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

Something for the Weekend: Alannah Thornburgh's cultural picks

Alannah Thornburgh is an award-winning instrumentalist and composer from the west of Ireland with a focus on traditional Irish harp.

Something For The Weekend • 30 Jul

Clare Monnelly stars in Irish folk horror film Fréwaka

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 Apr

Donal Ryan's From A Low And Quiet Sea, from page to stage

Donal Ryan is a master of the layered narrative, and his award winning novel From a Low and Quiet Sea is a case in point.

RTÉ Arena • 14 Apr

Author Donal Ryan has won the award for the second time after his debut novel triumphed in 2012

Donal Ryan wins 2024 Irish Book of the Year award

Donal Ryan has won the 2024 An Post Irish Book of the Year award with his novel 'Heart, Be at Peace', which explores themes of grief, healing, and the complexities of human emotions.

Books • 20 Dec 24

Fact: there's a role for Cillian Murphy here (Pic: Marco Grob/Universal Pictures)

10 great Irish novels crying out for TV or film adaptations

We are a nation renowned for our rich literary heritage, but the last few years in particular have seen a number of acclaimed Irish novels make the leap to the big and small screens, too.

Books • 05 Oct 24

Donal Ryan features in the first episode of the new series of The Works Presents

The Works Presents returns with a quintet of inspired creatives

The incomparable John Kelly returns to RTÉ One this May with five new episodes of The Works Presents.

the works presents • 05 May 23

Spoken Stories 2: Daryl McCormack reads Donal Ryan's Bride

Spoken Stories 2: Creatures of the Earth is a brand-new collection of 12 themed radio half-hour stories on RTÉ Radio 1, commissioned by RTÉ Arts and Culture from eminent Irish and Irish-based writers...

Spoken Stories • 17 Oct 22

Actor Charlene McKenna is one of the readers for the new season of Spoken Stories

Creatures Of The Earth - Spoken Stories returns for a new season

RTÉ Radio 1 • 17 Oct 22

Aingeala Flannery, author of The Amusements (Pic: Brid O'Donovan)

The best Irish books of 2022 so far

Books • 22 Nov 22

Book Of The Week: The Queen Of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan

Gossip and rumour over four decades of small town Irish life...

Book Of The Week • 10 Sep 22

Donal Ryan on his new novel The Queen of Dirt Island

Books • 22 Aug 22

Foscadh - RTÉ Arena on the acclaimed new Irish language movie

RTÉ Arena • 14 Mar 22

2022 Dublin Literary Award longlist announced

Books • 31 Jan 22

Oprah Winfrey gives 25 Irish books seal of approval

The Oprah Winfrey Magazine has published a list of their top 25 Irish books to their readers.... let's look at what books made the list...

Books • 15 Jan 21

Keelin Shanley's 'A Light That Never Goes Out' won the RTÉ Radio 1 Listeners' Choice Award

Winners of An Post Irish Book Awards 2020 announced

Keelin Shanley, Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Graham Norton, Donal Ryan and Professor Luke O'Neill were among the winning authors at this year's An Post Irish Book Awards...

An Post Irish Book Awards • 25 Nov 20

The Book Show returns: Virago, Elaine Feeney & Donal Ryan

The Book Show • 12 Oct 20

Shelf Analysis: Donal Ryan talks to Rick O'Shea

Back after a Summer break, Book Show host Rick O'Shea talks live from his house to an author in theirs.

Shelf Analysis • 03 Sep 20

In Strange Flowers, the reader lives the pain that Donal Ryan has created for his characters.

Reviewed: Strange Flowers by Donal Ryan

Tipperary in the early 1970s is the setting for Donal Ryan's new Booker long-listed novel, a story of loss and an assessment of prejudices which often go unspoken, writes Damien O'Meara.

Book Review • 14 Jun 21

Listen: Keywords - let the light in

Keywords is a brand new series bringing together stories, sounds and words that you have recorded yourself - each week guided by a keyword. This episode's theme is 'Light'.

RTÉ Radio 1 Extra • 27 May 20

Sinead's picks include books by Donal Ryan (top left) and Emilie Pine (bottom right)

Sinead Crowley's Best Books Of 2018

I'm going to start this year with non-fiction as, unusually for me, some of my favourite books in 2018 came from this category.

Books • 15 Dec 18

Rooney & Ryan robbed? Sinead Crowley on the Man Booker shortlist

So, it seems, there are no dead certs in literature. Until today, Sally Rooney was spoken about as one of the favourites, not just to be shortlised for this year's Man Booker Prize but to win the award itself.

Books • 20 Sep 18

Sally Rooney - shortlisted for her second novel, Normal People

Sinead Crowley on the Man Booker Longlist

When the Man Booker Prize was opened up to American authors a few years ago there were fears that the big US names would come to dominate an award that had once celebrated only UK, Irish and Commonwealth authors.

Books • 24 Jul 18

Watch: Donal Ryan on the soundtrack to his life

Enjoy a highly enjoyable and illuminating interview, as author Donal Ryan joined Ray D'Arcy in studio to take us through the soundtrack to his life.

RTÉ Radio 1 • 28 May 18

Donal Ryan: 'It just felt like a story I had to write'

Donal Ryan is back with book number 5 (and novel number 4), From a Low and Quiet Sea. He joined Ryan Tubridy to talk about the inspiration behind it and about his style of researching and writing a book.

Books • 27 Mar 18

Donal Ryan - Grace Keane is entranced by his new novel

Reviewed: From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan

Donal Ryan will delight his many fans with his moving novella From a Low and Quiet Seaa Low, a tale which tells the story of so many lives within the span of a modest 183 pages.

Books • 21 Mar 18