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Irish Examiner
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Neil Jordan in Bantry on the Catholic Church, and the talents of Daniel Day-Lewis
Neil Jordan, West Cork Literary Festival, Maritime Hotel, Bantry It seems fair to observe that Neil Jordan is not the most voluble of interviewees. He has always seemed more comfortable with the written word, unless it is to put his words in other characters' mouths, as he has done in 20 feature films over the past four decades. Jordan's fame as a film director has often eclipsed his literary achievements, but Amnesia, his recent memoir, focuses more on his background and his books than on his days in Hollywood. Born in Sligo in 1950, he grew up in Dublin and published Night in Tunisia, his first collection of short stories, at 26. He has since produced nine novels. Art critic and broadcaster Cristín Leach has the task of interviewing Jordan at West Cork Literary Festival. She does so with great skill, teasing out the recollections he has put to paper in Amnesia, and rounding out our understanding of the man. Jordan's mother Angela was a painter, and he admits this was an early influence on his creativity. He recalls sitting at a gate on Rosses Point in Co Sligo, looking out on Coney Island, as a child, but admits that this might not be a real memory, but one based on a series of paintings his mother made of that particular scene. Neil Jordan in Bantry for West Cork Literary Festival. Jordan recalls of the Ireland of his childhood that 'logic didn't seem to apply, and it probably came from the Catholic Church." If you said three prayers in a particular church, you released a soul from purgatory. "People really believed in these irrational, impossible things,' Jordan stated. With the legendary director John Boorman's support, he made his first film, Angel, in 1982. It gave him a springboard to the film industry in the UK, where he got to make experimental films such as Mona Lisa and The Crying Game. These in turn saw him welcomed in Hollywood. Jordan speaks admiringly of both Stephen Rea, who has starred in several of his films, and Tom Cruise, who starred in his greatest success, Interview with the Vampire. He recalls how Daniel Day-Lewis, who takes method acting to the extreme, was suggested for Cruise's role in the latter. 'But he would have spent six months in a coffin,' he laughs. He laments how Hollywood no longer supports small, independent films, preferring instead to put all its weight behind blockbuster movies, and doubts that anyone today could follow a career path as varied and idiosyncratic as his has been. At 75, Jordan is still full of plans. There's a sci-fi novel in the works, and a raft of film projects he still hopes to bring to fruition. He is also considering a second memoir, one that might focus more on his time in Hollywood. He admits that his entire career as a writer and filmmaker has been an act of self-exploration. 'I think life is deeper and more variegated than we can ever imagine,' he says, 'it's more profound than we've ever given credit for, and I think there are parts to ourselves that we never fully understand, you know?'
Irish Examiner
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Knowing what is literally the truth
With flames raining down from the skies in Ukraine as Russia continues its three-year war, and heading towards the clouds in Moygashel near Belfast as effigies of refugees burn, the West Cork Literary Festival appears, as it often does, a haven of peace, good manners, and inherent intelligence. This year's 27th festival, the largest ever with 110 authors participating in 95 events, opened on Friday night with Alan Hollinghurst, hailed as one of the greatest writers of the past 50 years, on stage at Bantry's Maritime Hotel. The Booker Prize winner, who is credited for his major influence in taking gay literature mainstream, provided a rich overture for the roll call of talent which is to follow this week. That includes the actor/writer Richard E Grant on Saturday, while Sunday sees John Creedon discuss his youth in a long-changed Ireland described in his memoir This Boy's Heart: Scenes from an Irish Childhood. While the programme is full of other fascinating attractions — Neil Jordan, Eimear McBride, Graham Norton among them — what is notable, and topical, is the degree of interest which is now generated by 'real-life' stories, biographies, and particularly memoirs. This taste for verisimilitude can produce conflicts