Culture | Books, Music, Theatre, Film & The Arts

Wexford Festival Opera - watch The Magic Fountain by Delius

We proudly present the latest of three live presentations from this year's Wexford Festival Opera - The Magic Fountain by Frederick Delius, live from the O'Reilly Theatre, National Opera House.

Opera • 10 hrs

Meet The Mastermind: rising star Josh O'Connor talks to RTÉ Arena

Director Kelly Reichardt and lead actor Josh O'Connor discuss their new film, The Mastermind for RTÉ Arena - listen above.

RTÉ Arena • 25 Oct

Winners announced of RTÉ Short Story Competition 2025

A "subtle, sensitive and quietly powerful" story of domestic tension, Witness by Lynda McCarthy has been announced as the winning story in this year's RTÉ Short Story Competition 2025 in honour of Francis MacManus.

RTÉ Arena • 25 Oct

Clocking in - the Wexford area with three different time zones

For the weekend that's in it, folklorist Michael Fortune shares a memory of times past...

Folklore • 24 Oct

From Crown to Harp by David McCullagh - read an extract

The 1920s saw the government of the Irish Free State do its best to flex its muscles on the world stage, to demonstrate its independence from Britain, and to assert its sovereignty.

Culture • 24 Oct

The Culture 5 - your cultural highlights for the next seven days

Hear The Culture 5 every Friday on Aedín in the Afternoon on RTÉ lyric fm, from 1pm

Culture 5 • 25 Oct

New Irish Writing: Beneath the Cedar Tree by Frank Shouldice

It's 1995, five years since Brendan and Irene Gogarty lost their only son. The man responsible for the boy's death is about to be released from prison, four years ahead of sentence.

Books • 23 Oct

New games reviewed: Irish-made Éalú is a must-play puzzler

Whether it's a gripping storyline, pristine graphics or perhaps novel gameplay mechanics, games have the ability to transport us into any world, any life, or any scenario, in an instant.

Games • 23 Oct

Shortlist unveiled for the 2025 An Post Irish Book Awards

Cecelia Ahern, Donal Ryan, Oscar-winning actor Brenda Fricker, John Banville, RTÉ presenter Miriam O'Callaghan and former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar are among the authors on the shortlist for this year's An Post Irish Book Awards...

Books • 24 Oct

Exorcist II: turkey or cult gem? The Irish connection revealed

It's 1976. You're an Oscar nominated director. Your last film, which you wrote and directed for free, crashed at the box office.

Film • 24 Oct

Inside Lakelands: the award-winning GAA drama makes its RTÉ debut

Filmmakers Robert Higgins and Patrick McGivney introduce their award-winning debut feature Lakelands, ahead of its Irish TV premiere on RTÉ One on Saturday, October 25th.

Film • 10 hrs

Irish language writer Niall Ó Siadhail, finalist in the 2025 RTÉ Short Story Competition

Short Story Competition:The Sickle of Morning by Niall Ó Siadhail

This is a literary translation of the 2025 RTÉ Short Story Competition shortlisted story Corrán na Maidine, by Niall Ó Siadhail. The translator is Katherine Duffy.

RTÉ Short Story Competition • 24 Oct

New Irish Writing: Chaos Theory by Sylvia Leatham

We're celebrating Irish Book Week (which runs 18th - 25th October) with a series of choice extracts from outstanding new Irish titles...

Books • 22 Oct

Something for the Weekend: Alma Kelliher's cultural picks

Alma Kelleher is a composer, sound designer and musician, working across a range of media, from large-scale theatre to dance, live art, film, commercials and everything inbetween

Something For The Weekend • 22 Oct

Watch: Documenting life under siege in Gaza - First Thought Talks

Award-winning Palestinian photojournalist Eman Mohammed joins Róisín Ingle for an unforgettable First Thought Talk at this year's Galway International Arts Festival...

First Thought Talks • 21 Oct

New Irish Writing: Injury Time by Kevin Smith

We're celebrating Irish Book Week (which runs 18th - 25th October) with a series of choice extracts from outstanding new Irish titles...

Books • 22 Oct

Coraline: 'A deceptively dark and unsettling tale for children.'

Horror films for kids, from mildly spooky to downright scary

You're going to see a lot of lists like this at Halloween, but many of them are frankly all over the shop.

Listicles • 21 Oct

Ultraviolet Art Talks: Artist Roibí O'Rua

Ultraviolet Art Talks is a podcast/videocast series exploring the human side of artists, curators, musicians and people involved in the art world.

visual arts • 23 Oct

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 27: D'Angelo performs at The Apollo Theater on February 27, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Shahar Azran/Getty Images)

The Eleven Year Blip - Dave Tynan remembers the magic of D'Angelo

To celebrate the life and work of R&B and neo-soul legend D'Angelo, who has died aged 51, writer and filmmaker Dave Tynan recalls a memorable live performance by the enigmatic singer

In Memoriam • 20 Oct

New Irish Writing: Deep Burn by Brendan Mac Evilly

We're celebrating Irish Book Week (which runs 18th - 25th October) with a series of choice extracts from outstanding new Irish titles...

Books • 20 Oct

Get Creative: On writing a TV show - turning an idea into a story

Ever dreamed of writing a TV show but didn't know where to start? Now's the perfect time to pick up your pen (or keyboard) and dive in - no experience needed, just your imagination.

Get Creative • 22 Oct

Wexford Festival Opera - watch Deidamia by George Frideric Handel

We proudly present the latest of three live presentations from this year's Wexford Festival Opera - Deidamia by George Frideric Handel, live from the O'Reilly Theatre, National Opera House.

Wexford Festival Opera • 18 Oct

One big happy family? Playwright Mark O'Rowe on Reunion's return

Writer Mark O'Rowe has made a splash on film (Intermission), TV (adapting Normal People) and theatre (Howie The Rookie)...

Theatre • 18 Oct

Wexford Festival Opera - watch Le Trouvère by Giuseppe Verdi

We proudly present the first of three live presentations from this year's Wexford Festival Opera - Le Trouvère by Giuseppe Verdi.

Wexford Festival Opera • 17 Oct

Ten of the best Irish books of 2025 so far

Books • 21 Oct