Summer catch-up: 20 of the best non-fiction books so far in 2025
Eamon Carr, lyricist and drummer with Horslips, amongst other polymathic gifts, has gathered the best celebrity interviews from his years as a journalist. The collection describes how the interviews unfolded with giants from the era like J.P Donleavy, Rudolf Nureyev, Shane MacGowan and Jack Charlton. Written with his wry, entertaining voice, and full anecdote, it's a book to be devoured.
2. Busy and Wrecked: Create Space and Energy for the People and Things That Really Matter by Dermot Whelan
Comedian and mindfulness expert Dermot Whelan's follow-up to his best-selling book, Mind Full, is an exploration of modern-day busyness and how to alleviate stress. His conversational tone, weaving in his own personal life and experiences, as well as interesting research, makes for an easy, insightful read.
3. Homework: A Memoir by Geoff Dyer
Geoff Dyer's memoir about growing up as an only child in a lower middle-class neighbourhood in provincial England (Cheltenham) in the 1960s (childhood) and '70s (adolescence) might not sound appealing, but in the hands of a writer so smart and so funny, with a brilliant philosophical bent, it's a book you can't put down.
4. The Black Pool: A Memoir of Forgetting by Tim MacGabhann
While in university in Dublin, Tim MacGabhann's flatmate's father killed himself at Christmas. In the silence around the news, MacGabhann asked his flatmate how the holidays had been. His flatmate laughed and said, 'Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?' Thoughts of his own suicide is something the nomadic MacGabhann tackles head on in his brilliant, whirlwind memoir about addiction.
5. Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane
In what could be his finest, and certainly his most personal, work to date, the great nature writer Robert Macfarlane examines the fate of our rivers, in particular three rivers in Ecuador, India and Canada, arguing rivers should be treated like humans – or else we're all doomed.
Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane; Picnic on Craggy Island: The Surreal Joys of Producing Father Ted by Lissa Evans; and Ballybunion to the River Kwai.
6. Picnic on Craggy Island: The Surreal Joys of Producing Father Ted by Lissa Evans
Lissa Evans got a plum job as a producer working on the Father Ted sitcom series in the 1990s. The book she's written recalling her experiences is an enjoyable read, full of yarns about the capers the actors and crew got up to on set, and insight into how the magic happened.
7. Ballybunion to the River Kwai: An Irishman's Story of Survival on the Death by Fergus Kennedy
Fergus Kennedy is a retired doctor. He has pieced together his father's remarkable wartime story – he was an Irish prisoner of war in Singapore and Thailand during World War II, including time spent slaving on the notorious 'death railway' through the jungles of Thailand and Burma, which featured in the Hollywood movie Bridge on the River Kwai.
8. Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work by Sarah Wynn-Williams
The New Zealander Sarah Wynn-Williams landed a dream job at Facebook, but it turned into a nightmare. Her exposé of the work practices at the tech giant, including insight into its founder Mark Zuckerberg, has caused a sensation.
9. Ireland's Curious Places: 100 Fascinating, Lesser-known Treasures to Discover by Michael Fewer
Architect and academic Michael Fewer has written about a hundred curious places, with accompanying photos, to tell the story of Ireland – from the church that four-times married Brian Boru prayed at (Co. Clare) to Fionn mac Cumhaill's sliotar (Co. Wicklow) and Art Ó Laoghaire's grave in Kilcrea (Co. Cork).
10. When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines by Graydon Carter
Graydon Carter is a flamboyant character. His memoir about his years as a magazine editor, including a long spell editing Vanity Fair (1992-2017) is a hoot, not least for details about his on-off relationship with Donald Trump.
11. Notes to John by Joan Didion
There have been few better non-fiction writers than Joan Didion. The posthumous publication of notes from her years going to therapy provide a portal into her mind and her close relationships, including with her writer husband John Dunne and their troubled adopted daughter.
Notes to John by Joan Didion; Mark Twain by Ron Chernow; and Original Sin: President Biden's Decline.
12. Big Mouth by Vogue Williams
Everything Vogue Williams touches seems to turn to gold. Her autobiography delves into the darker moments in her journey, including her parents' marriage breakup when she was five years old, the breakdown of her first marriage with Brian McFadden and other misdemeanours.
13. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
Ron Chernow is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer. His examination of America's first literary celebrity has caused considerable excitement. He doesn't hold back any punches, exploring how Twain carefully curated his image; his troubling attitude to race; and the dark final chapter of his life when he cultivated relationships with young girls, his 'pets'.
