Sticking with the creative world, Mary Hickson recalls her early entrepreneurial days dancing jigs in her mother's pub. What about other musicians who grew up in family businesses? Were they learning to manage their own careers? Siofra Mulqueen investigates this intriguing connection.

From the Great Wall of China to the walls of Derry: The Derry Journal reveals Taylor Swift's roots trace back to 1 Fahan Street. Swift, arriving on our shores next week, has a fascinating heritage. Author Paul Howard shares his insights on the business unicorn that is Taylor Swift.

Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck visits China amid warnings of a potential trade war over EU friction on electric vehicle imports. With slowing industrial output and a struggling property market, how prepared is China for a trade war? We discuss this with Denis Staunton, China Correspondent for the Irish Times.

Join us as we talk with Mary Hickson, a leading figure in the arts industry and festival scene, known for her collaborations with artists like Cillian Murphy, The National, and Bon Iver. Mary shares her fascinating journey from Fermoy, including her childhood years living above a pub in Corofin.

Join us as we dive into the Aer Lingus pilots dispute making headlines. We'll explore pilot pay, their ability to demand salaries, and the global pilot shortage. Our guest, Patrick Edmond, Managing Director of Altair Advisory, an Aviation Consultancy firm, will provide expert insights on the issue.

Well this week much of the attention has been on which of our politicians will be upping sticks and moving to Brussels. Meanwhile markets are worried about the prospect of a far right government bedding down in the Eurozone’s second-largest economy, France. From there we’re joined by Lara Marlowe, Paris based journalist and author.

Now employers from north and south are calling on the Irish and British governments to rectify the tax complications that have arisen from remote working. Fergal O’Brien, Director of Lobbying & Influence with IBEC joins us to discuss.

“Love bombing, baiting, ghosting,” these are normally terms that we hear in the world of dating, but a number of recent studies suggest these practices have crossed over into the world of work and recruitment. Recruitment Specialist Louise Campbell has been taking a look at the issue.

Emma Maye comes from a family that’s steeped in the property development industry. When her father Liam died in 2008, she moved into the business and started negotiations with Nama over her fathers enormous property debts. She's since built a business empire alongside her husband - Ardale construction company and Core, a builders provider chain.

We’ve all been dazzled by them these last few weeks. But how do we all channel the mindsets of these athletes - the sheer concentration, composure and confidence. We’re joined by Trinity’s professor Ian Robertson, author of How Confidence Works

Well Sticking with property but a different end of the market. Staging properties has become increasingly popular in Ireland in the last few years. This is where homeowners are forking out up to 30,000 to stage their homes in an effort to attract higher bids and to sell more quickly. Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out more

The ubiquitous Irish pub is found worldwide, but traditional "plastic paddy" establishments have lost their appeal. A new generation of expat pub owners aims to create a modern Irish experience. Joining us are Conor Myers of Bartley Dunnes in New York, and Morgan Smyth, owner of Badfish and The Brazen Squirrel in Berlin, to discuss this evolution.

Mark Zuckerberg dubbed him 'The Taylor Swift of Tech.' At 61, Jensen Huang leads Nvidia, a key player in the AI boom. This week, Nvidia's value surged past three trillion dollars, briefly overtaking Apple as the second-most valuable company. Join us with tech journalist Elaine Burke to explore Nvidia's rise to stardom.

Kevin O'Loughlin founded Nostra nearly 20 years ago as a one-man band. Now, they employ 400 people, operate in 9 countries, and have 40,000 end users in Ireland, with 10 acquisitions under their belt. Nostra provides comprehensive IT solutions. Kevin shares his backstory of growing up in rural Laois, the son of a farmer and shopkeeper.

Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Fall Guy,’ starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, is a tribute to stunt performers. But who are the people behind Hollywood’s greatest stunts? Siofra Mulqueen finds out. Peter, with 30+ years teaching Chinese Kung Fu and Qìgong, now teaches in West Cork at littleforestsanctuary.com.

