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Ireland's ‘film censor' Ciarán Kissane: ‘My mother told me I watched too much TV and now I watch movies for a living'

Ireland's ‘film censor' Ciarán Kissane: ‘My mother told me I watched too much TV and now I watch movies for a living'

Irish Times20-07-2025
How agreeable are you?
I've developed my skills over the years to see things from a range of perspectives, which is very useful in
my job
. When you're making decisions on
classifications
, seeing things from different perspectives and being open to being persuaded on different points of view is important.
What's your middle name and what do you think of it?
Francis. I was lucky enough to go to
Assisi
, and while I wouldn't be a very religious person, it's a very spiritual place. The other St Francis that I came across was St Francis de Sales, who is the patron saint of journalists and writers. I don't know whether it was one or the other who inspired my parents, but maybe it was the premonition of the work I was going to do in the future.
Where is your favourite place in Ireland?
Anywhere along the west coast I have a real love for, and especially the offshore islands. I've been lucky enough to go to most of them, but if I had to pick one place, it probably would be Kilkee in west
Clare
. Some years ago, I was lucky enough to get involved in scuba diving, and Kilkee has got world-class dive sites at the mouth of a beautiful bay.
Describe yourself in three words.
Curious, gracious, affable.
READ MORE
When did you last get angry?
When I think about anger, I think about The Incredible Hulk. In the context of that character, anger is about uncontrollable rage and destruction. I'm much more comfortable with things that I find annoying, frustrating, or that make me sad.
[
Ireland used to ban films. Now it's more relaxed than Britain or the US about what's on screen. Why?
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]
What have you lost that you would like to have back?
Youth. The energy and the optimism of it. As you get older, you get more aware of the physical dangers around you, and you certainly can't do as much as you could. Take scuba diving, for example. After a dive, I find it harder every year to haul myself up on to a dive boat. I'm still managing to do it, but I wish I were in my 20s when I was able to just jump up and get straight back on the boat.
What's your strongest childhood memory?
My mother telling me during an episode of Blankety Blank that my grandfather had died suddenly. He lived with us, so he was a constant fixture. He always had time to chat with you. He used to sit on the couch, read a book, smoke a pipe and watch for people coming into the shop – he had a butcher's shop, but at this stage it was very much winding down. I remember the smell of tobacco smoke, and him reading the Poldark books …
Where do you come in your family's birth order and has it defined you?
I'm the fourth of six. One of the things about being part of a large family is that there was never any sense of somebody else trying to steer your direction or your career path. My mother, who loved books, television and cinema, often told me that I watched too much TV, and here I am watching movies for a living. She'd get a laugh out of that if she were still with us.
What do you expect to happen when you die?
I expect to be scattered at sea with the Saw Doctors' song Carry Me Away playing in the background. There's a lovely line in it where it says, 'Scatter me forever where I've felt most alive'. To be left to the sea would be great because, for me, the underwater environment is a magical place.
When were you happiest?
One of the places where I find the most peace is if I'm underwater and there are perfect climate conditions. You don't often get that, but sometimes, when people ask you to envisage a perfect moment, for me it generally comes from some time when I was underwater.
Which actor would play you in a biopic about your life?
I know how hard it is to get money together to make something, especially something that's non-commercial, so if anyone were to make a biopic about my life – and I don't think anyone would – they would surely struggle to raise the budget.
What's your biggest career/personal regret
?
I don't really do regrets because I'm a glass-half-full person, and you can't change the past. We have a lot of agency to tell ourselves our own stories, and while you've got to be aware of the negatives, in my view it's critical to focus on the positive.
Have you any psychological quirks?
My children say that I can't stay still. They may be right – I'm constantly trying to do too much rather than do one or two things.
