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Irish Times
13 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Irish writers up for CWA Dagger awards
In The Irish Times this Saturday, Elaine Feeney tells Laura Slattery about her latest novel, Let Me Go Mad in My Own Way. Stephen O'Neill reflects on the 50th anniversary of Seamus Heaney's landmark collection, North, in advance of a big conference in Queen's University Belfast. Hazel Gaynor, author of Before Dorothy , her imagining of the backstory of Aunt Em in The Wizard of Oz, reflects on the importance of aunts. And there is a Q&A with Ciara Geraghty about her career and her first book for children. Reviews are Adrienne Murphy on Esotericism in Western Culture: Counter-Normativity and Rejected Knowledge by Wouter J Hanegraaff, The Witch Studies Reader edited by Soma Chaudhuri and Jane Ward, and Shamanism by Manvir Singh; Peter Murphy on Sam Tallent's Running the Light; Adam Wyeth on The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey; Declan Ryan on the best new poetry; Éilís Ní Dhuibhne on Let Me Go Mad in My Own Way by Elaine Feeney; Ruby Eastwood on Sister Europe by Nell Zink; Gladys Ganiel on Tom Inglis's Unbecoming Catholic: Being Religious in Contemporary Ireland; Malachi O'Doherty on Kincora: Britain's Darkest Secret by Chris Moore; Pat Carty on Air by John Boyne; Rabeea Saleem on The Names by Florence Knapp; Pat Nugent on Never Flinch by Stephen King; John Walshe on Deadly Silence: A Sister's Battle to Uncover the Truth Behind the Murder of Clodagh and Her Sons by Alan Hawe by Jacqueline Connolly; Ray Burke on For Valerie by David French; and Diarmuid Hester on Katie Goh's Foreign Fruit. This weekend's Irish Times Eason offer is The Coast Road by Alan Murrin, just €5.99, a €6 saving. Eason offer Tana French has been shortlisted for the prestigious CWA Gold Dagger award for her latest thriller, The Hunter. Also shortlisted are D V Bishop for A Divine Fury ; R J Ellory for The Bell Tower ; Attica Locke for Guide Me Home ; Anna Mazzola for Book of Secrets ; and Bonnie Burke-Patel for I Died at Fallow Hall . READ MORE Stuart Neville has been shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award for Blood Like Mine ; Also shortlisted are: Lou Berney for Dark Ride ; M W Craven for Nobody's Hero ; Garry Disher for Sanctuary ; Abir Mukherjee for Hunted ; and Don Winslow for City in Ruins . Frank Wynne's translation of Pierre Lemaitre's Going to the Dogs is shortlisted for the crime fiction in translation prize along with Hervé Le Corre's Dogs and Wolves, tr. Howard Curtis; Akira Otani's The Night of Baby Yaga, tr. Sam Bett; Satu Rämö's The Clues in the Fjord, tr. Kristian London; Asako Yuzuki's Butter, tr. Polly Barton; and Alia Trabucco Zerán's Clean, tr. Sophie Hughes Andrew Hughes has been shortlisted for the Twisted Dagger award for Emma, Disappeared . Also shortlisted are Amanda Jennings for Beautiful People ; John Marrs for The Stranger In Her House ; CS Robertson for The Trials Of Marjorie Crowe; Tracy Sierra for Nightwatching ; and Catherine Steadman for Look In The Mirror . The winners will be announced at a gala dinner on July 3rd. * The UCD Festival returns on Saturday, June 7th, with over 100 free events taking place across the Belfield campus. Broadcaster Rick O'Shea curates the literary strand with an eclectic mix of established and emerging authors. Belfast writer Jan Carson and poet and novelist Paul Perry will provide some reading inspiration with Shelf Analysis, sharing the books they love. UCD's writer in residence, Annemarie Ní Churreáin, and poet Moya Cannon will explore the Poetry of Folklore. Author Roisín O'Donnell, crime writer Claire Coughlan and soon-to-be debut novelist Sylvia Leatham will discuss new fiction writing. Writer and disability advocate Sinead Burke will be in conversation with journalist and UCD alumna Roe McDermott, exploring the power of representation, and Reeling in the Queers author Páraic Kerrigan will be in conversation with Chandrika Naryanan-Mohan about the fight for LGBTQ rights. Saturday, 7 June, UCD Belfield. Free, with some booking required. See . * Timothy O'Grady will be in conversation with journalist Dorothy Allen at the official London launch of his latest novel, Monaghan, in the Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith, on Thursday, June 12th, at 7.30pm. Entry is £8. A dual launch of Monaghan and Goldengrove by Patrick McCabe takes place at Whelan's, Wexford Street, Dublin, on June 25th at 7pm with readings by the authors and actor Stephen Rea plus songs from Cathy Jordan. Admission is free. * On July 9th, the West Cork History Festival will host a discussion on the history and current context of Irish neutrality at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. For many, neutrality is a fundamental pillar of Irish foreign policy and central to an idea of how Ireland presents itself in the world; yet, in the context of new threats and the