Our roving reporter in the UK, Lozzie, reports the Twitterverse is all abuzz with news that Gabriel Byrne has been named Ireland’s new Cultural Ambassador.

And now it has been officially confirmed at RTÉ News:

Tuesday, 16 March 2010 20:12

Actor Gabriel Byrne has been announced as the Cultural Ambassador for Ireland.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen made the announcement in Washington this evening.

Making the announcement Mr Cowen said that ‘Gabriel Byrne is an internationally renowned, award-winning actor and is already well established as one of Ireland’s great ambassadors through his work in film and theatre, as well as his endeavours behind the scenes in supporting and promoting Irish artists’.

Read the complete announcement.

This was apparently announced earlier today on the Charlie Bird Drive Time Show on RTÉ Radio.  You can watch the news in the Byrne-ing Tweets section in the sidebar.

The Irish Times has more details on long-term plans:

The Dublin-born actor will work closely with the Government and artistic bodies to develop “an artistic vision” that is inclusive of the Irish diaspora throughout the world.

His role will include the creation of a programme of art, ideas, debate and reflection to help foster a renewed cultural relationship between Ireland and America.

Kudos to Mr. Byrne, who will make an outstanding cultural ambassador for Ireland. He has been doing this work for a long time now and it is wonderful to see him be recognized for it.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen, actor Gabriel Byrne and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin in Washington DC yesterday after Byrne was announced as Ireland’s first cultural ambassador. Photograph: Leslie E Kossoff-Nordby 3.16.2010

UPDATE: The Irish Times reports:

‘Honoured’ actor Byrne aims to build artistic bridges

“I’m extremely honoured,” Gabriel Byrne began his acceptance speech. It wasn’t the Golden Globe – which he won for his role as Dr Paul Weston in the hugely popular HBO drama In Treatment – but the unprecedented role of Ireland’s cultural ambassador.

Byrne stood on the lawn in front of the Saint Regis Hotel, where the Taoiseach Brian Cowen had just said that Byrne’s appointment will “broaden Ireland’s cultural footprint” and “add a string to our bow in relations with the US”.

The White House, where the Taoiseach will be guest of honour and Byrne an honoured guest tonight, seemed to beckon down the street. The Irish actor wore a silver Claddagh ring, a dark suit, an open-necked pale blue shirt and black suede runners. His blue eyes squinted in the sunlight.

“The worlds of culture and economics may seem to be strange bedfellows,” Byrne said. “Harnessing one of our greatest national strengths, our culture, will give us the strongest possible identification. It will build an artistic bridge between Ireland and the rest of the world.”

Read the entire article.

Gabriel Byrne: actor, ambassador, and bridge builder

UPDATED March 19:

Independent.ie: Ambassador Byrne signs on as Washington DC dons the green

“We need to redefine the kind of Ireland we want to present,” he explained, “and then interlink that vision with the economy. It’s about connecting the diaspora.”

And he reckons that the artistic community can be relied upon to try and help the country out of the quicksand. “Irish artists have never let Ireland down,” he said pointedly.

Gabriel Byrne and Taoiseach Brian Cowen

More from the Irish Times:

To all his roles, including that of the not-so-stable psychiatrist Dr Paul Weston, Byrne brings subtle and rich emotion.

Asked about the “American dream” quality of his success in US cinema and theatre, he replies: “Nothing is as wonderful as it seems . . . Life is a thorny path.”

How will he reconcile a demanding acting career with his new, unpaid role as Ireland’s cultural ambassador? “It’s not going to be a job where I get up at 8am every day and work non-stop; I wouldn’t have taken it on,” Byrne said. “I’ve worked a lot on this for the past three or four years. This appointment makes it official,” he continued. “I didn’t want it to be a political appointment. The cultural agenda transcends whatever happens to the Government over the next three years.”

Opinions

We might guess that the intersections of art, business, and politics would be messy, so while reactions to Mr. Byrne’s appointment have been uniformly enthusiastic and positive, I did note a naysayer.

PRO:

Inside View, from Bernie “topgold” Goldbach in Ireland: “The Green Gene is the Creative One”

America is a giant English-speaking market for Irish culture. It’s a market with good will that extends well beyond Paddy’s Day. To a great extent, vibrant Irish culture defines the Republic. I think Irish visual culture makes strong indelible mark on what it means to be Irish. I wish Gabriel Byrne good luck in advancing the cause of Irish culture abroad.

Sinead Ryan, writing for the Herald.ie: “Why Gabriel’s the right man for this starring role in the US”

“The excellent appointment of His Excellency Gabriel Byrne as the new Cultural Ambassador to the US prompts the obvious observation: why didn’t we think of this before?”

