My Cultural Life
Co Clare’s Róisín Stack is a writer and performer whose acclaimed solo show about women’s tireless pursuit of downtime, No Woman is an Island, is touring nationally until December 5. roisinstack.com
BOOK The Years
My 2026 reading has been fairly glacial. I started Annie Ernaux’s The Years a few months ago and at this stage the title seems prophetic. I love artist books and recently read Sarah Long’s W/w. I lap up most auto-fiction and writing about writing.
When I’ve time for a long read, I enjoy Sinéad O’Sullivan’s But This Time It’s Different on Substack. She writes very informed, articulate essays on systems and politics and has a lot to say about infrastructure (and the lack thereof) in Ireland. But, if I’m honest, most of my reading these days is dedicated to The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton, which is my four-year-old’s current bedtime book.
TV Portrait Artist of the Year
I’m not much of a TV or film person but when I switch on the screen it’s almost always to escape into creative reality television. I’ve watched them all: Blown Away (glassblowing); Glow Up (make-up); Project Runway (Tim and post-Tim); The Big Flower Fight and Bloom (flower arranging); all the Great British… ones, from Bake Off to Throwdown; even the much-maligned Game of Wool.
My favourite used to be Project Runway but the most recent series lost focus – it was like RuPaul’s Drag Race with a side of sewing. But Portrait Artist of the Year is my ultimate comfort viewing. I’m endlessly impressed, and fascinated, by the different approaches, techniques and results that can be achieved with the same subject.
LP London Grammar
The director of my show, Ann Blake, told me last year that she and her wife had bought a record player and started a vinyl collection for their daughter. I promptly stole this idea and have been buying vinyl, ostensibly for our daughter, though I’m slowly creating my dream DJ set.
Recent purchases include London Grammar (The Remixes), Mount Kimbie, and SL2’s On a Ragga Tip. I’m currently saving up for The Blaze, New Order and Aldous Harding. When I’m not forcing my music taste on the family, I stick on Lyric FM or BBC Radio 6.
FESTIVAL Dublin Theatre/Fringe
I make a pilgrimage to Dublin every autumn to see theatre and catch up with friends. This year’s list: Butch at Dublin Fringe Festival; Lourdes! The Musical by Xnthony, Tanz, and Radio Bette at Dublin Theatre Festival.
At home in Ennistymon, I’m excited about A Kind of Supper Club (Ash Gribben and Niamh Fox) at Courthouse Gallery & Studios, and Edwina Guckian’s The Devil’s in the Dance Hall in December. I was at the show in Mullagh last year and it was an absolutely electric night.
I’ve a piece in a Mayo Press anthology, edited by Alice Kinsella, which launches at Wild Atlantic Words in Castlebar this October, giving me another great excuse to go home to Mayo. I’ll also catch Branar, Macnas and Baboró with the family.