The Business

Can state-owned lands solve the property crisis? Recent events in Dublin spotlight the housing shortage. Some argue this crisis fuels anti-immigrant sentiment. Dr. Lorcan Sirr, an expert in housing, believes Ireland has untapped solutions, especially in utilizing state-owned lands.

Hugh McAllister Sr. started in coal, then ventured into barbering, relocating from Belfast to Dublin. His sons, Hugh and Conor, expanded the business from barber shops in Belfast and Ballyfermot to numerous franchises, known as Grafton Barbers. Hugh McAllister joins us to share the family's rich history in both barbering and business.

Siofra Mulqueen

Oliver Franklin-Wallis, journalist and author of "Wasteland," uncovers shocking statistics: 4 trillion plastic cigarette filters littered annually, 20,000 plastic bottles sold per second, and Americans producing 2 kg of waste daily. He also delves into the surprising emergence of gold mining in waste.

Jane Ohlmeyer, Prof of Modern History at TCD, uncovers the remarkable tale of Catherine Strong, an Irish woman who dominated Dublin's waste industry in the 1600s. Discovered through the Voices project, which utilizes AI to explore women's experiences in Ireland from the 1500s to 1700s, Catherine's story sheds light on overlooked historical figures.

Called the largest fraud in the history of Silicon Valley, thirteen years ago Mike Lynch, sold his company to Hewlett Packard for almost 12 billion dollars. Donal O’Donovan, Business Editor of The Irish Independent joins us.

Nuala Walsh has risen to prominence as one of the 100 most influential women in global finance. She now serves as the founder and CEO of MindEquity. Recently, she has taken on roles as a Behavioral Scientist and author, delving into the topic of decision-making in her new book "Tune In."

Xavier Greenwood is the producer of "Who Trolled Amber," an investigative podcast delving into the online hate campaign targeting Amber Heard during her defamation lawsuit with ex-husband Johnny Depp.

Food and culinary historian Regina Sexton from UCC, who has explored this topic for RTE's Brainstorm, joins us from Cork to shed light on the historical Easter tradition.

As the weekend ushers in the peak season for nurseries, our reporter Siofra Mulqueen investigates whether inclement weather has affected sales. Tune in to discover insights and gardening tips from her exploration into the world of plants.

Follow Cathal Friel's journey from a car showroom in Donegal to multiple million-euro deals. Leaving school at 16, he's taken four companies public and is set to IPO his fifth.

This week's announcement of Leo Varadkar’s resignation caused quite a stir. With Simon Harris likely to take the helm, the challenges for any new leader—be it in government, business, or organisations—are numerous. With 25 years of leadership development experience, Tracy Gunn sheds light on the unique hurdles faced when stepping into leadership.

This week, the UN passed a crucial resolution on AI. But what about its impact on jobs and recruitment? Siobhan Kinsella, President of The Employment and Recruitment Federation, and MD of The Noel Group, discusses AI's role in hiring and its implications for job seekers.

Cathal Friel's comments stirred controversy, suggesting people from outside South Dublin make for better employees. Is this bias worse than AI algorithms? Do accents and origins affect opportunities? Explore the impact of accents on work and life. www.eleonorenicolas.com

Spent hours drafting an email and then wondered why we never get a response; or ended up entwined in a thread of emails trying to figure out what exactly we’re being asked to do? Sarah Geraghty from The Communications Clinic advises us on how to lighten this modern workload.

Almost 20 years in, after two Oscar nominations, one for Give Up Your Aul Sins, friends Cathal Gaffney and Darragh O'Connell sold Brown Bag to 9 Story Media, remaining on as shareholders and this week 9 Story was bought over by Scholastic for $185 million. We're joined by entrepreneur Cathal Gaffney.

With St Patrick's Day this weekend, those working in the Irish traditional music scene will be celebrated across the world. Síofra Mulqueen has been finding out if the trad scene is hitting the right notes.

