Meet the Galway photographer with a passion for insect portraits – ‘Exotic, mad-looking yokes right in my garden'
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A Galway-based insect photographer has explained the secret behind her unique passion ahead of the launch of her latest portrait book.
Clare-born photographer Lisa Clancy has been taking photos of insects since 2009, when she embarked on a master's degree in Biological Photography and Imaging at the University of Nottingham.
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Irish Independent
12 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Rebel Wilson attacks ‘spiteful, toxic' producers after they sue her in Australia over directorial debut ‘The Deb'
The Pitch Perfect star posted the statement on Instagram yesterday morning after UK-based financiers AI Film lodged fresh legal proceedings against her in the New South Wales Supreme Court, claiming she sabotaged the film's release and made defamatory claims in an attempt to force them to sell her the rights. The Sydney-born actor and director (45) claimed the lawsuit is 'complete nonsense' and part of a wider campaign of 'bullying and harassment' by the film's producers Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden. I'm so proud of the film 'I've nurtured this project for five years. To say otherwise is complete nonsense. I'm so proud of the film,' she wrote. The legal drama over The Deb – a feel-good Australian musical – began in mid-2024 when Wilson publicly accused her fellow producers of embezzlement, sexual misconduct and blocking the film's distribution in a post on Instagram. Her allegations were denied, and Ghost, Cameron and Holden swiftly launched a defamation lawsuit in Los Angeles. Now, with that case still ongoing, AI Film has filed a second lawsuit in Australia, claiming Wilson's real aim was to devalue the production and pressure them into handing over their stake to her company, Camp Sugar. They allege Wilson threatened injunctions and made damaging statements knowing they were false – including to potential distributors – all to gain 'personal financial advantage'. In an Instagram rebuttal, the actor accused the financiers of having 'the power to release the film' but failing to do so 'for a year' since it was completed. 'Instead, in my opinion, they have continued this spiteful toxic behaviour,' she added. The film, which premiered to warm reviews at the Toronto Film Festival last year, remains unreleased – something Wilson said is punishing the cast and crew who worked to bring it to life. ADVERTISEMENT 'What would you do if you were me and a young cast member says she's living with a producer and had a bath and shower with them and feels uncomfortable?' she said. I'd do the same again. I believe in a safe and inclusive workplace Wilson also claimed crew had told her money was being stolen from the production. 'I reported both things. I'd do the same again. I believe in a safe and inclusive workplace,' she added. Lead actor Charlotte MacInnes – named in Wilson's earlier claims – has denied any misconduct, filing a statement in the US court last November calling the allegations 'completely false and absurd'. Wilson yesterday revealed she will release the film's first song, titled F**k My Life, in protest. Despite the legal row, Wilson said she has moved on and is currently directing her second feature. Still, she added that she was posting about The Deb 'with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart'. 'I just want this movie to come out and for all the amazingly talented contributors to be recognised,' she said.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
From Savita Halappanavar to Anne Bonny: Damning indictment of the treatment of women through the ages shows its always been this way
At first glance, the two women who drive the narrative of a new opera by Kamala Sankaram and Paul Muldoon seem an unlikely pairing. Custom of the Coast weaves together the stories of Savita Halappanavar , the young Indian woman who became a symbol of this country's pro–choice movement after she died in a Galway hospital in 2012 and Cork-born pirate Anne Bonny , a swashbuckling icon from the 18th century, who disguised her gender by wearing men's clothes. Indian-American composer Sankaram and Pulitzer Prize winning poet Muldoon are on a video call from United States, where they are both based, to discuss their new work. Muldoon, who wrote the libretto, has long been fascinated by pirates. He rereads Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson every year. 'It's one of the greatest pieces of writing in English in its representation of the pirate world,' he says. READ MORE But how did Muldoon first come to the idea that the lives of these two women from such different times and backgrounds might work as an interwoven story? 'It's one of those strange things that I can't quite tell you …,' he says of the origins of the libretto. 'The paradoxical relationship between the two stories came to me in, I think, almost a kind of a dream, as many things do. So I can't really tell you which came first. I think they arrived together.' Muldoon says that like many people he was 'very troubled' when the news broke of 31-year-old Halapannavar's death . 'We have so much to be proud of in Ireland with our two women presidents, our poet President and indeed our gay, Indian taoiseach. This [Savita's death] was a moment where we seemed to be going backward rather than forward. It was a critical moment for many of us ...' Halappanavar's story is shamefully familiar to most of us. Originally from the Indian state of Karnataka, the dentist moved to Galway in 2008 to be with her husband Praveen, a manufacturing engineer. She was 17 weeks pregnant in October 2012 when, complaining of back pain, she was admitted to University Hospital Galway . While there she was told she was having a miscarriage. She and Praveen as a result made repeated requests for an abortion, which were denied on legal grounds. In the early hours of October 28th, Savita died from severe sepsis. Paul Muldoon: 'The main ambition of the piece is actually to be itself'. Photograph: Simone Padavani An investigation by the HSE subsequently found that there was a 'lack of recognition of the gravity of the situation and of