solicitors and by Vatican employed barristers, or a combination of both.”

Lawyers would say the most unbelievably ugly things in the church’s defense, Connors said. “A disgusting thing is that they call the victims liars, and there are loads of public transcripts for this. A lot of people who went through that redress board system after taking the stand said they felt that they betrayed themselves and betrayed the rest of the survivors. And, you know, it was reliving the trauma for them all again and opening up all the wounds.” 

Connors’s new film goes into that system in what he calls “a very important and pivotal way” to show what it was all about “and how corrupt – and I would go as far as saying evil – that system was set up, and the redress board system, because it has to be been one of the worst things they did.”

It’s not all trauma and outrage onscreen, Connors adds. “There are so many beautiful things about being Irish. I think we’re great storytellers and great rogues. But that’s the veneer of Ireland, the storytelling and the charisma. Behind that that we repress so much, and there’s a real darkness to the place, and we all became experts in repression.”

He adds: “You know they say what isn’t said becomes a symptom. And that symptom can become a disease, and that disease can kill. I think what happened with the Catholic Church is a perfect example of that symptom. Some people didn’t want to talk and some people were silenced.”

“We don’t want to talk about the trauma, we don’t want to talk about what happened, we want to act like this was all ancient history, in prehistoric times. Because we’re still we’re still seeing the ramifications of all this trauma, all this unresolved trauma, we continue to see it. It’s getting passed down every generation and if you don’t resolve it there will be generations ahead that don’t even know where it came from.”

John Connors takes on the legacy of trauma in The Black Guelph

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John Connors takes on the legacy of trauma in The Black Guelph

You can tell he is only getting started with his desire to hold the mirror up to his country. You can tell his screening and talkback at the Craic Fest will be a sell-out on the night. 

Meanwhile, he is also going to host the Craic Fest concert, which this year will be an exciting blend of music and standup. Previously he has performed his one-man show “Ireland’s Call” here, but this night will see his unscripted but always engaging stage presence emerge.

“I’ve been over five or six times now and I suppose I’m a part of the Craic Fest history. Terence Mulligan, the festival director, and I are now friends and I believe he is concerned for survival of Irish culture in America, which I think is really important. 

“I think the festival has influenced American culture in a very positive way, and probably shows the best of Irish and maybe left behind some of the bad stuff. So yeah, it’s the festivals 25 year anniversary and he asked me to come over and emcee the event. Obviously, there’s a great lineup of spoken word, people in comedy and songs so I said, why not? It’s a going to be a great festival!”

Slated to appear at the Craic Fest concert are comedians Siobhan Fallon, Katie Boyle, and Craig Geraghty alongside musician Brendan O’Shea and surprise guests!

The Craic Music Fest concert will be held at Rockwood Music Hall on February 24 at 7:00 pm. You can book your tickets online here. For more information, visit TheCraicFest.com. 



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Six Nations 2023: Warren Gatland says Ireland opener ‘a free hit’ for Wales as ‘buzzing’ England prepare for debut under Steve Borthwick

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Ireland prop Finlay Bealham, Wales head coach Warren Gatland and England prop Ellis Genge are just some of the names in the news this week…

We hear from all four camps ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations opening weekend, as Wales host Ireland in Cardiff and England face Scotland at Twickenham…

Gatland: Ireland clash a ‘free hit’ for us | Farrell: ‘No such thing in Test rugby’

Wales boss Warren Gatland has claimed Saturday’s Six Nations opener between Wales and Ireland at the Principality Stadium is a “free hit” for the hosts.

Marginal title favourites Ireland kick off their campaign against Wales, and arrive as the world-ranked No 1 team following a spell of sustained success that saw them claim a Test series triumph against the All Blacks in New Zealand, beat South Africa and Australia and also land a Six Nations Triple Crown.

Wales have claimed four successive Six Nations victories at Ireland’s expense on home soil, while the Gatland factor also cannot be ignored.

His second stint as Wales head coach begins just over three years after the first one ended. When he last held the post between 2008 and 2019, Wales won four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams and reached two World Cup semi-finals.

“I suppose the free hit for us is that the expectation and pressure is on them (Ireland) to win as favourites,” Gatland added.

“It hasn’t always been the easiest tag for Irish and Welsh teams in the past to carry going in as the favourites.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland says the past week has been 'a challenge', but insists focus for the players is wholly on their Six Nations opener against Ireland

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Wales head coach Warren Gatland says the past week has been ‘a challenge’, but insists focus for the players is wholly on their Six Nations opener against Ireland

Wales head coach Warren Gatland says the past week has been ‘a challenge’, but insists focus for the players is wholly on their Six Nations opener against Ireland

“You can get an upset because there is a huge amount of history and rivalry between those two nations and there has been a lot of close games.

“The secret, and I am sure Andy will be talking about this, is that you don’t run away from that, you look to embrace the expectations of being the No 1 team in the world.

“That is definitely the attitude I would be taking if I was in the Ireland camp. I’ve had that experience in the past with Wales, having to handle the favourites’ tag.

“There were probably one or two games in the autumn when they (Ireland) were under a little bit of pressure and they could have lost or it could have gone the other way, but they knew how to close the game down and manage it.

“We had that experience in 2018 and 2019 with Wales. We went through 14 matches unbeaten, and the thing about that is you’ve got a team that has composure, takes their moment and is able to manage games.

“That is probably the Irish team at the moment.”

