Opinion & Book Reviews

Diaries from the Edge
Saxophonist and former member of Moving Hearts Keith Donald has recently published a memoir, 'Music & Mayhem: Passion, Addiction and Redemption in the Golden Age of Irish Music'. James Camien McGuiggan reviews.
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Inside a Campaign to Change the Music Industry
Linda Coogan Byrne has recently published 'Why Not Her? – A Manifesto for Culture Change', telling the story of her campaign for gender balance in the Irish and British music industries over the past five years. Laura Watson reviews.
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A ‘Modest Uplift’ or Major Neglect? Music and the Arts in Northern Ireland
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland announced a 'modest uplift' for arts organisations this month, but after two decades of cuts and stand-still budgets, it is not enough, writes Michael Quinn.
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The Paradox Only Partially Resolved: Bono's Stories of Surrender
A new film about Bono is drawn from the singer's autobiographical show at the Beacon Theatre in New York. Brendan Finan reviews.
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‘That is the Writer’s Decision!’: The Legacy of Desmond Fennell
To mark the publication of 'The Radical Thinking of Desmond Fennell' on 6 June, Journal of Music Editor Toner Quinn reflects on his experiences working with the writer and their correspondence over almost twenty years.
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What Now for the Arts Council?
After a failed IT project costing €6.675 million and the departure of Director Maureen Kennelly, the Arts Council faces a crisis of trust and direction. What does it mean for those who work in the sector, asks Toner Quinn.
History Repeats Itself as British Authorities Get to Decide Who the Terrorists Are
A member of Kneecap has been charged with a terrorism offence, but those in power continue to look away from the deeper crisis, writes Toner Quinn.
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The World Can Criticise Kneecap, But They Have Started Something
The controversy surrounding the Irish rap band has obscured deeper questions about power, conflict and resistance, but they won't go away, writes Toner Quinn.
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Collector Networks and Silent Sources of Irish Traditional Music
The Irish Traditional Music Archive has recently published 'The Pigot Collection', a major new volume of pre-Famine Irish music, edited by Nicholas Carolan and Caitlín Uí Éigeartaigh and containing over 600 melodies from the manuscripts of John Edward Pigot. Méabh Ní Fhuartháin reviews.
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Realising Dreams for Irish Musicians: The Story of the Music Instrument Fund of Ireland
The Music Instrument Fund of Ireland (MIFI) celebrates 30 years in 2025 and is currently open for applications for auditions. Violinist Gwendolyn Masin tells the story of her family’s move to Ireland in the 1980s and the origins of the organisation founded by her father.
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