AS 2024 draws to a close, we look back at some of the stories that hit the headlines in the Irish arts world this year...
Cillian gets his gong
Cillian Murphy won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his work on OppenheimerIt was a very bright start to the year for one Cillian Murphy, whose barnstorming performance in Oppenheimer netted him an historic Oscar win.
The Cork native, who hails from Douglas, won Best Actor at the 96th Academy Awards in the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California on March 10 for his role in the Christopehr Nolan epic.
He beat strong competition to win the category, where he went up against Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers, Bradley Cooper for Maestro, Colman Domingo for Rustin and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction.
Having already won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for his performance, Murphy was hotly tipped to take the coveted statuette, but admitted he was “quite overwhelmed” when he took to the stage to accept it.
“Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas, it’s been the wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively satisfying journey you’ve taken me on over the last 20 years,” he said.
“I owe you more than I can say, thank you so much. Every single crew member, every single cast member on Oppenheimer you guys carried me through. All my fellow nominees, I remain in awe of you guys, truly.”
The proud Irishman went on to thank his “team” which included wife Yvonne McGuinness, who he described as his “partner in life and art” as well as his two sons Malachy and Aran “who are sitting up there”.
“I love you so much and I’m a very proud Irishman standing here tonight,” he said.
He added: "You know, we made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb and for better or for worse we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world, so I’d really like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere. Go raibh míle maith agaibh."
Murphy’s wion made him the first Irish-born man to win the Oscar for Best Actor.
Tributes to Vince Power
Music mogul Vince Power died in MarchWaterford native Vince Power died in March.
The 76-year-old music empresario became a stalwart of the Irish community in Britain, famed for running some of the country’s top venues and festivals.
One of 11 chidlr born in Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford in 1947, Powers took the boat to London at the age of 15.
In 1982 he had opened the Mean Fiddler pub in Harlesden.
This soon established itself as one of major music venues in the capital, staging legendary artists including Van Morrison, Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney.
Further acquisitions and music promotion followed and at its height, his Mean Fiddler Music Group owned some of the most high-profile live music venues in London including The Astoria, the Powerhaus and the Jazz Café.
Following his death leading figures from across the music industry — in Britain, Ireland and internationally — paid tribute to him, and his vision, which they claim helped change the very face of live music.
Singer songwriter Tanita Tikaram tweeted: “So sad to hear Vince Power has passed away. Like many artists I owe so much to Vince, he gave me my first gig at the Mean Fiddler acoustic room attended by about three people but he made sure 1 of them was an important agent! My condolences to Vince’s family and loved ones.”
Singer Cerys Matthews wrote: “I’m going to miss you so very much, my friend in music, in thinking, in dreaming. Love you very much. Rip.”
Power was father to eight children and was appointed a CBE in 2006.
Excitement over Peaky Blinders film
Filming has just completed on the Peaky Blinders movieExcitement is building for the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie as new names have been announced among the cast.
Prior to the popular BBC series drawing to a close in April 2022 the show’s creator Stephen Knight had suggested the saga might continue with a feature-length production.
That was confirmed in June, when it was announced that Oscar winner Cillian Murphy is set to reprise his role as Tommy Shelby in Netflix’s movie version of the show.
"It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn't finished with me," said the Cork native.
"It is very gratifying to be re-collaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of Peaky Blinders,” he added.
More recently Netflix have confirmed that the production, which is being directed by Tom Harper, will also feature Dublin-born Saltburn star Barry Keoghan and Swedish actor Rebecca Ferguson, who has starred in the likes of Dune and The Greatest Showman, among the cast.
The film, which goes into production later this year, will continue the story of Knight’s six-season gangster drama.
Set in Birmingham between 1919 and 1934, Peaky Blinders followed the rise and fall of the Shelby family.
“When I first directed Peaky Blinders over 10 years ago, we didn’t know what the series would become, but we did know that there was something in the alchemy of the cast and the writing that felt explosive,” Harper, who directed episodes in the show’s first season, said
“Peaky has always been a story about family — and so it’s incredibly exciting to be reuniting with Steve and Cillian to bring the movie to audiences across the world on Netflix,’ he added.
