Category: Features

The descriptions of the ‘characteristic examples of three types’ of Irishmen found in a 1950s British children’s encyclopaedia has been published online and they have people talking. Reddit user u/mapryan posted the comment: “I made the mistake of looking up Ireland in a British children’s Encyclopedia from the 1950’s.”

The set of The Quiet Man was the scene for one of the great secrets of the golden age of Hollywood – and Irish legend Maureen O’Hara was one of only three people to have known the truth. It involved a famous scene at the end of the iconic 1952 movie.

Hollywood hardman Liam Neeson attempted to show his versatility actor as he donned a red suit and hat and auditioned for the role of an in-store Santa Claus. The Ballymena actor performed the audition as part of a skit for the Stephen Colbert Show.

Aussie legend Kylie Minogue has endeared herself to her Irish fans by giving them free pints of Guinness as a thank you for coming to her shows. It was her way of making up for having to postpone two big events earlier in the year.

The murder of Sister Cathy shocked America. There were allegations that it was linked to child abuse by priests and may have been covered up by the Catholic Church. Now Netflix has produced a documentary to try to find out exactly what happened. Author Bill Hughes looks at the story and the documentary it inspired.… Continue reading Who Killed Sister Cathy: “The Keepers” Is Compelling TV Drama

The murder of a young nun is being investigated in a new documentary and the finger of blame is pointed squarely at a priest who later fled to Ireland. Sister Cathy Cesnik is the subject of the Netflix documentary ‘The Keepers’. She went missing in Baltimore in 1969, when she was aged just 26.

Experimental drugs intended for cattle were tried out on children in Irish mother-and-baby homes, according to official reports obtained by the radio station, Newstalk. The report, from the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health’s report to the Oireachtas in the year 2000, says the tests involved 290 children in the 1960s and 70s.

Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical has been a long time coming. Ask Meat Loaf when he first heard about the idea, and he replies: “About 48 years ago. It’s been Jimmy’s dream since I first met him.” Jimmy, of course, is Jim Steinman, Meat’s long-time friend, and writer of the songs that made… Continue reading Meatloaf talks about Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical

Not sure how to prune properly? Want a beginner’s guide to vegetable growing? Fancy a new career as a garden designer? Whatever your horticultural bent, there is a course out there for you, from one-day taster courses to degrees and recognised horticultural qualifications. But where do you start?