His Excellency

CON:

Kevin Doyle, from his blog: “Ambassador Gabriel Byrne and ‘Brand Ireland’…No Thanks”

“This selling of a ‘cleansed image’ of Irish art and cultural production as part of Gabriel’s efforts will have an negative impact right now. It will add impetus to the current trend that homogenises and streamline cultural production in this country. Is is already hard for those outside the ‘official’ and ‘accepted’ art production areas to make a living; this will worsen our situation.”

Mr. Byrne has his work cut out for him, but he knows this already. He’s been toiling away at this intersection for a long time now. We wish him all good luck and congratulate him mightily on his appointment. It will be difficult, however, to stop referring to him as “Mad Handsome.” But “His Excellency, the Ambassador” does have a romantic ring to it, yes?

UPDATE March 19 – Gabriel Byrne spoke to RTE’s Washington correspondent Charlie Bird about his new role as Ireland’s Cultural Ambassador, click to listen to a clip with the interview from March 17:

UPDATE March 19 – Ireland’s Arts Council congratulates Gabriel Byrne

The Arts Council has sent its congratulations to Gabriel Byrne following the announcement that he is to be Ireland’s first Cultural Ambassador.

Speaking following the announcement, Arts Council Chairman, Pat Moylan said, “I am delighted that Gabriel Byrne has been appointed as our Cultural Ambassador – a role he has been carrying out on an informal basis for many years! I look forward to continuing to work closely with Gabriel, and I know that he will fly the flag for Ireland, and for Irish arts, as only he can.

“This appointment is a clear acknowledgement by the Irish Government that the arts will play a key role in our economic recovery, and I commend the Taoiseach for his foresight and vision.”

Thanks to Lozzie and TwoMoons and other Byrneholics for pictures and links!

This posting is a joint effort by Stella and Lara. “I” is usually “Stella.”

Music

Folk Alley is running an Irish Music Stream in celebration of the day:

In honor of the St. Patrick’s Day season, we’ve assembled over 7 hours of on-demand music by some of our favorite Irish musicians. You’ll hear a mix of familiar and new artists, including Mary Black, Solas, Danu, John Doyle, Donal Lunny, Connie Dover, Andy Irvine, Planxty, Grada, The Chieftains (of course)… and much, much more!

Flavorpill offers us The 10 Best Songs About Being Green

…we’re determined to get some joy out of St. Pat’s. If we must celebrate all things green, we’re going to do it with music — by counting down the 10 best songs that discuss or evoke the color, with its many meanings and connotations.

Thanks to Lozzie for reminding me that music is an important aspect of any celebration and to LostLily for the Flavorpill info! If you have musical recommendations, or anything to suggest to liven up our celebrations,  please leave a comment. Note: silly t-shirts are okay but only for today.

Views of Ireland

Hankering for a trip to the old country? This exhibit of color photochroms, circa 1890-1900, from the Library of Congress photostream at Flickr, is just the ticket. There are over 100 of these beautiful photographs, with accompanying descriptions and comments from Flickr photographers. Some of these are just fascinating, so head on over and enjoy these (old) Irish vistas!

Killiney and Dalkey County Dublin

New York Irish Sights

Interested in Ireland in America? Niall O’Dowd, Irish Central.com publisher, provides a list of the Top 10 Must See Irish Attractions in New York and he does not include St. Patrick’s Cathedral!

#5 on the list: O’Neill’s Irish Bar. I’ve actually had a drink here!

Emerald Isle Screen Gems on video

For armchair travelers, the CBS News website offers a list of great Irish flicks, including 3 classics from Gabriel Byrne: Miller’s Crossing, Into The West, and…

Executive Producer: Gabriel Byrne

And finally: A Wallpaper, of course. Or even two!

The new Cultural Ambassador for Ireland!

Irish…and Dangerous.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Byrneholics.com!!

So, he wasn’t at the screening. Terence Mulligan, who organizes Craic Fest, welcomed everyone, thanked the sponsors and then said, “Unfortunately, Gabriel Byrne couldn’t be here tonight.” But I truly enjoyed seeing the film. Gabriel is a great storyteller, and I never get tired of listening to him. The theater was very small and probably only had about 50-70 people in it. I think access to the after party was limited to movie ticket holders, so it was about the same number of people there. It felt a bit empty. They had a VIP section on the balcony, but opened it up to everyone pretty much right away — because there were no VIPs. So my friends and I sat in the VIP section, drank some free Jameson and free beer and appreciated the irony of celebrating a movie that talks about alcoholism and depression by getting drunk on free booze. Oh, well… it’s St. Patrick’s Day week after all.