the increasing risk to the mother which led to passive approaches and delays in aggressive treatment'. Peter Boylan, former master of the National Maternity Hospital , has said 'the real problem was the inability to terminate the pregnancy prior to Ms Halappanavar developing a real and substantial risk of death. By that time it was, effectively, too late to save her life.' Hallapanavar's tragic death ignited a social movement across Ireland. There were candlelit vigils held in her memory and national protests that influenced the government's introduction of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill. Her death galvanised a generation of pro-choice campaigners and in June 2018, 66 per cent of the country voted to repeal the 8th Amendment, which had effectively outlawed abortion in Ireland. Afterwards, campaigners gathered at the mural of Savita in Dublin's city centre to mark the historic victory for women's rights that will be forever linked to the young Indian woman. The opera, which is directed by Alan Gilsenan and will be premiered next month at the Kilkenny Arts Festival, gives voice to both Halappanavar and Bonny in powerful narratives that run alongside each other, until they collide in surprising and unexpected ways. The 'paradoxical' link that Muldoon referred to between the women is a fascinating one. In Custom of the Coast – the term for the pirate code that governed seafaring activity – Muldoon contrasts the fact that one of the women, Halappanavar, died because she was pregnant while the other woman, Bonny, who had been sentenced to death for piracy, was granted a stay of execution after she 'pleaded the belly'. The phrase meant she was pregnant and her life should be spared. In fact, Bonny was only faking pregnancy in order to avoid execution. The opera also follows another female pirate in men's clothing, Mary Read, who was actually pregnant, and also 'pleaded the belly' but later died in childbirth. With Halappanavar's story running alongside all of this, the opera is a damning indictment of the treatment of women through the ages. For her part, Sankaram, who often bases her work on women's rights issues, was very much aware of Savita Halappanavar. Around the time of her death, she had been creating a chamber opera called Thumbprint based on the story of Pakistani woman Mukhtar Mai, who was gang-raped as retribution for a crime her brother had committed. Kamala Sankaram says Custom of the Coast asks questions about 'a women's right to control over their bodies' Mai went on to sue her attackers and became the first woman in Pakistan to successfully prosecute a so-called honour crime. 'Savita's story was very much in the air at the time,' Sankaram says. 'Also, here in the United States while we, until recently, had constitutional protections that were supposed to preserve your right to choose an abortion, those rights were already being eroded in many places, particularly in red states. And we've seen what has happened since then.' Since Roe v Wade was reversed three years ago, access to abortion across the United States has been dramatically reduced with 12 states now operating complete bans and others imposing restrictions based on gestational limits. Muldoon came to her with the opera proposal a few months after Roe v Wade had been struck down in the United States. 'It seemed very important because even though the opera is very situated in Ireland, the themes are universal.' Sankaram said although she is not Irish, she was watching for the outcome of the Repeal campaign. 'There have always been these laws around what women can and cannot do with their own bodies. Sadly, we in United States are now very much behind where you are in terms of our rights, which is just so depressing.' Custom of the Coast 'asks questions about a women's right to control over their bodies, how that has changed and how it has stayed the same over time ...' 'I think placing these women next to each other really highlights that it's always been this way,' she continues. 'In one case, Anne Bonny was able to use pregnancy to save her own life but Mary Read, who also 'pleaded the belly', died. It's important that it's not just the parallel between Anne Bonny and Savita Halappanavar, it's between Mary Read, Anne Bonny and Savita Halappanavar. 'The three of them together. That's what is interesting about the way this piece works. It's not a slice of realistic opera libretto, it's much more evocative. It's everything happening at once. And you can sort of see how the threads extend through time from Anne and Mary to Savita, and how that might also have an interaction with where we are now.' An engraving from 1878 showing Mary Read and her comrade Anne Bonny who were convicted of piracy during the early 18th century. Photograph: Getty Images The work also chimed with her own pirate obsession. When Muldoon asked if she knew about Bonny, her response was 'of course'. Sankaram's Indian heritage also came into play as she composed the piece. 'Savita was from Bengaluru, which is where part of my family lives. So there is something about what it means to be an immigrant in a new country. And what it means to choose to assimilate or not assimilate, and how you're going to do that, which is part of her story. So it felt resonant for all of those reasons.' Interestingly, a few years ago Muldoon, who was born in Portadown, Co Armagh , found some distant Indian heritage of his own. 'I discovered that I actually am part Indian. I'm not suggesting, by the way, that this gives me any particular insight. I don't quite believe in that. But it is the case that one of my great-grandparents, from what I could make out from the DNA information, was of Punjabi heritage.' The historical connections between both countries are nodded to in the piece which mentions the green, white and orange of both flags. 'The Indian movement towards independence was influenced by the Irish movement, so much so that the Indian revolution was staged at Easter,' says Muldoon. Sankaram's opera score is a fusion of traditional Irish and Indian classical music, while structurally Muldoon's libretto is inspired by everything from sea shanties to the Hindi ghazal. The main roles are sung by soprano Anchal Dhir and mezzo-soprano Michelle O'Rourke. It might well be the only opera to include a starring role for the accordion, played by renowned musician Danny O'Mahony. [ Irish women warriors: from Granuaile to Anne Bonny and Countess Markievicz Opens in new window ] Sankaram says, given the tragic subject matter, she wanted to create 'something that was loving and respectful and honest, to show you are honouring that person and uplifting their story'. She drew from the strong cultural traditions in both Ireland and India. 