The Welsh Rugby Union's acting chief executive, Nigel Walker admitted the organisation had been in denial, despite the warning signs, after allegations of sexism, misogyny and a toxic culture at the organisation were revealed

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The Welsh Rugby Union’s acting chief executive, Nigel Walker admitted the organisation had been in denial, despite the warning signs, after allegations of sexism, misogyny and a toxic culture at the organisation were revealed

The Welsh Rugby Union’s acting chief executive, Nigel Walker admitted the organisation had been in denial, despite the warning signs, after allegations of sexism, misogyny and a toxic culture at the organisation were revealed

Welsh Rugby Union chairman Ieuan Evans has vowed that an external taskforce will be established to help tackle the recent discrimination allegations

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Welsh Rugby Union chairman Ieuan Evans has vowed that an external taskforce will be established to help tackle the recent discrimination allegations

Welsh Rugby Union chairman Ieuan Evans has vowed that an external taskforce will be established to help tackle the recent discrimination allegations

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has backed “massive personality” Finlay Bealham to fill the void left by star prop Tadhg Furlong.

Australia-born Bealham will make his full debut in the championship at the age of 31 by deputising at tighthead on the back of some standout displays for Connacht and a series of impressive Test outings from the bench.

Farrell is hopeful Furlong (calf) will be back in contention for next week’s Round 2 clash with France but has full faith in his understudy, who has won 23 of his 27 international caps as a replacement.

“He’s not quite ready,” Farrell said of Furlong. “In fact, he’s progressing pretty well but he’s not quite there yet.

“He could possibly be there in the next few days or week or whatever, but we just think that Finlay deserves it as well.

Key man Tadhg Furlong (calf) has been ruled out injured for Ireland's opening Six Nations clash vs Wales in Cardiff

Key man Tadhg Furlong (calf) has been ruled out injured for Ireland’s opening Six Nations clash vs Wales in Cardiff

“He’s playing some outstanding rugby at this moment in time. The last game he played, he scored a hat-trick, he’s scrummaging very well, so he deserves a start.

“Tadhg will keep working away to hopefully be fit for the French game.

“Coming back from the autumn, or any camp he’s been in with us, he (Bealham) has had that trust.

“He’s a massive personality within our squad, he’s very popular, but coming out of the autumn and how that translates, going back to Connacht and his performances since then has been top-drawer.”

Connacht tighthead Finlay Bealham is the man to come in for Furlong, and head coach Andy Farrell says he deserves his place

Connacht tighthead Finlay Bealham is the man to come in for Furlong, and head coach Andy Farrell says he deserves his place

Farrell is happy the Principality Stadium roof will be closed for the encounter as he is eager for his in-form team to handle the loudest possible atmosphere.

However, the Englishman laughed off claims from rival Gatland that the clash is a “free hit” for Wales due to Ireland’s position at the top of the world rankings.

Farrell said: “A free shot in Test match rugby? Where do you get them from?

“We’d love to be able to buy one of those. Maybe I’ll buy him a free shot after the game.

Ireland boss Farrell says there is an extra layer of spice to the Six Nations this year

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Ireland boss Farrell says there is an extra layer of spice to the Six Nations this year

Ireland boss Farrell says there is an extra layer of spice to the Six Nations this year

“But there’s absolutely no doubt that Warren will expect his side to win…and so do I. I expect our side to win.

“His past record shows what he’s about in this competition. Finding a way to win has always been key to those teams, and we’re very aware of that.”

Wales: 15 Liam Williams, 14 Josh Adams, 13 George North, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Tomos Williams; 1 Gareth Thomas, 2 Ken Owens (c), 3 Tomas Francis, 4 Adam Beard, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 6 Jac Morgan, 7 Justin Tipuric, 8 Taulupe Faletau

Replacements: 16 Scott Baldwin, 17 Rhys Carre, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Dafydd Jenkins, 20 Tommy Reffell, 21 Rhys Webb, 22 Owen Williams, 23 Alex Cuthbert

Ireland: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 James Lowe, 10 Johnny Sexon, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Finlay Bealham, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 5 James Ryan, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Caelan Doris.

Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Tom O’Toole, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Bundee Aki.

Genge: Buzzing England squad excited under Borthwick | Gray keen to seize Six Nations chance: ‘Previous results vs England give us belief’

England prop Ellis Genge says he is “buzzing” to be back working alongside Steve Borthwick – but has vowed to “kick on and create something new” ahead of his country’s Six Nations opener against Scotland.

Under Borthwick’s tutelage at Leicester, Genge, 27, skippered the Tigers to last season’s Premiership title – nine years after they were last crowned kings of the English domestic game.

Borthwick transformed Leicester’s fortunes in just two seasons as head coach and he has now been tasked with reversing England’s slump following the dismissal of Eddie Jones.

Kevin Sinfield followed Borthwick from Leicester as defence coach, while Tigers tighthead Dan Cole, 35, is back in the England set-up after three years away.

New England head coach Steve Borthwick says he is as excited as the supporters for the Calcutta Cup match against Scotland

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New England head coach Steve Borthwick says he is as excited as the supporters for the Calcutta Cup match against Scotland

New England head coach Steve Borthwick says he is as excited as the supporters for the Calcutta Cup match against Scotland

“I probably did think that I wouldn’t be coached by him again, so I’m buzzing to be working back with Steve and Kev,” said Genge, who moved to his home-town club Bristol following Leicester’s championship triumph.

“But what’s unspoken is that we don’t want to rekindle that Leicester relationship. We want to kick on and create something new.

“We haven’t been speaking about the good old days, even though it was only last year. We’ve been trying to kick on and master what we’re trying to do here.”

Genge, capped 43 times by England, having made his debut in 2016, added: “When he (Borthwick) was captain for England, it probably didn’t end the way he wanted it to end.

“He spoke really well in the meeting the other day. When you hear a coach who has been in that role, numerous times, and ended up captain and then having it taken away from him, you know he really understands.