This week, British PM Rishi Sunak faced scrutiny for trying to seem relatable with his love for Yorkshire tea, Star Wars, and Taylor Swift. Should public figures try to appear cool, or is it always cringeworthy? Dave McArdle investigates.

New research shows European workers prefer more time off, prompting governments to encourage a return to work. Are Irish workers following this trend? Dr. Laura Bambrick from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions joins us to discuss.

In Europe this bank holiday, many are off to sunny shores. But in places like Venice, locals reject more tourists. Journalist Roslyn Dee, a 30-year Venice visitor, shares her insights on being a Good Tourist in this radio essay.

After Trump's historic conviction, his campaign raised $34.8 million, with billionaire support from figures like Elon Musk. Could his legal troubles boost his White House bid? Marion McKeown, US Correspondent for the Business Post, joins us to discuss.

Doc Martens' profits took a dive this week. Sarah McGuinness, Assistant News Editor at the Business Post, joins us to explain.

As Leaving Cert students cram this bank holiday, our next guests, Luella Morton and Sheena Bailey of TestReach, oversee 4 million exams annually.

Recent data shows Guinness has overtaken Carling as the UK's favourite pint, with a 24% sales increase, especially popular in London's trendy bars. Joining us to discuss this is Mark Paul, London Correspondent for the Irish Times.

Irish author Colm Tóibín's new book was picked for Oprah's book club. To discuss its impact and changes in publishing, we're joined by journalist Aoife Barry and author Clare McGowan, whose book "Truth, Truth, Lie" launched this week on Amazon.

Russia's recent claim of discovering 510 billion barrels of oil in Antarctica, ostensibly found during a scientific mission, has raised concerns about a potential Russian oil grab in a British-owned region. Here to discuss this is Professor Klaus Dodds, an Antarctic expert and geopolitics professor at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Paul Cadden, grew up in the West of Ireland and has made a name in Dublin with his Saba Thai restaurants and takeaways, plus a new sauce range at Dunnes Stores. His brother Alan works with him, while brother Mark runs a restaurant in Castlebar, continuing their family's hospitality legacy.

Thursday set a record at Dublin Airport with over 63,000 departures. This summer, 10 million passengers are expected, but the 32 million annual cap on passengers concerns the Dublin Airport Authority. CEO Kenny Jacobs joins us to discuss the impact on business and tourism.

Our next guest, Edward Luce, Financial Times US National Editor, warns of troubling times ahead if Donald Trump wins the next US Presidential election. He believes Europe and the EU should be particularly concerned about the potential impact of another Trump presidency.

A new study suggests that Irish workers may be among the least productive in Europe, challenging our national pride in productivity. Have multinationals misled us about our efficiency? We’re joined by Dr. Tom McDonnell, co-director of the Nevin Economic Research Institute, who is conducting this study with trade union SIPTU.

Join us as we explore the remarkable journey of Mike Corcoran, an Irishman on a mission in Ukraine. Starting as an apprentice in Ireland, he moved to America, became an Olympic athlete, and built a prosthetics business with a $23-27 million turnover. Now, his business spans 13 countries. Recently, he’s been aiding Ukrainian soldiers.

Bruce Springsteen has been touring Ireland with three-hour gigs, wowing audiences. Freelance arts journalist Pat Carty believes we all could learn valuable lessons from The Boss.

New research commissioned by the EPA conducted by the ESRI found that half of those people surveyed are unwilling to change their habits to help combat climate change. Irish Times journalist & co-host of that paper’s ‘In The News’ Podcast Bernice Harrison joins us on the show.

For many on a budget, the allure of fast fashion is hard to resist, despite its ethical concerns. Annaleise Murphy, founder of Linen Shirt Company and Fashion Connect Ireland, champions durable, Irish-made clothing. Today, she shares her family's fashion legacy and her mission for sustainable style.