Gardai believe they disrupted the activities of a major international drug smuggling gang on Thursday when they arrested 10 men in west Cork. Investigative journalist, Nicola Tallant explains Ireland's role in the logistics of international drugs businesses.

Tourists have ben coming to Ireland since the 19th and 18th hundreds. We’re joined by Professor Jim Deegan, who has been immersed in the tourism industry for decades.

Irish Australian journalist Brianna Parkins believes that’s the reason who we don’t buy into the more Oirish merchandise so loved by tourist on these shores. But she wonders why we seem to like paddywhackery on some occasions, but not others. She penned this essay.

During his fifteen-year career at Leinster, Rob Kearney represented Ireland 95 times, inspiring fans and teammates with his skill and calmness under pressure. After rugby, Rob ventured into the world of business. He joins us to talk about life on and off the pitch.

It’s normally women who are associated with multitasking, but is that fair for women and men? On the day after International women’s Day and the eve of Mothers Day Columnist Lise Hand has her own take on the topic.

Now to a budget that lacked any magic tricks and has left lots of multitasking mayhem for those who will come later. We’re joined by TV presenter with TRT World Enda Brady.

Amongst the biggest global election year in history and worldwide protests and tension surrounding Israel’s war on Gaza, Robert MacGhiolla Phadraig joins us to discuss whether or not employees should be discouraged from bringing their political views to work.

While tomorrow’s Academy Awards captivate audiences worldwide, in this country, all eyes will be on our own Oscar hopeful, Cillian Murphy who’s tipped to scoop the coveted gold statuette. But just how much does an Oscar win translate into tangible rewards? Here to tell us all is film critic Cara O’Doherty.

Finally tomorrow is Mother’s Day - I hope you’ve seen the cards and reminders posted everywhere, a day for Mums to get properly pampered or maybe just get that mug they always wanted!

AI has been getting a lot of attention of late, but the latest development is a surprising one. Tesla chief, Elon Musk, one of the founders of Open AI is suing OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman for breach of contract. He says that they have compromised the start-up’s original mission of building artificial intelligence systems[...]

Jenny Jennings has spent her whole life immersed in the entertainment industry, from clubbing and circuses to concerts and theatre. An early immersion in Dublin’s alternative nightclub scene while still at school, sowed a tiny seed for what would later become This Is Pop Baby, a theatre company that has ignited stages around the world.

We’ve heard so much about Ireland’s night time economy, licensing laws and late openings. New legislation is going through the Oireachtas designed to support the sector, but meanwhile nightclubs all over the country continue to close. Clubber and owner of Tropical Popical Andrea Horan has penned this ode to nightclubs.

Chronology has become a focus of the American election campaign and who has the vitality to do the job. 81-year-old Joe Biden or Donald Trump aged 77. This week, Biden hit back saying that it’s not about how old the candidates are, it’s how old their ideas are. Is there a right age to retire[...]

Forget about yesterday’s snow, we really are creeping towards longer evenings and the promise of summer. Apparently at this time of the year our noses become more aware of smells - you know the phrase Spring is in the Air - there’s a reason for that. With this in mind, Siofra Mulqueen has been dipping[...]

Today marks the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Thousands of people have been killed, millions have been forced to flee their homes, villages, towns and even entire cities have been completely destroyed. Kyiv journalist Natalia Gumenyuk joins me to give us an insight into how life and business is in the war torn[...]

A story of resilience. Una Leonard of 2210 Pattisiere was recovering from a serious eating disorder and her own mental health crisis when she discovered the healing power of baking and decided to make a career out of it. Una now owns two patisseries and she joins me to share her story.

The Irish Times reports that RTE Board members are “furious, insulted and fed up” over the forced resignation of the chair of the board. But who is going to replace Siún Ní Raghallaigh in the job? Would anyone even want the role anymore? Earlier we caught up with Eileen Gleeson, of the Institute of Directors.

Now from traditional media to new media - imagine this - you type a simple description and within a split second a video version of your description appears on screen. This is the latest OpenAI tool. To look at the implications for such tools we’re joined by Tech entrepreneur Mark Little, and Marie Toft, founder[...]