England loosehead Ellis Genge lauded praise on new head coach Borthwick and the start he has made to the job

England loosehead Ellis Genge lauded praise on new head coach Borthwick and the start he has made to the job

“A lot of coaches always say you’ve got to be better at this, got to be better at that. And Steve does that, but he looks at your super strength and says, ‘That is what I want you to be incredible at’.

“He doesn’t shout, he doesn’t bawl, he’s not one of those that’s going to hang you out to dry in front of people. Don’t get me wrong, he will do if he needs to. But most of the time he speaks calmly and he knows what he’s trying to get across and he makes a very good point of doing that.”

England second row Maro Itoje says Borthwick has made it clear that every player in the squad must fight for their shirt

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England second row Maro Itoje says Borthwick has made it clear that every player in the squad must fight for their shirt

England second row Maro Itoje says Borthwick has made it clear that every player in the squad must fight for their shirt

England will be back in front of the Twickenham crowd for the first time since they suffered a humbling 27-13 defeat to South Africa in November – Jones’ last match in charge.

Genge concluded: “I don’t think we’re a desperate team but we are extremely keen.

“Eddie is an absolutely world-class coach. Rightly or wrongly, the regime has been changed. Whether or not it was on the back of that performance against South Africa, I can’t speak on that.

“But what I can tell you is that we’ve had a great week’s preparation, and we’re excited to move forward.”

Borthwick has called on his players to keep fighting for their places and does not close the door on the possible inclusion of Manu Tuilagi in the future

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Borthwick has called on his players to keep fighting for their places and does not close the door on the possible inclusion of Manu Tuilagi in the future

Borthwick has called on his players to keep fighting for their places and does not close the door on the possible inclusion of Manu Tuilagi in the future

On the Scotland side, Richie Gray is relishing this year’s Six Nations as he admits there were times in recent seasons when he wondered if he would get to play in the tournament again.

The 33-year-old Glasgow lock has won 69 caps but has been on the periphery of the national team for much of Gregor Townsend’s five-and-a-half-year reign.

Gray has made only three Six Nations appearances under the current head coach, with the last of those coming at home to Wales in February 2021.

However, after making a positive impression following a surprise recall to the squad for the recent autumn Tests, he is in line to start Saturday’s Calcutta Cup match.

“Yeah, probably,” he said, when asked if he thought occasions such as this weekend’s Twickenham showdown were in the past for him. “For two years, maybe more than that, I wasn’t really getting in.

Scotland lock Richie Gray says he thought his Six Nations days might be over, adding there is belief they can beat England again

Scotland lock Richie Gray says he thought his Six Nations days might be over, adding there is belief they can beat England again

“With the strength and depth across the second row, it’s an area we’re really strong at, so there were a few moments when you go, ‘I might struggle to get back in here’.

“From that perspective, I’m very fortunate to be back here. I’m making the most of my time and enjoying it as much as I can as I’m very aware how quickly it can all pass by.”

Gray was among the substitutes two years ago when Scotland won at Twickenham for the first time since 1983.

Scotland boss Gregor Townsend has backed Luke Crosbie to bring his Edinburgh form to the national team in Saturday's Six Nations opener against England

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Scotland boss Gregor Townsend has backed Luke Crosbie to bring his Edinburgh form to the national team in Saturday’s Six Nations opener against England

Scotland boss Gregor Townsend has backed Luke Crosbie to bring his Edinburgh form to the national team in Saturday’s Six Nations opener against England

Townsend’s team have claimed the Calcutta Cup in four of the last five years and Gray feels they can draw confidence from memories of 2021 as they bid to ensure Borthwick gets off to a losing start.

“In 2021 we won down there, albeit in very different circumstances with no crowd, but we take belief from that,” he said. “Recent results against England have been favourable, but we’re under no illusions as to how big the challenge is.

“They’re under new management so will have a point to prove. They’ll also be hurting from the autumn and will come out all guns blazing, so we’ll need to match them.

“They’ve got quality across the board. If you look at Borthwick and how he played at Leicester with that traditional strong English pack who want to take you on up front. We’re aware of that as a pack of forwards, it will be a challenge. But one I hope and believe we can match.

“That’s the challenge, to do it when there are 80,000 getting behind their team. How do we react under that pressure? But I certainly believe we can.”

England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Max Malins, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Jack van Poortvliet; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Jamie George, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 Ollie Chessum, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Lewis Ludlam, 7 Ben Curry, 8 Alex Dombrandt

Replacements: 16 Jack Walker, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Ben Earl, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Ollie Lawrence, 23 Anthony Watson.

Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Kyle Steyn, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben White; 1 Pierre Schoeman, 2 George Turner, 3 WP Nel, 4 Richie Gray, 5 Grant Gilchrist, 6 Jamie Ritchie (c), 7 Luke Crosbie, 8 Matt Fagerson

Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 Simon Berghan, 19 Jonny Gray, 20 Jack Dempsey, 21 George Horne, 22 Blair Kinghorn, 23 Chris Harris



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Rugby Football Union apologises for ‘anger and concern’ over radical tackle-height change

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Sky Sports News’ James Cole visits Grasshoppers RFC to see what they make of the RFU’s decision to reduce the legal tackle height across community rugby from next season

Sky Sports News’ James Cole visits Grasshoppers RFC to see what they make of the RFU’s decision to reduce the legal tackle height across community rugby from next season

The Rugby Football Union will hold forums and workshops after it apologised for the “anger and concern” caused by its decision to lower the tackle height from next season.

It was announced last week tackling above the waist will be banned in community rugby in a move unanimously approved by Rugby Football Union Council members.

The legislation was brought in by the RFU in an attempt to support player welfare, notably reducing head impact exposure and will apply across the community game – clubs, schools, colleges and universities at both age-grade and adult levels – covering National One division and below in the men’s game and Championship One and below in the women’s game.