'For me, to come in as someone who isn't Irish, didn't feel quite honest. A lot of it is figuring out how to bring in Irish traditional music and let it be what it is, without my imposing myself on it, I wanted to sort of make a bed for it to exist'. Custom of the Coast is the story with the reproductive lives of three women at its heart. In an era where the question of who gets to tell certain stories is forensically discussed, did Muldoon question whether he was the right person to create this work? 'It's a perfectly reasonable question but I feel it would be a sad day if men were not allowed to write about women, and women were not allowed to write about men ... the two main ideas which I would be very conscious of as I'm writing are ignorance and humility. For me those are absolute sine qua nons, without them nothing really of interest happens. It would be a poor, poor world I think where the imagination is not given free rein. 'And isn't it vital that men do get involved and become troubled and moved by these issues? I think it is.' 'The story had to be told and Paul was the person who came to me with the story,' Sankaram says. 'At the end of the day respect and honour are the most important things. Are you telling the story because you think it's going to make you money? Are you looking for fame? Obviously that's not the case here ... I think it's complex, but as long as the work is approached with love and care, then that's really the bottom line for me.' [ Scannal: Savita review – Heartbreaking chronicle of the medieval essence at heart of Irish healthcare system Opens in new window ] The Catholic Church's dominance over women's lives in Ireland is brought into sharp relief by the opera's venue, St Canice's Cathedral. In the libretto, Muldoon imagines the everyday lives of Hallapanavar and Bonny bringing both women vibrantly to life. At one point, again emphasising the church's influence, there is a line about Halappanavar taking a selfie outside a Magdalene Laundry in Galway: 'I'll never forget the selfie I took outside the old Magdalene laundry on Forster Street. To think that I'd given up the so-called third world for a country famous for bards and biotech only to find the Papal flag unfurled' I ask Muldoon whether this selfie scene was inspired by reports of Halappanavar's life in Galway, or whether he felt free to imagine elements of her inner and outer world. 'Regarding the selfie, I don't remember if that actually happened quite honestly, I don't remember if I made that up. There's always an element of fictionalisation ... it's inevitable that there would be some kind of invention about the piece. Let's face it, at the core of the work is the notion that Bonny and Halappanavar are in some way connected and perhaps engaged in dialogue. Well, that just did not happen, but for the purposes of this piece it happens and I hope we can get deeper insight into both stories from them being connected in that way.' Returning to his dream that inspired the opera, he says 'the ideal is that we are visited by forces beyond us, be it the language, be it a melody. Without sounding too corny or pretentious, there's really no accounting for much of what happens in the business of art-making, you know ... what I find most joyful about it is being surprised, having no idea what's going to happen and seeing what happens and hoping that something interesting happens. That's what it's all about.' Muldoon did not get in touch with the Halappanavar family while writing the libretto, although the director Alan Gilsenan has been in communication with them more recently. Do the creators think the Halappanavar family might travel to Ireland to see the opera? Sankaram says they would be warmly welcomed. The question also makes her think back to her work with rape survivor Mukthar Mai, who did come to see a live performance of the piece based on her ordeal. Mukhtar Mai became a symbol of hope for oppressed women. Photograph: Robert Nickelsberg/ Getty Images 'What she said afterwards was that it was difficult for her to see those experiences reenacted on stage. But then when the lights came on and there were people standing and clapping around her, she realised there had been all of these people with her the whole time.' Muldoon says it would be 'fabulous' if the Halappanavar family felt able to come, that the opera is a 'loving and honouring' portrayal of her. 'But it could be quite painful, you never know how people are going to be able to deal with something like that'. What do they hope audiences will take from the work? 'I hope it's a reminder for people that these rights are fragile. In the United States, we felt comfortable, and then that right was taken away,' says Sankaram. 'I hope it's also inspiring for people who hear it to know that change can be affected, but that it also has to be protected and that it's very much an ongoing thing.' She hopes Custom of the Coast travels to the United States 'because we could use that message here as well'. Muldoon agrees with Sankaram, saying 'all art is political whether we want to believe it or not'. But he also strikes a note of caution regarding the danger of sermonising through opera or other artforms. 'I didn't set out to make a particular point ... I agree with John Keats, who reminded us that we have difficulties with art that has designs on us, just as we have difficulty with people who have designs on us. 'When you can see people want to make you go in a particular direction, we actually don't like that, we shy away from it. And I think the same is true of art. I hope it will raise issues that are important in society but I would say the main ambition of this piece is actually to be itself and allow a space in which the ideas may resonate.' Custom of the Coast is at St Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny on August 8th.
