WHEN we hear the words ‘Dracula’ and ‘Narnia,’ they instantly conjure up images of mythical darkly romantic figures and mystical lands filled with adventure and foreboding in equal measure.

READING is hugely beneficial, but sure you don’t need me to tell that. Both from an educational point of view and for your mental health it’s a win-win past time.

IN THIS month of May here at home, we take a moment to reflect and remember the catastrophic events that shaped the Irish wherever they first saw the light of day.

IRISH Nurses: An Oral History is published by Four Courts Press (2025). It tells the unique stories of 45 Irish women who came to the UK to work as nurses for the NHS, and contains many meticulous stories of their experiences, from their training to the everyday stresses and strains, to the fun and craic they had outside of work.

IN TERMS of Irish revolutionaries, we tend to think of James Connolly and Padraig Pearse manning the barricades of the GPO

TWENTY years ago, this year, my first stage play premiered here in Dún na nGall. I had written The Flight of the Earls the previous year...

THE Irish Voice explains why the An Chúirt Hotel provides the perfect base for a trip home

THE novella, Small Things Like These written by Claire Keegan was published in 2021. I read it soon after. Then a couple of months ago,...

HUBBY and I are just back from a lovely break to Krakow, Poland, possibly one of the cleanest European cities I’ve ever visited

IN THE lexicon of the English language, words and phrases such as Yahoo, Swiftian Satire, Stream of Consciousness and Borstal Boy are common

THIS book, from the very beginning, points to a strong sense of collaborative in putting it together

THE month of March is traditionally a time when Irish communities all over the world note an increased interest in the story of Ireland

AS THIS is the March edition , I must acknowledge that the 17th of this month is really for those who play the Expatriate Game

A LOOK back over February throws up some crucial figures in Ireland’s cultural and political life, as well as some impactful events

IRISH playwrights have always played a central role in shaping the nation’s sense of itself

‘SAY nothing’ comes from Seamus Heaney’s poem about the culture of secrecy and restraint during the conflict in the North of Ireland

FULL disclosure, I don’t always pay much attention to the folks at Met Éireann. At this stage, I’m a bit of an expert on what the local...

IT'S NOT often I get to brag about attending three gigs in one at the Barrowland Ballroom during Celtic Connections, but I did, and I...

THERE'S no point in becoming an emigrant unless you’re making plans to improve yourself in some way

THE 16th and 17th centuries were a period of intense conflict and change in Ireland