Wexford's record-breaking Fleadh in numbers: From visitors to volunteers to pints sold over eight glorious days
When Wexford hosted last year, it was described as the biggest Fleadh Cheoil since the festival was first held in Mullingar in May of 1951, with 650,000 people in attendance. Word of Wexford's success evidently spread fast and this year that record was smashed with a 'conservative estimate' of 800,000 people in attendance over the week long celebration.
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Extra.ie
44 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
From rock stars to ring queens: 5 Irish biopics we'd love to see hit our screens
When news broke that a biopic on Sinéad O'Connor was finally in the works, it felt like a long-overdue moment. The late singer was more than a musician, she was a fearless voice who challenged authority, shattered expectations, and left a legacy that still reverberates. Now, that legacy is set to be immortalised on the big screen, with Variety having confirmed that a Sinéad O'Connor biopic is in shared development, with Irish production company, I.E. Entertainment, one of the companies behind the new project. When news broke that a biopic on Sinéad O'Connor was finally in the works, it felt like a long-overdue moment. Pic: Joseph Okpako/Redferns via Getty Images In 2022, they executive produced Sinéad's critically acclaimed documentary 'Nothing Compares', working alongside the musician in the process. The biopic is also being co-produced by fellow Irish banner Nine Daughters, whose previous works include 2022 Paul Mescal film 'God's Creatures' and 2016's 'Lady MacBeth', starring Florence Pugh. See-Saw Films are also behind the new project. They have produced Apple TV series 'Slow Horses, starring Gary Oldman and the British Netflix series 'Heartstopper'. The late singer was more than a musician, she was a fearless voice who challenged authority, shattered expectations, and left a legacy that still reverberates. Pic: Mick Hutson/Redferns But Sinéad isn't the only Irish star whose life is crying out for the big-screen treatment. From chart-topping voices to Hollywood heavyweights, Ireland has produced icons whose stories are as dramatic, messy, and inspiring as anything you'd find in a script. Here are five Irish celebrities who deserve their own cinematic spotlight. Pic:Frontman of The Pogues, Shane MacGowan was a lyrical genius and a punk-era enigma whose tumultuous life, steeped in music, addiction, and Irish identity could offer a lot of emotional complexity for viewers. His life has all the tragedy and triumph that makes for a riveting biopic, not to mention his lengthy love story with Victoria Mary Clarke. From early days in Pembury to his tragic passing in November 2023, we think Shane and his story are fit for the big screen. Potential Casting: Barry Keoghan. Pic: David Wolff – Patrick/Redferns The late frontwoman of The Cranberries left behind anthems like Zombie and Linger, which are still greatly ingrained in popular culture today. Her rise from Limerick to global stardom, struggles with fame and mental health, and her tragically early passing would make for a poignant, music-driven film. While we believe no one will ever be able to perfectly capture Dolores' stage presence, we'd love to see her honoured on our screens once more. Potential Casting: Jessie Buckley. Pic: Richard McCaffrey/ Michael Ochs Archive/ Getty Images Phil Lynott wasn't just the frontman of Thin Lizzy, he was Ireland's first true rock star. Born to a single Irish mother and a Guyanese father in 1949, he grew up as one of the few Black faces in Dublin at the time. That outsider status shaped both his swagger and his sensitivity, later channeled into lyrics that gave Thin Lizzy their edge. A Phil Lynott biopic would trace his rise from Dublin pubs to international stages, but it would also explore the demons; addiction, fame, and fragile identity, that led to his untimely death at just 36. Potential Casting: Daryl McCormack. Pic: Getty Images U2's frontman is one of Ireland's most famous exports. Beyond the band's global success, his activism, from Live Aid to debt relief campaigns, makes his life a mix of rock 'n' roll drama and political influence. While he's still relatively young to warrant a biopic of his life, we think a flick charting the early rise of U2 could definitely grip audiences. Potential Casting: Elijah Hewson (his son). Pic: INPHO/James Crombie Olympic gold medalist and undisputed lightweight boxing champion, Katie Taylor is already a living legend. Her journey from Bray to the top of her sport, fighting in a male-dominated world and reshaping women's boxing, would be electrifying on screen. Katie's 2018 documentary went down a treat with viewers, proving theirs clearly an appetite for her humble rags to riches tale. Potential Casting: Hazel Doupe.