In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea
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‘My voice is gone' – Listen to ecstatic Radio Kerry commentary of David Clifford's best All-Ireland final moments
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All Together Now music festival 2025: Stage line-ups and times, ticket information, how to get there and more
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All Together Now , the festival-shaped brainchild of the man who founded Electric Picnic in 2004 only to leave 10 years later, is back for its six year and taking place over the August bank holiday from August 1st to August 3rd inclusive. Across an area of natural amphitheatres, gentle hills and hidden forests, All Together Now boasts several stages of music, spoken word, comedy, workshops, wellness activities and whatever other New-Age artsy things are in vogue today. With more than 25,000 expected to descend on the Co Waterford estate for the festival, a bit of planning can do no harm. So what do you need to know? All Together Now 2022 festival When and where is it on? READ MORE The Festival is on from Friday, August 1st, to Sunday August 3rd at the Curraghmore Estate in Co Waterford. Early entry is available on Thursday July 31st. Are there any tickets left? Tickets for All Together Now 2025 are officially sold out. The organisers have strongly advised festival goers to avoid purchasing tickets or camper van passes from unauthorised sellers. They have received a significant number of messages from people who have been scammed when trying to buy tickets through unofficial channels, particularly through a Facebook group claiming to resell tickets for their events. They are advising people to only buy tickets through official channels listed on their website , avoid social media ticket resales altogether and report any suspicious pages or posts. Make sure to add your tickets to your phone's wallet before you leave home to keep it handy and as on-site signal might be limited. Who is performing and when? With a variety of acts scheduled to perform over the weekend, festivalgoers are spoiled for choice. Headliners this year include Fontaines DC , London Grammar, CMAT , Wet Leg , Primal Scream . Michael Kiwanuka was due to appear on the Main Stage on Monday, but his performance has been cancelled on the advice of doctors due to an illness. As with headliners there is no shortage of Irish music acts lined across other stages, including Bricknasty, Landless, Muireann Bradley, Le Boom and Pigbaby, to name a few. At the Belonging Bandstand you won't want to miss Tony Cantwell and January Winters, plus, there are several spots for special guests across the different stages. Check out the line-up or see the festival's app for more details. CMAT performs on Later with Jools Holland. Photograph: Michael Leckie/BBC Studios Thursday, July 31st The festival organisers have announced that in addition to live music there will be other surprises around the site on Thursday. Max Zaska. Photograph: Aaron Corr The Well Telebox – 6.30pm-7pm T.A Narrative – 7.30pm-8pm Affection to Rent – 8.30pm-9.40pm Delivery Service – 11pm-12am Bandstand Arena Zaska – 8pm-9.15pm Marcus O'Laoire – 9.30pm-10.45pm Le Boom – 11pm-12.30am Friday August 1st Hester Chambers and Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg. Photograph: Alan Betson Main Stage Trinity Orchestra – 5pm-6pm Lisa O'Neill – 7pm-8pm Wet Leg – 8.30pm-9.45pm Fontaines D.C. – 10.30pm-12am Lovely Days Avenue 68 – 2pm-3pm Don West 3.45pm-4.45pm Hinds – 5.15pm-6.15pm Arc De Soleil – 6.45pm-7.45pm Darren Kiely – 8.30pm-9.30pm Parra For Cuva – 10pm-11.15pm Nia Archives 12am-1am ATRIP – 1am-3am Bandstand Arena Taylor Byrne – 2pm-3pm Sexy Tadhg – 3.30pm-4.30pm Toucan – 5pm-6pm Cooks But We're Chefs – 6.30pm-7.30pm MYD (DJ) – 8.30pm-10.30pm SX2 – 10.30pm-12am Carlita – 12am-1.30am Flight Facilities (DJ) – 1.30am-3.30am Something Kind of Wonderful Florence Road – 4.15pm-5.15pm Bricknasty – 6pm-7pm Geordie Greep – 7.45pm-8.45pm Baxter Drury – 9.30pm-10.30pm Leftfield (Live) – 12am-1.30pm Flourish Bold Love – 2.15pm-3pm Girlband! – 3.30pm-4.15pm Cliffords – 4.45pm-5.30pm Heartworms – 6pm-7pm BBY – 7.45pm-8.30pm Skinner – 9.45pm-10.45pm Makeshift Arts Bar – 12am-1am Immerse Away from Dave – 6.30pm-8pm HAAi – 8pm-10pm Aika Mal – 10pm-12.15am Saoirse – 12.15am-2am Courtesy – 2am-3.30am The Circle Alice Ugbah – 4.30pm-6.30pm God Knows – 7pm-7.45pm Kofi Stone – 8.15pm-9pm Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn - 9.–0pm – 10.15pm Onai – 10.45pm-12.30am Jehnny Beth (DJ) – 12.30am-2am Arcadia Dylan Fogarty – 10.30pm-12am Funk Assault – 12am-2am KI/KI – 2am-3.30am Saturday August 2nd Hannah Reid of London Grammar. Photograph: Alan Betson Main Stage Sing Along Social – 4pm-5pm Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 - 6.–5pm-7.30pm CMAT – 8.30pm-9.45pm London Grammar – 10.15pm-11.30pm BICEP present CHROMA (AV DJ Set) – 12am-1.30am Lovely Days Aaron Rowe – 2.20pm-3pm Morgana – 3.30pm-4.30pm Biig Piig – 5pm-6pm Everything is Recorded – 8pm-9.15pm Gurriers – 9.45pm-10.45pm Fat Dog – 11.15pm-12.30am Shee – 1.30am-3.30am Something Kind of Wonderful Tommy Tiernan – 12pm-1pm Lewis Doyle Singer – 1.30pm-2pm Landless – 3pm-4pm Arooj Aftab – 5pm-6.15pm John Grant – 7pm-8pm 49th & Main - 8.–5pm – 10pm Georgia – 10.45pm-12am Bonobo (DJ) – 1.30am-3am Flourish Bonya – 1pm-1.145pm Madra Salach – 2.15pm-3pm Bren Berry – 3.30pm-4.15pm Pan Amsterdam – 4.45pm-5.30pm Chloe Qisha – 6pm-7pm Search Results – 8pm-9pm The Altered Hours – 9.45pm-10.45pm Immerse Marion Hawkes – 3.30pm-5.30pm CAIT – 5.30pm-7.30pm The Trip – 7.30pm-9.30pm Max Cooper – 9.45pm-11.45pm Clouds – 11.45pm-1.30am Blawan DJ – 1.30am-3.30am The Circle Mabfield Live Podcast – 1.30pm-3pm Asha Ari – 3pm-3.30pm DUG – 4pm-4.45pm Huartan – 5.15pm-6pm Rois – 6.45pm-7.30pm Enola Gay – 8.15pm-9pm Dry Cleaning – 9.45pm-10.30pm David Holmes – 11pm-12.30am Shampain – 12.30am-2am Arcadia JWY – 10.30pm-12am EMA – 12am-2am Special Request – 2am-4am Sunday August 3rd Blindboy Main Stage Bueno Vista All Stars – 3pm-4pm BIIRD – 4.30pm-5.30pm Primal Scream – 6.30pm-7.30pm TBC – 8.15pm-9.20pm Nelly Furtado – 10.15pm-11.30pm Something Kind of Wonderful Blindboy -12pm-1pm Kean Kavanagh – 3.15pm-4.15pm The Boomtown Rats – 4.45pm-5.45pm Bob Vylan – 6pm-7pm English Teacher – 7.15pm-8.15pm The Voidz – 8.45pm-9.45pm Ben Bohmer (Live) – 10.30pm-12am Folamour – 12.30am-2am Lovely Day Muireann Bradley – 3.45pm-4.45pm Infinity Song – 5.15pm-6.15pm Nilufer Yanya – 6.45pm-7.45pm A Lazarus Soul – 8.30pm-9.30pm Mura Masa – 12am-1.30am Tara Kumar – 1.30am-3.30am Flourish The Awning – 1pm-1.45pm pigbaby – 2.15pm-3pm Martin Luke Brown – 3.30pm-4.15pm Ishmael Ensemble – 4.45pm-5.30pm Antony Szmierek – 6pm-7pm Radio Free Alice – 8pm-9pm Shark School – 9.45pm-10.30pm The Null Club – 12am-1am Bandstand Arena Glasshouse Perform Sigur Ros – 12.30pm-1.30pm Playback Presents: Bob Dylan '65 – 3.15pm-4.15pm Papa Romeo – 4.45pm-5.30pm Fizzy Orange – 6pm-7.30pm New Jackson – 9pm-10.15pm Matador b2b LRB – 12am-1.30am Deep Dish – 1.30am-3.30am IMMERSE Rhyzine – 3.30pm-5.30pm Puzzy Wrangler – 5.30pm-7.30pm CC:DISCO! – 7.30pm-9.30pm In2stellar – 9.30pm-11.30pm Surusinghe – 11.30pm-1.30pm Shanti Celeste – 1.30pm-3.30pm The Circle Mabfield Live Podcast – 2pm-3.30pm Divil – 3.45pm-4.15pm Adore – 5pm-5.45pm Curtisy – 7.45pm-8.30pm Maria Somerville – 9pm-10pm Sloucho – 12am-2am Arcadia Collie – 10.30pm-12am Sally C – 12am-2am Yousuke Yukimatsu – 2am-4am What else is there to see and do? Like most music festivals, All Together Now's website has a section advertising the various 'experiences' on offer. As well as music scheduled each day festivalgoers will have access to panel discussions, monologues, spoken word, comedy, storytelling, yoga, saunas, hot tubs, live food demos, arcade games, magic shows, circus and craft workshops, sensory play areas for kids, football competitions, music bingo and more. At the Greencrafts Village, an 'eco-conscious crafting hub', you can take part in