Well, we hope he can be on hand for the showing in Boston in a couple of weeks. Still, sounds like fun, being a VIP in the absence of VIPs!

1. One more time, with feeling! The 12th Annual Craic Festival runs March 11-13, with a showing of Gabriel Byrne: Stories From Home scheduled for Friday, March 12, at 7pm at the Tribeca Cinemas in New York City. The after party features a special guest DJ and open bar. Oh, and Gabriel Byrne will be attending. So, head over to the newly spiffed up festival website , check out all the features, and get your tickets.

2. The Irish Arts Center Spirit of Ireland Gala, held on October 2, 2009 was noted briefly in an earlier Byrneholics posting. There were, unhappily, never any photos available from the event. Until now! Thanks to Lara, that intrepid detective, we are proud to offer you these candid shots from the Gala. Enjoy!

3. Horses: The Story of Equus: the IMAX DVD of this film, originally released in 2002 and narrated by Gabriel Byrne, will be available on June 8, according to the Warner Bros. online store and can be pre-ordered there.

The official website for the film provides background information, the trailer, behind-the-scenes stuff, and some lovely wallpapers. You can also hear a bit of the soundtrack by Australian composer Roger Mason, who says:

“Horses: The Story of Equus is a romantic and energetic film which elevates the spirit…I combined traditional Celtic music with the might of a seventy-piece orchestra to capture this feeling…”

4. Cinematical: Their Best Role: Gabriel Byrne in Miller’s Crossing

Posting by Alison Nastasi on March 8, 2010

“Gabriel Byrne is one of our most talented performers. Yes, he’s appeared in some clunker films over the years (just like everyone else in Hollywood), but choosing his best role was easier than I imagined. People can (and will) make the case for films like The Usual Suspects and I can definitely see where the logic in that choice is. However, for me, it’s all about Miller’s Crossing. Byrne’s portrayal of a “prickly pear” of a man caught in the middle of a gang war embodies everything I love about the actor’s work in general: the smoldering intensity, the subtle nuances of his body language, his gift for making the most mundane dialogue sound cooler thanks to his accent and his ability to make even a deeply flawed character someone the audience can relate to. The role of Tom Reagan may not be a particularly daring choice for Byrne’s best role, but great work is great work and deserves to be celebrated.”

Of course, I agree with her! Miller’s Crossing is one of my favorite films and Gabriel Byrne’s performance is entrancing, as Alison notes. David Thomson did say that Byrne’s Tom Reagan was one of the greatest performances in American film, the whole melancholy act, and he is right about that.

Fast forward fifteen years, though, and you will see a performance that does not rely on the somewhat abbreviated palette of a young actor, but rather the fully developed, powerful, and wide-ranging artistry of a man in full command of his craft, in a wonderful film that could not stand on its own without him, Richard E. Grant’s Wah-Wah. This, I would argue, is his best role in film (so far) and I’ll have more to say about it soon.

“Irrfan was initially hesitant about confirming the news. “At the moment, all I can say is yes, I am doing American television for the first time. I will be in New York to shoot this series from April onwards. Incidentally, I started my career as an actor on Indian television and then moved to cinema. So it’s full circle for me,” he said.

Buzz is that Irrfan will play one of the central characters and his role requires considerable preparation. He will be seen in all the 43 episodes of the forthcoming season.”

2. Audition videos for another new patient, a gay teenager named “Jesse”, have popped up on YouTube. ALERT: There is strong language in some of these. Casting call for Jesse, as posted on SpoilerTV :

[JESSE] MALE.. 16. A Brooklyn teenage hipster. Jesse is smart as a whip and king of the ironic deadpan. He’s got a mean case of attention deficit disorder, but he’d rather die then let you see him break a sweat. Inherently creative (already a skilled photographer) at times, he’s brightly animated, other times he’s close to comatose. He’s gay and proud of it. Also, he’s adopted…and underneath all the bravado and teenage social armor, he struggles deeply with questions of his own identity…

Lara gets all the credit for finding these videos. She is such a great detective.

Stay tuned for more “In Treatment” news, including screencaps from previous seasons and the new HBO website!

Volunteers Needed for festival!! No need to BUY your tickets – just come help us out!   Film series at Tribeca Cinemas, March 11 – 13. We need Will Call peeps, money takers, and general chaos police. You are welcome to watch the film and attend the after-party on the night you help out. 21 + please ♥

26 March 2010, Somerville Theater, Boston
7.30 pm – With his ever charming presence, our busy Irishman once again graces the screening of “Stories From Home,” this time at the Irish Film Festival in Boston. A reception open to the public will follow at Orleans, Davis Square at 9 pm.