As the first ever non-binary Eurovision contestant, Bambie Thug has opened up the conversation around diversity. Peter Cosgrove, Managing Director of Futurewise joins us to talk about inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

Alison Payne, Coordinator of Business in the Community’s EPIC Programme joins us on the programme to discuss helping migrants and people seeking international protection to find jobs.

One of the most notable things about the new film, “That They May Face The Rising Sun,” is that everything about it is quintessentially Irish. Producer Phillip King joins us to talk about what it takes to pull together funding for a film like this.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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 her nose into the business of smells.

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.

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 for the benefit of humanity.

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 and do ideas stop coming at a particular age?

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 country.

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 of Emotionise AI.

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.

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 it some thought.

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.

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 all likely to work.

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 up on the situation.

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 sold to Teamworks, a US firm .

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.

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 joins me to discuss.

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 here to enlighten us.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 me in studio.

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.

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 reeds, rushes and willows.

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 practical terms.

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.

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.

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 sky.

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 Post Traumatic Growth.

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.

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.

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 links to Dublin City Centre.

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.

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 ESRI

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Currivan, clients of the service.

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

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 Broadway musical.

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 O'Boyle, pens an ode to chess.

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 Seed Cafe.

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.

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.

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 decades.

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.

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 their suggestions.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 Banking and Payments Federation.

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 since.

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 studio now.

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.

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 peek at some toymakers closer to home.

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 previous twelve hours.

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. Stylist Annemarie Gannon joins us.

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.

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 organised?

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.

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.

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.

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 two years his junior!

Michael Carey has been appointed the role of Chairman of Enterprise Ireland. He joins me in studio now to discuss everything from the latest drop in corporation tax receipts, Foreign Direct Investment, and his own business - The Bakehouse and how it's model took a pivotal change after Brexit.

The response of pro-Palestinian student campaigners in some of America’s most prestigious colleges to the Hamas attack on October 7th, and other protests against Israel since then, have prompted a number of Jewish billionaire donors to announce that are withdrawing funding from those colleges.Marion McKeone, US correspondent of the Business Post.

Earlier this week we celebrated Samhain - the time of year which traditionally encouraged people to gather around and exchange stories about ghosts and folklore. The Seanchai, was once considered to have one of the most important jobs in Ireland. Siofra Mulqueen has been meeting some of the people keeping that tradition alive.

My next 2 guests work in the construction sector, specialising in the highly skilled and ancient craft of stone masonry. They also come from a long line of stone masons - as the 8th generation of their family to work in the trade. Brother and sister Killian and Petra O’Flaherty are in studio now.

Staying with the world of academia, the small sturdy notebook is probably not something most of us have given a huge amount of thought to, but our next guest has. Roland Allen has written a book all about notebooks. It’s called The Notebook - A History of Thinking on Paper and he joins me now.

As you’ll have heard in the news, Gaza came under the heaviest aerial bombardment last night, continuing into this morning. Communications have been cut in the region with no internet access, fuel or power. We’re joined now by a man whose business is immersed in the Middle East, David Horgan, Chairman of Petrel Resources.

Over the coming days lots of little witches will be trying to get the best sweets out of your sweet boxes. These little treat or treaters sometimes get a bad reputation like witches that have gone before them. But did you know that many witches in the olden days were actually business women? Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out more.

The Being Black in the EU report was published earlier this week. It had been carried out by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. It showed that the levels of racism directed at black people in Ireland has increased over the past five years. But does racism exist in Irish business too? We’re joined by Florence Olufemi-Ojo of M I O Prints

This month in 1933, Francis J. O’Rourke established a clothing manufacturing business that has survived slumps and stagnations, downturns and depressions. Four generations later, it’s still in the family. I’m joined this morning by the CEO of Fashion House, Colm O’Rourke, and his daughter, Ailbhe, who’s the retail operations manager and buyer.

Since the gothic horror novel, Dracula was first published over a century ago, the Prince of Darkness has become a cultural icon and a powerful brand that made a lot of money, but not for the man behind it all, Dubliner Bram Stoker. The Count has been counting his money, Arts journalist, Chris Wasser joins me in studio now.

