Departures - Manchán Magan on his Dublin Book Festival series rte.ie - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rte.ie Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Last year was one for the books, that’s for sure. Lockdown proved a huge boost to the Irish book trade, with more than 13 million books sold, up by almost a million on 2019. Sales totalled €161.5m, the highest figure in 12 years. British research published in May revealed that people had almost doubled their reading time since March. In December former East 17 frontman Tony Mortimer made headlines when he revealed his newfound love for fiction. Never having read a novel until his daughter introduced him to the books app on his phone last spring, his joyful social media posts about the 70 books he devoured since made him famous all over again.
The Sword in the Stone available to stream until January 5 (ticket €20,
thehelix.ie) as is the Olympia (tickets €15 plus fees,
Once Upon a Panto, an original fairytale you can experience from a front row seat in your own home any time up until January 3.
There’s a stunning selection box of musical entertainment to access online this year. The RTÉ Concert Orchestra is live streaming on December 25 at 7pm with a feast of festive favourites including ballet from Tchaikovsky’s
Nutcracker featuring Monica Loughman Elite Ballet while on December 26, Eimear Noone presents ‘Pure Imagination’ with the National Symphony Orchestra, an incredible line-up of inspirational hits from blockbusters (