and disappointment as can be evidenced by one of the biggest literary controversies of recent years. Many readers may be familiar with the much-loved account of Raynor Winn and her husband, who is suffering from a degenerative neurological disease. The Salt Path trades in the contemporary themes of wellness, and homelessness, and describes a shared redemption which is achieved by a 630-mile walk around the South-West coast of England through the counties of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, and Dorset. It has sold more than 2m copies worldwide and was released this spring as a popular film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, who both said they were impressed by the real-life characters they were asked to portray before filming started. Now the inspiring account of Raynor and her husband Moth's triumph over adversity is mired in controversy with the couple at its heart — identified as Sally and Tim Walker — dogged by questions about contradictions in the narrative. The author published a 2,300-word essay on her website this week in which she described the investigation into her story as being 'grotesquely unfair, highly misleading, and seeks to systematically pick apart my life'. But there are potentially serious consequences. The couple has been dropped as ambassadors for the charity which helps people with corticobasal degeneration, the terminal condition from which Moth Winn suffers. On Winter Hill, the fourth book in the series since The Salt Path became a publishing phenomenon, is due to appear in October. Raynor describes her work as 'unflinchingly honest' and crucially it is presented as non-fiction in which the couple at its centre get a second chance because of the healing power of nature. Raynor Winn describes her work as 'unflinchingly honest' and crucially it is presented as non-fiction. That is what readers, and the public, are buying into. Truth can be a matter not only of timing, but of perspective. There will be many who remember the runaway success of last year's Netflix stalking drama Baby Reindeer, which was based on the autobiographical play by the actor Richard Gadd. They will also recall the legal problems which were created by its opening line: 'This is a true story.' Aspiring writers, and there will be many enjoying the literary festival programme until next Friday, are often advised to 'write about what you know'. Proclaiming that as the absolute truth is worth a period of reflection, and more than a second thought. In the deep heat of summer That Ireland does not have a worldwide reputation for hot summers can be measured by the fact that our record temperature was set nearly 140 years ago and stands at a relatively modest 33.3c, barely enough to move the AC dials in locations such as southern Spain and Dubai. Nevertheless, we're proud of it, and Met Éireann is determined to stand by the reading, which was taken at Kilkenny Castle, by a thermometer which was housed 'in acceptable standards' and 'certified as accurate'. It's too hot to argue. But what we can note is that the implications of climate change are to the fore. Many of Cork's beaches are overwhelmed with smelly and unsightly 'sea lettuce'. There are reports that the annoyingly stingy weever fish are hanging about in sandy areas at low tide. It can only be a matter of time before that perennial favourite, reports that great white sharks are seeking warmer waters, hits the news agenda. Our advice is to enjoy the weather. Don't overdo it. Wear a hat. Keep hydrated. Slather yourself in Factor 50. Don't barbecue in woodland areas and, if you have this habit, don't discard any lit cigarettes. Something evil this way comes Back in the 1970s, there was a popular musical poem which informed us that 'the revolution will not be televised'. It's a phrase repeated regularly over the past 50 years. Clearly, the Houthis, the Yemen-based revolutionaries who are sending ships to the bottom of the Red Sea, didn't get the memo. Or they have their own contrarian version: 'The terrorism will be livestreamed.' In two attacks this week in one of the world's main marine thoroughfares, Magic Seas and Eternity C, Greek-operated bulk carriers bound for Israel, were sunk. While we have become familiar with grainy martyrdom videos, the production values attached to these episodes have come straight out of Hollywood. Aerial shots from drone cameras. Point-of-view perspectives from high-end bodycams. Choreographed attacks which would not be out of place in a Die Hard