Stripe and Meta are the latest to withdraw from The Web Summit following comments from the summit’s Chief Executive Paddy Cosgrave on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. To look at the issue we’re joined by Jack Power from The Irish Times.

Is there anything worse than seeing bad management in full flight? From bungling buffoonery to ineptitude and indecision to the downright nasty. We’ve been hearing for years that people leave jobs because of bad managers and now a there’s research to prove it. Journalist Brianna Parkins who has had her fair share of bad bosses has this.

Flooding has caused devastation in many countries, Ireland being one. Midleton was at the centre of the deluge this week. To assess where businesses are at locally we’re joined by local real estate agent, Adrianna Hegarty of Hegarty Properties.

Who Really Owns Ireland? This topic is explored in a new book that looks at the key players behind Irish property ownership – and what it means for the rest of us. Its author, Matt Cooper is here to shed some light on this question.

It’s that time of year when the leaves are falling and the branches are becoming bare. Ed Coulson has been meeting people like woodworker Des Burke, arboriculture lecturer Garrett Murphy, but Ed’s report starts with artist Anita Groener (Ghrooner) whose work explores the refugee crisis and displacement.

Almost four decades ago, Valerie Mulvin and Neil McCullough set up an architectural practice (McCullough Mulvin) that went on to win awards and accolades for their groundbreaking work.

For the Rugby weekend that's in it! This is a man who has spent a lifetime in sport. Mickey O’Rourke Co founded Setanta Sports in 1990, a business that was valued at several hundred million euro. He now runs Premier Sports and he’s also a partner in Danu Partners - an investment partnership that’s behind restaurant chains in the US.

I'm Joined again by Olivia Hurley on 'What is in music that makes us move?', and music journalist of Hot Press magazine, Pat Carty to discuss the 'music of matches' and how these tunes play a role in keeping focus and motivation or sprouting inspiration in us.

Used before matches, games and performances, there's nothing quite like some wise word to keep motivations high. But, how do you feel when motivational quotes are put up in the office or even shopping centres? Writer and Broadcaster Cristín Leach is particularly annoyed with one of those phrases “Bloom Where You’re Planted”.

There’s been an unprecedented trail of death and destruction on both sides since the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel last weekend. I'm joined by Richard Fitzgerald, CEO of Agustus Media, publisher of the Lovin' Palestine online platform which was set up to share bitesize news and the best of the Gaza Strip.

Apart from physical and technical training, rugby players have also been working on their psychological skills to help optimise their performance. Joining us on this is Olivia Hurley, the Academic lead in Sport and Performance Psychology at IADT talks about the psychology of peak performance in the world of sport.

You may know the Therapie Clinics dotted all over the country. What you may not know is that the chain has become the biggest aesthetics chain in Europe with 1800 employees and a turnover of 120 million this year. They’ve grown 200% in the last three years alone. We’re joined by Katie McGlade and her brother Phillip who run the business.

It seems Fridays have become a work from phone day for the well heeled of New York, only logging on in emergencies, as they head off early to the Hamptons. Effectively introducing a three day weekend. But is that about to become a thing everywhere? Our montage begins in New York with Terry Sheridan, news director of WSHU.

Rachel Adams Heard has been investigating as a reporter for Bloomberg and her In Trust podcast on the systemic murder the Osage Native American tribe for their oil wealth. Driven from their lands in the 1870s, the tribe arrived at a reservation "unfit for cultivation" that later turned into enormous wealth.

Last week U2 took to the stage for the very first time in the new Sphere concert venue. They perform there for 25 nights over the course of a year. But what is it about Las Vegas that’s attracting so many acts? Journalist and broadcaster Nadine O’Regan has this.

The drugs market is shifting. Army Rangers winched onto a cargo ship carrying a massive consignment of cocaine. The haul, worth a staggering €157 million is thought for distribution across Europe. We’re joined by Jude Webber who worked for the Financial Times in Latin America for over two decades and is now the FT correspondent here.

