2027
October 29: Turtle to deliver keynote lecture at the Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle, for the John Bradley Conference, hosted by Kilkenny Archaeological Society. The talk is entitled ‘Kilkenny 1300-1327: Of Bruces, Butlers, Pilgrims and the Great Khan.’
2026
Publication of ‘Kilkea Castle – A History.’
November 24: Talk for West Wicklow Historical Society.
November 13-14: Ashford History Festival with Turtle Bunbury, Myles Dungan (MC), Flor MacCarthy and Diarmaid Ferriter.
November 7: Turtle lined up for Dublin Book Festival where he will be in conversation with Siobhan Doyle (author of ‘Irish Sport in 100 Objects’) and Lar Joye (author of ‘Forged in War: The Artifacts that Shaped Ireland’s Military History’) about his own new book, ‘Laois in 100 Objects.’ The event is called ‘Exploring History Through Objects’ and takes place at 1.30pm on Saturday 7 November in the Royal Irish Academy of Music on Westmoreland Street, Dublin.
September 30: Turtle to present “Sons of Liberty: Ireland and the American Revolution” for the Fingal Festival of History in Baldoyle Library, County Dublin, 6.30pm. His fellow speakers are Dr David McCullagh, Dr Myles Dungan and Flor MacCarthy.
September 19: (2.15pm-3.30pm, including 30 mins Q&A) Turtle to speak on ‘Legacy and Memory’ at the Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School in Cloughjordan, County Tipperary. His fellow speakers include archivist Zoë Reid, Keeper of Manuscripts at the National Archives, and members of Thomas MacDonagh’s family, including Dr Joe MacDonagh, who will be in conversation with Pat Leahy, Political Editor of The Irish Times and a long-time friend of the MacDonagh family.
September 1-30: Sasha Sykes’ ‘Belonging’ at the Homo Faber biennial in Venice.
August 20: Turtle launches ‘Landlords and Tenants in Co. Carlow, 1879-1960’ by Oliver Whelan at Carlow County Library as part of National Heritage Week, here.
August 20: Launch of ‘Kilkenny 1324: The John Bradley Memorial Conference 2024. Kilkenny: Toil and Trouble Festival,’ edited by Pat Nolan, for Kilkenny Archaeological Society, with essay by Turtle.
August 4-13: On assignment in Portugal.
July 23: Meath Chronicle gives a big shout out to Turtle’s upcoming talk at the Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School in Cloughjordan.
July 21: Patricia Killeen profiles Ally’s latest venture for Irish Central in a piece entitled ‘Why I absolutely need a Memory Boom: Preserving memories matters!’
Not MAGA, but Ally on cover of Irish Times Magazine, July 2026.
July 18: Ally is one of the cover stars for the Irish Times Magazine’s staycation article, ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood,’ The article, written by Marie Kelly and Niamh Browne, homes in on some of Ally’s favourite places in County Carlow – Huntington Castle, the walled garden at Lisnavagh, Rathgall ringfort, Johnson’s the Tailor (Tullow) and a nice pot of tea at the Talbot Hotel.
July 7: Turtle delivers lecture on the American Revolution to the Enniscorthy Retirement Association.
June 27: Nenagh Guardian announces Turtle as one of the headline acts at the fourth annual Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School (September 16-19), here. The Irish Times follows suit.
June 15-22: Turtle takes up his fifth residency at Annaghmakerrig (Tyrone Guthrie Centre).
June 1-5: Sasha Sykes, artist in residence at Ballyfin Demesne.
May 22: Ally to deliver talk at Church of Ireland Children’s Fund-raiser at Bishopscourt, Clones, Co. Monaghan.
May 21: Ally to launch Hilary Edghill’s ‘Memories of the Imagination’ in Dunlavin, County Wicklow.
May 20: 20th anniversary, Stella spectacular.
May 6: The Farmer’s Journal publish a major feature on ‘Lisnavagh House – A Sanctuary of History and Wellness in County Carlow’ by Sarah McIntosh.
April 29-May 4: Turtle enjoys his fourth residency at Annaghmakerrig (Tyrone Guthrie Centre) since 2006.
April 17: Feature on Sasha’s ‘ephemeral blooms’ in IMAGE Interiors spring/summer 2026.
April 14: Sasha completes her Knocknagan-Doolin walk.
March 31: Sasha Sykes set forth for Doolin.
March 28: Turtle is a guest on the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk Radio, discussing railway mania, Arthur Balfour’s trains, the naming of the stations after 1916 leaders and Percy French’s ballad. The episode is produced by Dylan Hand. Listen here.
March 26: The eminent Coin Judge speaks at SCC.
March 18: Tom Sykes launches the Royalist podcast. His debut episode ‘Why King Charles Must Abdicate Now: Andrew Lownie’ racks up 110,000 views in 2 days.