This week Niall Horan has been entertaining audiences in Belfast and Dublin with two more shows in the 3Arena before he starts a world tour. He is a former member of One Direction. So what happens when the band breaks up? What's the reality like as a solo artist? 2FM's Aifric O'Connell has been giving[...]

New EU laws to crack down on harmful and illegal content on the web come into force today giving Ireland’s online media watchdog the power to monitor the activities of major technology companies based here. I’m joined by Eileen Culloty, Deputy Director of the DCU Institute for Media, Democracy and Society to explore how it’s[...]

Andrew is a very familiar face to rugby fans across the island, he played for Ulster 229 times - and has 70 caps for Ireland. Since his retirement in 2018, he’s also been making a name for himself off the pitch - and in recent weeks, his business, Kairos founded with Gareth Quinn has been[...]

The world of influencing and online content creation has always moved quickly, but in recent times things have been changing faster than ever. I’m joined by Lynn Hunter, founder of the Collaborations Agency and influencer, Dev Skehan who are here to give us an insight into the influencing business.

I think it’s fair to say that work is central to most of our daily lives. And increasingly, people say that they want their work to matter. But what actually defines a 'meaningful' job? Dr Caleb Althorpe, philosopher at Trinity College Dublin who’s completing a new IRC project on making work meaningful joins me now.

Ever since the 1400s, portraits have been used to mark lives, mostly for people of some means to make sure that their image lives on. This week our National Gallery unveiled a beautiful portrait of author Marian Keyes by artist Margaret Corcoran. But what’s it like being a portrait artist? Siofra Mulqueen has been brushing[...]

The remarkable story of Nadia Adan who arrived here as a child refugee with nothing but the clothes on her back. Two decades later she owns Ashford Motors, a female-led dealership that specialises in mid to high-end cars.

The road to success can be long and winding with many bumps and obstacles along the way. We’re joined now by a man who is a big believer that people can blossom at any point in their lives and they don’t have to show any kind of talent at all as youngsters. Professor Adam Grant[...]

With the Leaving Cert mocks done and dusted, all eyes are on the big exam in June which will dictate the next steps for more than 135,000 students. So, many parents are pulling out the stops, and their wallets, in the hope of maximising results as Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out.

While maximising our potential is important, what really matters at the end of the day? Tributes have been pouring in for the former Taoiseach this week. Which got us thinking about legacy and what it really means. Should we all be conscious of our workplace legacies on a daily basis? Clinical psychologist Ian Robertson is[...]

Let’s go north where the Northern Ireland Assembly has been summoned to meet later today. It’s about time for many Northern businesses and citizens after a two-year impasse over post-Brexit trade rules. Tina McKenzie, UK Chair of Policy for the Federation of Small Businesses joins me now to outline what this will actually mean in[...]

Fiona O’Neill’s story is one of grit and resilience. A single mum from County Kilkenny, she’s the woman behind Count on Us Recruitment - an association that finds work for carers around the country. She joins me in studio to tell her story.

The cost of caring and parenting is huge as we know, from cots and cradles to college fees. But for women the costs are even bigger than they are for men. Author and journalist Edel Coffey has been thinking about this a lot and she penned this essay for us.

Working from home is something that many working parents have welcomed. But is working from home being welcomed in some parts of the world more than others? Louise Campbell, head of learning and development at Robert Walters Recruitment has been looking into this.

Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg faceed a grilling at a US hearing on Wednesday. He was hauled over the coals because of Meta platform’s impact on young users. Yesterday was a happier time for him - his net worth increased by $29 billion after Meta stocks made a record surge. Liz Carolan, founder of Digital Action joins[...]

We have St Brigid to thank for the extra day off this long weekend. When we think of her we often think of cloaks, but mostly crosses; beautiful symbols of spring woven from reeds. But what are they like to work with? Our reporter Siofra Mulqueen has been meeting some business people who revel in[...]

