Rhythm Nation Jape on music to play while walking through graveyards, and Elizabeth Cotten’s beautiful voice Electro-rock musician Richie Egan is obsessed with old samplers like the Cazio FZ1. Here the Dubliner reveals how his favourite musicians and songs have inspired him
Album Reviews Bono among galaxy of stars shining on festive charity albumRecorded in St Patrick’s Cathedral last year, this vinyl album features songs from the likes of the U2 frontman, Damian Rice, the Frames and Lisa O’Neill
Book Review Three Castles Burning: Entertaining stories from Dublin’s past allows hidden gems to shineBased on the Three Castles Burning podcast, historian Donal Fallon picks 12 streets in the capital to paint a bigger picture of the city through the ages
Books Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: Sobering story of Friends star’s battle with addictionMatthew Perry recounts how he nearly died when his ‘colon exploded’ and how he has spent $7m on various attempts to cure himself of his opiates and alcohol addictions
Books The Philosophy of Modern Song: Dylan riffs on universal truths in favourite musicBob Dylan gets right inside the songs in this all-encompassing series of essays on tracks by artists from Elvis to Judy Garland
Album Reviews Stormzy mellows out after a period of retreat and repairThe British rapper’s latest album after time out from social media is more subtle and low key than earlier collections
Interview Colm Tóibín: ‘You can’t force a book. It is like composing a song: you have to wait for a melody’One of Ireland’s most acclaimed and prolific authors shares with Ben Haugh some of the most important things he has learned and observed about the art of reading and writing
Books Isaac and the Egg: Poignant yet playful modern-day fable of grief, survival and healingBobby Palmer’s absurd, whimsical and inventive tale about coming out of your shell after love and loss is bursting with metaphor
Books The Whitethorn of the Dancing: Good yarn of a murder mystery with twists aplenty Author and broadcaster Tom McCaughren’s debut novel for adults is very readable and beautifully descriptive – if a little overlong
Rhythm Nation Kez on her admiration for Springsteen’s honesty and why she has to dance to Arcade fire
The Guide Sara Keating: Giving voice to those who challenge the actuality of meaningful exchange A 70th anniversary celebration essay from two black community activists reminds us that the Arts Council’s power derives from the people it supports
Film & Television John Maguire on film: Glass Onion is funnier but not as satifying to unpeel as the original whodunitBond star Daniel Craig is back as the 'world’s greatest detective’ in a follow-up to 2019’s surprise murder mystery hit, Knives Out
Books Out of the Blue: Gripping story of the woman who should never have been British PMLively and colourful biography of Liz Truss details how the woman who served just 49 chaotic days at 10 Downing Street had a shrewd knowledge of her personal limitations, but combined it with a wild overestimation of her political abilities
Classical Notes Dick O’Riordan: Could this virtuoso violinist become our own Andre Rieu?Vladimir Jablokov started out busking on Grafton Street 20 years ago and is now one of the most successful and individualist musicians in the business
Morning Headlines Big Tech firms seek licences to use diesel to power data centres; Restaurants question tipping laws The stories you need to read this morning in business, politics and current affairs – as well as our critics’ pick of the best books from 2022
Album Reviews Bluegrass whiz kid Billy Strings on ties that bind Me/And/Dad delivers a family rendering of gospel, country and old-style songs with deep personal meaning
Interview ‘It’s almost like you’re hosting a dinner party, so that mix of guests is really important’Angela Scanlon on how she’s much happier with the current series of her Saturday night chat show, why she’s a nightmare to watch TV with and how when she had the biggest job of her career, she was miserable
Books Mad Honey: Nuanced novel about a beekeeper and a small-town murder is one of the year’s bestA collaboration between two well-known writers, this is a seamless, beautifully written tale whose characters are the real stars
Rhythm Nation Paranoid Visions on compelling listening and proper DIY musicThe post-punk band have been to the forefront of Ireland’s DIY music culture for four decades. Peter Jones and Deko Dacha reveal which artists and songs have most inspired them.
Books A Guest at the Feast: Tóibín’s tasty essays will leave readers hungry for moreWriter’s latest collection shows that the Irish author of The Master and The Magician is himself a little of both
