![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/000d2681-614.jpg\"\/)
\nMaeve Brennan’s writing has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years<\/p>\n
We’re only four months deep into 2026, and it\u2019s already been a stellar year for culture across the board.<\/p>\n
The only problem is that it\u2019s difficult to keep track of everything and inevitably, there\u2019ll be some jewels that slip between the cracks.<\/p>\n
Here are ten cultural gems that you might have missed so far this year\u2026<\/p>\n
1. Paolo Sorrentino\u2019s La Grazia<\/p>\n
He is one of the most celebrated international directors of his generation, but some of Paolo Sorrentino\u2019s films have made a bigger splash (This Must Be the Place, The Great Beauty) than others. His most recent offering is a ruminative, stunning visual portrait of a man that gradually unfolds with the elegance and grace that its title suggests. The great Toni Servillo plays the outgoing Italian president, who is forced to grapple with a big political decision in the last few months of his term while coming to a reckoning with his personal life, too.<\/p>\n
\n
2. Joshua Burnside – It\u2019s Not Going to Be Okay<\/p>\n
Many famous albums have been written in the wake of a tidal wave of grief, but Joshua Burnside\u2019s latest record is emotionally devastating. The Northern Irish musician\u2019s profile has grown in recent years, but It\u2019s Not Going to Be Okay, written after the tragic death of his best friend, should elevate him even further. On this moving album, Burnside proves just what a deft lyricist and compelling composer of songs he is, excavating the tiny yet excruciating details of life when a loved one dies, as heard on songs like The Last Armchair and the poignant Remake.<\/p>\n
\n
3. Small Prophets<\/p>\n
If you liked BBC series Detectorists, you\u2019ll undoubtedly love this 6-part sitcom too – which comes from the mind of the same man, Mackenzie Crook. It\u2019s the oddest yet most captivating series you\u2019ll probably watch all year. Pearce Quigley plays Michael, a man who has been in a state of stasis since his girlfriend vanished seven years earlier. Encouraged by his elderly father (Michael Palin), he decides to grow three homunculi (the titular small prophets) in his suburban garden shed to find the answers he needs in order to move on. It\u2019s a completely eccentric concept, grounded with droll humour and some superb performances.<\/p>\n
\n
4. A Quiet Love<\/p>\n
Like its title suggests, A Quiet Love makes a big impact with very few words. Garry Keane\u2019s immersive feature documentary tells the stories of three Deaf couples, examining how they have navigated both life and their own relationship. Told entirely through Irish Sign Language, it\u2019s a moving exploration of the things many of us take for granted – from the agonising decision facing Sean as he follows his dream of being a pro boxer, to same-sex couple Kathy and Michelle who have one Deaf and one hearing child. The stars of the show are John and Agnes, a mixed-religion Northern Irish couple in their seventies who first met as kids as the Troubles took hold.<\/p>\n
\n
5. The Pitt<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been out for quite a while in the US (in fact, season 2 premiered in the States in January), but Season 1 only recently made it to Irish TV screens thanks to new streamer HBO Max. So there\u2019s every chance you\u2019ve missed The Pitt – an often stressful but seriously engrossing watch, set in a hospital ER in Pittsburgh that is presided over by Noah Wyle\u2019s hard-nosed Dr. ‘Robby\u2019 Robinavitch. Whether medical dramas are your bag or not, it\u2019s a brilliantly-written and eye-opening series.<\/p>\n
\n
6. NT Live – Playboy of the Western World<\/p>\n
If you didn\u2019t make it to London\u2019s National Theatre to see the starry Irish cast of the new production of Playboy of the Western World, never fear. The good news is that the show, starring Eanna Hardwicke, Siobhan McSweeney and Nicola Coughlan, was filmed and will be broadcast in numerous Irish cinemas from May 28th via the theatre\u2019s NT Live platform. JM Synge\u2019s controversial play from 1907 is given both a new vigour and swagger in this Caitriona McLaughlin-directed production – not to be missed.<\/p>\n
\n
7. Ailbhe Reddy – Kiss Big<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve said it before and we\u2019ll say it again: how is Ailbhe Reddy not a huge star yet? The Dubliner\u2019s second album, written between London and New York following the break-up of a new relationship and the beginning of a new one, is an emotional rollercoaster of devastation and tentative hope in the face of heartache. It helps, of course, that Reddy\u2019s ear is beautifully attuned to catchy melodies: from the slouchy indiepop of Gorgeous Thing to the delicately-plucked title track.<\/p>\n
\n
8. An Asylum for My Affections: Sketches of Maeve Brennan<\/p>\n
She was one of the most influential Irish writers of her generation, yet Maeve Brennan often doesn\u2019t get the plaudits she deserves. This essay anthology, edited by author Molly Hennigan, sees ten contemporary Irish writers – from Roddy Doyle to Belinda McKeon – explore their reaction to the word \u2018asylum\u2019 (the title is a reference to a quote from Brennan regarding her complex relationship with her mother.) A rewarding, interesting collection that may even nudge some readers towards Brennan\u2019s own extraordinary work.<\/p>\n
\nMaeve Brennan’s writing has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years<\/p>\n
9. Ye Vagabonds – All Tied Together<\/p>\n
Carlow brothers Br\u00edan and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn are not flashy, self-promoting musicians – a quality that perhaps has worked against them in the past. Despite their low-key approach, Ye Vagabonds have earned their dues in recent years thanks to acts like Phoebe Bridgers and Boygenius waving their banner. Their fifth album is their best yet, weaving personal themes of home, place, friendship, belonging and loss into their beguiling folk tapestry.<\/p>\n
\n
10. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms<\/p>\n
I know what you\u2019re thinking. It\u2019s either A) How can a spin-off of one of the biggest TV shows of all time be overlooked, or B) I don\u2019t care about Game of Thrones and those stupid dragons. Well, leave your preconceptions to the side because A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms puts a different spin on George R.R. Martin\u2019s world, setting it almost a century before the events in Game of Thrones and taking an altogether more irreverent tone. Perhaps that\u2019s why it hasn\u2019t been quite as revered or discussed as Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon? Irish actor Peter Claffey is a revelation as the titular knight Ser Duncan the Tall, too.<\/p>\n
\n