craft-making activities and, most importantly, you get to take what you make home to show off. What time should I arrive? Access to the campsite will open from 4pm with last entry at 10pm on Thursday 31st July. Thursday the venue will open from 4pm with last entry at 9pm. Friday 1st August the venue opens at 9am with last entry at 9pm. Saturday 2nd August the venue will open at 9am with last entry at 8pm. Sunday 3rd August the venue will open at 10am with last entry at 4pm. How do I get there? As with many festivals held in remote rural locations, it takes some planning to get there. By bike: A bike rack will be located next to car park 4, please follow the directions of staff once you enter the site. E-scooters and e-bikes Bike racks available. No charging e-scooters or e-bikes at bike racks. By bus: There will be direct non-stop services from Dublin city centre and Cork city bus station (Parnell Place) which will operate to the festival on Thursday 31st July and Friday 1st August with return journeys on Monday 4th August. There will be a regular service from Waterford Bus Station to Curraghmore House each day from Friday 1st August with return journeys on Monday 4th August. The organisers have advised that they believe this to be the best option for festival goers. Expressway have set up a page for people who are looking to arrive at All Together Now by bus with all the relevant information on when and where the services will run and how to book. All private buses will be directed to Gate 4 regardless of their route origin and no private hire coaches are permitted to stay on site. By car: First and foremost, festival organisers have advised not to follow directions on a sat nav or Google Maps as it will not get you all the way to the festival site. Instead follow festival signs as soon as you see those. Other key points to remember if travelling by car are: Do not travel to the festival via Carrick-on-Suir; presumably the town would become a traffic choke point if thousands of cars piled through in short succession Organisers have advised that the quietest time to arrive will be between 9am and 1pm, Car parking will be available from 2pm on Thursday, July 31st, and from 9am on Friday, August 1st. There are six car parks on the festival grounds which can be seen on this interactive map . Drop-off or pickup on the event site by taxi is prohibited on Friday and Monday. Ticket holders arriving to the festival on Friday by taxi or getting dropped off by private vehicles will be directed to the designated drop-off zone in Highfield Business Park, Portlaw; accessed from the N25 Kilmeaden Interchange. Ticket holders will then get the free shuttle bus to the festival (Operating Friday (9am-9.30pm) and returning Monday (8am – 1pm only). To avoid festival traffic the organisers have advised the best drop off at the Waterford City bus Terminus where Bus Éireann festival shuttle will operate a regular service to the festival site. The festival organisers have advised that if you are leaving the festival site each night and being picked up by taxi / private car you should tell your drive to come to Gate 4. Once in Gate 4, the festival's team will direct them to the bus drop off / taxi pick up area. The organisers are urging people to not arrange to be dropped or picked up elsewhere near the estate as this can cause delays and disrupt traffic flow. To get to the pickup/drop off area you go back through the main entrance, take a left and then you will see the bus drop-off/pick up area. If you need to avail of access parking you must email access@ and receive confirmation from the access team. Regular Traffic updates will be available on Garda X account , local radio stations WLR 95.1FM and Beat 102FM as well as the festival's app and X feed By train: Waterford Plunkett Station is under five minutes walking distance to Bus Éireann Terminus, which will be running a regular festival shuttle to the festival. Waterford Plunkett Station has direct trains to Limerick, Kildare and Dublin. You can get to Waterford Plunkett from Galway, Cork and Belfast with one change. See Irish Rail's summer events page for more information. What if I'm camping? When it comes to camping at All Together Now, there's no shortage of boutique options for those looking for more than a flimsy tent among the chaotic masses. Fancy paying more for accommodation? There are Podpads, Yippee tents and Silk Road tents, all at varying levels of modest luxury, and you can find out more here. Toilets are dotted around the festival grounds and showers will be located in the campsites and available for use at specific times throughout the weekend. Campfires and disposable barbecues are not permitted on site, and campers have been asked not to smoke in their tents for safety reasons. What's the security? You must be aged 21 or over to gain access to All Together Now, with the exception of children aged 12 or below, who must be accompanied by a paying adult. There is a maximum limit of two children aged 12 and under per adult. People aged between 13 and 20 will not be allowed entry. Festival organisers have suggested if you don't need an item, don't bring it. It's a cashless festival so no need to bring any cash. Stringent searches will be conducted upon entry to the festival grounds. Items not allowed include: fireworks, illicit drugs, glass, animals (except guide dogs), weapons, petrol generators, barbecues, gazebos, flag poles, garden furniture, laser pens, professional photographic equipment, selfie sticks, drones, umbrellas, megaphones and air horns, high-vis clothing, bicycles and sound systems. Each person with a weekend camping ticket can bring alcohol at their first time of entry. They can bring either: 24 cans or 1 litre of spirits or 1.5 litre of wine for personal consumption. No glass bottles are allowed. Pre-packaged and cooked food is allowed to be brought to the campsite and no cooking is allowed. There will be food stalls and a supermarket at the festival. Fans have been asked to report any crimes to on-site gardaí as soon as possible and anybody participating in antisocial behaviour will be liable for eviction from the festival without re-entry. The Garda station at Portlaw can be contacted on 051 387 105. What should I pack? The festival organisers have shared a list of essentials that they suggest people bring: Photo ID & tickets Reusable water bottle Tent, sleeping bag, toiletries, loo roll Card for cashless payments Layers, rain gear, sun cream & wellies – prepare for all weather! Anything else? There will be phone charging facilities on site, but no harm ensuring your phone is fully charged when you're leaving the house. The festival bars are cashless and accept card and contactless payments – that means if your phone is your card, best make sure it's charged. At music festivals, power banks are your friends. For all things All Together Now, you can download the festival app (download from App Store or Google Play) and keep up to date with things throughout the weekend. What's the weather looking like? Met Éireann has said that Thursday will have a cloudy start with a few showers gradually clearing too. Sunny spells will develop across southern and eastern counties but it will remain cloudy elsewhere. Dry for much of the afternoon with highest temperatures of 18 to 21 degrees and northwesterly breezes. Thursday night will have a mix of cloud and clear spells. The best of the dry weather will be in the south and east. A little cooler too with lowest temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees in a light northwesterly breeze. Friday will be a largely bright day with plenty of sunshine and just a few isolated showers. Highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees and moderate northwesterly breezes. The weekend will be very unsettled with a band of rain moving over the festival on Saturday, turning heavy at times followed by scattered showers for Sunday. Temperatures staying in the mid to high teens.

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