Irish Times Off Topic

Last week, we got out of the Off Topic studio and went on the road to the Electric Picnic. The Irish Times tent in the Mindfield section played host a series of talks on TV, film, sports and media. Today will be having a listen to some of the best bits. First up, it's the inner workings of a much-envied job: sports writing. Gavin Cummiskey and Malachy Clerkin of the Irish Times and Sinead O’Carroll, news editor of the journal.ie talk about reporting on Rio, the fallout from the scandal...

On this week's Off Topic podcast, we look at the business end of the Irish music industry. How difficult is it for new artists to become visible? How can they make money? and is talent alone enough to succeed? To answer these questions and many more, host Laurence Mackin is joined by DJ and music journalist Niall Byrne, musician Rhob Cunningham, Faction Records boss Ken Allen and Eleanor McGuinness of Pitch & Smith entertainment agency.

Do Irish people feel cherished? Is honesty of expression always encouraged in this country? Founder of Trailblazery Kathy Scott endeavored to answer these questions by conducting a 'Census of the Heart' . On this week's Off Topic, Kathy joins host Laurence Mackin, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland Colm O'Gorman, screenwriter and actor Stefanie Preissner and Shane Kelly from the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy to talk about the project's findings, and...

Don't try to be funny!!! This week's Off Topic riffs on the theme of improvisation in comedy. To discuss its lineage and place in comedy writing for stage and screen, Laurence Mackin is joined by actor and improviser Danny Kehoe, improv teacher Neil Curran and Irish Times writer Patrick Freyne. Comedian Alison Spittle joins us on the line from Edinburgh to give us her take on the Fringe Fest, and how improv fits in to her show there.

New documentary "Bobby Sands: 66 Days" goes on general release today, and its maker Brendan J Byrne is in studio with Hugh Linehan and Fintan O'Toole to talk about how his film challenges the easy narratives surrounding the hunger striker - to the displeasure of some. Also in studio is Henrietta Norton, whose documentary Born and Reared examines the lives of men and the lingering effects of conflict in communities in Northern Ireland.

On this instalment of Off Topic, host Laurence Mackin welcomes writers Sarah Maria Griffin, Caomhan Keane and Rosie Gogan-Keogh into the podcast studio to discuss the pristine 'Spielbergian' tropes of Netflix's latest success Stranger Things, the inherent nostalgia of Pokemon Go, and the fickle nature of the internet mob as experienced by teen fashion vlogger Marina Joyce.

What is fun? Are you having much fun? Does the thought of having fun fill you with disgust? Michael Foley, author of a new book on the subject Isn't This Fun?Investigating the Serious Business of Enjoying Ourselves endeavours to answer these questions. Host Hugh Linehan admits to treating the whole idea of "fun" with a healthy amount of suspicion, Michael assures Hugh he is not alone in this and after much research on the topic believes he has found core reasons for the basic human need for...

West Coast music is in rude health according to Dean Van Nguyen. Artists like Kamasi Washington, Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar are releasing fresh and vital albums packed with musical experimentation and a keen social conscience. Dean joins host Laurence Mackin and guests, chief theatre critic with the Irish Times Peter Crawley and journalist Zara Hedderman to discuss the musical heritage and sonic appeal of that "LA sound", and how these works have breathed new life into contemporary jazz...

Beyoncé Knowles is fast approaching twenty years in the business. First coming to attention as part of the hugely successful and consistent girl group phenomenon Destiny's Child, her transition to multi-platinum solo artist was seamless and logical. Some six albums in and Beyoncé, much like Motown artists of old, has taken a more personal and socially conscious approach to her art. On today's podcast Laurence Mackin invites pop music aficionados Jen Gannon, Louise Bruton and Seamas O'Reilly...

