Meet Luke Jerram – the man bringing the sun to Cork this summer (but only indoors!)
Mixing art with science, Luke Jerram's works have invited audiences to play, fall in love and see our solar system in detail
When the sun comes out, most people put on their shades. Luke Jerram is different. When the English artist looked up at the sun, he wanted to get closer to it. The result is his dazzling new artwork, Helios. 'Helios is an artwork which provides an opportunity to see the sun up close,' he says. 'The sun artwork took about eight months to create and it's created out of 40,000 photographs of the surface of the sun. It shows all the sunspots and filaments and all these lovely details of the sun that we can't ordinarily see because, obviously, we're not allowed to look at the sun up close.'
We are talking on Zoom and he smiles broadly as he tells me about Helios, which opens at St Fin Barre's Cathedral on June 9 as part of Cork Midsummer Festival. 'If you think about it scientifically but also culturally, the sun is a light and energy source for life on our planet,' he continues. 'It has inspired music and religions and culture and poetry, in every literature and every culture all around the world. So it has that sort of universal appeal.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
13 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Louise O'Neill among writers pushing the boundaries of theatre at Cork Midsummer Festival
She may have made her name as an author but it turns out that Louise O'Neill's true love is the theatre. When I chat to O'Neill, she is in London, where she has seen two plays in quick succession — Conor McPherson's new play The Brightening Air and the buzzy Broadway transfer Stereophonic by David Adjmi. "I just adore the theatre. Wherever I am, I'm always like 'what play can I go and see?'. There is something about being in a dark room with a few hundred other people and you have all signed this covenant that you are going to suspend disbelief for the next couple of hours.' So, when the opportunity arose to write her own play, O'Neill jumped at the chance. It was an offer with an attractive twist — to contribute a piece to Theatre for One, a very different prospect to the usual theatrical experience. A highlight of the Cork Midsummer Festival, Theatre for One presents a selection of five-minute pieces performed by a lone actor to an audience of one in a confessional-style booth. The unusual format has proved a big hit with audiences in its previous two iterations, and this year, the theme of Made in Cork adds some extra hometown flavour. Clonakilty native O'Neill is one of six Cork writers featuring, along with Cónal Creedon, Katie Holly, John McCarthy, Michael John McCarthy and Gina Moxley. 'It is really pushing the boundaries of what theatre can be and it is just really exciting to be part of that,' says O'Neill. "I had seen previous plays by Marina Carr, Mark O'Rowe, Louise Lowe, and Enda Walsh and it felt so intimate and spellbinding. Theatre is so much about the connection between the actor and the audience. Every night feels different, the energy, the dynamic, because of a new audience and how people respond to the material. There is something so fascinating about boiling that down to two people in one space.' O'Neill may have proven her own talent in a different literary field, but this isn't her first theatrical outing. Her second novel Asking For It, dealing with the aftermath of a sexual assault in a small Irish town, became a phenomenon, and was later adapted for the stage, premiering at the Cork Midsummer Festival in 2018. However, long before that, she trod the boards herself, as a member of Kilmeen Drama Group, in their award-winning production of The Playboy of the Western World, which went on to be performed at the Abbey Theatre in 2013. 'Kilmeen was my local drama group and they were just such a wonderful source of inspiration. My mother would take me and my sister to the All-Ireland Drama Festival every year and we would see a different play every night. Lauren Coe as Emma and Paul Mescal as Bryan in Landmark Productions and the Everyman world premiere production of Asking for It by Louise O'Neill. Picture: Hugh O'Conor. "The level of expertise that those people have in writing, acting, staging, sets and lighting, is really quite extraordinary. Being exposed to that from a young age gave me such a love for theatre, and an appreciation and understanding of it that as an adult I feel immensely grateful for.' The surprise factor means O'Neill can't reveal too much about her Theatre for One piece, apart from the fact that it perhaps signals a change in focus inspired by her own stage in life. 'The protagonist of the piece is a woman in her 50s. There is probably an expectation that it would centre on a teenager but I have just turned 40 and I have friends in their 50s and 60s — I do think the interior lives of women of that age are quite fascinating, that shedding of old identities.' There is a pleasing symmetry in O'Neill's involvement in Theatre for One — it is staged by Landmark Productions, founded by Cork woman Anne Clarke, which also brought Asking For It to the Everyman Theatre in 2018. Julie Kelleher, who was artistic director of the venue at that time, is now directing O'Neill's piece and also helped her rein in her novelistic tendencies. 'I'm very used to having a lot of time and space to expand on my ideas. I handed in a first draft which was about 3,000 words. I asked Julie was she sure that my piece couldn't be longer than everyone else's and she was like, 'no',' laughs O'Neill. 