However, many clubs have been angered at what they see as a lack of consultation.

A group called the Community Club’s Union is trying to force a special general meeting of the RFU and a no-confidence vote in the board and chief executive Bill Sweeney.

The CCU says it has the backing of 278 clubs – many of whom agree with reducing the tackle height to increase safety but would prefer the limit to be set at chest/sternum.

The RFU says it will now begin a “series of forums and workshops with players, coaches, match officials and volunteers, to explain and develop the details of the domestic law variation.”

Ireland boss Andy Farrell says coaching will be crucial after the approval of a reduction in tackle height for the community game in England

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Ireland boss Andy Farrell says coaching will be crucial after the approval of a reduction in tackle height for the community game in England

Ireland boss Andy Farrell says coaching will be crucial after the approval of a reduction in tackle height for the community game in England

In its latest update on tackle height, the RFU said: “The RFU Board, Council and executive staff apologise for the anger and concern that has been created among the rugby community by announcing the decision to lower the tackle height from next season.

“In our desire to act quickly to reduce head impacts and concussions in the community game, which represents 99% of the rugby playing population in England, we have upset many of you who are the champions, volunteers, and ambassadors of our game. We fully acknowledge we got the engagement wrong, and we are truly sorry.

“In making our decision we were aware that France have lowered the tackle height, New Zealand will be doing so and World Rugby supports this approach.

“We, like the French, used the term “waist and below”; this has caused misunderstanding and confusion. We would now like the game to help us define how we describe a lower tackle height to reflect what the research is telling us in a way that is understood by all. Consequently, the risk of head injuries should be reduced if tackling below that optimum height.

“We will now begin a series of forums and workshops with players, coaches, match officials and volunteers, to explain and develop the details of the domestic law variation.

“A large body of scientific evidence* demonstrates the risk of head injury and concussion for players can be reduced by lowering the tackle height to prevent head on head contact. However, we also accept that the rugby community has other concerns that this change may bring and we need to listen, understand and respond to those concerns.

“We will start inviting players, coaches, match officials and volunteers to these forums from early next week, so that we can all work together.”

Johnny Sexton: Most concussions come from knees to the head

Backlash has not only come from the amateur game, with Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton making it clear he very much disagreed with the rule change and rather believed that it may only increase the number of concussions happening in the amateur game.

Ireland's Johnny Sexton says he does not agree with the new reduction in tackle height in the community game in England

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Ireland’s Johnny Sexton says he does not agree with the new reduction in tackle height in the community game in England

Ireland’s Johnny Sexton says he does not agree with the new reduction in tackle height in the community game in England

When asked whether it would make a difference, Sexton said: “Not at all. Definitely not.

“You can get a knee in the head. You can get a hip in the head. Most concussions come from those.

“There was a study done a few years ago and there were a lot of red cards given for high tackles and 100 per cent we need to get them out the game, but none of them resulted in concussions, whereas a lot of them came from knees to the head and hips to the head.

“I am not sure who puts these rules in place but I don’t agree with them, especially for a taller man like myself who likes to tackle hard.”

Youngs: More clarity needed

England and Leicester scrum-half Ben Youngs has stressed the importance of finding the right ‘balance’ between improving safety within rugby and and preserving the best of the sport in order to continue attracting new players and fans.

“I take my son to grassroots rugby on a Sunday, he is only doing tag at the moment,” said Youngs. “I think it is really important that we probably get a little bit more clarity about where the tackle height is.

“I know we are saying hips but I think for junior levels, for youngsters, it is not natural for people to be diving at knees and hips. Naturally they are stood up a bit more so if we could get a bit more shoulders and below, and have a bit more clarity.

“The last thing we want to do is be putting people off the game. Not through injury but actually through the fact they are having to be sent off to the sideline every couple of minutes.

“Or if someone can’t quite get to grasp with being low enough and then they are put off rugby because they never get to play because they are constantly being told off by the ref or the coach.

England’s most capped men’s player Ben Youngs says he is excited for a fresh start under Steve Borthwick as England prepare to face Scotland in the Six Nations next weekend

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England’s most capped men’s player Ben Youngs says he is excited for a fresh start under Steve Borthwick as England prepare to face Scotland in the Six Nations next weekend

England’s most capped men’s player Ben Youngs says he is excited for a fresh start under Steve Borthwick as England prepare to face Scotland in the Six Nations next weekend

“I think we have got to get that balance really right and it is a fine line. I am all for making the game safer, of course I am. I am a father, I want my kids to be safe, but I also want them to play rugby.

“It is a contact sport, it is a great sport. It gives so much in terms of values, teamwork, camaraderie and all those bits and you have got to get the balance.

“Yes, there is a risk to my son running around but also there is a huge amount of benefits of working in a team and doing all that.

“A bit more clarity around it would be great and that isn’t me speaking as a professional rugby player, that is me speaking as a father who takes his son to Sunday rugby.”



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Six Nations 2023 Championship in focus: England under new head coach Steve Borthwick

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A new era dawns for England under Steve Borthwick. Will it get off to a flying start?

England head into the 2023 Six Nations under new head coach Steve Borthwick seeking big improvements on the last two years.

In each of the last two Six Nations campaigns, England have lost three from five fixtures, finishing fifth in 2021 and third – but well off the top two of France and Ireland – in 2022.

England’s poor form, stagnant attack and undisciplined defence continued into the autumn, where they suffered defeats by Argentina and South Africa on home soil, as well as a draw vs New Zealand from a game they were totally outplayed in.

The consequence saw Eddie Jones given the boot, and in came Leicester Tigers head coach Borthwick, who has just these five Six Nations clashes as competitive fixtures before the Rugby World Cup in France in September.

