Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas Special review: Unkillable comedy’s wit is as sharp as a mouthful of Brussels sprouts
Television: Brendan O’Carroll’s slapstick purgatory remains a Bacchanalia of single entendres and fnarr-fnarr gags
Brendan O’Carroll
Actor, writer and director
Christmas TV and movie guide: the best shows and films to watch
December 24th-27th: including new Christmas specials of Doctor Who, Outnumbered, Gavin & Stacey, and Wallace & Gromit
The Guide: The Coronas, Damien Dempsey and other events to see, shows to book and ones to catch before they end
December 21st- 27th, 2024: The best movies, music, art and more coming your way this week
‘When these women left home there were rumours that they were sent to Europe to be concubines for black soldiers’
The Six Triple Eight director Tyler Perry on the true story behind his new film, about the only US army unit of black women sent to Europe during the second World War
Brendan O’Carroll apologises over ‘clumsy’ racial joke during Mrs Brown’s Boys rehearsals
BBC paused rehearsals of Christmas special over joke where ‘racial term was implied’
Mrs Brown and Madea: A meeting of culturally reviled phenomena
Donald Clarke: Maybe this is the future. Locate discrete fanbases and double your appeal
Mná 100: Maureen O’Carroll among women celebrated on historical website
Mother of entertainer Brendan O’Carroll was elected as Labour TD in 1954
Modern Ireland is unimaginable without Jack Charlton
Finding Jack Charlton lays bare his remarkable connection with the Irish psyche
Late Late Show with Miriam O’Callaghan: The most surreal primetime TV I’ve ever watched
Scraggly Hozier gave a preview of what everyone’s hair will look like post-shutdown
Miriam O’Callaghan to present Late Late Show as Tubridy has ‘persistent cough’
Programme will pay tribute to men and women of Ireland’s front-line services
Mrs Brown’s Boys most watched TV show on RTÉ on Christmas Day
The most popular movie over the Christmas period was Home Alone 2 – Lost in New York
The Young Offenders contains more Cork accents than in past decade on RTÉ
Review: It’s almost as if metropolitan life exists beyond Dublin. What dark alchemy is this?
Ready for their Cannes close-up? Irish film-makers in the spotlight
Cinema is an increasingly puzzling market. So what counts as success for an Irish release?
Brendan O’Carroll in the money as profits double for Mrs Brown’s boy
The entertainer and his wife have received almost €2m in dividends from the company over the past two years
Mrs Brown’s Boys actor on latest tax defaulters’ list
Latest list also includes TV presenter Mark Cagney and trainer Alan Fleming
Dancing with the Stars: ‘Nah nah’ from judges leaves 18-year-old Demi Isaac Oviawe in tears
Cliona Hagan channels Garth Brooks with a line-dancing cha cha to take top spot
Late Late Show London special: A glorified town-hall shindig
Review: The move to London made Friday’s Late Late Show even more parochial than usual
RTÉ new season: Bertie Ahern, Amy Huberman and Brendan O’Carroll
Broadcaster’s television line-up promises to show ‘all sides of Irish life’
Molly Malone statue comes ‘alive, alive, oh’ in new project
The landmark will be given a voice as part of talking statues initiative for Dublin
Seán Moncrieff: Harry and Meghan are still a royal pain
Royalty-love has flourished to the extent that criticism of the Windsors is now impossible
Six TV shows to watch this weekend
Marvel’s Luke Cage second series kicks off on Netflix, Cher and Christine Baranski talk Mamma Mia!
Ocean’s 8 talk with Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Rihanna: The weekend’s best TV
Also the Blue Planet team chart the story of life on Earth over the course of a single day
The weekend's best TV: Poldark and Aidan Turner return
A new documentary on Germaine Greer is among the TV highlights
On TV this weekend: Ethan Hawke, Gino D’Acampo and Tracey Ullman
Frankie Boyle goes to Russia ahead of the World Cup, plus the final of Britain’s Got Talent
IFTA TV awards: ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Young Offenders’ among winners
Broadcaster Shay Healy also received a lifetime achievement award at the ceremony
On TV this weekend: Jurassic Park meets Graham Norton and Mrs Brown chats up hard man Danny Dyer
Late Late Show referendum exit poll expected on Friday at about 11pm
Room to improve? Dermot Bannon and others on their renovation wishlist
An extra bedroom, a new kitchen and clever storage are among the most wanted
Careful now: Will we ever stop talking about Father Ted?
