The Irish Times view on The Plough and the Stars: a century-old Irish classic
The controversy in 1926 was a reminder that holding a mirror to your country can generate as much condemnation as gratitude
Seán O’Casey
The Plough and the Stars review: Abbey’s centenary staging features fine performances but doesn’t always gel
Tom Creed directs a cast led by Eimhin Fitzgerald Doherty, Kate Gilmore, Michael Glenn Murphy, Thommas Kane Byrne and Mary Murray
Getting our oar in: Frank McNally on the perils of linguistic imperialism
Their eccentricity might be charming if it wasn’t for the assumption that everyone else speaks that way
‘It’s the All-Ireland final of theatre’: The Plough and the Stars, 100 years on from its riotous first run
Frank McNally sits in on a new production of Seán O’Casey’s play and revisits the ‘chaotic scenes’ that greeted it in 1926
Stylish Phibsborough cottage in Seán O’Casey territory close to the city
Single-storey home with rear terrace is just a short walk from local hotspots and O’Connell Street
Stage IRA Man – Frank McNally on the real and pretend 1916 Rising of actor Arthur Shields
He went to the Abbey Theatre to collect a rifle hidden under the stage and join the fighting
Next Year Will Be a Good One by Shivaun O’Casey: Life in the benevolent shadow of Seán O’Casey
More important than any encomium from this quarter, Seán O’Casey’s daughter diligently captures his life and legacy
The 1920s London Irish Theatre: Abbey’s difficulty was England’s opportunity
Nelson O’Ceallaigh Ritschel’s history shows extent to which Irish drama was important in London
Playwright Seán O’Casey’s daughter: ‘He never seemed old to me... he was quite adventurous’
Seán O’Casey’s daughter Shivaun, a living link to one of our most famous playwrights, has written a memoir that includes previously unpublished letters from her father
Abbey Theatre announces centenary Plough and the Stars production for 2026
New plays by Marina Carr, Frank McGuinness and Una McKevitt to also feature in forthcoming season
Giving all artists a basic income means they can get on with the bloody work
For every €1 invested in the pilot scheme, €1.39 is generated
Brenda Fricker: ‘It was real violence, and I needed protection. Where was my father? There was blood all over me’
Parental abuse, sexual violence and mental health struggles: the Oscar-winner has endured more than most. She explains why she decided to write a memoir
Samuel Beckett vs Archbishop McQuaid: Why an infuriated Nobel laureate withdrew his play from Dublin Theatre Festival
Festival acquired letter playwright wrote to friend in 1958 to apologise for feeling compelled to cancel planned run of Act without Words I
The best theatre of 2024: Blessed are the risk-takers
Gambling on longer runs of unfamiliar work paid off in a gratifying number of cases. But Irish theatre still isn’t as inclusive as it should be
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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