Some tech companies are calling for “focus Fridays”. In the continuing debate about hybrid working, tensions persist over return-to-office policies that bosses generally want but the staff often don’t. Sci-tech journalist, Elaine Burke, host of the For Tech’s Sake podcast, is here with us now to discuss.

You’d want to be under a rock or slide at the back of Barbie’s dreamhouse to miss the talk of the new Barbie movie release this week. But what about Ken? As Barbie tackles over 200 jobs and counting, has Ken been left behind? Writer Paul Howard has been giving it some thought.

Eileen has overcome huge difficulties in her life. She was born in Dublin’s Ballymun. Eileen started sampling drugs and dealing drugs while in secondary school. Now she runs Hair Together, an organisation that gives young disadvantaged youths a chance to become hair stylists, while focusing on their mental health.

Now as the cost of living crisis continues, and energy bills remain heated, is there any chance they’ll soon return to a more tolerable level? Wholesale energy prices have fallen by a third, but when are households going to see the benefits in their pockets? Senior research officer with the ESRI, Muireann Lynch, joins us.

A lot of us will be looking to take some well deserved time off over the next few weeks. How important is it for our brains to totally switch off and what’s the best way of going about it? Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin and author of ‘How Confidence Works’, Ian Robertson, is with us to guide us through it.

Sticking with the holiday mode, if you’re not leaving Ireland this summer, you might end up in one of the many small quirky museums dotted around the place. Siofra Mulqueen has been meeting some of these museum owners to hear all about their collections.

We heard earlier from All Blacks legend Dan Carter. But to discuss the careers of some of our homegrown sports stars, many of whom often struggle to earn a living, I’m joined now by sports journalist Cliona Foley. With the soccer World Cup getting underway in Australia, Katie McCabe and her team will be centre stage this week.

All eyes were on the public accounts committee hearings again this week as RTE executives answered more questions and, of course, Ryan Tubridy and his agent Noel Kelly appeared there too. We’re joined by Donnacha McKeown, Broadcast and Channel Manager at the Oireachtas Broadcasting Unit.

During his 20-year career, he broke several world records and scored the winning points in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final, earning him his third IRB Player of the Year Award and a second consecutive World Cup win for New Zealand.

Sticking with the Oireachtas committee hearings, they’ve certainly been full of drama, suspense, confusion and some might even say delusion! Comedy Writer Aidan Fitzmaurice, who contributes to Callan’s Kicks and BBC’s The News Quiz, has been inspired by the hearings to write this ode on how to get a meeting just right.

Boris Johnson told the UK Covid 19 inquiry this week that he couldn’t remember the pin code he used to unlock an old phone which contained messages sent at the height of the pandemic. I’m joined now by Sean Duke, Communications Officer at the Faculty of Science and Health at DCU and columnist Fiona Looney.

We’re joined by Dr Ruth Freeman of Science Foundation Ireland to look at the impact these temperatures will have on tourism, agriculture and other industries….

RTE continued to dominate the headlines for the third week running this week with the ongoing controversy over presenters’ salaries and corporate governance. To discuss this, I’m joined now by DCU's @JaneSuit and @Larbas CEO of @ShinAwiLTV.

A new report from the Shannon Estuary Taskforce is being launched this morning by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.One of the proposals is the potential to generate renewable energy off the West Coast of Ireland. We're joined by Barry O’Sullivan, Chairman of that taskforce.

A recent study in the US highlighted how cliches which portray millennials as narcissistic snowflakes and baby boomers as hapless technophobes is fuelling generational hostilities in the workplace. To shed some light on all of this, we're joined by 2FM’s @aifricoconnell

Woodwind instruments like the recorder, flute and Uileann pipes were very much in evidence on the streets of Miltown Malbay in Co. Clare this week as they contributed to the soundscape of the annual Willie Clancy Festival.