Irish Daily Mirror
44 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Electric Picnic boss insists Irish language has 'huge place' at festival
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Irish Post
an hour ago
- Irish Post
London revival of Samuel Beckett's Cascando brings audience participation to new levels
A MAJOR revival of Samuel Beckett's Cascando will open in London next month - bringing audience participation to a whole new level. The piece, first created as a radio play by the Irish playwright in 1961, will run at the Jermyn Street Theatre from September 2 to 13. Directed by Pan Pan's award-winning Artistic Director Gavin Quinn, it will require the audience to dress in black cloaks, listen on headphones and take a 30-minute walk through the capital. The 56-year-old Dubliner, who has worked in the industry for more than three decades, first studied theatre at the Samuel Beckett Centre for Drama studies at Trinity College Dublin. He admits he was was "inspired to work in theatre" by the head and founder of the drama department, Dr John McCormack, who "emphasised the importance of theatre art above theatre as a craft". Pan Pan's Artistic Director Gavin Quinn This week Quinn told the Irish Post what we can expect from his production of Cascando... What first attracted you to this play and how would you describe the story? What intrigued me about Cascando is its perfect weight between the use of words and music to tell a story. The play explores the difficulties and desperation inherent in the creative process, particularly the struggle to finish a story. The play centers around a character named Woburn who is in flight, a narrative fragmented and presented through the alternating voices of an Opener and a Voice, accompanied by music. The Opener initiates and closes the segments, while the Voice narrates, and the music provides an atmospheric backdrop. Is your production true to Samuel Beckett's original text? Yes, painstakingly so, we have endeavoured to assemble the most extant text possible by comparing different publications along with the first broadcasts of the play. How would you describe your production? This is an installation of Samuel Beckett's 1963 piece for radio, Cascando , where the audience move together as one image, a line of cloaked beings, moving at the same pace through in an outdoor environment. Its a new recording featuring the actors, Andrew Bennett and Daniel Riordain, with original music by Jimmy Eadie. What is most challenging about taking on this piece of work? For an audience it is not seated so they have to be up for a thirty-minute walk. The audience are all costumed in black cloaks and are led on a choreographical experience through streets near the theatre while listening to a new recording of Samuel Beckett' 1963, piece for radio, Cascando. What have been the highlights of working on this piece? All the different environments in which we have performed the play from rivers banks and forests in Enniskillen to the cities of New York and Xichang, China. The production is described as audience immersive; what does that mean in practice? How challenging is it to create an immersive piece of this nature in London's West End? It is a discrete self contained performance that arrives and quickly disappears on the streets of London's West End, so not challenging at all. It has been performed in many locations from Washington Square Park in New York to the city centre of Dusseldorf. What can audiences expect from the experience? The audiences get to perform in a Beckett play to the backdrop of St James. Your Beckett productions are critically acclaimed. What draws you back to Beckett's work and where do you draw your directorial vision/inspiration from? What draws me to Beckett's work is mostly the tone which is simultaneously humorous, forlorn and hopeful. The directorial inspiration comes from reading the material many times and finding a personal way in. You founded Pan Pan in 1993, what was your vision for the company? The vision in 1993 was to make experimental work. Over the years the nature of that experimentation has evolved to include dance, conceptual and installation work. The current ethos of the company is to move the artform of theatre forward and to engage theatre audiences in new and interesting ways. What's next for Pan Pan? We are producing three shows at the Dublin Fringe Festival under our Pan Pan Platform at Fringe initiative. We will also be premiering a new piece called YFEL in association with Melbourne based company APHIDS at Project Arts Centre, Dublin in December. Cascando runs at the Jermyn Street Theatre from September 2-13. Click here for tickets.