20 April 2010, Alice Tully Hall, Starr Theater, New York
6.30 pm – Back in New York, Gabriel Byrne is a special guest reader at the “Poetry & The Creative Mind Gala” at the Lincoln Center. This event, promoted by the Academy of American Poets, celebrates contemporary poetry in American culture and and kicks off National Poetry Month. Other special guests for 2010 include Meryl Streep, Jhumpa Lahiri, Matt Dillon, Alan Cumming, Rosanne Cash and Frank Bidart. Tickets can be purchased from Lincoln Center’s website. Thanks to Lozzie for the alert on this!

We also received an update on “At Swim-Two-Birds” via Colin Farrell, in a recent interview for the Irish Times:

“You’d be terrified to say it will definitely happen,” he says. “It’s very hard for films that don’t have special effects and have a literary core. Few films have more of a literary core than this. We tried to get it made in March, but the money wasn’t there. So, we’re hoping to get it together in the summer.”

Last but not least, some good news as “I, Anna” moves forward into pre-production status! Screen International at Berlin, February 14, 2010 has a nice blurb about the film, noting that it is the debut feature of Barnaby Southcombe, Charlotte Rampling’s son, and that Gabriel Byrne has also signed up to the project, which is the first from Southcombe and producer Felix Vossen’s London-based production company Embargo Films.

“Now you might expect that getting your mom to work on your first project would be an easy thing to accomplish, but Barnaby says no. “It is a risky proposition for her. She had no idea I was planning this. I just sent her the screenplay and luckily it really spoke to her.”

Lucky for us, too!

He commands the screen as Uther, a role that is brief but pivotal, his almost raw physicality and urgent emotion a stark contrast to the subdued and eccentric Merlin. An auspicious beginning to a fascinating career, Gabriel’s work in this film also presages his future decisions to work with great directors on intriguing projects, whose themes seem sometimes obscure or esoteric. His work is always singled out in these films, however, and none is more deserving of notice than this first role in what is now considered a classic of sword and sorcery.

Byrneholics’ special Excalibur page provides a synopsis of the film, several videos, Gabriel’s own observations, quotes, reviews, one of Merlin’s spells, and screencaps. Enjoy your visit to the time of Uther and Arthur and EXCALIBUR!

Lara & Stella

—

I’m Ready to Become a Shrink Now

The Non-Participant Observer offers “What Was Paul Thinking? Being a Psychoanalyst in the Real World presented by the Manhattan Institute for Psychoanalysis.” This is actually a blurb for a mini-course offered by the Manhattan Institute for Psychoanalysis, on Thursday evenings in April. There are four different speakers/instructors and the syllabus includes the first two Alex episodes from Season 1 of “In Treatment.” The first session asks these questions:

“How do I assess our new patient? How do I listen to Alex to take in
information on many levels? How do I engage him? How do I teach him to
“be” a patient? What makes a therapeutic relationship analytic?”

More information about this educational opportunity is here.

I’m Ready to Return to School Now

Pop Culture at San Diego State University, a blog for a psychology course, looks at “Therapy,” and uses In Treatment as its prism.

“The award winning HBO series, In Treatment, provides us with an in-depth look at many of the discourses about therapy/therapists used in popular culture. We see representations of clients with “deep” issues, struggling to communicate and understand their problems, and a therapist, who is able to “see through” his clients facades and help them identify those secrets of which they themselves have been wholly unaware (until he tells them). We see discourses that reinforce the ethical challenges faced by therapists and we see discourses that represent therapists as having their own problems.”

The exercises for class include watching all of the recaps from Season 1 on YouTube.

I’m Ready to Age Gracefully Now

At the Plasma Pool, there is a tribute to Dianne Wiest. Actually, to Dianne Wiest’s Old Face. Kevin Hilke waxes rhapsodic:

“Her enigmatic expressions initially offend Paul, whose history with Gina predisposes him to read any ambiguity in her mien as perfunctorily negative. Not sharing this pervading bias, we enjoy the virtuosic, Emmy-winning face of this gorgeous old lady whose allure and gravitas make me want to ask her to run for president.”

Read the entire rhapsody.

I’m Ready to Feel Guilty Now

FlixChatter decided to feature some films with Leonardo DiCaprio in honor of his new movie, Shutter Island. So, “The Man in the Iron Mask,” with King Leo as King Louis + his brother, was chosen as a guilty pleasure and guess what? The blog’s author, Ruth, fell for Gabriel Byrne instead!