Our next guest is one of Ireland’s most renowned hoteliers. @DonegalNoel has welcomed King Charles and Queen Camilla to Donegal Town on their visit to Ireland, driven Fred Astaire to Lismore Castle and taken racing tips from Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, at Ascot.

We’re all familiar with the self service car washes and washing machines, but more and more self service machines are cropping up around the country - from dog washes to tanning booths. Ellen Leonard has been taking a look at the people behind the machines.

Journalist, turned blogger and business woman. Cork woman, Janet Newenham, has set up a travel company with a difference. Her tours bring people to places off the beaten track, places like Jordan, Namibia and Iraq. She has been a constant traveller for last 20 years and she joins us from Peru.

Whether you are making a presentation at work, delivering a speech, appearing before an Oireachtas committee, or presenting a radio programme, - it's normal to feel nervous. Sarah Geraghty tells us more..

With only 12 years to go before petrol and diesel engines are no longer sold in Europe, Chinese car makers are spotting a huge opportunity. They’re miles ahead when it comes to electric vehicles, European car manufacturers have admitted that they can’t keep up. Geraldine Herbert - motoring editor with the Sunday Independent joins us.

The tradition of booleying - a practice that continued right up until, just over 100 years ago in certain part of the country. This was where young people lived in the hills and mountains minding farm animals during the summer months. Writer and Historian, Dr Jackie Uí Chionna (E-Chionna) ionna has mor

We’re joined by Niamh Boyle is CEO of the Reputations Agency, which publishes a report, examining the reputation of 100 well-known organisations and businesses in Ireland.

It’s that time of year when college and secondary school students across the country are seeking out jobs to get them through the summer months. But do they make or break you? Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out.

We’ve been hearing a lot lately about job losses in the likes of Meta and Google. But our first guests are extremely concerned about the lack of tech workers here. We’re joined by CEO & founder of Cilter Child Protection Software, Rena Maycock and Chair of Scale Ireland, Brian Caulfield.

Founded in 1908, what was once a Co.Kilkenny mill, has become a global brand specialising in feed for horses, pets, cattle and even camels. We’re joined by Michael Connolly, the Global Strategy and Business Development Director of Redmills.

The straw hats, rounded specs, britches and braces are out in force as fans of James Joyce celebrate Bloomsday, continuing this weekend. Tomás Kenny of Kenny's Bookshops has been giving it some thought.

The data centre dilemma raised its head again this week with concerns about a shortage of electricity. But are there simple solutions to help ease the problem? We’re joined by Professor Aoife Foley, Energy Systems Engineer.

With climate change guilt, summer strikes and delays at the airports thrown in, slow travel seems to have found a new momentum. Red-eye flights are out, for many discerning travellers, and Overnight trains are back.Frank McNally of the Irish Times has this.

“Destroy nature and you destroy the economy,” that’s according to Frank Elderson, a top European Central Bank executive this week. It’s believed that 72 percent of eurozone companies and three-quarters of bank loans are exposed to loss of biodiversity. Dr. Lisa Ryan, Professor in energy economics in the School of Economics in UCD joins us.

In a press conference that was standing room only, Rory McIlroy was despondent as he reacted to a story that rocked the world of sport - the news that Saudi Arabia is to pump billions of dollars into a merger between LIV golf and the PGA tour. “Money Talks” mused McIlroy. CEO of Platinum One and contributor of the Currency Fintan Drury joins us.

Lack of property around Ireland is having a real impact on culture. Artists from all walks of life; musicians, visual artists and more are finding it hard to find space to work in, Karl Stacey’s montage starts with Tadhg Kinsella of Dublin Modular, an electronic music and visual artist collective, hoping to inject life in the arts in Ireland.

Michael Kelly and his daughter Clare, two members of a family whose business was an early introduction to Ireland for the likes of Facebook and Google. Glandore is a property company that rents out workspaces in Dublin, Cork and Belfast. With revenue in excess of 20 million in 2023, the pair join us now to talk about the family business.

Wexford man John Evoy is the general manager of Grow Remote, an organisation that promotes remote work. But John made his name as the founder of Mens Sheds Ireland.