retreat by the US, a fundamental reordering is under way in Europe. What does this mean for Ireland's defence, security and co-operation with our neighbours? Prof Eunan O'Halpin will provide an overview of the history of Irish neutrality. Journalist Misha Glenny will offer a contemporary perspective from central and eastern Europe. This will be followed by a panel discussion in which Eunan and Misha will be joined by Catherine Connolly TD, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, and Prof Patrick Keatinge. Tickets and more information are available here 2025 Festival – West Cork History Festival * In Leadership: Nobody Ever Made a Difference by Being Like Everyone Else , Deloitte tax partner and author Tom Maguire engages with prominent Irish leaders, including former President Mary McAleese, to explore the essence of effective leadership. Through candid conversations, the book delves into themes such as integrity, resilience and the balance between professional and personal life. Highlighting the shared value of integrity among diverse leaders, it offers insights applicable from the boardroom to the community. All royalties from the book are being donated to Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross, continuing Maguire's tradition of supporting meaningful causes through his publications. * The Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's University Belfast is marking the 50th anniversary of Seamus Heaney's landmark collection North – which saw the Nobel Prize-winning poet directly address the Troubles for the first time. A three-day conference from June 5th-7th, in partnership with Trinity College Dublin, will bring together Heaney experts from across the world to the beautiful new Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's – celebrating its first anniversary also in June. Paul Muldoon and Prof Edna Longley will gather to hear distinguished authors, academics and poets discuss the significance of North 50 years on. There will also be a family-friendly traditional music session and a screening of the documentary Heaney in Limboland , made for TV in 1970 and featuring Heaney's views on the rapidly deteriorating political situation in Northern Ireland. North is still considered a controversial volume. Upon publication in 1975, the American poet Robert Lowell said it represented 'a new kind of political poetry by the best Irish poet since WB Yeats' and the anthology went on to win awards including the Duff Cooper Memorial Prize and the WH Smith Memorial Prize. Heaney himself admitted the collection took a 'hammering' from other quarters, closer to home, for its representation of violence and gender politics. Director of the Seamus Heaney Centre, Prof Glenn Patterson said: 'Whichever way you come at it, in admiration, in awe or in search of an argument, there is no understanding poetry from these islands in the past half century, without North . 'There are not many books, of any kind, that merit an 'at 50' conference, but North seems only to grow in significance with every year that passes, and with every year that passes to attract new readers, and new critical thinking.' The poet's daughter Catherine Heaney, who is hoping to attend the conference, said on behalf of the Estate of Seamus Heaney: 'We are proud and honoured that the 50th anniversary of North is being marked with this conference, alongside Faber's reissue of the volume in its original jacket. 'The publication of North was such a seminal moment in my father's life and career and it is testament to its staying power that, five decades on, it continues to resonate with readers and inspire scholarly debate.' Lead organiser of the conference and Queen's graduate, Dr Stephen O'Neill from Trinity College Dublin said: 'Written under the strain of what Seamus Heaney called 'a very high pressure', North was a landmark in his writing career. It was and is also a landmark in criticism, as a subject for many of the leading critics of Irish literature then and now. 'Organised to coincide with Faber's anniversary republication of the volume, the conference is a chance to reflect upon the impact of Heaney's fourth collection and reassess its reception.' All events will take place at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's, 38-40 University Road, Belfast (unless otherwise stated). The full conference programme is available here . Attendance is free, but registration is essential.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- General
- Irish Times
Jury in Gerry Adams defamation case against the BBC begins deliberations