Speaking of what’s to come in the large screen version of his iconic series, Knight claims it will be all action.
“I’m genuinely thrilled that this movie is about to happen,” he said.
“It will be an explosive chapter in the Peaky Blinders story. No holds barred. Full on Peaky Blinders at war.”
Filming has just finished on the movie, which is likely to be released next year.
Diaspora exhibition goes international
Irish in Britain's diaspora exhibitionIn April, an exhibition documenting the history of the Irish community in Britain opened in Dublin following a successful tour of England.
Launched last November, the heritage exhibition Look Back to Look Forward: 50 years of the Irish in Britain toured the country until the start of 2024, where it drew cast crowds at every stop.
Thousands came out to see it when it pulled up in London, Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham.
The exhibition was part of a heritage project created by the national Irish in Britain (IIB) organisation to celebrate its 50th anniversary, which was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as well as a range of sponsors and donors.
It was the largest ever oral history project to document the lives of the Irish community in Britain and it remained on display in the Irish capital at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, for three months.
“There has never been a more important time to celebrate our diaspora history, and we are very proud to bring these stories home to Ireland after a successful tour of Britain,” IIB CEO Brian Dalton said as the exhibition opened in Dublin.
“With the help of community volunteer historians and our member organisations, we have faithfully captured the stories and individual histories that have shaped the last 50 years of the Irish in Britain, creating a research and educational legacy for generations to come,” he added.
Nathan Mannion, Head of Exhibitions and Programmes at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, said the exhibition offered an “incredibly timely” look at “the highs and lows of British-Irish relations since the early 1970s from the perspective of the Irish community in Britain”.
“As the rate of Irish emigration to Britain declines, and the Irish diaspora there matures, it has never been more pressing to record and celebrate the stories of those who have made it what it is,” he added.
The exhibition can be viewed online at exhibitions.irishinbritain.org
Mescal’s star reaches epic proportions
Paul Mescal starred in Gladiator II this yearPaul Mescal’s breakout role was playing Connell in the BBC drama Normal People in 2020.
He starred alongside Daisy Edgar Jones in the lockdown hit, which earned him a BAFTA TV Award and a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award.
His star has continued to rise ever since.
After making his film debut in The Lost Daughter, he has gone on to perform in films Aftersun, Foe, and All Of Us Strangers.
But this year saw his star reach truly epic proportions, as he took the lead in Ridley Scott’s much-anticipated sequel Gladiator II.
The star, who hails from Maynooth in Co. Kildare, plays the role of Lucius, the son of Connie Nielsen's Lucilla, in the film, which is set several decades after the first instalment.
Gladiator II opened at cinemas in November and Mescal was in London for the world premiere and in Dublin for the Irish premiere, which was held at the Lighthouse Cinema.
There the popular actor spent an hour chatting with fans before heading in to watch the film.
During that event he admitted he had not expected the movie to be as “big” as it is.
“I was holding out for something like this to happen, but I never expected it to be this big,” he said.
Phil Lynott musical in production
A Phil Lynott muisical is in productionA new musical documenting the life of Thin Lizzy star Phil Lynott went into production this year.
Moonlight – The Philip Lynott Enigma chronicles the Dubliner’s life and career, from his childhood to his breathtaking rise to global stardom as the frontman of the Irish rock band.
The production will premiere at Dublin’s Vicar Street theatre on April 3, 2025, its creators confirmed after the spent time trying to find the right person to play their lead character.
John Merrigan and Danielle Morgan are the couple behind the project, which is the third in a trilogy of plays they have produced about remarkable Irish poets who have died young.
Based in Chichester, the pair have been working on the musical for some time, with meetings and casting taking place in London and in Dublin earlier this year.
A stellar cast, director and creatives have now been assembled.
Actor Peter M. Smith has been cast in the lead role in the production, which will also feature a cameo performance by Thin Lizzy co-founder Eric Bell.