14. The Episode: A True Story of Loss, Madness and Healing by Mary Ann Kenny
Shortly after her husband died suddenly, Mary Ann Kenny, an academic who lives in Dublin, descended into a hellhole of psychosis, including a belief that her young children had been harmed by medications she took. The story of how she managed to survive her illness is astonishing.
15. Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson
Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson are two experienced journalists on the Washington political scene. Their exposure of Joe Biden's deteriorating health during the final years of his presidency – and bizarrely why he was allowed run for re-election – is a fascinating read.
Sports Book Highlights
The Big Fight : When Ali Conquered Ireland by Dave Hannigan and Big Dunc by Duncan Ferguson.
1. The Big Fight: When Ali Conquered Ireland by Dave Hannigan: Dave Hannigan's book about Muhammad Ali's fight in Dublin in 1972 has been updated and re-issued in paperback. The co-promoter Butty Sugrue's story is so outrageous it warrants its own book. Not to mention other walk-on characters like Peter O'Toole, John Huston and Bernadette Devlin. A knockout read.
2. Shattered Dreams, Sliding Doors: The Republic of Ireland's 1982 World Cup Qualifying Campaign by Paul Little: The Republic of Ireland had a daunting task to qualify for the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain. In their qualifying group, Eoin Hand's squad faced Belgium, one of eight teams to qualify for the Euro 80 finals; Michel Platini's France; and the Netherlands, beaten finalists in the two previous World Cups. Paul Little, a child at the time, tells the story of what transpired in an engaging, third-person narrative.
3. The Last Ditch: How One GAA Championship Gave a Sportswriter Back His Life by Eamonn Sweeney: Eamonn Sweeney uses the 2024 All-Ireland series in hurling and Gaelic football – which threw up the most exciting hurling final in memory – as a platform for investigating his mental health struggles and the wonder of the GAA in Irish life.
4. Big Dunc: The Upfront Autobiography by Duncan Ferguson: Everton legend Duncan Ferguson's autobiography, which is ghost-written by Henry Winter, is proving very popular with football fans. His story includes three months spent in prison for headbutting an opponent.
5. The Last Bell: Life, Death and Boxing by Donald McRae: Donald McRae is one of the great sportswriters. His book Dark Trade: Lost in Boxing from the mid-1990s is a seminal book about the sweet science. Now, after 50 years immersed in the sport, comes his final book on boxing, and what it has become, mired in doping scandals, enthralled to easy money from Saudi Arabia.
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Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
'It was ‘Queen, 40p; Horslips, 50p': Irish rockers release new album of BBC recordings
Hidden treasure has been found at the BBC. A trove of archive Horslips material has been gathered together in a five-disc set. The collection captures the band in their pomp in the 1970s, and later recordings culled from their reunion years (three decades after breaking up in 1980). It includes live performances, interviews, gorgeous linear notes and rare photos of its band members – Barry Devlin, Jim Lockhart, Charles O'Connor, Eamon Carr and Johnny Fean – in the kind of outlandish glam rock fashion that would hurt your eyes. A highlight from the haul is a recording of their performance with the Ulster Orchestra at Belfast's Waterfront Hall. The gig was performed on St. Patrick's Day in 2011. It's arguably Horslips 'finest hour'. It includes a memorable eight-minute rendition of I'll Be Waiting, a showcase for Fean, the band's lead guitarist, who sadly passed away in 2023. 'The Ulster Orchestra is 69 people,' says Lockhart. 'It's hugely impressive. The conductor Brian Byrne had done these amazing arrangements. We were back and forth with him for several weeks beforehand, talking through the stuff we would like to hear and the direction we'd like it to go, adding, say, a Vivaldi fiddle for that bit there, and so on. 'Brian ran with it, taking all the traditional bits like, say, the intro to Trouble (With a Capital 'T'), which is Brian Boru's March, and doing a lovely arrangement of it, which led brilliantly into the song. He picked up on all the subtleties. On the night, we had this huge, incredibly disciplined force behind us playing our melodies. It was an extraordinary feeling.' The footage includes an evocative segment they did in 1974 on The Old Grey Whistle Test television show, which was hosted by the legendary DJ 'Whispering Bob Harris'. One of their first engagements with the BBC was in October 1973 when they were invited to do a session on John Peel's radio show, shortly before their second album, The Táin, was released. Their reward was £50 and exposure to his considerable audience. 'Peel was huge,' says Devlin. 