The jury in Gerry Adams 's defamation action against the BBC at the High Court in Dublin has started its deliberations. Mr Justice Alexander Owens finished summarising the evidence for the seven men and five women of the jury on Wednesday evening. He previously told them at least nine of them must be in agreement in deciding the case. The former Sinn Féin leader claims a BBC Spotlight programme and a related article published in 2016 defamed him by falsely accusing him of sanctioning the killing of British agent Denis Donaldson at a cottage in Glenties, Co Donegal , in 2006. He described the allegation as a 'grievous smear'. READ MORE He insists he had no involvement in Mr Donaldson's death. Dissident republicans claimed responsibility for the killing in 2009. The BBC denies it defamed Mr Adams. On Wednesday, Mr Justice Owens said the jury must decide whether the words complained of by Mr Adams in the programme and article say he 'gave the okay for', or sanctioned, the murder of Mr Donaldson. The BBC claims the words did not defame Mr Adams. It is the broadcaster's defence that the statements were couched as allegations . The judge said the jury should decide this question based on how a 'reasonable viewer' would interpret the words. If the jury finds that the words mean Mr Adams sanctioned the murder, they must then consider the BBC's defence of fair and reasonable publication. The onus of proof in this defence is on the BBC, the judge said. Finally, if it rejects this defence, the jury must consider the amount of damages to award Mr Adams as compensation for damage done to his reputation. Mr Adams's lawyers have argued he has the reputation of a 'peacemaker' and of helping to end violence in Northern Ireland. The BBC has argued Mr Adams's case is a 'cynical attempt' to 'launder' a reputation for being in the Provisional IRA and sitting on its decision-making body, known as the army council. The judge noted that a person's reputation can change over time. He said the jury should evaluate Mr Adams's reputation from 2016 – the time of the broadcast – to now, if it awards damages. He previously told the jury members they should only consider Mr Adams's reputation in the Republic of Ireland . He said the jury were not being asked what they think about Mr Adams or whether they approve of him. 'You decide what the evidence is in relation to his reputation,' the judge said.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- General
- Irish Times
Richard Satchwell trial: Jury resumes deliberations
A jury has resumed considering its verdict in the trial of Richard Satchwell who denies the murder of his wife at their Co Cork home. The skeletal remains of Tina Satchwell were found under the couple's home in October 2023, more than six years after her husband reported her missing. Mr Satchwell (58), a lorry driver, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife Tina (45) at their home at No 3 Grattan Street, Youghal, on March 19th and 20th, 2017. The trial, now on its 22nd day, heard evidence from more than 50 witnesses. READ MORE Mr Justice Paul McDermott, having completed his directions to the jury on the evidence and law, sent the seven women and five men out at 3.05pm on Tuesday to begin considering their verdict. The jury was sent home, at its request, at 4pm and returned to court on Wednesday. When sent home at 4pm, they had deliberated for more than four-and-a-half hours. They resumed their deliberations just after 10.30am on Thursday. Relatives of Ms Satchwell, including her mother Mary Collins, half-sister Lorraine Howard and cousin Sarah Howard were again in court. The jury has three possible verdicts open to it – not guilty of murder; guilty of murder; and not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. The judge has directed they may also consider, depending on their view of the evidence, a defence of partial self-defence or full self-defence. The trial heard Mr Satchwell went to Fermoy Garda station on March 24th, 2017, where he told a garda his wife had disappeared from their home four days later, and that he believed she had left him and had taken €26,000 cash savings. He told a garda he was not concerned about her safety. After gardaí interviewed him in early May 2017, he formally reported his wife as a missing person about a week later. Gardaí, increasingly concerned something untoward had happened to Ms Satchwell, obtained a warrant to search the couple's home in June 2017 when devices were seized. In October 2023, gardaí carried out a full invasive search of the property, using a cadaver dog. Skeletal remains identified as Ms Satchwell were found on October 11th, 2023, buried in a grave site about one metre deep in an area under the stairs in the sittingroom. Mr Satchwell, who had been arrested but released before the remains were found, was rearrested and, during another interview with gardaí, told them his wife had flown at him with a chisel on the morning of March 20th, 2017, that he fell and that she came on top of him trying to stab him with the chisel. He said that while fending her off with the belt of her dressing gown robe, which was up around her neck, she went limp and died. He told gardaí there was 'no premeditation' and he had not called emergency services due to 'panic and shame'. He said he placed her body on the couch before moving it to a freezer for about two days after which he buried it in a grave dug by him under the stairs and which he had cemented over. A postmortem of the remains was, due to lapse of time, unable to establish a cause of death. The jury heard there was no evidence of fractures to the bones, including the hyoid bone in the neck.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