Here, Sky Sports takes a closer look at how England are shaping up ahead of that opening match against Scotland in the Calcutta Cup at Twickenham…

Fixtures

  • Scotland – Twickenham – Saturday, February 4 – 4.45pm (GMT)
  • Italy – Twickenham – Sunday, February 12 – 3pm (GMT)
  • Wales – Principality Stadium – Saturday, February 25 – 4.45pm (GMT)
  • France – Twickenham – Saturday, March 11 – 4.45pm (GMT)
  • Ireland – Aviva Stadium – Saturday, March 18 – 5pm (GMT)
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What’s changed?

A lot. The main change has come right at the top, with Borthwick replacing Jones – the man he worked alongside with Japan and England for eight years between 2012-2020 – as head coach.

Other coaching changes have seen rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield join as defence coach, having worked with Borthwick at Leicester.

England head coach Borthwick discusses the importance of making every minute count in his new role

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England head coach Borthwick discusses the importance of making every minute count in his new role

England head coach Borthwick discusses the importance of making every minute count in his new role

The former Leicester Tigers coaching duo of Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield, Premiership champions last season, are now at the England helm

The former Leicester Tigers coaching duo of Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield, Premiership champions last season, are now at the England helm

South African Matt Proudfoot has departed as scrum coach, while Australian Brett Hodgson – rugby league coach with Hull FC until 2022 – departed too having never been involved at a Test after replacing predecessor Anthony Seibold as defence coach after the latter left for NRL side Manly Sea Eagles.

Training coordinator Danny Kerry was another to depart, while it was also confirmed Harlequins attack coach Nick Evans will join the England set-up. Previous attack coach Martin Gleeson was then also announced as a departure.

In playing terms, Owen Farrell has retained the captaincy, beating off Courtney Lawes and Ellis Genge, in what Borthwick termed “a straightforward” decision.

Borthwick called Farrell a 'fantastic leader' and said it was a 'straightforward' decision to keep him as captain

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Borthwick called Farrell a ‘fantastic leader’ and said it was a ‘straightforward’ decision to keep him as captain

Borthwick called Farrell a ‘fantastic leader’ and said it was a ‘straightforward’ decision to keep him as captain

Squad-wise, there is a return for 35-year-old Leicester tighthead Dan Cole after three years away, while established names like No 8 Billy Vunipola and wings Jonny May and Jack Nowell have been left out.

Five uncapped players are included in fly-half Fin Smith, wingers Ollie Hassell-Collins and Cadan Murley and hookers George McGuigan and Jack Walker.

Back-rows Ben Earl, Ben Curry and Alex Dombrandt, second-row Nick Isiekwe, centres Dan Kelly and Joe Marchant, and back-three duo Max Malins and Elliot Daly received recalls from Borthwick.

Sky Sports News' James Cole analyses Borthwick's selection decisions within his first Six Nations squad as England head coach

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Sky Sports News’ James Cole analyses Borthwick’s selection decisions within his first Six Nations squad as England head coach

Sky Sports News’ James Cole analyses Borthwick’s selection decisions within his first Six Nations squad as England head coach

What’s hot?

From Borthwick’s perspective, having skipper Farrell available despite his citing for a high tackle earlier this month (more on that below) is a big plus.

And like any sporting group, there does often seem to be a bounce or lift in performance once there is a change to the coaching group. There is a tangible sense that will occur with England.

Borthwick has arrived as a breath of fresh air after seven years of Eddie Jones. Will we see a new-coach bounce from England?

Borthwick has arrived as a breath of fresh air after seven years of Eddie Jones. Will we see a new-coach bounce from England?

England fans are believing again, the coaches are saying the right things, and the players are likely to respond in kind.

Sinfield’s presence as defence coach is a huge positive. An enormously influential figure, he is likely to have a huge impact.

England's new defence coach Sinfield has backed Borthwick and said his team will only look forward and not back

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England’s new defence coach Sinfield has backed Borthwick and said his team will only look forward and not back

England’s new defence coach Sinfield has backed Borthwick and said his team will only look forward and not back

England also have a lot of talented players – something that was never in question under Jones, but rather a frustrating facet to their failures under the Aussie.

Lastly, England’s start to the championship in 2023 could well be read as kind.

Scotland at Twickenham, Italy at Twickenham and a struggling Wales in Cardiff is how the first three rounds read. England may well be welcoming France to the home of English rugby in Round 4 on course for a Grand Slam…and momentum in the Six Nations is very often crucial.

What’s not?

The whole situation regarding Farrell’s availability for England’s Six Nations opener vs Scotland sits in distinctly murky waters.

Skipper Owen Farrell's availability for the start of the Six Nations, despite a citing, has come in unusual fashion

Skipper Owen Farrell’s availability for the start of the Six Nations, despite a citing, has come in unusual fashion

Farrell was cited for a high tackle made on Gloucester’s Jack Clement in Saracens’ Premiership clash on January 6 – a tackle he avoided a red card for, in a match he would go on to strike the winning drop-goal in.

The punishment marked the third time Farrell has been punished for a high tackle. He was banned for five weeks for a tackle on Wasps player Charlie Atkinson in 2020, with that sanction reduced from 10 weeks on account of off-field mitigating factors.

Back in 2016, Farrell was suspended for two weeks for an illegal challenge on Wasps’ Dan Robson during a European Cup semi-final.

