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The Irish Times Winter Nights festival – a series of stimulating and entertaining online talks and events, supported by Peugeot – runs until Friday, January 29th.
Here’s Wednesday's lineup, the third night of the festival:
At 6.30pm in Yes, commissioner, MEP Mairead McGuinness tells Irish Times columnist Kathy Sheridan about life since landing the big job as a European Commissioner.
At 7.45pm Irish-Nigerian author, academic and broadcaster Emma Dabiri speaks to New To The Parish columnist Sorcha Pollak about racism, Ireland and the struggle for justice.
At 9pm comedian Dara O’Briain and Irish Times Political Editor Pat Leahy, who met and became friends as student debaters in UCD, quiz each other about friendship, comedy, middle-aged angst, politics, space and much more.
On Monday, the festival opened with podcaster and author Blindboy of Rubberbandits talking to Irish Times columnist Hilary Fannin. That was followed by an engrossing talk between Irish Times sports writer Joanne O’Riordan and Irish athletics legend Sonia O’Sullivan.
Tuesday night saw Paul Howard and Patrick Freyne discuss the often underestimated art of comedy, while Holocaust survivor Edith Eger spoke to Irish Times columnist Róisín Ingle about Lessons for Living.
The festival continues all week with internationally renowned guests including Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon, CNN’s John King and actor Gabriel Byrne in conversation with Irish Times journalists.
Tickets
For tickets, go to irishtimes.com/winternights. A single ticket costing €50 admits ticket holders to all events at the festival. Irish Times digital subscribers can purchase tickets at the discounted price of €25. Just make sure you are signed in before purchase, and the discount will be applied automatically.
The Irish Times Winter Nights festival programme  
Thursday, January 28th
6.30pm-7.30pm Beyond Brexit With Nicola Sturgeon and Fintan O’Toole Scotland’s first minister and leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon talks to Orwell prize winning Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole about Brexit, Scottish independence and the state of the union.

Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/AFP/Getty Images


7.45pm-8.45pm Leading through lockdowns With Micheál Martin and Jennifer Bray Micheál Martin became Taoiseach at a time of unprecedented challenges. Irish Times Political Correspondent Jennifer Bray asks him about leadership in a pandemic and his hopes for Ireland in 2021.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin will be in conversation with Irish Times Political Correspondent Jennifer Bray. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/ The Irish Times


9pm-10pm Is everything going to be alright? With Prof Luke O’Neill and Jennifer O’Connell Professor of biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin, Luke O’Neill, was one of the leading scientific voices to emerge in 2020. Irish Times columnist Jennifer O’Connell picks his considerable brain about the light at the end of our pandemic tunnel.

Prof Luke O’Neill, professor of Biochemistry at Centre for Bioengineering Trinity College Dublin. Photograph: Alan Betson/ The Irish Times/File


Friday, January 29th  
6.30pm-7.30pm A walk on the wild side With Dara McAnulty “When young autistic people are nurtured, miraculous things can happen,” says 16-year-old Dara McAnulty, award-winning author of Diary of a Young Naturalist. The Co Down teenager explores his passion for the natural world, in the company of Irish Times journalist Freya McClements.

Dara McAnulty (16), from Co Down, who won the Wainright Prize for nature writing for Diary of a Young Naturalist


7.45pm-8.45pm Talking with ghosts With Gabriel Byrne and Hugh Linehan Dubliner Gabriel Byrne was one of Ireland’s first movie stars. He talks to Irish Times Arts and Culture Editor Hugh Linehan about his life and times from The Riordans to The Usual Suspects to publishing an acclaimed memoir at 70.

Actor Gabriel Byrne recently released his memoir, aged 70. Photograph: Larry Busacca/Getty Images


9pm-10pm The American dream? With CNN’s John King and Fintan O’Toole Just days after the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, Washington-based CNN commentator John King talks to Fintan O’Toole about his Irish roots, his Magic Wall and the future of post-Trump America.

CNN Anchor John King will be in conversation with Fintan O’Toole. Photograph: David S Holloway/Getty Images


See irishtimes.com/winternights for full details.