The Brexit effect seems to have cast a shadow of confusion and foreboding over most industries in this country and the culture sector is no different. To discuss the implications for Irish music and film and what it means for the long-established relationship of collaboration with our UK neighbours, Laurence Mackin is joined by Irish Times film critic Donald Clarke and CEO of First Music Contact Angela Dorgan. In part two Laura Slattery discusses Rupert Murdoch's takeover of Belfast based...

To mark Impact Journalism Day, Hugh Linehan meets some people involved in projects aimed at creating sustainable social change. First Hugh chats with NCAD graduate Mark O'Meara's project is a novel solution to the problem of how to help homeless people shy away from handing over small change Then he sits down with Paul O'Hara of ChangeX, a "platform of proven ideas for anyone who wants to strengthen their community", Tony Geoghegan of the Merchant's Quay drug harm prevention project, and...

Una Mullally speaks with Moby about his life and music.

In the wake of last week's mass shooting in Orlando's Pulse nightlcub, Off Topic takes a look at the role of gay clubs and LGBT spaces and how they've changed. Laurence Mackin hosts a panel discussion with three guests who play a pivotal role in Ireland's LGBT community - journalist, activist and columnist Una Mullally, events manager and club promoter Buzz O'Neill and journalist, activist and founder of The Irish Queer Archive Tonie Walsh.

This week the Stanford case reopened the debate about the prevalence of sexual violence against women and the treatment, in court and in society, of victims and perpetrators. Publicly, all men condemn sexual violence, but what are they doing to bring the culture that encourages it to an end? Not nearly enough, say feminists, writers and friends Sarah Maria Griffin and Roe McDermott. They are joined on today's podcast by veteran court reporter Conor Gallagher, who talks about the experiences...

Irish Times political correspondent Harry McGee, a native speaker and supporter of Irish, was one of the many who disagreed with Irish Times feature writer Rosita Boland's column this week, in which she complained she was made to learn a language for which she had "no aptitude, absolutely no interest in, and no choice about". Harry and Rosita are in studio today to debate the merits of her arguments.

"Unsteady foundations - imposing something new on something old" ; this goes some way to describing the challenges and opportunities presented by the destruction in Dublin's city centre following the 1916 Rising. On this edition of the Off Topic podcast Hugh Linehan is joined by architectural and cultural historian Ellen Rowley and archaeologist Frank Myles to discuss the positives and negatives of rebuilding Dublin following the Rising.

One of the best known campaigners for civil rights of his day, a knighted poet, a gay man, a nationalist, a rebel: the life of Roger Casement's provides more than enough fodder for a big screen treatment. Exploring what such a movie would be like is the idea behind a new exhibition at IMMA, The Humaniser, by artist Simon Fujiwara. Screenwriter Michael Lesslie, who worked on the project, talks with Laurence Mackin about Roger Casement and the primacy of themes over facts in dramatisations of...

Eurovision fever has gripped the Off Topic podcast this week despite Nicky Byrne's failure to make the final. Laurence Mackin is joined in studio by Eurovision diehards Hugh Linehan and Laura Slattery with Patrick Freyne joining us on the line from Stockholm where it's all going down. In part two Donald Clarke reports from the 69th annual Cannes film festival where Woody Allen is making headlines for his private life aswell as his latest film which opens this year's festival. Laurence and...

By dropping the N-word on Twitter, Gerry Adams inadvertently drew attention to a contested view of history: that the experiences of Irish people, from Plantation-era deportees to nationalists during The Troubles, are equally as unjust as those of African Americans throughout the history of the United States. Literary Editor of The Irish Times Fintan O'Toole is on the line to discuss this story with Hugh Linehan.

Patrick Freyne spent a Friday embedded with Ryan Tubridy and the The Late Late Show team, observing how they prepare for the night ahead. He joins Laurence, media columnist Laura Slattery and former TLLS researcher Donal Scannell to pull back the curtain on all the pizzazz and look at the evolution of this most familiar of Irish programmes. In part two: a new documentary tells the story of how Ireland has squandered its marine resources of fish and oil. Director Risteard Ó Domhnaill speaks...