Arena

Sinéad Egan reports from Ballinasloe's fire procession for Arena - with plenty of chat and drums galore.

Kay Sheehy chats to visual and conceptual artist Louise Manifold on Aerial Sparks an innovative multifaceted artist collaboration. Also Marc Mac Lochlainn founder of Theatre company Branar discussing Sruth na Teanga.

Paula Shields speaks to Finnish artist Kari Kola. For four days, from 14th to March 17th, Kari Kola will create one of his extraordinary light installations in the heart of Connemara. Savage Beauty will be the largest lit artwork ever made and is set to take place in Ceann Garbh and Lough na Fooey near the Galway / Mayo border.

Poet Moya Cannon reading her poem "A Song at Imbolc" commissioned by Galway 2020 and Poetry Ireland.

Sarah Taaffe Maguire and Donald Carke review the latest releases. Mr Jones directed by Agnieszka Holland is a political thriller based on investigative journalist Gareth Jones uncovering the Soviet man-made famine in the Ukraine. Also Birds of Prey starring Margot Robbie and top Oscar winner Parasite.

Veteran actor Kirk Douglas died yesterday at the age of 103. Donald Clarke remembers the Hollywood golden age actor.

Maev Kennedy reviews the opening of two different Beckett performances in London. Endgame – starring Alan Cumming and Daniel Radcliffe at the Old Vic Theatre and a triple performance of Krapp’s Last Tape, Eh Joe and The Old Tune starring Niall Buggy and Lisa Dwan is at Jermyn Street Theatre.

Peter Wilson, also known as Duke Special chats to Seán about "Breadboy" which will run at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast this Summer. "Breadboy" is the follow-up novel from Tony Macaulay's "Paperboy" set in 1970s Belfast.

Women read and buy more fiction than men. Why is that? Author Helen Taylor canvassed the views of more than 500 women about their reading habits for her book "Why Women Read Fiction". Helen Taylor, Lisa McInerney and Sinead Gleeson discuss the topic with Kay Sheehy.

Jazz harpist Alina Bzhezhinska joins Kay Sheehy ahead of a ten date Irish tour with the her quartet and discusses many topics including her latest album "Inspiration".