Dion Fanning

Ireland’s shock win over Portugal offered more than a route to World Cup qualification — it delivered a rare, cathartic night when belief returned, however briefly, to a team and its long-suffering supporters.

Frank McNally has been the chief writer of the Irishman’s Diary in The Irish Times for nearly 20 years. In a new memoir, he recalls growing up in Monaghan and why he felt the column should have been retired after Kevin Myers left the paper.

Eimear Ní Bhraonáin’s new book lays out the curiosities and patterns in the disgraced hurling star’s character long before he embarked on a life of deception, and dissects the playbook he tailored to each victim in disturbing detail.

Ten years ago, a response to the Abbey’s programme to mark the 1916 centenary launched the Waking the Feminists movement. Sarah Durcan was one of the organisers and she talks about a new book on the movement.

Ireland have a nondescript manager, with a team that plays non football and yet many still cling to the idea that good times might be just around the corner.

Should Jim Gavin have been held up to more scrutiny when he was managing Dublin? The difference between sport and politics is a story of power and control.

Garret Fitzgerald spoke of Charles Haughey’s ‘flawed pedigree’, but the two men shaped modern Ireland. Eoin O’Malley talks to Dion Fanning about the era when the two men dominated Irish life.

Arthur Edward Guinness, the fourth Lord Iveagh, has written a history of the Guinness family. He talks to Dion Fanning about the burden of being a Guinness, how the brewery nearly ended up in Wales and the future of the Iveagh Markets.

Will Clarke is one of the FAI’s shining lights. He is campaigning to transform how Irish football develops young players. He speaks about why the FAI isn’t looking for a handout but seed capital.

How will the doctor-patient relationship be affected by AI? In her new book, Charlotte Blease argues that doctors can’t cope with the present system and AI will bring a revolution in medical care.