Jack Kavanagh was a pharmacy student, only 20 years old, when he was paralysed after suffering a horrific injury. He went on to finish his pharmacy studies and now he works with the WHO, corporates and schools around resilience and dealing with disabilities. He joins me to talk about his journey and what he calls[...]

Storm Isha’s ferocious winds caused severe disruption to flights, not to mention some very bumpy landings in storm gusts of up to 160 kilometres per hour. But what is it like flying a plane in those circumstances? I’m joined by airline pilot Captain Niamh O’Connor who’s had more than three decades of experience in the[...]

From braving the elements in the sky,to those who brave the elements daily in their jobs - come rain, hail or shine. Siofra Mulqueen went in search of some hardy outdoor workers and on her travels, discovered that bad weather can actually help productivity.

Yesterday a Houthi anti - ship missile damaged an oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden. Many shipping companies now avoid the area. They are taking longer routes to their destination. But is this increasing freight costs and delivery times? We’re joined by Graham Parker, CEO of Ship Angel.

Trouble with shipping is now a regular occurrence. But not as regular as the hardly little snowdrops that pop up like clockwork around this time every year. Diarmaid Gavin has been looking at the surprising world of snowdrops, the shocking cost of the bulbs, snowdrop hunters and seductive gardeners.

Daniel Lambert is the manager of Kneecap, but he has other strings to his bow too. He’s also chief operating officer of Bohemians Football club and Bang Bang cafe in Dublin. We caught up with Daniel a little earlier this week, I started by asking him about his own story, his family background and their[...]

The world of celebrity endorsement is big business! But how much do celebrities make from promoting brands? And if you’re a small business - is the possibility of a star helping you sell your product an impossible dream? Siofra Mulqueen reports.

What’s the best way to avoid inter sibling strife, and what does effective succession planning look like? To discuss, I’m joined by Eric Clinton of DCU’s National Centre for Family Business and Vincent Carton, former CEO of Manor Farm.

There’s been much discussion about immigration of late.But let’s look at some of the facts and figures around immigration. How many arriving on these shores are seeking protection and how many are looking for work? Too look at the figures I’m joined by Keire Murphy, Policy Officer at The European Migration Network Ireland in the[...]

Well while people often associate Ireland with emigration rather than immigration… there have been a number of waves of immigration to these shores in the past. Historian, author and tour guide Pat Liddy has been taking a look at one such wave - the arrival of Huguenots to Ireland over 3 centuries ago.

A garda investigation is underway after fourteen people were discovered in a refrigerated container that arrived in Rosslare Europort. This case illustrates the desperation of people who are trying to find a better way of life and it also highlights the hazards that truck drivers face as they go about their day’s work.

Diversity and inclusivity within our workplaces has become much more of an issue within the last number of years and we’re joined now by a woman whose company, although only a few years old, has made remarkable inroads in that space. Sandra Healy is the founder and CEO of Inclusio.

For the first time, this same minimum tax rate is now in force in all countries across the EU. So what’s it going to mean for Ireland? We’re joined from Paris by Pascal Saint-Amans who designed the EU-wide corporation tax regime as director of the OECD’s Centre for Tax Policy.

Nobel Prize winning economist, Sir Christopher Pissarides is cautioning young people to bypass studying certain industries because AI may well replace those jobs in the future. Christopher Pissarides is a professor at the London School of Economics. We caught up with him earlier and I asked him first to explain his thinking on that.

Let’s just say you were listening to a concocted scam, the likes of which have become more commonplace in the real world. Criminals are now using AI generated voices - deepfakes - to scam people out of their money. It’s something that reporter Paul Connolly has been looking into for the BBC’s File on 4.

AI-generated models with distinct personalities and life stories can now be found on a mobile phone near you! And companies are hiring them in their droves, some companies say they’re cheaper than human influencers and sometimes easier to deal with! Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out more about this topic.