'Peel didn't love us. His producer John Walters loved us. We were slightly 'Go handy' for Peel. Peel was more into the arcane. His idea of proper trad was a piper outside Micho Russell's in the rain with only a chanter, without any of the tassels. He had an austere view of what you should do with traditional music. We didn't entirely fit that, but to be fair to him, he accepted trad is a broad church so he always gave us time.' This was the golden age of rock music in Britain. David Bowie was breaking all the rules. Queen were on the rise. Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were entrancing teenagers around the world. The Táin was a classic concept album in the vein of the era's landmark albums. It was a heady time to be in a popular rock band. As Horslips toured the UK, they bumped into bands like The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Lindisfarne at The Blue Boar Inn, a coaching inn on the Birmingham to London motorway. 'We crossed paths with Queen quite a bit,' says Lockhart. 'There's a poster of one of our first gigs in London – Queen were on the previous week – and it was 'Queen, 40p; Horslips, 50p' at the London School of Economics.' Horslips on the cover of New Spotlight magazine 'The Blue Boar was such a dive for young punks,' adds Devlin. 'It was a place you wanted to go and see where the dinosaurs had eaten, to discover the dinosaurs ate the same egg and chips you did. We used to go to Dingwalls in Camden, north London. I remember Mick Jones being there a lot. Mick would have a bunch of mad people around him, who weren't actually that mad. They were just having a quiet drink, but they were wrapped up in black plastic sacks so that slightly took the ordinariness out of it.' Bowie towered over all the acts in the 1970s. He was consistently on the cover of influential music magazines like Melody Maker and NME. Devlin sums it up best, suggesting if you wanted to know where pop music was headed in the next five years, you just had to pick up the latest Bowie album. The access to recreational drugs on the Irish music and social scene in the 1970s wasn't comparable to its UK counterpart or to the cocaine blizzard that swept across American clubs at the time. 'There was always a little bit of dope around Ireland,' says Lockhart. 'There wasn't coke,' says Devlin. 'There used to be one guy in the drugs squad in Dublin, 'Dinny' Mullins,' says Lockhart. 'Everybody knew him. He would chat to people in pubs and stuff. He was on the ball, a smart boy. He knew what was, what, but drugs weren't at that time an endemic problem. There were five serious drug users in Dublin in the early '70s. Everybody knew them by name and pretty much where they lived. Drugs like heroin only took off in Ireland in early '80s, tragically. It was terrible. 'Heroin was seen as being the road to hell, which it is,' says Devlin. 'The idea of young fellows in an advertising agency using cocaine didn't exist. There wasn't a supply chain. Pints and shorts were what people had. Hippies smoked a bit of weed. You could easily identify them because they giggled a lot, and they were always eating packets of Cheese & Onion Taytos for the munchies.' The Horslips – At the BBC is out on July 4. See: Cracking America Horslips began their assault on North America in 1974 after releasing their album Dancehall Sweethearts. They toured the continent about five times. The Police joined them on their second tour across the Atlantic. 'We were slugabeds,' says Barry Devlin. 'We stayed up very late and behaved quite badly. You'd look out the window of your hotel and the bass player from The Police would be doing push-ups on the hotel's lawn, which would put the fear of God into you.' Jim Lockhart adds: 'And Sting would be jogging about the pool or something.' Horslips in 1974: From left to right, Jim Lockhart (behind), John Fean, Barry Devlin, frontman Charles O'Connor and Eamon Carr (behind). (Photo by Central Press/) Horslips enjoyed good backing from their record labels, Dick James Music Ltd, and later Polygram, on those tours. They registered albums on the American Hot 100 billboard, but were effectively a college band, with a loyal following that filled venues on university campuses. The biggest gig Horslips headlined there was in late '79 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, a 13,000 seater. The United States also gave them a pinch-me moment, which descended into typical Horslips farce, as Devlin explains: 'Back then, Sunset Strip in West Hollywood was lined with billboards. When our album Aliens was released in the States, Polygram bought us this huge billboard. It had an enormous Celtic warrior brandishing an axe, with the five of us underneath it in Celtic gear. 'We were so thrilled we got the limo driver to drive up and down underneath it with our heads sticking out of the sunroof, and the girls on the street going, 'Ah, out of towners.' We're going, 'That's us! That's us up there!' Not very cool. I can't imagine David Bowie doing that for his tour.' Read More Joe Bonamassa: Five talking points from the first Rory Gallagher tribute at Marquee in Cork