March 14: Turtle is a guest on the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk Radio, discussing the Drumm Battery Train, the Dalkey Atmospheric and the first Dublin-Kingstown locomotive. Listen here. The episode is produced by Dylan Hand.
March 11: ‘Nature Held: Memory And Making’. Sasha Sykes in conversation with curator Sean Kissane at RHA to discuss Sasha’s current exhibition, Filial Love.
March 4: Turtle’s ‘Past Tracks’ project is the focus of a Nationwide episode on RTÉ One with Anne Cassin. The episode is directed by Tracy O’Connor.
Feb 24: The Dead Rabbit’s Jack McGarry credits Turtle’s book The Irish Diaspora with helping inspire the concept, storytelling and menu at his latest venue – San Patricios in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Business Post here).
Feb 20: The Gloss publishes ‘An Insight Into Sasha Sykes’ New Exhibition At The RHA Gallery’ by Ruth O’Connor.
Feb 12: Launch of Sasha Sykes ‘Filial Love’ exhibition at Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts (RHA), runs until March 28.
Jan 30-Feb 1: Turtle and Ally on assignment in Paris; Napoleon’s Tomb.
Jan 29: Sasha and her ‘powerful new exhibition’ are the subjects of a major feature in Image magazine by Nikki Walsh here.
Jan 24: Turtle’s book referenced in the Anglo-Celt amid a deepening crisis for Monaghan pubs such as Wright’s of Glaslough, here.
2025
Carloviana launch covered in the Carlow Nationalist
December 22: The Carlow Nationalist covers the Carloviana launch, here.
December 11: Turtle launches the 2026 edition of Carloviana at the Seven Oaks Hotel in Carlow, here.
December 1 – 4: Sasha Sykes is artist-in-residence at Ballyfin Demesne, County Laois, and earns a profile in The Gloss, here.
Nov 15-21: Turtle on assignment in the USA, visiting Denver, Salt Lake City, Atlanta and New York.
Nov 8: Jemima Bunbury, aged 18, makes her debut in The Irish Times Magazine when interviewed by Marie Kelly about why she writes letter for an article about Plunkett Press and the Letter Writing Heroes campaign headed up by Coibhe Butler and Ally Bunbury. See here.
Nov 7: Sasha Sykes exhibiting Falling Flora, a pair of hydrangea side tables, and Angelica Table, as part of the Liz O’Brien Collection at The Armoury New York.
Oct 25-27: Turtle on assignment in Scotland visiting Pictish stones near Forfar and assessing the status of the oil industry in Aberdeen.
Oct 23: Catherine FitzGerald profiles the Fennells of Burtown House in House and Garden, here, referencing the Vanishing Ireland series.
Oct 21-23: Turtle and Ally on assignment in Venice, taking in Thomas Schütte exhibition at the Pinault Collection, the Palazzo Contarini Polignac and the Venice Jazz Club.
Oct 16: Turtle launches Christopher McQuinn’s book ‘Tullow Through the Ages’ to a packed house at Mount Wolseley, Tullow, County Carlow.
Oct 15: The Carlow Nationalist profiles Christopher McQuinn and his book Tullow through the Ages, here.
Oct 13: Turtle delivers a talk at Clones Library, County Monaghan, on Lola Montez, Nellie Cashman and Eliza Lynch.
Oct 1: Turtle presents ‘Vanishing Ireland’ in Malahide Library as part of Fingal’s ninth annual Festival of History.
Sept 25: The Metro (UK) references Turtle’s thoughts on ‘House of Guinness’ here, inadvertently suggesting the series belongs to him!
Sept 22: Turtle interviewed by Grant Rollings for The Sun (UK) on the story of the Guinness brewing dynasty, ahead of an upcoming new TV drama from Steve Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders on Netflix – see here.
Sept 16: Sasha Sykes exhibiting new sculptural works at the “From The Land” group exhibition with Oliver Sears Gallery and John Martin Gallery, London. Her featured pieces for this show include “Ekballium” and “Pappus,” which are both large-scale resin and acrylic sculptures incorporating natural materials such as seedheads, grasses, and dandelion seedheads.
Sept 8-9: Deadline (Hollywood) here and The Irish Film & Television Network report that Turtle is historian on an indie TV series to be directed by The Beekeeper and Black Widow cinematographer Gabriel Beristain about 16th Century Irish chieftain Uaithne mac Ruairí Ó Mórdha (aka Owny MacRory O’More). Beristain will direct alongside Conor Slattery, shooting in Gaelic, while brothers Brett A. Moore and Bruce W. Moore co-created the show.
Sept 5: Turtle and Ally speak at the launch of the Festival of Art and Harvest Flowers in Rathvilly, County Carlow.
August 17: The Leinster Express (here) announces that Turtle is working with the Laois Heritage Office on ‘A History of Laois 100 Objects’. A special mini-exhibition during Heritage Week 2025 offers a glimpse at 12 of the featured objects, while the full set will be represented in the final publication.