As ITV launches an external review to establish the facts around an affair between Philip Schofield and the former TV runner, it brings up the importance of power dynamics in the workplace. Melrona Kirrane, Associate Professor of Organisational Psychology at DCU Business School,

Palo Alto is well known as a big tech centre, the home of Stanford University, a source of great innovation, wealth and power. But Malcolm Harris, presents a narrative of a dark place with a very different history to what we’re used to hearing. A history that he says continues to influence the place.

With Harry Styles imminent arrival, it’s hard to find a feather boa in Ireland. The mucky wellies are gone, fashion has completely taken over gigs, but at what cost? Emma Power of 2FM joins us.

A potential row is brewing between the Greens and Fine Gael over new land use plans, which the Greens deem essential to meet climate change targets. It comes as the Environmental Protection Agency said Ireland is falling well short of meeting its greenhouse targets. Dr. Tara Shine, CEO of Change by Degrees, joins us

Jose Mourinho is in bother after he verbally tackled a match official in a car park after Roma’s defeat in the Europa League Final. But what about abusive behaviour in regular workplaces, or even just basic bad manners, what does it do to staff morale? Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out.

Duelling pistols, ceremonial swords, great artwork - no, we’re not still talking about Succession, but the Aladdin’s Cave of objects that’s been locked away in bank vaults here since the 1700s. New powers could help unearth the artifacts. To find out more we’re joined by Historian, Dr. Nikki Carter, of the Trinity Access Programme in TCD.

Well it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire as tensions mount over chips between the US and China. So what’s at stake in the chips war? Sean Mitchell, Chief Commercial Officer of the space tech firm, Ubotica joins us to discuss the escalating battle.

Well from chip wars to warring families. The massive hit TV series Succession follows the fictional Roy family, apparently inspired by various media families. But did we learn anything about business or even family business amid the comedic asides, the conflict and the swear words. Author Anna Carey has been giving it some thought.

A man from the worlds of aviation and space, who also has big plans for Ireland. Dómhnal Slattery, founded two of the top three aircraft leasing companies in the world over the last 25 years. He set up Avolon in 2010, four years later it listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the largest ever listing by an Irish founded company, at that time.

From Ireland leading the way in sustainable innovations, to a report this week warning that almost half of the world’s species are seeing a rapid population decline because of climate change. So how is that impacting those working in the area? Siofra Mulqueen has been meeting some Irish people who have made conservation their life’s work.

Let’s go back to the 1800s, even the 1700s when migrant artisan craftspeople really started moving all over Europe (including Ireland) following the money trail and leaving behind beautiful artworks in their wake. Art Historian Jessica Fahy takes us back in time.

Now from a business that was about money saving, to one of the first experiences many people have of making money, the first Holy Communion. It’s that time of year where 8 year olds are eagerly waiting for the envelopes to land. But what should you do with your communion money, Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out.

Well the sun really started to peep out this week, and hopefully it’s here to stay. We all know sunshine gives us that bit more of a pep in our step but what does it do to our brains? Does it make us spend more, work better, maybe even concentrate more? Director of Science for Society at Science Foundation Ireland Dr. Ruth Freeman

As the G7 leaders meet in Japan, one of the topics up for discussion is placing more sanctions on Russia, sanctions that will cover ships, aircraft, individuals and diamonds. But will they hit the Kremlin’s war machine enough? Economist at RBC-BlueBay Asset Management, focusing on Russian and Ukraine, Timothy Ash.

From increasing numbers of refugees sleeping rough, to protests against migrants staying at Magowna House Hotel. The question of how to solve the housing crisis is something still unsolved. Are there any simple solutions? CEO and founder of i3pt Certification Eoin Leonard, who specialises in building reuse and Architect Roisin Murphy.

A Dundalk man who went from a meat factory in Belfast to creating inflatable shamrocks for Irish football fans to selling his company Pigsback.com for millions. He’s just published a memoir of his time in business called From the Arena. Michael Dwyer joins us in studio to talk about the wonders of Business and life on the pigs back!