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Summer catch-up: 20 of the best non-fiction books so far in 2025
1. Pure Gold: Memorable Conversations with Remarkable People by Eamon Carr Eamon Carr, lyricist and drummer with Horslips, amongst other polymathic gifts, has gathered the best celebrity interviews from his years as a journalist. The collection describes how the interviews unfolded with giants from the era like J.P Donleavy, Rudolf Nureyev, Shane MacGowan and Jack Charlton. Written with his wry, entertaining voice, and full anecdote, it's a book to be devoured. 2. Busy and Wrecked: Create Space and Energy for the People and Things That Really Matter by Dermot Whelan Comedian and mindfulness expert Dermot Whelan's follow-up to his best-selling book, Mind Full, is an exploration of modern-day busyness and how to alleviate stress. His conversational tone, weaving in his own personal life and experiences, as well as interesting research, makes for an easy, insightful read. 3. Homework: A Memoir by Geoff Dyer Geoff Dyer's memoir about growing up as an only child in a lower middle-class neighbourhood in provincial England (Cheltenham) in the 1960s (childhood) and '70s (adolescence) might not sound appealing, but in the hands of a writer so smart and so funny, with a brilliant philosophical bent, it's a book you can't put down. 4. The Black Pool: A Memoir of Forgetting by Tim MacGabhann While in university in Dublin, Tim MacGabhann's flatmate's father killed himself at Christmas. In the silence around the news, MacGabhann asked his flatmate how the holidays had been. His flatmate laughed and said, 'Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?' Thoughts of his own suicide is something the nomadic MacGabhann tackles head on in his brilliant, whirlwind memoir about addiction. 5. Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane In what could be his finest, and certainly his most personal, work to date, the great nature writer Robert Macfarlane examines the fate of our rivers, in particular three rivers in Ecuador, India and Canada, arguing rivers should be treated like humans – or else we're all doomed. Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane; Picnic on Craggy Island: The Surreal Joys of Producing Father Ted by Lissa Evans; and Ballybunion to the River Kwai. 6. Picnic on Craggy Island: The Surreal Joys of Producing Father Ted by Lissa Evans Lissa Evans got a plum job as a producer working on the Father Ted sitcom series in the 1990s. The book she's written recalling her experiences is an enjoyable read, full of yarns about the capers the actors and crew got up to on set, and insight into how the magic happened. 7. Ballybunion to the River Kwai: An Irishman's Story of Survival on the Death by Fergus Kennedy Fergus Kennedy is a retired doctor. He has pieced together his father's remarkable wartime story – he was an Irish prisoner of war in Singapore and Thailand during World War II, including time spent slaving on the notorious 'death railway' through the jungles of Thailand and Burma, which featured in the Hollywood movie Bridge on the River Kwai. 8. Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work by Sarah Wynn-Williams The New Zealander Sarah Wynn-Williams landed a dream job at Facebook, but it turned into a nightmare. Her exposé of the work practices at the tech giant, including insight into its founder Mark Zuckerberg, has caused a sensation. 9. Ireland's Curious Places: 100 Fascinating, Lesser-known Treasures to Discover by Michael Fewer Architect and academic Michael Fewer has written about a hundred curious places, with accompanying photos, to tell the story of Ireland – from the church that four-times married Brian Boru prayed at (Co. Clare) to Fionn mac Cumhaill's sliotar (Co. Wicklow) and Art Ó Laoghaire's grave in Kilcrea (Co. Cork). 10. When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines by Graydon Carter Graydon Carter is a flamboyant character. His memoir about his years as a magazine editor, including a long spell editing Vanity Fair (1992-2017) is a hoot, not least for details about his on-off relationship with Donald Trump. 11. Notes to John by Joan Didion There have been few better non-fiction writers than Joan Didion. The posthumous publication of notes from her years going to therapy provide a portal into her mind and her close relationships, including with her writer husband John Dunne and their troubled adopted daughter. Notes to John by Joan Didion; Mark Twain by Ron Chernow; and Original Sin: President Biden's Decline. 12. Big Mouth by Vogue Williams Everything Vogue Williams touches seems to turn to gold. Her autobiography delves into the darker moments in her journey, including her parents' marriage breakup when she was five years old, the breakdown of her first marriage with Brian McFadden and other misdemeanours. 13. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow Ron Chernow is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer. His examination of America's first literary celebrity has caused considerable excitement. He doesn't hold back any punches, exploring how Twain carefully curated his image; his troubling attitude to race; and the dark final chapter of his life when he cultivated relationships with young girls, his 'pets'. 14. The Episode: A True Story of Loss, Madness and Healing by Mary Ann Kenny Shortly after her husband died suddenly, Mary Ann Kenny, an academic who lives in Dublin, descended into a hellhole of psychosis, including a belief that her young children had been harmed by medications she took. The story of how she managed to survive her illness is astonishing. 15. Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson are two experienced journalists on the Washington political scene. Their exposure of Joe Biden's deteriorating health during the final years of his presidency – and bizarrely why he was allowed run for re-election – is a fascinating read. Sports Book Highlights The Big Fight : When Ali Conquered Ireland by Dave Hannigan and Big Dunc by Duncan Ferguson. 1. The Big Fight: When Ali Conquered Ireland by Dave Hannigan: Dave Hannigan's book about Muhammad Ali's fight in Dublin in 1972 has been updated and re-issued in paperback. The co-promoter Butty Sugrue's story is so outrageous it warrants its own book. Not to mention other walk-on characters like Peter O'Toole, John Huston and Bernadette Devlin. A knockout read. 2. Shattered Dreams, Sliding Doors: The Republic of Ireland's 1982 World Cup Qualifying Campaign by Paul Little: The Republic of Ireland had a daunting task to qualify for the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain. In their qualifying group, Eoin Hand's squad faced Belgium, one of eight teams to qualify for the Euro 80 finals; Michel Platini's France; and the Netherlands, beaten finalists in the two previous World Cups. Paul Little, a child at the time, tells the story of what transpired in an engaging, third-person narrative. 3. The Last Ditch: How One GAA Championship Gave a Sportswriter Back His Life by Eamonn Sweeney: Eamonn Sweeney uses the 2024 All-Ireland series in hurling and Gaelic football – which threw up the most exciting hurling final in memory – as a platform for investigating his mental health struggles and the wonder of the GAA in Irish life. 4. Big Dunc: The Upfront Autobiography by Duncan Ferguson: Everton legend Duncan Ferguson's autobiography, which is ghost-written by Henry Winter, is proving very popular with football fans. His story includes three months spent in prison for headbutting an opponent. 5. The Last Bell: Life, Death and Boxing by Donald McRae: Donald McRae is one of the great sportswriters. His book Dark Trade: Lost in Boxing from the mid-1990s is a seminal book about the sweet science. Now, after 50 years immersed in the sport, comes his final book on boxing, and what it has become, mired in doping scandals, enthralled to easy money from Saudi Arabia. Read More Summer books catch-up: 20 of the best novels so far in 2025
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Culture That Made Me: Limerick broadcaster Lorcan Murray selects his touchstones
Lorcan Murray grew up in Limerick city. In 1988, he joined RTÉ 2FM. In 1999, he was part of the RTÉ Lyric FM launch team in his native city, working as a lunchtime host on the radio station. He has built up one of Ireland's most extensive private record collections, including autographed memorabilia and at one stage about 40,000 vinyl records. He presents Classic Drive weekdays on RTÉ Lyric FM. See: Gilbert O'Sullivan As a teenager, I loved Gilbert O'Sullivan. My brother ended up as a concert promoter. He brought Gilbert O'Sullivan to Limerick to the Savoy Theatre. I loved his quirky lyrics, and his melodies. He sang in flats rather than in major at times. He's had such great songs – Nothing Rhymed; Clair; Matrimony. Imagine – Alone Again (Naturally) was the second biggest selling single in the United States in 1972. Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy at Cork City Hall. Picture: Eddie O'Hare When I was about 15, one of the first acts my brother brought to Limerick was Thin Lizzy. They played in St John's Pavilion. I'd never been so excited, but then my mother wouldn't let me go, after my brother had me out on the streets of Limerick selling tickets for the gig on a little tray. He brought them back to Drumkeen Ballroom in Limerick in 1980. There were about 3,500 at it. I went to that gig. I got to meet Phillo and chat to him. It was their last Irish tour. Phillo right up front was so energetic, so powerful, an amazing front man, and the twin guitars, the songs – they were great. Horslips The best gigs from my youth were Horslips playing in Limerick's Savoy with a local band, Reform, in support. Horslips had the stage dark. Johnny Fean would come out. They'd put the lights on him, and when he did that riff for Dearg Doom, the place went mental. When they played concert venues, people would jump up