Twenty years and thousands of repeats later, Ireland still lives in Craggy Island’s shadow
Local property tax under review, cut price clothing from Dealz, and Moody’s glum about Irish upgrade
Business Today: the best news, analysis and comment from ‘The Irish Times’ business desk
‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ creator and wife share near €1m in dividends
Brendan O’Carroll and wife, actress Jennifer Givney, still making money from sitcom
‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ tops Christmas television ratings
Almost 700,000 watched the special on RTÉ One, adding to its 6.8m audience on BBC One
Brendan O’Carroll refused ‘nice fee’ to cut Mrs Brown’s Boys gay character
Russian censors wanted to remove gay character from Mrs Brown's Boys, says comedian
Complaint about Al Porter received by mental health service
Comedian at centre of sexual misconduct allegations ‘cannot comment on legal advice’
Brendan O’Carroll says he was not involved in tax avoidance
Stars of Mrs Brown’s Boys reportedly put over £2 million into companies in Mauritius
Tax avoidance is not a ‘victimless issue,’ says Fianna Fáil
Michael McGrath says there is a ‘very fine line’ between tax avoidance and tax evasion
Miriam Lord’s Week: High-Vis Varadkar drives FG rebranding
Taoiseach turns himself into shovel-ready project as he makes big announcements
To stay in or go out? The best New Year’s Eve entertainment
From James Vincent McMorrow and Lisa Hannigan to Imelda May’s bid to out-Jools Jools
Talking statues: Gabriel Byrne and Brenda Fricker bring Dublin landmarks to life
A slew of famous voices are bringing 10 of Dublin’s best-known monuments alive
Mrs Brown’s Boys ‘was getting like the civil service’
Actor Rory Cowan is happy with his decision to quit hugely successful comedy show
Robust profits reported by ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ companies
Production firms co-owned by Brendan O’Carroll have cash pile of nearly €3m
Irish film industry glued to unfolding Brexit drama
Co-productions with UK should survive, but free movement vital, says film board
'I laughed out loud at Mrs Brown's chat show. In The Irish Times. Near where Fintan sits'
All Round to Mrs Brown's is the kind of programme it's possible to love and hate at the same time
Pamela Anderson calls on Taoiseach to ban circuses with wild animals
Model promises a pint with Enda Kenny if he backs Bill to end ‘archaic entertainment’
Conor Pope: My day working in MasterChef judge Daniel Clifford’s kitchen
Our writer is put to work in the two Michelin-starred kitchen of chef Daniel Clifford, and gets the Celebrity MasterChef judge to spill the beans on the stars
'The BBC is giving Mrs Brown her own chat show? I need a lie down'
A talk show may be the ideal format for Brendan O'Carroll's Marmite creation
Pat Kenny receives Ifta award for lifetime achievement
Winning TV shows include ‘Daniel & Majella’s B&B Road Trip’ and ‘The Day Henry Met’
Panti sets out her stall for a TV gig in radio’s twilight hours
There are gems and junk aplenty on late-night radio, from challenging chats to tunes
Mrs Brown’s Boys – the best of sitcoms, or the worst?
Brian Boyd: I’d rather throw myself on top of a funeral pyre than watch Mrs Brown’s Boys. But the programme wasn’t commissioned with bitter cranks like me in mind
Brendan O’Carroll: How Dubliner found UK public’s funnybone
Mrs Brown’s Boys is voted Best Sitcom of the 21st Century by Radio Times readers
‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ voted best British sitcom of 21st century
Brendan O’Carroll show beats ‘The Office’, ‘The Thick of It’ and ‘Gavin & Stacey’ in poll
‘An Klondike’ among Celtic Media Festival nominees
Irish broadcasters and producers rack up 42 nominations for this year’s ‘Torc’ awards
Ennis locals pull together to bury man who died on Christmas Day
Marek Skiba (51) remained in mortuary for weeks as there was no money for funeral
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices