Screening: Gladiator II smashes Irish premier

The new Gladiator II flick premiered in Ireland late last week, and left the audience somewhat weak at the knees—or so we’re told.

Much of the blame seems to have fallen on Paul Mescal, who has half the nation enraptured since his appearance on ‘Normal People’. He stars in Gladiator II, the newest creation from heralded director Ridley Scott, alongside Denzel Washington.

Paul hung out with fans for more than an hour after the screening, signing books and having the craic. He reported that he was “so happy to be home”, saying that “this is where I trained and studied acting, so to be back like this is just amazing. There’s something in the water here - the quality of creative talent is just brilliant."

We concur, Paul; we really do.

Tipple: ‘Wine is the second favourite sibling’, says nation

Despite the difficulties of marketing vino to a country whose loyalties clearly lie in yeastier territory, wine sales in Ireland are on the rise. According to the latest report by Drinks Ireland, wine sales are up 9% since their last check, second only to that of beer.

To the Exchequer, that equated to a fairly healthy €395 million in excise duty in 2023 alone. Sheesh!

This really is saying something, considering the national consumption of booze has dropped by a sharp 30% over the past 20 years. Tis’ the doings of the Gen-Zers, or so we’re told.

Flavour: Filipino-fusion restaurant takes Dublin’s tastebuds by storm

When you think of Asian-fusion cuisine, what springs to mind? Spring rolls, perhaps, or some new-fangled tofu pad Thai? Well, for Dublin’s newest hotspot, the flavour profile looks a little different. Banana ketchup, anyone?

Richie Castillo and Alex O’Neill are the owners of Bahay, the capital city’s newest culinary sweetheart. Castillo hails from the Philippines and has harnessed the tasty flavours of his homeland to serve Dublin's hungriest buggers some delicious nosh.

Their ethos is all about exploring “Filipino food through an Irish cultural lens”, writes Image Magazine, which is just one of the mainstream media outlets tooting Bahay’s horn.

Yum, we’re sold.

Matches: Hints at Ireland’s Nations League line-up

Nations League is on the brain and the latest news is that Ireland's Seamus Coleman, Shane Duffy, and Adam Idah have withdrawn from upcoming matches—Finland and England were next up—due to injuries. Replacements Matt Doherty, Jake O'Brien, and Ryan Manning have been called in to fill the gaps.

Coleman was injured in September, and is pegged to join Duffy on the sidelines—the latter of whom returned briefly but has been set back again. Bugger.

With one win under the belt so far, Ireland sits third in their group and will be looking for a stonking result against Finland to boost their standing.

Touring: Robbie Williams to whistle-stop through UK & Ireland

Who here is a Robbie fan? There was once upon a time that Ireland couldn’t get enough of the fella, with anthems like ‘Millenium’ hitting number one in Ireland’s historical music charts.

The Take That icon has just announced a whopping tour around Europe for 2025, which is set to include a stop-off in Dublin’s Croke Park. Tickets are set to go on sale on November 15th, with prices in the 70-150 euro range.

The Dublin gig, which is set for August 23rd 2025, comes hotly anticipated, as far as Williams is concerned. He has often spoken of his love for Ireland and has reignited those chats in the wake of his recent tour announcement.

Art: Country’s largest fair, Art Source, to launch

Held in Dublin’s RDS, Art Source is Ireland’s largest and most prestigious art fair—and it’s set to open on November 15th. The event will run for three days, until the 17th of the month, and will place some of the country’s most notable emerging and practising artists in the spotlight.

Expected highlights of the event include Kris Kirwan, a psychotherapist from Greystones, County Wicklow, who rose to prominence for his use of a unique technique: pointillism; and Italian-native/Irish resident, Emanuela Carvisiglia.

Festivities: How well do you know Ireland’s Christmas traditions?

Lads, in fairness, we may only be just over the Halloween hump, but many of us are wondering *gulp* if it’s too early to be talking about Christmas? No?! BRILLIANT. Let’s crack on, so.

Some Christmas traditions may be fairly bog standard across countries and cultures that celebrate, but there are a few Irish Christmas traditions that our pals in the US, and such, may not be so familiar with.

Would ye, for example, know the significance of December 8th? How about Nollaig na mBan? And if you haven’t chucked your half-naked body into the freezing Atlantic Ocean for the traditional Christmas Day dip, then you really haven’t been celebrating the holidays properly at all, now have you?!

Reading: Syrian-Irish Author, Suad Aldarra, wins prestigious Irish lit prize

The Rooney Irish Prize for Literature was established in 1976 and, each year awards one emerging writer under the age of 40 the prestigious prize—which comes with a 10k prize pot, mind.

This year, the saucy accolade went, well-deservingly, to Irish-Syrian writer, Suad Aldarra. Her 2022 book, ‘I Don’t Want to Talk About Home’, detailed her harrowing escape from Syria in 2012. Not an easy read, by any means, but beautifully depicted and undeniably an important voice for our times.

Researching: Trinity’s new archive harks back to Irish border history

At the tail-end of September, Dublin’s Trinity College launched Trinity’s Arts and Humanities Research Festival, which saw the unveiling of a new digital archive with a special purpose.

It’s called ‘Ireland’s Border Culture’ and it’s a multimedia artistic archive that depicts the history of Ireland’s land border from 1921 to the present day. The archive, which features film, photography, literature, music, other visual art, and memoirs, can be accessed online via the Border Culture website.

The unique thinking behind the curation zones in on the notion that, “Ireland’s border is not just a political or constitutional division, it is a region of distinct creativity. Ireland’s Border Culture project aims to document the richness and variety of references to the border and understand partition’s effect on a unique kind of cultural productivity”.

Highlights of the exhibit include Lisa O’Neill’s No Train To Cavan and Spike Milligan’s Puckoon.

Influencer of the Week

When it comes to putting the craic front and centre, Meanwhile in Ireland takes the crown. Known for delivering a daily dose of hilarity and quirky Irish charm, this online gem has the nation chuckling from Donegal to Cork. Their content ranges from the brilliantly absurd to the downright iconic, capturing all that makes Irish culture so endearing (and laughable) in a voice that’s unmistakably homegrown.

With headlines that make you do a double-take and stories that could only happen on Irish soil—think “sheep disrupt local council meeting” or “pint-stacking reaches Guinness World Record status”—Meanwhile in Ireland is more than just a news site. It’s a tribute to the magic and mayhem of Irish life, celebrating the small moments that give us a sense of shared humour and heritage.

The page doesn’t just stick to funny business either; they bring a bit of contemporary commentary into the mix, keeping tabs on the nation’s evolving drinking habits, hottest celebrity exports, and all the juicy bits of Irish pop culture. And if it’s a meme you’re after, Meanwhile in Ireland is ready with witty captions and downright relatable content.