“I gotta admit I saw this movie because of (Leo) Jack Dawson (like most girls I too fell under his spell, just briefly though, I find him too boyish looking now). But in this flick, I totally fell for Gabriel Byrne as the dashing and regal D’Artagnan. Though billed as a DiCaprio movie due to his massive popularity, Byrne’s the heart & soul of the movie, his performance as the conflicted man carrying a pivotal secret is absolutely terrific, he brings a surprising depth to this archetypal character.”

I’m Ready to Suh-WOON Now

Over at Let’s Talk Hair & Movies, the talk has moved to books and paintings and Gabriel Byrne’s apartment:

“Our cozy apartment walls are in danger of becoming massively crowded with artwork but you know, (almost) all of it is meaningful. I remember seeing a magazine photo of Gabriel Byrne’s NY apartment once, and holy shnikey, it’s floor to ceiling paintings and books. What’s good for my Ole Faithful celebrity crush should be good enough for me, right? I should say. Fuggedabout the fact that my whole apartment would probably fit in his guest bathroom. It’s all about scale, which is why I always buy my furniture at the Little People Shop.”

Check out the artwork too. This girl has a knack with black markers!

In addition to the March 26 showing of Stories From Home, which is sold out and which Gabriel Byrne is scheduled to attend, a second showing (due to popular demand!) of the film is set for Sunday, March 28 at 5:00 pm at the Somerville Theatre.

Don’t let the sheep on the website scare you.

——

The festival website is not quite up-to-date yet, “Gabriel Byrne: Stories From Home” is scheduled to be screened at the Boston Irish Film Festival on March 26, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA.

Check out the website and purchase your tickets here!

Reminder: the 12th Annual Craic Festival in NYC is showing “Stories from Home” on March 12. They will have an open bar and a special guest DJ as well. Their website has been updated and the film offerings are stellar.

No word on Mr. Byrne’s attendance at either event yet. I’m betting on the Craic, though…

The script, written by Southcombe, is based on the US novel “I, Anna”, by Elsa Lewin. The book was first published in New York by The Mysterious Press in 1984 and republished in the UK by Serpent’s Tail in 1990. Interestingly enough, Dr. Elsa Lewin is a psychoanalyst in New York.

Gabriel Byrne’s character is Detective Chief Inspector Bernie Kominski, described as “an insomniac dazed by the prospect of divorce”, who will follow Anna Welles, a femme fatale suspect in a brutal murder. Filming locations in London include Vauxhall, Pimlico and Southbank. Read the official synopsis of “I, Anna” below!

Apparently Southcombe has already filmed a few scenes to showcase “I, Anna” to potential financial backers. Gabriel Byrne and Charlotte Rampling reportedly filmed a scene together earlier this month in London.

credits

Genre: Noir Thriller Director: Barnaby Southcombe Writer: Barnaby Southcombe Producer: Felix Vossen, Illann Girard Cast: Charlotte Rampling, Gabriel Byrne Country: UK Locations: London, Blackpool Language: English

synopsis

A man is found bludgeoned to death in a London apartment block. DCI Bernie Kominski, an insomniac dazed by the prospect of divorce, is first on the scene, but distracted from his duties by a brief encounter with a striking and enigmatic woman. Going through the motions of the case, Bernie’s thoughts return to the woman, Anna Welles, whom he tracks down and follows. When they finally meet at a singles’ party, the mutual attraction is instant, though Anna has no recollection of Bernie, or of the night they first met. As Bernie’s professional judgment battles with his desire for intimacy and love, the mystery deep within Anna’s mind finally unravels, revealing a truth too painful to bear.

images

Charlotte Rampling as Anna Welles in "I, Anna"

Anna's apartment

Police Station - Bernie's office

Click here for more pictures in the gallery.

Images and synopsis from the Embargo Films website.

Barnaby Southcombe’s “I, Anna” shot to the top of the list at the EFM’s Co-Production Market this year.

The noir thriller, which has Charlotte Rampling and Gabriel Byrne attached, is being produced by Southcombe and Felix Vossen’s Embargo Films in London, and Paris-based Arsam Intl. The London-set pic follows a female murder suspect who falls for the detective in charge of the investigation.

Southcombe and Vossen logged some 80 meetings for the title, making it the project that attracted the most attention during the 2 1/2 days of the Co-Production Market, which ran Sunday-Tuesday.

“The response was overwhelmingly positive to the material and the cast that we presented,” Southcombe said, describing the Co-Production Market as “the Rolls Royce of these kinds of markets. It’s a super well-oiled machine.”

Read the entire article here. You may have to register, but it is free.

Well, we have been longing for an appropriate romance for our MH and now perhaps this is it. Romance. Noir. Thriller. Charlotte Rampling (one of my favorites of all time).

Yes!