August 10: Alison Healy’s ‘Irish Diary’ column (here) in the Irish Times takes its cue from Turtle’s article on the Moore brothers of Fordstown, County Meath, and Hollywood, California.
August 9-16: Turtle on assignment in Portugal, charting Moorish influence in the Algarve.
July 10: Peter McDermott, Irish Echo, applauds Turtle’s 2008 book ‘The Irish Pub’ for his ‘40 fine essays’ and splendid photos by James Fennell, and rates it ‘highly recommended.’
July 3-7: Turtle on assignment in Laurac-le-Grand, France, tracking the Albigensian Heresy.
June 18: Sasha Sykes exhibiting as part of ‘Intertwined,’ a summer group exhibition curated by Caroline Conwill at Voltz Clarke Gallery in New York, running until 6 September 2025.
June 12: ‘How Could You’ve Known’ an exhibition of visual art by Robin Fogg opens at Watergate Theatre Gallery with a speech by her aunt, Ally Bunbury.
May 26: Sasha Sykes on Arena (RTÉ Radio One) with Sean Rocks discussing her award, her Lismore chest and her work processes. Her ever-evolving ‘Filial Love‘ show will go the RHA in Dublin in 2026.
May 15-20: Turtle on assignment in Gallipoli and Istanbul.
May 10: Sasha Sykes and her resin panels are referenced in Olivia Allen’s article ‘On The Art Trail In Ireland,’ published in Vogue (UK).
May 7: Ally Bunbury delivers Career’s Advice at St Columba’s College.
May 6: The Irish Legal News announces that, to mark Matheson’s 200th anniversary, Turtle is producing a book of its history. One of the largest law firms in Ireland, Matheson employs more than 900 people working in six offices across three countries on two continents. The book will be published in 2026.
May 6: Ally Bunbury delivers the annual Bunbury lecture to the Enniscorthy Retirement Association at the Riverside Park Hotel.
April 30: Turtle Bunbury Histories is appointed by Laois County Council to complete Phase 2 of the Laois in 100 Objects Project.
April 30: Book Authority ranks ‘The Irish Diaspora’ as the 12th Best Emigration Book of All Time, here.
In April 2025, Book Authority ranked ‘The Irish Diaspora’ as the 12th Best Emigration Book of All Time, here.
April 15: Sasha Sykes win the 2025 Golden Fleece Award for Craft + Applied Art. Established by a bequest from artist Helen Lillias Mitchell, the awards supports artists and makers from Ireland at critical points in their careers, providing resources to help them develop their artistic vision. Sasha marks this as an opportunity to explore new materials such as seaweed resins, balancing creative experimentation with practical challenges. The Irish Times profiles Sasha and her fellow winner Sarah Browne here.
“Raised by the Village”,
April 13: Lisnavagh stars in the season finale of “Raised by the Village”, an RTÉ series in which ‘urban families who need help with a teenager veering-off-the-rails take action by having their child experience life in a rural village.’ 15-year-old Bobby from Waterford City (pictured left, with Tom Bunbury) has a new tech free life of early mornings and hard graft at Lisnavagh.
April 9: Turtle films a Past Tracks episode for Nationwide with Anne Cassin and illustrator Derry Dillon. Directed by Tracy O’Connor, the episode is primarily shot between Hazelhatch and Celbridge railway station and the station in Monasterevin.
April 7: Sasha Sykes shortlisted for the Golden Fleece Award, the largest prize open to both artists and makers in Ireland.
March 22: Sasha Sykes part of collective exhibiting at Kunstkammer to mark 20th anniversary of Lismore Castle Arts in Waterford, running until 26 October. Ally Bunbury’s article on Home Exchange in Umbria and Rome features as a two-page spread in the Irish Daily Mail.
March 9: Ryan Tubridy recounts his experience of the Ashford History Festival in a diary extract for Extra.ie here.
March 5: Funeral of Ben Rathdonnell, here.
March 1: Turtle presents ‘Vanishing Ireland’ at the 2025 Ashford Castle History Weekend. He appears alongside Ryan Tubridy, Dr Myles Dungan and Professor Diarmaid Ferriter.
February 28: Farewell to my father.
January 29: Turtle joins Fionnán Sheahan and Donal O’Donovan, business editor with the Irish Independent, for an Indo Daily podcast, homing in on the rise of the ‘Guinfluencer’ and the potential Diageo sale of Guinness. Read news report here and listen to the podcast here.
January 26: In the wake of Storm Éowyn, the Western People quotes Turtle’s Night of the Big Wind article in ‘The dark and deathly Night of the Big Wind,’ here.
January 1: An abridged version of Turtle’s tribute to Herbie Brennan (1840-2024) appears in The Irish Times, here.