The Irish diaspora setting up and running businesses abroad
Setting up or taking over a business anywhere is bound to have it's challenges, let alone doing it away from home. But these Irish abroad have done just that. Along the narrow, cobbled streets of the artisanal quarter of Cusco, Peru, is an atelier called Hilo, home to a slow fashion brand founded by Irishwoman Eibhlin Cassidy in 2003 in the historical centre of this ancient Inca capital high up in the Andes. 'Being part of a supportive community has helped me build a local client base, which adds to the many international clients who visit the store,' she says. The Fermanagh woman's business, which she describes as 'elevated everyday wear with a twist', was the only creative business on the street at one stage. 'It's now where Cusco and international creatives open up shop. It is full of little cates and artisan boutiques.' READ MORE Mark Saunders is known for rescuing Laulhère , the oldest and last authentic French company making berets who supply the hats to French military, armies in Senegal, Chad and Kurdistan and police in Dubai – and that's not including the berets sold in the fashion industry. The Dublin man has lived in France for the last 30 years and has settled in the southwest of the country. The most recent step in his career has been to take over Christy Hats, the oldest and largest hat-making company in the world with a history dating back to 1773. 'We made all the Peaky Blinders hats and 250 for all the crew members (of the drama series). We made hats for Downton Abbey and more than 30 movie productions,' he says. Saunders says brands like his are 'on the verge of extinction, but I hope Christys will see another 250 years. I love what I do and taking on these challenges is how I keep motivated. I am 56 now and see this as the last chapter in my career.' Beijing Correspondent Denis Staunton recently spoke to the Irish companies based in China, as well as Peter Markey, who chairs the Irish Chamber of Commerce in China. Markey first went to China 30 years ago and has spent much of the past two decades in Shanghai, where he was a partner at EY until he retired in 2018. He says the attitudes of the two nations can often benefit off one another in unexpected ways. 'The Chinese have this reputation of working crazy hours and all the rest of it but that's not the whole story. They quite like going out for a nice dinner and having fun with people. 'That's really when the Irish attitude to having fun and letting the hair down a bit can really help with developing relationships.' Ruairí Doyle has settled in Canada, though he had no intention to move from Ireland again after a three-year spell working for Google in London. That was, however, until an opportunity arose with Press Reader in Dublin in 2017 and the rest, as they say, is history. The job brought him to Vancouver and, in 2022, the Rathnew native was appointed chief executive. Now, he is enjoying the outdoor lifestyle in the thriving west-coast port city with his wife, Kim, and their two sons. 'It can be challenging at times, with me being from Ireland and Kim being from Quebec. We don't have the support network of grandparents around. We do our best to instil a bit of Ireland and a bit of Quebec into the boys. We have hurleys and sliotars in the garden and maple syrup and cretons in the fridge.' Meanwhile, columnist Laura Kennedy, who is based in Canberra, Australia, writes about the age-old saying that absence – or in this case, distance – makes the heart grow fonder and how she has relearned to be Irish and how to value the places she didn't appreciate before. This bittersweet part of emigration is shared by the expats down under that Padraig Collins spoke to. Fildelma McCorry has been in Adelaide since 1999 and says she is there to stay. During last November's election campaign in the Republic, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said during a debate that he was 'gonna get people's children back from Australia'. McCorry was not impressed, though: 'They always say that.' She says one of her daughters could spend a year studying in Dublin as part of her course, but the cost would be far too high, as despite having an Irish passport, she would still be considered a foreign student. 'Until they make those things open for diaspora children, it [everything the Government says] is just rhetoric, it's just talk.' And, for the few weeks it was, Patsy McGarry l ooked at the role of the Irish diaspora in electing Pope Leo XIV. Sure you'll find the Irish everywhere!
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Parlous state of Defence Forces once again laid bare
The parlous state of the Ireland's Defence Forces has again been laid bare by staff shortages leading to a reduction in operations. In January our Crime and Security Correspondent Conor Gallagher reported that one of the Naval Service 's most modern ships has been forced to patrol without a functioning main weapons system. The failing was due to a severe shortage of qualified naval ordnance technicians, which has left the service unable to maintain all its weapons. Previously Gallagher reported that the Naval Service was sending out an average of one ship per day to monitor Ireland's vast territorial waters, despite Government warnings of maritime threats from foreign militaries and organised crime groups. READ MORE In today's lead Gallagher outlines how senior military sources say Irish military flight operations are to move to part-time hours at the Air Corps headquarters and may soon have to cease entirely. The move will have huge implications for rescue, medical and policing services. As it stands, an acute shortage of trained air traffic controllers (ATCs) at the Air Corps's only base at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, Dublin, is resulting in a move to a five-day-a week, daytime-only flying schedule. This includes flights by the Garda helicopters. The 505 Squadron, which is responsible for air traffic control, is supposed to have 21 personnel but in recent years it has been operating at about 50 per cent capacity. Five personnel are due to depart shortly for the private sector, necessitating the move to a reduced schedule, which takes effect from June 7th. Military sources said if just one or two more ATCs depart, Baldonnel will no longer be able to maintain flight operations. The crisis comes as Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris has promised a large investment in the Air Corps, which will soon be renamed the Irish Air Force. This includes the purchase of a military radar system, four new helicopters, one new troop transport aircraft and a complete refurbishment of Baldonnel. Eventually, combat fighter jets will be acquired to patrol Irish skies, Mr Harris has said. The Defence Forces and Department of Defence both said they did not comment on operational issues. The Government does have plans to ramp up Defence spending in the coming years but it is playing catch-up after many years of underinvestment. Independents overboard It was a case of Independents overboard as two Government-supporting TDs voted against the Coalition in favour of a Sinn Féin Bill in support of Palestine. Barry Heneghan of Dublin Bay North and Meath East TD Gillian Toole broke ranks with the other Independents thatsupport the Government in a Dáil vote on Wednesday night. But the Government's majority is not at risk yet as the Dáil still voted by a margin of 87 to 75 against the Opposition party's Bill that sought to curtail Israeli access to sell bonds through the Irish financial system And while Heneghan and Toole did not support the Coalition on this occasion, it does not mean they will not back it (in all likelihood most of the time) in future. As Jack Horgan-Jones and Marie O'Halloran report, Heneghan said he supported the legislation 'because Ireland shouldn't facilitate the sale of bonds that help fund the devastation in Gaza'. However, he also said he is 'fully committed' to the Programme for Government. He added that 'as an Independent TD, I reserve the right to act on matters of conscience'. Heneghan and Toole were part of the Regional Independent Group of TDs which convened around Tipperary North TD Michael Lowry during Programme for Government negotiations. After the negotiations were concluded, Mr Lowry said the group would support the Government 'on good days and bad'. It appears from Henaghan and Toole's votes on Wednesday that this will not always be the case. Their move will likely irritate backbenchers in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael who might like to break ranks occasionally on unpopular issues but are under the party whip and there are consequences if they do so. But what happened on Wednesday was a demonstration why the two larger parties cast the net so wide in enlisting the support of nine independents during Government formation talks. The non-party TDs can be a wobbly third leg of the stool in Coalitions. Best Reads Political Editor Pat Leahy reports that the State could face financial penalties totalling as much as €28 billion for failing to sufficiently reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, experts say. It comes after and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report showed that Ireland's progress towards the goal of reducing emissions by half is slowing. It will now only achieve reductions of 23 per cent in a best-case scenario. In other environmental news whales have left Cork waters as sprat, their food source, is in short supply, a Cork-based businessman has said after abandoning tours of the waters. Colin Barnes, who ran a whale-watching boat tour company, has been put out of business after the departure of the cetaceans. Katie Mellet has the story . RTÉ were back before an Oireachtas Committee on Wednesday. Current Affairs Editor Arthur Beesley reckons it was a drab sequel to firework show of two years ago starring Ryan Tubridy Miram Lord writes the Montrose chiefs were back for 'another grilling at the media committee barbecue – but where's the beef?' Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar tells Jack Power that the European Union needs to 'grow a bit of backbone' and stand-up to Israel. Harry McGee reports that the non-jury Special Criminal Court and the Offences Against the State Act are set to be repealed after more than 50 years in existence following the acceptance by the Minister for Justice of the recommendations of an expert review group. However, the replacement of the legislation will not mean an end to non-jury courts. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said that they remained necessary for certain cases and that had been a recommendation of the Independent Review Group, chaired by Mr Justice Micheal Peart. Playbook Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe is first up in the Dáil taking Parliamentary Questions from 8.47am. Next up to be quizzed by TDs is Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers at 10:23am. Leaders' Questions is at noon. Government business at 1.52pm is statements on flood relief. TDs have an opportunity to raise 'Topical Issues' from 4.17pm. A Labour Party Bill aimed at giving the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission more powers to tackle 'unfair prices' will be debated at 5.17pm. There will be statements on Gaza in the Seanad from 9am. The Committee on Defence and National Security will begin pre-legislative scrutiny of the Government's proposals to scrap the triple-lock on the deployment of Irish soldiers overseas from 9:30am. Representatives of the Arts Council and the National Gallery are expected to be before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) from 10:30am . Expect TDs to delve into issues like the €6.7 million spent by the Arts Council on a new IT system that was eventually abandoned and the separate controversy over the €125,000 x-ray scanner bought by the National Gallery that lay idle for eight years. The full schedule for the Dáil, Seanad and Committees can be found here. 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