thriller; crystal-clear focus and dramatic finales as ships are blown up and slip, broken-backed, beneath the waves. The consequences of these attacks, utilising bombs, rocket-propelled grenades, unmanned surface vessels on autopilot, and missiles fired from speedboats, are dire. Merchant sailors have been killed or captured and carried away in skiffs; traffic bringing goods to the rest of the world has halved; insurance costs are surging. And, in a world distracted by Israel, Iran, Russia, and Ukraine, it has taken security forces by surprise. Two months ago, US president Donald Trump was claiming that US airstrikes had bombed the Iran-backed militants into surrender, saying: 'They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore.' This looks as realistic as his pre-election claim that he would end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on 'day one' — always unattainable, but a pledge which grows more threadbare by the day. Now we are promised that he will make a 'major statement' about Russia on Monday. Whether it will be one of his 'big, beautiful' policies we have no way of knowing, but if it is simply another raft of economic sanctions, a form of pressure which has manifestly failed to dial down Vladimir Putin's warlike instincts, then no one will be holding their breath in the embassies and chancelleries of Europe. President Donald Trump looks up at the American flag on the flagpole on the South Lawn as he arrives at the White House. Picture: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Both France and Britain have agreed to police Ukraine's skies and seas in the event of a ceasefire, although plans for thousands of troops from the 'coalition of the willing' to protect Ukrainian cities and vital infrastructure have been heavily scaled back in the face of Russian opposition. What is more likely is a further ramping up of armaments. US generals have been briefing that Nato must increase its supply of long-range missiles while warning that the Russian army is bigger today than when they started the war in February 2022. Galling as it is for the vast majority of the world's population who yearn for peace to contemplate spending ever more on defence, we were given a stark reminder of the evil which attends such global conflict with the landmark ruling from the European Court of Human Rights that Russia shot down the commercial Boeing 777 airliner flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in 2014. Some 298 people died on MH17, including a mother from Dublin, when a rocket was fired from Eastern Ukraine by anti-Kyiv separatists. 'It was not necessary for the court to decide exactly who had fired the missile, since Russia was responsible for the acts of the Russian armed forces and of the armed separatists,' said the 501-page judgement in Strasbourg. We are likely to hear more dispiriting verdicts of this nature in the near future.
Irish Examiner
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Graham Norton, Richard E Grant, Alan Hollinghurst... 10 to see at West Cork Literary Festival
Alan Hollinghurst: Our Evenings The Maritime Hotel, Friday, July 11 at 8.30pm Booker-prizewinning author Alan Hollinghurst will be in conversation with Sue Leonard at the Maritime Hotel on Friday, discussing his new novel Our Evenings - a dark and luminous and deeply affecting novel which portrays modern England through the lens of one man's acutely observed experience. Richard E. Grant: A Pocketful of Happiness The Maritime Hotel, Saturday, July 12 at 8.30pm Richard E. Grant launched to fame in 1987 when he starred in the black comedy film Withnail and I and went on to star in a wide variety of films, receiving an Oscar nomination for his performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me?in 2019. An avid reader, in 2021, he hosted the BBC's literary travel series Write Around the World with Richard E. Grant. The actor and writer will be in conversation with Rory O'Connell from Ballymaloe Cookery School on Saturday, discussing his memoir A Pocketful of Happiness, which was published in May 2023. John Creedon: This Boy's Heart The Maritime Hotel, Sunday, July 13 at 1.30pm John Creedon. John Creedon paints a colourful picture of a changing Ireland in This Boy's Heart: Scenes from an Irish Childhood, where he shares his stories of friendship, fun, family, and folklore. Creedon will be in conversation with librarian and author Jackie Lynam to discuss the heart-warming and revealing journey into an Irish boyhood. Somerville and Ross: Claire Connolly Marino Church, Sunday, July 13 at 3pm In November 2024, new editions of the beloved Irish classics Experiences of an Irish R.M. and The Real Charlotte by Edith Somerville and Martin Ross were published, including prefaces by Connolly, who is Professor of Modern English at University College Cork. She will be in conversation with Dr Danielle O'Donovan, an architectural historian and lifelong Somerville and Ross fan from West Cork. Neil Jordan: Amnesiac The Maritime Hotel, Monday, July 14 at 8.30pm Amnesiac is the moving memoir of Academy Award-winning film director, screenwriter and author Neil Jordan. Reflecting on both the ghosts of his past and his personal triumphs, his memoir is an intimate account of one of Ireland's greatest storytellers. Jordan will be in conversation with Cristín Leach at the Maritime Hotel on Monday, July 14. Eimear McBride: The City Changes Its Face The Maritime Hotel, Wednesday, July 16 at 8.30pm Eimear McBride will be in conversation with Cristín Leach discussing her novel The City Changes Its Face. Set in London in 1995, the novel reintroduces Eily and Stephen, the couple from McBride's earlier novel The Lesser Bohemians. A story of passion, possessiveness, and family, the novel explores a passionate love affair tested to its limits. Seán Ronayne: Nature Boy National Learning Network, Thursday, July 17 at 2.30pm Cork-born ornithologist and naturalist Seán Ronayne will be in conversation with Mike Ryan in the unique setting of the National Learning Network's outdoor amphitheatre on July 17. Ronayne will be known to many through the award-winning RTÉ documentary Birdsong, about his project to sound record all the regularly occurring bird species in Ireland. His book Nature Boy: A Journey of Birdsong and Belonging won the Dubray Biography of the Year at the 2024 An Post Irish Book Awards. Nothing Compares to You: What Sinead O'Connor Means to Us Marino Church, Thursday, July 17 at 8.30pm Nothing Compares to You: What Sinead O'Connor Means to Us is a collection of essays edited by Sonya Huber and Martha Bayne. A celebration of the life and legacy of Sinéad O'Connor, the book explores themes such as gender identity, spirituality, artistic expression, and personal transformation. Three contributing authors, Martha Bayne, Mieke Eerkens and Allyson McCabe, will be in conversation with the Irish Examiner's Eoghan O'Sullivan. Wendy Erskine and Lisa Harding Marino Church, Friday, July 18 at 2.30pm Wendy Erskine. Wendy Erskine's debut novel The Benefactors and Lisa Harding's The Wildelings are two of the most highly anticipated novels of the year, one set in Belfast and the other in Dublin, and both raising important questions about class and social status. Erskine and Harding will be in conversation with Deirdre O'Shaughnessy at Marino Church on Friday, July 18. Graham Norton The Maritime Hotel, Friday, July 18 at 8.30pm One of the most treasured broadcasters and presenters in the UK and Ireland, Graham Norton is the author of five novels, Holding, A Keeper, Home Stretch, Forever Home, and Frankie, all of which became instant bestsellers both in the UK and Ireland. Holding, Home Stretch and Frankie have all won the Irish Book Award for Popular Fiction Book of the Year, and A Keeper and Forever Home were shortlisted for the same award. Norton will be in conversation with Ryan Tubridy at the Maritime Hotel on July 18. The West Cork Literary Festival takes place in Bantry from July 11 to July 18. Visit for more information.
Irish Examiner
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Win a break away and tickets to the West Cork Literary Festival
As a proud media partner, we have teamed up with the West Cork Literary Festival and the Maritime Hotel to give one lucky reader the opportunity to win a weekend in Bantry for the West Cork Literary Festival and stay in the luxury of the Maritime Hotel with breathtaking views over Bantry Bay. West Cork Literary Festival runs from July 11 - 18. This year's line-up includes Graham Norton, Richard E Grant, Eimear McBride, Salena Godden, Neil Jordan, Carol Drinkwater and many more. Find out more here Prize details One night's luxury accommodation in the Maritime Hotel, Bantry on Saturday, July 12 A pair of tickets to the 2.15pm reading on Whiddy Island, 6.30pm event in Marino Church and an evening with Richard E. Grant in the Maritime Hotel, Bantry on Saturday, July 12 Terms and conditions apply. No cash alternative. Editor's decision is final. Closing date noon, Friday, July 4, 2025.
