Since I arrived as ambassador to Luxembourg 18 months ago, I have been so impressed by the vibrant arts scene, and it’s been a thrill to support Irish cultural initiatives in the Grand Duchy.

As an enthusiastic consumer of culture, I was delighted when the Luxembourg Times asked me to share some cultural suggestions for St Patrick’s Day. “An easy, fun task,” I thought. How wrong I was!

I have been agonising over my selection, wanting to get it just right, and these recommendations have been written and re-written a few times over…

Literature

Where to begin? Of course, anything by Joyce is always worth a read, and Dubliners is probably my favourite, with the short story The Dead improving with every read.

At the moment, I’m enjoying Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo, and I recently finished the extraordinary 2023 Booker winner Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, as well as the compelling This Hostel Life by Melatu Uche Okorie, which shines an important light on the challenges of migrant life in Ireland.

I love the theatre and read a lot of plays too – Conor McPherson’s Port Authority is possibly my all-time favourite, and the audiobook version with the original cast is a wonderful evocation of universal themes, in a distinctly Irish voice.

Dubliners by James Joyce is among the top literature picks for Jean McDonald © Photo credit: Shutterstock

I would also encourage your readers to dip into some Irish poetry: the classics of course, Yeats and Heaney, but we also have an amazing wealth of contemporary writers, with Tom Paulin, Moya Cannon, Paula Meehan and Jane Clarke being particular favourites of mine.

Paula gave a wonderful reading at the Embassy last year, and we are delighted to be supporting Jane’s participation in the Printemps des Poètes Festival next month in Luxembourg City. Irish Children’s/young adult literature is also brimming with talent.

The Embassy was thrilled to bring award-winning children’s writer Shane Hegarty to Luxembourg for Hallowe’en last year, in collaboration with the City Library team – this October, we will be bringing another children’s author to visit, so watch out for details in the period ahead!

Podcasts

I am an avid consumer of podcasts, driven in part, I think, by my love for radio, as well as occasional bouts of insomnia.

My taste is very eclectic, from history, to pop culture, to sport. Because of work, I usually catch up on my favourite radio shows via their daily or weekly podcasts.

Top of the list will be Irish current affairs programmes such as Morning Ireland and Ádhmhaidin (Early Morning) – with that last one helping to keep my Irish language vocabulary up to date!

I also really enjoy the Royal Irish Academy’s ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South) podcast series, for a thought-provoking examination of public and policy debates in Ireland post-Brexit. One of my favourite podcasts to listen to for relaxation is Three Castles Burning focusing on the social history of my home town, Dublin.

A mural dedicated to the award-winning series Derry Girls on Orchard Street, Derry, Northern Ireland © Photo credit: Shutterstock

TV/Film:

Neil Jordan was such a trailblazer for Irish cinema in the 1980s and 1990s, and I still hugely admire his work. Michael Collins remains a firm favourite, not least as I have fond memories of skipping a university lecture to go to a screening with some friends, when we should have been focusing on our exams.

Hearing the Irish language on screen is particularly special, and for any of your readers who haven’t seen it, the Oscar-nominated An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl), based on Clare Keegan’s extraordinary novella Foster, is a must.

In this vein, I am looking forward to seeing Fidil Ghorm (Blue Fiddle) which opens the next edition of the British Irish Film Festival on 22 March.

I would also highly recommend the joyous television series Derry Girls by Lisa McGee – following the lives of four teenagers navigating adolescence in 1990s’ Derry, against the backdrop of the political conflict in Northern Ireland.

Music

My personal playlist is full of Irish music and musicians, from well-established artists such as Hozier, The Gloaming, and (of course) U2, as well as younger artists including CMAT, Orla Gartland, Nelly Mescal, Denise Chaila, Inhaler and the Grammy-nominated Fontaines DC who play in Neimënster this July!

For any readers interested in traditional Irish music and dance, this scene is alive and kicking in Luxembourg thanks to wonderful community group Comhaltas.

(The author is Ireland’s ambassador to Luxembourg)