International events are heightening uncertainty about the economic outlook; whether it’s the US elections, conflict in the Middle East, high interest rates or even AI, where does our ability to to keep attracting foreign direct investment sit in all of this? We’re joined by the CEO of IDA Ireland, Michael Lohan

Figures released by the CSO show that we have the highest numbers in employment here since records began 25 years ago. But, that’s little consolation to people who are out of work. Work Equal, a free service that was set up by entrepreneur, Sonya Lennon who joins me now together with Tamara Kearns and Olive[...]

From women going back to work to today, Nollaig na mBan, a supposed drudgery free day for women. Columnist and feminist, Brianna Parkins, likes the idea, but decries its necessity in this day and age.

Meath inventor, Colin O’Brien walked away with an investment of £80,000 on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den last Thursday evening. He presented three of his creations- one of them a rain proof clothes line. Sales have been soaring since the show aired.

As all of the Christmas socialising and celebrations come to an end and the singing Santas are put away, many of us are searching out the sound of silence. Siofra Mulqueen has been speaking to some who do their best work when the din is down.

Today we have a Christmas Special full of music and memories. In a year when we’ve lost some of our greatest musicians, this morning's show is all about the music business in the company of Mick Flannery and his family. We'll hear about life on the road, overcoming nerves and his efforts to create a[...]

We have a Christmas Special in the company of Mick Flannery and family. Mick speaks about the loss of his Mum and Dad and the impact they had on him. He gives advice on the music industry. Ray from Music Zone in Cork and Sinead from The Record Break in Ennis talk business. Musician, Una[...]

The EU agreed the terms for landmark legislation last night to regulate artificial intelligence. The new laws will be the worlds most restrictive regime in developing the technology, but what will it all mean? Technology writer and host of For Tech Sake podcast - Elaine Burke joins us now.

Talk of new emerging artificial intelligence tourism would give rise to AI led tours of various cities around the world. It’s a far cry from our next guest who has spent many years doing them the tried and trusted way. Pat Liddy’s walking tour business has been roaming the streets of Dublin for almost two[...]

New tech was in focus this week with various stories about WhatsApp messages. We’ve all heard stories about people playing fast and loose in WhatsApp groups - with varying consequences. Louise Campbell, head of learning and development at Robert Walters is here to share some dos and don’ts on the app.

Storms are brewing out there this morning. Meanwhile in other countries, homes, and businesses, people are still counting the costs of the previous storm damage. We’re joined by one such business, that’s managed to reopen in the mouth of Christmas with all hands on deck in Clarinbridge. Anne Ford is the owner of the Poppy[...]

While high level talks continue at the COP28 summit in Dubai, we thought it would be timely to look at the sort of green initiatives that businesses on the ground are taking to combat climate change. I’m joined by Ruth Freeman of Science Foundation Ireland and Dave Power, director of innovation at Dogpatch Labs.

From sustainable businesses and tours on foot, to fashionable footwear. With just a few cobblers and shoemakers scattered across the country, as customers walk towards a more sustainable approach, how is this impacting the shoe making and restoring business? Siofra Mulqueen strolled into some of their workshops to find out.

As world leaders gather for the third day of the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai, closer to home, the Central Bank is calling on lenders to factor in climate risk when assessing loan applications. To discuss what this all means for Irish businesses and consumers, I’m joined by Brian Hayes, chief executive of the[...]

Onto another multi-million euro market - pets - and the story of a man who’s had plenty of ups and downs in business. Anthony Gallagher started out as a trainee with Penneys and has since gone on to set up Petstop, the first pet superstore in this country.

Sticking with catering for our furry friends, All Creatures Great and Small are looked after by vets around the country. Siofra Mulqueen has been shadowing some of them at work.

It being the 2nd of December, I think it’s high time that we addressed the perennial conundrum of what to buy the business person in your life for Christmas. Sarah McGuinness, assistant news editor with the Business Post and Tom Lyons, business journalist with the Currency have been shopping around and are here armed with[...]

Staying with sustainable Christmases, we’ve come a long way from simple festive traditions like carol singing and lighting a candle in the front window. Now, people who want to sell us stuff are inventing new traditions overnight. Catherine Cleary, founder of Pocket Forests says it’s time to shout stop!

