Kerry Condon plays a potty-mouthed IRA gang leader and Neeson is the quiet antihero in this action thriller set at the height of the Troubles

Producer-director and veteran Clint Eastwood collaborator Robert Lorenz is now saddling up for this “Donegal western”. It is an action thriller that finds the cowboy spirit in the lush rolling grasslands of County Donegal in Ireland’s north-west, neighbouring Northern Ireland but geographically sequestered from the rest of the Republic.

In 1974, at the height of the Troubles, an IRA gang led by icy-hearted and potty-mouthed Doireann (Kerry Condon) accidentally kills a bunch of kids with a Belfast bomb blast. Without especially regretting the collateral damage, she leads her crew as they escape over the border into Donegal to lie low, fetching up on the outskirts of a village that appears populated by adorable stereotypes. These include a stolid Gardai officer (Ciarán Hinds), and his best mate, widower Finbar Murphy (Liam Neeson), a quiet man who apparently makes a living dealing in secondhand books – and shyly courting neighbour Rita (Niamh Cusack).

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Central European tourists have been descending on Achill ever since Heinrich Böll wrote effusively about its inhabitants’ customs and idiosyncrasies

In 1954, the German writer Heinrich Böll landed in Ireland for the first time, headed west and kept going till he reached the Atlantic ocean. He was seeking a refuge from the brash materialism of postwar Germany, and found it on Achill island, where waves crashed against cliffs, sheep foraged in fields and villagers went about their business of fishing, farming and storytelling.

The following year he returned with his family and began to observe and chronicle the customs, idiosyncrasies, sorrows and joys of its inhabitants. So began a literary love affair between Germany and a windswept corner of County Mayo that endures 70 years after the Nobel laureate’s first visit.

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The story of two historians unleashing evil while recording a song is a strong idea and there are good moments and performances, but it is too chaotic and unfocused to resonate

Paul Duane is the film-maker who in 2011 made Barbaric Genius , a gripping documentary portrait of ex-convict, ex-vagrant and tournament chess player John Healy, whose memoir The Grass Arena is a classic of outsider art literature. Now Duane has given us this horror film which, though it begins with interesting subversive and satirical ideas, and an interesting allusion to Guillermo del Toro, finally becomes, for me, simply too chaotic, strained and unfocused.

Anna (Simone Collins) and Aleks (Charlie Maher) are social historians who travel around remote rural pubs in Ireland, recording folk ballads; they become fascinated by rumours of an old woman who lives thereabouts who can sing a thousand-year-old song, taught over generations from mother to daughter, which has never been recorded or transcribed on paper. Asking questions about her makes locals suspicious; Anna and Aleks assure one man that they are not journalists or interested in anything “political”, but he replies darkly: “There’s nothing that’s not political …”

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Pedro Sánchez is first foreign premier Simon Harris will meet since becoming leader

The new Irish taoiseach is to meet the Spanish prime minister to discuss their joint plan to recognise Palestine as a nation state and their attempts to force the EU to assess Israel’s human rights obligations as a condition of their trade deal with the bloc.

Pedro Sánchez, who is due to arrive in Dublin on Friday, is the first foreign premier Simon Harris will meet since his promotion to the office of the taoiseach this week.

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Project will analyse multitude of documents to uncover female Irish experiences from 1500 to 1700

Four centuries ago Dublin had an official city “scavenger” who was tasked with running sanitation teams to clear streets of human and animal waste. In return, the scavenger earned tolls from shopkeepers and traders.

It could have worked well except the contractor decided to cut costs and maximise profits by deploying just two carts rather than six. Dung piled up and the city stank. This upset everyone save the scavenger, who pocketed enough cash to set herself up as a moneylender. Her name was Catherine Strong.

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Leader receives seal of office, marking low-key end of Varadkar era and start of unofficial countdown to election

Simon Harris has pledged to invigorate Ireland ’s ruling coalition after being elected the country’s youngest taoiseach.

The Dáil voted 88 to 69 on Tuesday to anoint Harris, 37, as successor to Leo Varadkar , who unexpectedly announced his resignation last month .

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So-called ‘TikTok taoiseach’ expected to be confirmed today by Ireland’s Dáil

Ireland’s Dáil is expected today to confirm Simon Harris , 37, as successor to Leo Varadkar , who stunned the country last month when he announced his resignation as prime minister and leader of Fine Gael.

The higher education minister blitzed potential rivals to be coronated as the party’s new leader . Fine Gael’s coalition partners, Fianna Fáil and the Greens, back him to become taoiseach.

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Dublin politician says he is looking forward to a ‘different chapter’ after tendering resignation to president

Leo Varadkar has said he has “no regrets” about standing down, as he officially resigned as Ireland’s taoiseach.

The Dublin politician, who has been the country’s prime minister for four years, said he was looking forward to a “different chapter”.

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Flights were cancelled and thousands left without power as heavy winds swept across the island of Ireland and parts of Wales, Scotland and western England on Saturday

• Dozens of flights cancelled as Storm Kathleen hits west of UK

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