Focus
What Now for the Arts Council?
After a failed IT project costing €6.675 million and the departure of Director Maureen Kennelly, the Arts Council faces a crisis of trust and direction. What does it mean for those who work in the sector, asks Toner Quinn. 
A Tenderness Created in the Moment
Lauren Kinsella and Chris Hyson’s Snowpoet have just released their fourth album, 'Heartstrings'. Philip Watson reviews. 
Tradition in Motion: Strung Live in Dublin
The Irish traditional/classical ensemble Strung – Maria Ryan, Lucia Mac Partlin, Luke Howard and Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz – performed at the Unitarian Church in Dublin on 20 May. Brendan Finan reviews. 
History Repeats Itself as British Authorities Get to Decide Who the Terrorists Are
A member of Kneecap has been charged with a terrorism offence, but those in power continue to look away from the deeper crisis, writes Toner Quinn. 
Electric with Life in the Clovery Kingdom
Roger Doyle’s new album, 'We Who Live Under Heaven', released on Nyahh Records, draws inspiration from Joyce’s 'Finnegans Wake' and a letter by Lucia Joyce to her psychiatrist. James Camien McGuiggan reviews. 
Dancing on Either Side of the Veil
Violist Nathan Sherman has just released his first solo album, 'The Gentle Erasure of Time', featuring works for viola and electronics by Jonathan Nangle, Sam Perkin, Linda Buckley, Karin Rehnqvist, Nicole Lizée and Benjamin Broening. Brendan Finan reviews. 
Our Society’s Dark Secrets from Itself: Music Current 2025
The Music Current contemporary music festival took place in Dublin from 22 to 26 April. Brendan Finan reviews the Saturday evening concerts featuring the French group soundinitiative and pianist Małgorzata Walentynowicz. 
The World Can Criticise Kneecap, But They Have Started Something
The controversy surrounding the Irish rap band has obscured deeper questions about power, conflict and resistance, but they won't go away, writes Toner Quinn. 
Making Light Work of Complexity: Fergal Scahill and Ryan Molloy’s 'The Gannet’s Dive'
Fergal Scahill (fiddle) and Ryan Molloy (piano and fiddle) have recently released their fourth album together, 'The Gannet’s Dive', a collection of duets including a range of newly composed tunes. Verena Commins reviews. 
Elevator Music for Political Times
Composer Anselm McDonnell has recently released 'Politics of the Imagination', an album featuring rappers Barrowclough, Joel the Custodian and Kosyne with musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra and Crash Ensemble. James Camien McGuiggan reviews.