James Cole explains why Farrell has not received a longer ban after being cited for a high tackle while playing for Saracens against Gloucester

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James Cole explains why Farrell has not received a longer ban after being cited for a high tackle while playing for Saracens against Gloucester

James Cole explains why Farrell has not received a longer ban after being cited for a high tackle while playing for Saracens against Gloucester

Farrell also avoided a citing in November 2018 for a shoulder charge high to the chest of South Africa centre Andre Esterhuizen while playing for England, as the offence was deemed worthy of a yellow card and not red. Farrell avoided a sin-binning for the incident during the Test as England held on to win by a point, 12-11.

As a repeat offender, Farrell was ineligible for the 50 per cent reduction this time around. And yet, the disciplinary panel reduced his six-week suspension by two weeks for mitigation such as conduct at the hearing. This despite Farrell arguing the offence was not a red card tackle.

Farrell was also offered World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme, otherwise known as ‘tackle school’, to reduce his ban from four weeks to three weeks, availing of a 50 per cent reduction in any case.

Farrell's ban was cut in half, despite him being ineligible as a repeat offender, and one of the three fixtures his suspension covers is a Premiership game he would not have played anyway

Farrell’s ban was cut in half, despite him being ineligible as a repeat offender, and one of the three fixtures his suspension covers is a Premiership game he would not have played anyway

Upon the suspension being confirmed, the RFU then listed Saracens’ Premiership clash with Leicester on February 19, and not England’s opening Six Nations clash against Scotland on February 4, as the potential fourth fixture he would be banned for should he not attend tackle school, in a bizarre move, but explained away in terms that England’s squad had yet to be announced.

Where the real controversy arose, however, is that the third fixture listed in Farrell’s suspension – Saracens vs Bristol in the Premiership on January 28, a week before the Six Nations kicks off – is a game in which England internationals would not be taking part in anyway, as they would already be in Test camp.

Farrell will continue to lead England as captain, with Borthwick giving the Saracens man his full approval

Farrell will continue to lead England as captain, with Borthwick giving the Saracens man his full approval

To get around this, Borthwick and England confirmed the suspended Farrell will be released to Saracens for a game he was never going to play in, in order for his ban to count in the fixture, before returning to England camp and leading the side as captain vs Scotland – a game he is then consequently free to play in. It’s not a great look.

Further negatives are the hamstring injury to back-row Tom Curry, who is a big miss, and the fact that playmaking fly-half Marcus Smith only returned from an ankle injury picked up in November on January 15.

Lawes, Elliot Daly, Jamie George and Mako Vunipola all also suffered injuries of varying degrees a week before the players meet in camp.

Tom Curry's absence due to a hamstring injury is a big blow

Tom Curry’s absence due to a hamstring injury is a big blow

England’s form before now has also seen their attack stunted, discipline poor, and set-piece beaten. There is a lot of work to do.

Key player

Maro Itoje: If there is one player Borthwick – a former second row – is likely to build up, work closely alongside and place importance upon, it is Itoje.

Marcus Smith has been of huge importance to England, but his ankle injury and Farrell being named as captain means he is unlikely to be the focus, and as such Itoje is more likely to be a key man.

Maro Itoje, supremely talented but regularly indisciplined, is likely to be a central figure under Borthwick

Maro Itoje, supremely talented but regularly indisciplined, is likely to be a central figure under Borthwick

Supremely talented, and massively powerful, if Borthwick and Sinfield can rid Itoje of his maddening indiscipline, the squad as a whole are likely to improve in terms of their relationships with referees.

Whenever England experienced high points under Jones, Itoje was at the heart of it. He has all the tools to become a magnificent performer again.

Championship record

Six Nations since 2000: Seven-time winners (2000, 2001, 2003, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2020).

Overall: 29 outright wins (1883, 1884, 1892, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1930, 1934, 1937, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1980, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2020).

England 36-man squad for the 2023 Six Nations

Forwards (20): Ollie Chessum, Dan Cole, Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Jonny Hill, Nick Isiekwe, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, George McGuigan, Bevan Rodd, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Mako Vunipola, Jack Walker, Jack Willis.

Backs (16): Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell (c), Tommy Freeman, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Dan Kelly, Max Malins, Joe Marchant, Alex Mitchell, Cadan Murley, Henry Slade, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward, Manu Tuilagi, Jack van Poortvliet, Ben Youngs.



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New York’s First Irish Theatre Festival returns to live performances!

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After a long pandemic led hiatus, the annual First Irish Theatre Festival is finally back on the board with live performances this month.

Theatre is a community activity, but since the pandemic, all major social gatherings including most stage productions had to be spiked. Until now.

Vaccines, masking, and basic health precautions have allowed one of the world’s oldest art forms to take steps toward full recovery and no one is happier about it than Origin Theatre and First Irish Theatre Festival artistic director Michael Mellamphy.

Perhaps it’s because as well as the festival director he’s also a working actor who will finally get back on the Irish Repertory Theatre’s stage as part of this year’s showcases.

Origin 1st Irish a week away 🎭 – https://t.co/ywCIzdYExG Spotlight on just some of the highlights from this seasons Origin 1st Irish! #origin1stIrish2023 #origin1stIrish pic.twitter.com/RN2Q9OyHMh


— Origin Theatre Company (@OriginTheatre1) January 6, 2023

“I’m performing ‘The Smuggler’ by Ronan Noone and directed by Connor Bagley at the Rep,” he tells IrishCentral.  “It’s a one man show I did at the First Irish Festival back in 2018 and then we were due to perform it at the Rep in April of 2020, but something happened around that time, I can’t remember quite what it was…”

Like everyone else, Mellamphy was forced to put the play and indeed his own career on the shelf for an extended period and this marks the first full return to live productions for the long-running festival, which is now in its fifteenth year.

Origin Theatre is a is an artist led company now, Mellamphy reminds me. “I think the best way to lead is to allow the artist to get up and do their thing as well.”