on the seats, or they'd be in the aisles dancing, going mad. Trouble (With a Capital 'T'), with Jim Lockheart playing the pipes, was amazing. The girls loved Charles O'Connor, the band's sex symbol. He used to wear a hairy-chest T-shirt. Early U2 In college, I was a 'humper' for my brothers' gigs in Limerick. For U2's first tour with Out of Control, he had them in the Crescent Theatre in Limerick. It was about 1979. It was their first paying gig in Limerick – after the famous Stella Ballroom competition they won in Limerick. About 90 people turned up and they all ended up on stage with Bono playing air guitars. They were new to me. It was a great night. Peaky Blinders Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders. I love the lads in Birmingham, Peaky Blinders. I could hum the theme tune for it no bother. The acting is fantastic. It takes you right back to that eerie time in England. You really feel like you were there – the intensity of it. It's grim and brutal at times. Some of the scenes would make the hair stand up on the back of your head. It's very good. Yellowstone I've really enjoyed Yellowstone. It's like Dallas without the oil. Kevin Costner is a super actor. There are two prequels to it – they decided to go back in time. One is set in 1883, one in 1923. I've watched them all. One is better than the other. They're superb. Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin. I love Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin's work with the Irish Chamber Orchestra. He was a champion of bringing traditional music into the classical vein. An amazing man, with his mind, and with the drive he had – he founded, of course, the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at University of Limerick. He was a wonderful composer; people were drawn to his sound. Planxty To this day, I'd list as one of my favourite pieces of music a Planxty piece called Timedance they did for the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest. Bill Whelan and Dónal Lunny composed it specifically for the interval act. I bought two copies of the 12-inch. I play it on Lyric FM from time to time. Bill Whelan I love Bill Whelan's concertos, Linen and Lace. They're superb. Bill can infuse classical symphonic works with traditional Irish music. Hence why someone like, say, Zoë Conway can play Inishlacken with a concert orchestra. I enjoy all of Bill Whelan's works. He's under scored. He's such a talented man. Martin Hayes I love Peggy's Dream by Martin Hayes & The Common Ground Ensemble. There's a lot of nostalgia around Peggy's Dream with the dedication of the album [to his mother and his friend and music partner Dennis Cahill]. The line-up of musicians on it is extraordinary. They're amazing musicians. Bach's Goldberg Variations I love Bach's Goldberg Variations. Different variations of it come out from time to time. The pianist Glenn Gould has done an interpretation of it. The most recent, and one of my favourites, is by an Icelandic pianist, Víkingur Ólafsson. His Goldberg Variations are fantastic. Beethoven Growing up, we had a piano in the house. We all played. My mother had seven kids, my granny and two dogs in the house. You always knew when she needed to take time out because you'd hear Beethoven's Für Elise. It was like a jingle in my head for years. When I hear that now it brings me straight back to my mom. John O'Conor, who I've had perform Beethoven's piano concertos live in the studio, has a lovely version of the Für Elise. 1916 I like the 1916 documentaries RTÉ have done, particularly since the centenary, because my grandfather was very involved in 1916. He was an assistant engineer in the GPO at the time. He worked undercover, in intelligence. He donned the uniform. He was an officer back in 1916. He took the flag off the English Custom House. When Francis Sheehy-Skeffington was murdered, later, he gave the brick that held the bullet encasing in it from the firing squad that killed him, to his widow, Hanna. There are pictures of him with Dev on the back of a motorbike. Joe Duffy told some great stories in his book Children of the Rising: The Untold Story of the Young Lives Lost During Easter 1916. He did a lot of research, and he gave a different perspective on the Rising. He had an interesting take on it, examining kids who were neglected on the streets of Dublin. Night Over Water I'm a big fan of Ken Follett's fiction. His research is very good. He's a bit of espionage, intelligence and crime fiction in his books. I love his book Night Over Water, which is about the flying boat between America and London, which had to stop in Foynes in Limerick. Hence the Foynes Museum. All the big, wealthy American celebrities used to stop at Foynes to get out and get a bit of fresh air, and that, having flown across the Atlantic. He's great stories about it in the book. It gives a great insight into the journey they would have undertaken and into Foynes. Read More Summer catch-up: Best films of the year so far and where to watch them