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Indianapolis: Exploring the home of speed, sport and sass
Back when I lived in New York, a friend of mine would introduce herself as being from Indynoplace — a cheeky, eye-roll nickname for Indianapolis, the kind of city that barely prompted a reaction. You could file Indiana's capital under 'fine' — all flat vowels, flat land and, according to the haters, flat vibes. So what's Aer Lingus doing launching a slick new direct flight there four times a week on a single-aisle A321neo? Here's a clue: Indianapolis also goes by the 'Crossroads of America.' It's laced into a criss-cross of interstates, within easy reach of cities such as Cincinnati, Columbus, St Louis, Chicago, and Louisville. It's the kind of place that makes sense on a map, a strategic stop where your road trip playlist barely gets going before you've arrived somewhere else. But there's more to it than logistics. This is the first direct connection between Indy and Europe, and with more than 50 Indiana-based companies linked to Ireland, the economic logic is sound. For Aer Lingus, it's a chance to boost Dublin's role as a gateway to the American Mid-West. For Hoosiers, it's a shortcut to the other side of the Atlantic. Still, Indy isn't just playing middleman. The city's quietly upping its game, with eye-catching murals, small-batch breweries, boundary-pushing kitchens and a homegrown creative streak that's giving it a new edge. Maybe Indynoplace is due a bit more attention after all. The surest way to get the measure of a city is on foot — or better still, on two wheels. Indy's eight-mile Cultural Trail snakes through six downtown districts, threading Mass Ave, White River State Park and Fountain Square into one seamless loop. Expect bursts of public art at every turn (Ann Dancing, Julian Opie's LED stick-figure in the Mass Ave district is a highlight) and a stop-you-in-your-tracks landmark in the Madam Walker Legacy Center, a 1927 Art Deco theatre honouring America's first black female millionaire. Tucked just off Indiana Avenue, the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is part gallery, part shrine, part gentle rebellion — a fitting tribute to Indy's most subversive literary son. Founder Julia Whitehead champions the museum's unapologetic stance on free speech, arguing that its independence from federal funding gives it the freedom to speak louder — and braver — than many larger institutions. Vonnegut, no fan of censorship, would no doubt be cheering from the rafters. His words on the subject are on display here, more urgent now than ever. At 10th and Lewis Streets, the Cultural Trail plugs into the 26-mile Monon Trail, a reclaimed rail corridor that shoots north through hip Broad Ripple — student nightlife on tap — before rolling past elegant Carmel's manicured lawns and all the way to Sheridan in central Indiana. Breweries spill onto the path here too, whether you're chasing small-batch sours in Fountain Square or a post-pedal pint on Mass Ave. Race day at the Speedway, Indianapolis THE INDY 500 All of Indianapolis's low-key cool gets left in the dust once you hit the northwest side of town. Indy's other persona is 'The Racing Capital of the World'. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway plays host to a full calendar of high-octane events, but it all builds to one roaring crescendo: The Indy 500. Held every Memorial Day weekend, it draws a jaw-dropping 340,000 fans, packing out the biggest sports venue on the planet. It's loud, it's legendary, and it's pure, unfiltered adrenaline. If you're not in town for race day, don't worry — the newly revamped museum does a solid job of capturing the buzz, with exhibits that bring the drama and speed to life. Fionn Davenport on the podium at Indianapolis Speedway Guided tours take you behind the scenes of one of America's most-watched sporting events, all the way onto the legendary track, where you can channel your inner champion and plant a kiss on the famous Yard of Bricks, the iconic start-finish line and the last visible stretch of the original 4km brick-paved surface that earned the Speedway its nickname, 'the Brickyard'. On the way to the track, I made the obligatory pilgrimage to Long's Bakery because apparently, no Speedway trip is legit without it. From the outside, it's all no-frills charm: A plain