Combining theory and practice, he will lead the festival and star in this verse play from January 18 to February 26 addressing very timely themes: immigration, human trafficking, and the sometimes deeply dehumanizing way that people here can talk about such things. 

“I think this is very relevant, not just for America, but for what’s happening across the world right now with the splintering of views and ideas, and you know, a lot of the reactionary politics that we’ve had.”

The play is set in an imaginary area called Amity, which is very heavily rooted in in New England and Martha’s Vineyard,” Mellamphy explains. If that rings a bell it’s because that was were the real life Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cruelly shipped some unsuspecting immigrants in the hope they would be rejected instead of embraced.

“Like you, I’m an immigrant to this country. But there is a certain kind of a hierarchy, depending on where you’re from, and what language you speak, and how much melanin you have in your skin. The play takes on a lot of these in a very provocative and very Irish cheeky way. I’m very excited to stage it, you know?”

The festival opener will be provided by Dublin’s acclaimed Fishamble Theatre Company. “They are bringing over a wonderful new show by the Rooney prize-winning writer Eugene O’Brien, called Heaven beginning on January 11 and directed by Jim Culleton, who is an Irish Times Best Director award winner. 

Set in County Offaly during the weekend of a local wedding, guests Mairead and Mal (Andrew Bennett and Janet Moran) are struggling to keep their marriage together. In the hope that attending a wedding will help, or raise questions that are difficult to answer, Heaven looks at family bonds, life decisions, and the ever elusive search for happiness in contemporary Ireland.

“Meanwhile we have encouraged Big Telly Theatre Company from Northern Ireland to make their first foray over here into the United States, performing for First Irish,” Mellamphy says.

“They’re pioneers of very immersive site specific type of theater and they’re bringing us the New York premiere of their acclaimed, immersive take on the classic Frankenstein story called ‘Frankenstein’s Monster Is Drunk,’ which is based on an award-winning short story by Owen Booth. It will play at 59 East 59 Theatre from January 11 until the 28.

Herself by the noted Irish American playwright, poet, and performer Tim McGillicuddy is a dark and sometimes comic look into the destructive power of gossip that’s set in a haunted pub where a young woman returns to her hometown (following the death of her brother) to confront and try to transform the rumors of the past. The play will have a dramatic reading at the New York Irish Center in Long Island City on January 11 at 7 PM, tickets are $5.00.

‘It’s In The Play’ by Orlagh Cassidy and Kate Lardner is an intimate reconstruction of the puzzle of a fractured family’s story that explores memory, loss, and love in a manner both heartbreaking and humorous from January 20 through January at The Cell theatre in Chelsea.

‘The Funny Thing About Death’ by Kim Kalish is an Edinburgh Fringe sensation, which sold out a 5-star run in August. The award-winning sketch performer, improviser and storyteller is an Upright Citizens Brigade alum and a Conan O’Brien regular.

The show takes us through Kalish’s grief after losing the love of her life at just 23 years of age. Steeped in the agony of lost love, and that all too human condition of grieving, the play reminds us it’s okay to not be okay because that’s the funny thing about death. The show runs in repertory from January 20 – 29 at The Cell.

‘Dublin Noir’ by Honor Molloy will be presented in association with Irish American Writers and Artists (IAW&A). Set in August 1939 as Europe is on the eve war, Ireland has decided to have none of it.

On a day trip to Drogheda, Dubliner Tadgh Steele is captured by a dairy farmer named Murphy and locked in a cowshed. Is Tadgh a poet as he claims or as Murphy suspects a Nazi spy? Come to the Irish Arts Center for the reading of this new play by the award-winning playwright on January 29 at 3 PM.

‘Peace and Love In Brooklyn’ commands interest for being that very rare thing, an Irish musical. “It’s on for one night only on January 28 at 7 PM on the main stage of the Irish Arts Center, who we’re really partnering up with this year in a big way,” says Mellamphy. 

Written by Eamon O’Tuama, an Irish writer based in Queens, it’s a story about a young musical prodigy born to a couple who had a little fling back in the early 70’s. “Father and son have never met until one night when the mother hums a melody she has carried for years. A musical thread unravels and a 30-year journey begins in Brooklyn.”

Other festival highlights include a very special staged reading of the play ‘Brigid’ by Maura Mulligan, featuring songs from the Grammy-winning vocalist Susan McKeown and then a Brigid’s Eve talk back at the New York Irish Center. 

‘Those Who Pass You On The Streets’ stars John Duddy, Labhaoise Magee, and Ciaran Byrne (who also directs) is Laurence McKeown’s new work about an RUC widow who walks into a Sinn Fein office seeking assistance with the anti-social behavior in her area.

An unlikely friendship with community officer Frank begins, challenging their pre-conceptions and beliefs, as well as family and political loyalties. The reading runs on January 29 at the Irish Arts Center at 7 PM.

For a full list of performance times, venues and tickets visit origintheatre.org.



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Irish culture is our superpower and we’re proving it

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Irish culture is our superpower. It’s what most put us on the map worldwide and it’s time we fully understood and celebrated it.

It takes about 100 years for a colonized country to finally get its groove back. If that country is Ireland, that is.

The nation’s artists have never been more productive, various in their outlooks, or confident in their message and its global reach. 

It’s a profound change from the insular, uncertain, approval-seeking nation we were in the 1980s and before. Now, Irish artists have gained a new confidence about who they are, where they come from, and where they’re going, a confidence that marks a major departure from most of the last century. Is it a postcolonial benefit? Who knows, but it’s here.