Elon Musk’s profanity-laced remarks this week did little to ingratiate himself with disgruntled advertisers. The richest man in the world may need some communications advice - and who better to give it to him than Eoghan Tomas McDermott, managing director of the Communications Clinic.

After the chaos of Thursday night in Dublin city centre, it’s hardly surprising that shoppers didn’t flock to the Black Friday sales in their usual numbers. As the clean up was underway, we visited O’Connell Street and spoke to shop owners, managers and workers who were coming to terms with the extraordinary events of the[...]

Deborah Somorin is a woman with an extraordinary story. Experiences of direct provision; homeless at 13, pregnant and in care at 14, motherless and a mother at 15, a chartered accountant at 24, a TED X speaker, the founder of 'Empower the Family', an author and someone named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list[...]

Resilience has been a topic on the minds of many Irish people in the wake of recent events. So how can we develop resilience and is it something we can teach our children? Peter Cosgrove, author and managing director of Futurewise believes that practice is the key.

Social media posts have been blamed for the violent clashes witnessed in Dublin city centre on Thursday. The government announced that it will pass new laws in the coming week to tackle incitement to hatred on social media, but what steps should the companies themselves take? Liz Carolan Founder of Digital Action joins me in[...]

It was a lovely, warm atmosphere on the Late Late Toy Show last night as Patrick Kielty donned his Christmas Jumpers , Ken outfit, Irish rugby kit and an elf outfit to mention just a few! As the elves are busy updating their orders in the North Pole this morning, Siofra Mulqueen took a sneak[...]

OpenAI, the company that launched ChatGPT a year ago, has dismissed the CEO Sam Altman. Altman got a lot of attention with the release of the artificial intelligence chatbot that provides human level content in seconds. So what’s behind the dismissal of Altman, we’re joined by Liz Carolan, founder of Digital Action.

The story of a farm that once just had a few dairy cows, but now it’s a yogurt company on the verge of a 20 million euro turnover. Nicholas Dunne, with the help of his sister, Pauline, has seen Killowen Farm become a national brand.

For generations cows have been inspiring artists and even poets. They appeared in the Bayeux Tapestry, Vincent Van Gogh even painted them, they became a sort of status symbol in rich patron paintings. Ed Coulson has been meeting some people inspired by cows in their everyday work.

Only four Irish figures have appeared on the cover of TIME magazine, one was Stevie, a Robot invented by Akara Robotics. Akara’s co-founder, Niamh Donnelly from Galway. And from robots to a real man, Roy Keane cut a dashing figure in a new ad for Adidas. It seems that clothing brands are embracing older people.[...]

Now, a couple that have had their fair share of trials and tribulations, but have still managed to thrive. Mags and Ger Kirwan are scaling up production of Goatsbridge Trout Farm. This is all despite a cancer diagnosis for Mags, triathlons and various adventures around the world.

The Beckham’s documentary has been getting as much attention for their spotless kitchen and sarongs, as the football and Alex Ferguson. Their lives are uber organised - from Victoria’s diary to David’s outdoor dining man cave. But our reporter Siofra Mulqueen has been looking at whether it really is all that great to be super[...]

This week, we learned that We Work, one of the biggest commercial tenants in Dublin, has filed for bankruptcy in the United States. So, is the €50 billion commercial property market here experiencing a burgeoning crisis? John McCartney, director and head of research with BNP Paribas Real Estate is here to give us the lowdown.

This week tickets for Bruce Springsteen’s 2024 Irish gigs went on sale. The 74-year old Bruce Springsteen still has the drive to perform live for over three hours while others of his age can hardly muster up the energy to read the Newspaper? I’m joined by clinical psychologist, Professor Ian Robertson who, at 72, is[...]

Well we know Bruce Springsteen is hardly doing it for the money these days. He’s estimated to be worth over a half a billion dollars. But Irish writer Paul Howard remembers a day when he had to put a few quid in the post for The Boss.