“When offered the chance to play the role of Philip Lynott, I was truly honoured as an actor, as a proud Dubliner, and as a Thin Lizzy fanatic," Smith said.
"Too much has been said about the rockstar lifestyle – it is a tired subject, he added, "this production seeks to honour Philip Lynott for what he was – a literary great and consummate artist.”
Lynott, who was a singer and bassist with the band, overcame the odds to become one of Ireland's most revered musicians.
He was born in West Bromwich, in the West Midlands, but left England for Ireland as young boy.
He died from heart failure in 1986 at the age of 36, after years battling alcohol and drug addiction.
Ireland laments loss of Edna O’Brien
Edna O'Brien passed away this yearPresident Higgins paid a tender tribute to his ‘dear friend’ Edna O’Brien following her death this summer.
The 93-year-old, who died on July 27, was one of Ireland’s most esteemed authors.
Born in county Clare in 1930, her first book, The Country Girls, published in 1960, was banned in Ireland for its frank portrayal of female sexuality.
Today, her work enjoys enduring popularity and critical success, with O’Brien renowned internationally for her skill as a novelist and the centring of women’s experiences in her work.
In May 2021, she received the prestigious French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, joining the likes of TS Eliot, Ray Bradbury and Seamus Heaney, who have all also received the honour.
O’Brien, who lived in Ireland, was still writing in recent years, with her novel Girl, published in 2019, among her most highly praised.
Confirming her death, following a long illness, O’Brien’s agent added: “Our thoughts are with her family and friends, in particular her sons Marcus and Carlo.”
Paying tribute, President Higgins said: “It is with great sorrow that I heard of the passing of a dear friend of Sabina’s and mine, Edna O’Brien."
Describing the author as “one of the outstanding writers of modern times”, he added that her work “has been sought as model all around the world”.
“Edna was a fearless teller of truths, a superb writer possessed of the moral courage to confront Irish society with realities long ignored and suppressed,” Mr Higgins explained.
“Through that deeply insightful work, rich in humanity, Edna O’Brien was one of the first writers to provide a true voice to the experiences of women in Ireland in their different generations and played an important role in transforming the status of women across Irish society.
“While the beauty of her work was immediately recognised abroad, it is important to remember the hostile reaction it provoked among those who wished for the lived experience of women to remain far from the world of Irish literature, with her books shamefully banned upon their early publication,” he added.
“Thankfully Edna O’Brien’s work is now recognised for the superb works of art which they are.”
Cillian O’Connor’s magic moment
Teen magician Cillian O'ConnorTeen magician Cillian O’Connor set aGuinness World Record for most tricks performed in a minute this year.
The 15-year-old, who shot to fame last year when he finished third in Britain’s Got Talent, features in the 2024 edition of the iconic annual Guinness World Records publication.
O’Connor, who hails from Co, Meath, performed 28 tricks in 60 seconds to set a new record, breaking the previous record of 14 in the same time period.
He is one of eight young people who feature in this year’s Young Achievers chapter within the book - which highlights incredible talents from children around the world.
And there are many more talented and remarkable individuals who have set the 2,115 records which feature in the book.
Joining O’Connor in the 2024 book are Ruth Amos, 34, and Shawn Brown 33, from Sheffield in England.
They have set the record for creating the largest electric toothbrush, which they have also affectionately named George in honour of the 11-year-old who submitted the idea to their YouTube channel, Kids Invent Stuff.
Elsewhere in the country dogs Bonnie and Simba, and their owner Olga Jones, from Reading, have leapt into the record books with four Guinness World Records titles including achieving the fastest time to complete 10 side leapfrog jumps by two dogs.
"Guinness World Records 2025 marks 70 years of the publishing sensation that has now sold more than 150 million copies,” Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief at Guinness World Records, says.
“This new edition – fully revised and updated with 1,000-plus images – acknowledges our platinum anniversary while continuing the annual tradition of reporting on all of the latest record-breaking achievements,” he added.
“Over the past year, we've reviewed nearly 30,000 applications, and the result is a book packed with thousands of awesome facts and feats for the whole family to enjoy."
Cónal Creedon honoured
Writer Cónal CreedonWriter Cónal Creedon won a prestigious global arts award this year which honours “outstanding personalities whose work has impacted the cultural legacy of mankind”.
The Cork city native, who is an esteemed novelist, playwright and documentary filmmaker, won the World Cultural Council’s (WCC) Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts.
Founded over 40 years ago, the WCC is a non-profit organisation which prides itself on promoting “culture, values and goodwill throughout the world”.
Each year it awards the Albert Einstein World Award of Science, the José Vasconcelos World Award of Education and the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts to outstanding personalities “whose work has had a significantly positive impact on the cultural legacy of mankind”.
For 2024 the organisation announced Creedon as the recipient of its arts award.
“The WCC Jury members were impressed by the diversity of Cónal Creedon’s artistic practice, reaching back over thirty years and across various media including: publication, theatre, film, radio, music, live performance, and collaboration with other artists,” they said.
“When examined in its entirety, his diverse output becomes a single cohesive body of work that resonates far beyond the inner-city streets of his native Cork.”
They added: “The global appeal of Cónal’s work becomes self-evident in the apparent ease and affability of his interaction with diverse international audiences. But above all, it is the quality of his writing that shines through.”
Creedon has made numerous documentaries throughout his career, which have been broadcast on RTÉ, the BBC, CBC, and ABC, with some receiving international screenings at the likes of the World Expo Shanghai in China and at NYU in New York.
His stage plays have toured extensively, receiving critical acclaim across the globe and gaining recognition in the New York Theatre Awards and nominations for the Irish Times Theatre Awards.
His 2018 novel Begotten not Made picked up the Bronze Award at the Next Generation Book Awards USA. In 2020 it won The Eric Hoffer Awards USA.
Creedon received his award in October at a ceremony held at McGill University in Quebec, Canada.
Geldof responds to Band Aid critics
Bob Geldof has responded to Band Aid criticsLast month Bob Geldof addressed comments from Ed Sheeran, who criticized the newly released Band Aid 2024 Ultimate Mix.
The chart-topping artist claimed that the charity project reused his vocals from the 2014 recording without his consent, stating he would have declined participation if asked.
Defending the initiative, Geldof emphasized the enduring importance of Band Aid in 2024.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, he said: “This little pop song has kept millions of people alive. Why would Band Aid stop feeding thousands of children who depend on us for a meal?”
He elaborated on the charity’s ongoing impact, stating: “No abstract theory, regardless of how sincerely held, should impede or distract from the hideous, concrete real-world reality.
“There are 600 million hungry people globally - 300 million of them in Africa. We wish the situation were different, but it is not. We can help some of them, and that’s what we will continue to do.”
The Ultimate Mix, marking the 40th anniversary of Band Aid’s original release, unites artists from the 1984 recording and the 2014 version in a reimagined collaboration. Band Aid was originally spearheaded by Geldof and Midge Ure to address famine in Ethiopia.
Ed Sheeran, a megastar in the music industry — and of Irish ancestry — sang alongside Sting in the 2014 version.
However, he recently voiced concerns about the narrative surrounding Band Aid. Posting on Instagram, he said, “my approval wasn’t sought for this new Band Aid 40 release. Had I been asked, I would have respectfully declined. Over the past decade, my understanding of the narrative has evolved, as eloquently explained by Fuse ODG”.
Fuse ODG, who declined to participate in Band Aid in 2014, echoed these sentiments.
“By showcasing dehumanizing imagery, these initiatives fuel pity rather than partnership, discouraging meaningful engagement,” he wrote.
“Today, the diaspora drives the largest flow of funds back into the continent, not Band Aid or foreign aid,” he added.
“Africa’s solutions and progress lie in its own hands.”
Despite such critiques, Geldof remains steadfast in his mission. Reflecting on the legacy of Band Aid, Geldof said: “This is not about theory or abstract debates. It’s about addressing a devastating reality, ee have the means to help — and we will continue to do so.”