facade straight out of 1955. They specialise in donuts that don't need fanfare. Just glossy glaze, pillowy dough, and maybe a hit of jelly or custard if you're feeling fancy. The coffee is jet black and no nonsense (I heard someone ask for a cappuccino and they were almost laughed out of the place). They're proudly cash-only, a pleasing anachronism in a world of tap-and-go. It's all part of the magic. The Bottleworks district Not that Indianapolis can't do sophisticated. Step off Mass Ave and you'll hit one of Indy's freshest playgrounds, located around what was once the world's largest Coca-Cola bottling plant. The Art Deco sprawl still covers multiple blocks, but now its old garage thrums as a food hall where more than 20 vendors dish up globe-trotting comfort. Picture Greek pitas from Mama Fofo, chimichurri-soaked Brazilian steak sandwiches, and Mid-West crowd-pleasers — smoky ribs from Pig Pen and nostalgia-laden burgers at Clancy's, still flipped to Carl Fogelsong's 1965 recipe. Directly opposite, the plant's main building has re-emerged as the Bottleworks Hotel, all soaring ceilings, terrazzo floors, and graceful curves. The Art Deco bones remain intact, but tech-smart touches bring the whole place neatly into the now. One place that has remained more or less unchanged is St Elmo, a carnivore haven that is one of the city's last true independent steakhouses. This 120-year-old spot racks up awards for service, romance, and white-tablecloth flair, but the main reason to come is to sink your teeth into prime, perfectly charred beef, and challenge yourself to its signature shrimp cocktail — a fire-breathing starter made with lots and lots of horseradish that lights up your sinuses. St Elmo's Steakhouse ST ELMO'S FIRE The walls of St Elmo's are lined with portraits of famous patrons and sports stars, including plenty of local heroes. The Colts — among the NFL's oldest franchises — made the move from Baltimore in 1983, and now call Lucas Oil Stadium home. You can even take a tour if you're into gridiron cathedrals. But if football's a passion, basketball is religion. Hoosier Hysteria runs deep in the state. Gainbridge Fieldhouse, smack in the middle of downtown (and also worth a tour), hosts the Indiana Pacers (at the time of writing playing in their first NBA finals since 2000) and the Indiana Fever — now packing in crowds thanks to Caitlin Clark, the phenom redefining women's basketball in real time. Victory Field is home to the minor league Indianapolis Indians and serves up pure Americana: Summer nights, cheap bleacher seats, hot dogs in hand and a beer under the lights. It's as close as you'll get to Field of Dreams without stumbling into a cornfield. I only had three days on the ground, but Indy made its case fast. The new Aer Lingus hop is more than a convenient doorway to the Mid-West — it's an invitation to linger. Give the city a couple of days and you'll see why it earns a place on the itinerary, and not just the map. THREE PLACES TO EAT The Garage Food Hall: 20+ vendors selling all kinds of cuisine, from burgers to bao buns. You can eat well here for around $20 St Elmo's Indianapolis' most famous restaurant is an old-school steakhouse, but its signature dish is its super-hot shrimp cocktail starter. Milktooth: For the trendiest breakfast in town, this tchotchke-filled spot tacks hard between tasty and artsy. OUTLAW SPIRIT Indy's bar scene is stacked, yet the Slippery Noodle Inn still steals the spotlight. Open since 1850, the place has worn many hats – brothel, slaughterhouse, speakeasy – and counted hometown outlaw John Dillinger among its regulars (look for the bullet holes in one of the walls). During the Civil War its basement sheltered freedom- seekers on the Underground Railroad, a slice of history you can still step into. These days it's straight-up bar meets live-music haven – no frills but plenty of tall tales between pitchers of local brew. A room at Bottleworks Hotel ESCAPE NOTES Aer Lingus flies four times weekly with fares from €250 each way, Bottleworks Hotel rooms from $179, Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library admission $12, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum admission $25; track tours $15-55, Lucas Oil Stadium tour $20, Gainbridge Fieldhouse tour from $10 per person, Victory Field (Indianapolis Indians), tickets from $15,
