Arts 2024 highlights: Ellen O'Brien
Ellen O'Brien
Champion musician
Best County Cavan Arts Event: I really enjoyed Bernadette Doolan’s exhibition in the Town Hall during the summer. Much of her art explores childhood, though not always in the most child-like way. Dark tones and sullen expressions fused with bright pinks and fun patterns imply a sense of vulnerability and inwardness conveyed throughout the characters in her paintings.
Ones to Watch: Singer and guitarist Robert Mulligan. Already having supported Soft Launch at the age of sixteen, he is already on the rise!
Best music: It has to be Fontaines D.C. latest album, Romance. From lush string arrangements to heavy guitar riffs, the album explores new sonic soundscapes. Chatten’s vocals cut right through, ruminating on love, connection and the human condition. A personal favourite is ‘Horseness Is The Whatness’, inspired by Joyce’s Ulysses – a beautifully introspective tribute to band member Carlos O’Connell’s daughter.
Best book: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. The thing I love most about Rooney’s writing is her ability to take seemingly mundane, everyday experiences and turn them into something remarkable.
She holds these moments tenderly in the palm of her hands and writes about them with such consideration, you almost begin to believe that it really is the small moments that make up life…
Rooney’s depiction of relationships in the modern world shows that she remains one of the most important writers of our generation.
Best film: In January I watched Close, a film on the intense friendship between two young boys as they come of age. Things begin to take a turn for the worse when classmates notice their closeness, pulling them apart until a terrible tragedy ensues. An achingly poignant film, Close is a guaranteed tear-jerker.
Best podcast: Inclusion Dialogue hosted by Dr Joanne Banks. The series focuses on how we can implement inclusion in schools, taking into consideration the diversity of our classrooms. As a music education student, I found it very insightful.