'It was a really interesting creative experience, trying to see where I could trim off any excess material and hone it as much as I could.' Another play which O'Neill says she enjoyed recently was A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Paul Mescal as Stanley Kowalski. In another harmonious turn, one of the now world-famous actor's first roles was in Asking For It, playing the brother of the main character. O'Neill uses an apposite comparison when she describes how she felt seeing Mescal acting in Asking For It. 'It was akin to Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire when he comes on screen and there is an incredibly naturalistic, raw energy about him. Paul has a lot of that, you could see there was something special about him. The cast of Asking For It as a whole were absolutely outstanding, as a writer to see your words being brought to life in the mouths of such talent was such a privilege.' O'Neill is busier than ever, and completed her Theatre for One piece while also working on not one, but two books, a novel and an eagerly anticipated memoir, which will be out next year. She won't rule out writing a full-length play at some point. 'With me, it is always about trying to find the time because I always seem to have another project. You never know, I would love to.' Theatre for One, presented by Landmark Productions and Octopus Theatricals, Jun 14, 15, 17-22, free of charge. See for times. More theatrical treats at Cork Midsummer Festival Escaped Alone , The Everyman Theatre, Jun 12 -14. , The Everyman Theatre, Jun 12 -14. Caryl Churchill's satirical play celebrates the voices of older women, showcasing the talents of a superb cast. Stitch , J Nolan Stationary, 21 Shandon St, Jun 13-22. , J Nolan Stationary, 21 Shandon St, Jun 13-22. Making ingenious use of a shop premises, this production starring the prodigious Irene Kelleher exemplifies the Midsummer mission to use the city as a stage. The Black Wolfe Tone , Cork Arts Theatre, Jun 20-21 , Cork Arts Theatre, Jun 20-21 Written and performed by Kwaku Fortune, this thought-provoking production is a powerful meditation on identity and what it means to be Irish. The Second Woman , Cork Opera House, 24 hours from 4pm, Jun 14- to 4pm, Jun 15 (entry slots available at different times) , Cork Opera House, 24 hours from 4pm, Jun 14- to 4pm, Jun 15 (entry slots available at different times) A bold and ambitious production in which Cork actor Eileen Walsh will perform with an unrehearsed cast of 100 over 24 hours at Cork Opera House. Bottlenose: A Mystery for Modern Ireland , Granary Theatre, Jun 19-22 , Granary Theatre, Jun 19-22 A comic dive into the demise of the beloved Fungie, late of Dingle Bay. Read More Wicked: For Good trailer shows Elphaba in exile and first glimpse of Dorothy
RTÉ News
13 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Leaving Cert Diary 2025: Students are free from English exams
To paraphrase today's Leaving Cert Diary blogger, who was referencing The Shawshank Redemption, we say students are free at last from English exams! The Leaving Cert Diary series, with thanks to our friends at the Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU), will continue to share the thoughts of the young people sitting the state exams over the next two weeks. Here, Sarah from Co Louth and Kayleigh from Co Westmeath tell us how English Paper 2 went for them. We also have advice on how to eat well, get a good night's sleep and manage stress - click here! Read Sarah's blog here... As the English Paper 2 finishes, I am sure many students' hands are falling off. Like Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, we are finally free from the prison, the prison of English exams! The comparative had three modes this year which was guaranteed to any student sitting the exam. The theme or issue question I wrote was how a character's frame of mind aided the author's exploration of the complexity of a theme or issue. I thought this question allowed more interpretation than the cultural context question on consequences of not conforming to societal norms. The Single text gave a wide variety of what I could talk about from injustices/ justice and betraying one's conscience on The Crucible. The unseen and prepared poetry section was handy for anyone who studied the female poets. I found I was torn between Eavan Boland and Tracy K Smith questions as they both were accessible to answer. Day two is done, but there are many more exams ahead of us. The next challenge? Algebra, calculus and Functions. Read Kayleigh's blog here... English Paper 2 seems to have gone over equally as well as Paper 1. Tracy K Smith made her debut on the paper with a question on "thought provoking questions about the nature of our lives". Boland made an appearance which I think the whole country was hoping for! Though Mahon is also another popular choice I think the question was unusual and would have certainly put me off going for it. The first King Lear question seems to have been disliked by a few students. Personally I found it nicer than the second question, though the content for both is very familiar. There seems to be students unhappy with every single comparative question, I wasn't a fan myself of the cultural context question, especially as some leaving course media has more obvious encouragement of division than others. The unseen poetry was nothing out of the ordinary either with both the two ten mark questions or the one twenty mark question being easy to approach. Overall I think depending on what students had prepared the paper could have gone either way but was still mostly what was predicted. I think we're all delighted to have one of the two paper subjects out of the way! Founded in 2008, the ISSU is the national representative body for school students in the Republic of Ireland. The ISSU is led by students, for students.
Sunday World
21 hours ago
- Sunday World
Podcaster who once interviewed Daniel Kinahan appears in court on domestic abuse charges
James English (42) appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court where is facing 19 allegations, including claims that he attacked the model and influencer while she was pregnant A Scottish podcaster who once interviewed Daniel Kinahan has been accused of domestic abuse against a woman. James English (42) appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court where is facing 19 allegations, including claims that he attacked the model and influencer while she was pregnant. It is alleged that English, from Larkhall, carried out the crimes at a flat in the city's Argyle Street between July 2022 and November 2023. It is claimed that he controlled parts of the woman's life including her money and contact with loved ones. It is alleged that English who is accused of kicking the woman on the body, causing her to fall off of a bed, seizing her on the body and pinning her against a wall also seized her by the neck, compressed it and pinned her against a door. Pictured: James English (right) with Daniel Kinahan News in 90 Seconds - 5th June 2025 According to the BBC, court papers claim English shouted and swore at the woman, uttered threats of violence and sent her threatening and abusive text messages. It is claimed he repeatedly accused her of being unfaithful and searched her belongings for evidence of infidelity. Another accusation says he demanded that she delete her social media platforms in an attempt to restrict her financial independence. English made no plea to the abuse charges and will appear again next month. English starred in Scottish reality TV show Glow before becoming the host of the Anything Goes podcast that has more than 700,000 subscribers on YouTube. English has interviewed figures including Andrew Tate, Katie Price, and Tommy Robinson. In March 2022, his 'world exclusive' podcast interview with mob boss Daniel Kinahan was pulled due to legal concerns. The then 44-year-old mob boss had sat down with English for a three-hour interview in Dubai. The episode was due to premiere on the host's Anything Goes With James English podcast before English, whose ex-girlfriend is Kerry Katona, announced that the interview, set to be released on St Patrick's Day, had been scrapped while he receives legal advice. In a short video posted to his YouTube channel, English said that he's 'sad to inform' fans that they will no longer get to watch the 'powerful' interview, 'Hello everyone, this is an update on the Daniel Kinahan podcast, the three-hour world exclusive with one of the most powerful men in boxing that was due to be released on St Paddy's Day,' he began. 'I'm sad to inform that it has now been pulled as I've been dealing with some legal issues and after getting some legal advice, I've been told not to show this interview. 'It's a blatant attack on my freedom of speech and Daniel's as the three-hour interview was very powerful, where you get to hear Daniel tell his side of the story. 'I'm hopeful that we can get this interview out in the future, but right now it's out of my hands and into the lawyers' hands.' Mr English said that in the four years that he's been working on his podcast, he's never come across legal issues this serious. 'I guess when you're dealing with high calibre guests, you're going to come up against these problems. It's just something I need to deal with,' he said. "I'm sorry people as I know how big this interview was. I know how many people are waiting to see it. You can tell by the reaction of it coming on, how big it was going to be but for now, we just have to wait." 'So again, sorry everyone, but I'll you informed over the next few days what the next steps will be and speak to you soon.' A trailer for the now-postponed podcast teased that Kinahan would describe how he narrowly avoided being shot in the Regency Hotel attack in 2016. The mobster was the target of the group of gunmen who burst into the Regency Hotel in Dublin and opened fire. He fled to safety on foot but his associate David Byrne (34), from Crumlin, was shot dead and a number of other men were wounded but survived. In the promotional clip, Kinahan said: 'I've never told anyone this story. I seen [sic] there, maybe six metres from me, (as he stands up and imitates a man taking a gun out of his waistband) and then I see the gun at the back and then I go... 'And then [I hear] 'boom boom' shots let go behind me.' The popular podcast has previously featured chats with a host of MTK boxers, many of whom have taken the opportunity to praise drug boss Kinahan.