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Carrie Crowley and Catherine Clinch in The Quiet Girl (An Cailin Ciuin)

So let’s start with Irish films. My pick for Irish film of the year – and the decade, in fact – is “The Quiet Girl” (“An Cailín Ciúin.”) Adapted by director Colm Bairéad from the award-winning short story “Foster” by Claire Keegan, it’s one of the most simple and affecting films about Irish life that I have ever seen committed to film. 

If Irish filmmaking exists on a continuum with “Darby O’Gill and The Little People” on one end and “The Banshees of Inisherin” somewhere in the middle, then “The Quiet Girl” (“An Cailín Ciúin”) stands at the opposite end, in a place of stark realism and quiet poetry. In the place of art, in other words. 

Bairéad’s accomplishment is to introduce a much-needed realism to the screen depictions of how we actually live and love. With his deep background in documentary filmmaking, he has developed an aversion to any kind of cheap sentiment or theatrical flourish, meaning he instead delivers films where the smallest change can have the force of an avalanche. 

That’s certainly the case in “The Quiet Girl” (“An Cailín Ciúin”) which is my most enthusiastic Oscar pick for 2023. It simply stands head and shoulders above every other Irish or Irish adjacent film that I’ve seen this year, featuring flawless turns from newcomer Catherine Clinch and equally memorable performances from co-stars Carrie Crowley and Joan Sheehy.

Carrie Crowley and Catherine Clinch in The Quiet Girl (An Cailin Ciuin)

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Carrie Crowley and Catherine Clinch in The Quiet Girl (An Cailin Ciuin)

Like the story of Cinderella, “The Quiet Girl” (“An Cailín Ciúin”) is about the devastation of lovelessness in childhood. It’s set in 1981 in rural Ireland and Cáit (gifted newcomer Catherine Clinch) is a neglected young girl who’s struggling amid her dysfunctional family, in a chaotic house that’s full of conflict. 

Pregnant again and unable to face a house full of young mouths to feed, her exhausted mother hits on the idea of sending Cáit, the least important one, away for the summer to stay with her sister and her husband in a house that’s many miles away from all Cáit has ever known.

But here’s where the story takes an unexpected turn. In the care of her aunt Eibhlin she slowly comes to life and this Cinderella-like transformation from kitchen drudge to confident young girl is a joy to watch.

“All you needed was a little minding,” her aunt tells her, pleased with her progress, as “The Quiet Girl” (“An Cailín Ciúin”) reminds us that love is all she – or any of us – have ever needed.

Meanwhile, 2022 was actor Paul Mescal’s breakthrough year as a screen actor of international stature in two perfectly made, but wildly different vehicles. First came “God’s Creatures,” with the 26-year-old playing a prodigal son who dramatically returns to his village after years abroad just as once dramatically vanished. 

Set in a coastal town in Co Sligo, the film is a pitch-perfect portrait of a haunted Irish rural community and a mother (Emily Watson) who spends far too much of her time trying to persuade herself she can’t see what’s in front of her face.

Watson is captivating as Aileen O’Hara, the hard-working wife and mother who is so glad her prodigal son Brian (Mescal) has come back from a sojourn in Australia that she’s determined to ask no hard questions like where he was, why he left, how he supported himself or why he has suddenly returned?

Paul Mescal and Emily Watson in God's Creatures

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Paul Mescal and Emily Watson in God’s Creatures

As Brian, the confident but strangely distant son whose sudden presence after years away is a puzzle to many, Mescal’s character is increasingly unsettling, hinting at violence just beneath the surface. 

I found “God’s Creatures” had the slow burn of a good horror film, where nothing is ever quite what it seems and people’s wishful thinking – Watson’s in particular – is rarely rewarded. 

Men are everywhere in this perfectly realized film but the story really belongs to women, who are usually the last to realize they don’t really own anything in the town, including their homes, their independence, or their own destinies.

Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio in Aftersun

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Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio in Aftersun

Mescal’s other big turn this year was in “Aftersun,” a dazzling, moving, and unforgettable picture of a moment in time in the early 2000s that has haunted the memory of his now grown-up daughter.

A film that reminds you of the power and possibility of the medium itself, the unforgettable new film has Mescal as a haunted young father in what may well – and in my opinion are – his final days on earth.

Mescal plays Calum, a 31-year-old Scottish father who has broken up with his former partner but still takes his daughter Sophie on a short summer holiday to Turkey to prove to her – and probably himself – that he’s still a good man, not a deadbeat dad.

We see him tool about the downmarket tourist resort, participate in some holiday activities with Sophie, and interestingly we also see him flirt with a young male diving instructor (is he bisexual, is that why the relationship with his partner ended?)

There is a rich darkness haunting the edge of the screen in this powerful new film, just as there is in life, and that unsettling awareness makes “Aftersun” a particularly satisfying journey. 

In theatre, newcomer Asher Muldoon, son of the poet Paul Muldoon, had a palpable hit with his musical version of “The Butcher Boy” (based on the Pat McCabe classic). What made Muldoon’s musical so interesting is that it put the most marginal person in an Irish town center stage, giving him a spotlight, a song, and a point of view and then letting him quite literally rip and good lord was it thrilling. 

People talk about the surreal qualities of McCabe’s original story, often missing the heartache at its core. But McCabe and Muldoon keep a gimlet eye on the hard truths that propel the story and when they were revealed they were shattering, making this a particularly satisfying night at the theatre.

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Finally, as the testament of a spirit, they don’t come much purer than Gabrial Byrne’s impressively accomplished turn on Broadway in his superb show “Walking With Ghosts.“

The most private of men, who knew that he could Brian Freil a run for his money in this by turns hilarious and harrowing performance based on his own bestselling memoir.

Byrne’s show offered one of the richest meditations on Irish life I have seen on a stage in years, surpassing many of our own current crop of playwrights whose job he successfully gunned for here, in a story I carried with me long after the lights came up.



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