Younger generations like millennials and Gen Z have apparently become allergic to speaking on their phone. Recent studies found that 75 percent of millennials dislike phone calls because they’re time-consuming, while 81 percent suffer from anxiety before they manage to make a phone call. Our own Millennial Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out.

Our first guest this morning’s story is definitely one of resilience, Helen Cody has spent the past three decades at the very high end of high fashion. And while her business has had highs and lows, her life story too has followed a similar thread. We popped into her studio in Dublin to find out more.

Speaking of Gen Z, a lot of us will have heard the words “I’M BORED” come from their mouth at some point!! Lipreaders claimed that King Charles said “This is boring” at his own Coronation. But should the new king embrace boredom? Professor of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin and author of ‘How Confidence Works’ Ian Robertson joins now.

Elon Musk has announced his successor as CEO of Twitter and former head of advertising at NBC Universal Linda Yaccarino is set to take on the role. What will this mean for the business Twitter? And will Elon take a step back and focus on his other business interests? Executive Director of Digital Action Liz Carolan joins now.

PwC is in hot water in Australia after it emerged that the firm used confidential government tax plans to advise tech clients. Accountancy Correspondent with the FT Michael O’Dwyer joins us to discuss.

Well the Monarchy is a family business after all. And with that in mind, we decided to ask some Irish family businesses how the handover works between generations. Is a long apprenticeship needed? What’s the most important advice the older generation can pass on? Taylor Mooney has been checking it out.

We'll be looking at the housing crisis, but first for a different take on that. The Village of Mullan in Co.Monaghan is an old Victorian Village. It’s now a thriving village, with the Mullan Lighting Factory in the centre. So what’s it like to build a business and rebuild a village at the same time? We caught up with Mike and Edel in Mullan.

Now, from China’s men in black to what’s likely to be a colourful coronation kicking off soon in London with plenty of Union Jacks flying in honour of King Charles III. While many will be glued to proceedings, there are others that would much rather avoid it. David Pegg, Investigative Journalist with The Guardian joins us now.

Let's look at the whole practice of companies providing housing for employees. With the vast profits that some companies are making, is it time now for companies to engage in that practice again? We’re joined by Valerie Mulvin, Director at McCullough Mulvin Architects and Alfonzo Bonilla Director at Maremoto Architects.

It's a storyline that sounds like it’s straight out of a Hollywood movie - China’s Men in Black step up security of foreign corporate sleuths. But it’s not a blockbuster script, it’s a story that the Financial Times has been reporting on. To tell us more we‘re joined now by Primrose Riordan, South China Correspondent with the Financial Times.

TV presenter Tucker Carlson’s dramatic exit from Fox News has left Rupert Murdoch’s company in disarray. What does all of this mean for the Fox Corporation and will there be much of a financial impact? Matthew Garrahan, Head of Digital Platforms and Strategy with the Financial Times is on the line to tell us more.

A man who is responsible for some of our most iconic album covers. Steve Averill started out as a punk rocker and an ad man. He was the first lead singer of Radiators From Space. He went on to create album covers for the like of U2, and many more Now in his 70s, he’s still designing and we went to meet him at his home office in Co. Wicklow.

Speaking of crows singing! The Dawn Chorus season has arrived. On your way to work you might be lucky enough to catch a few seconds of the collective chirps but there are people whose jobs involve being submerged in these sounds. Siofra Mulqueen has been speaking to the people who work with birdsong

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol serenaded President Joe Biden with his version of Don McLean’s American Pie while on a state visit. To discuss the art of singing in the workplace I’m joined by Managing Director with the Communications Clinic Eoghan Tomas McDermott and actor, singer and singing coach at the Lir Academy Ruth McGill

Sticking with the world of entertainment, yesterday tickets went on sale for Hamilton the musical. People queued from early morning to get the best dates and seats. So is the entertainment sector back with a bang? We’re joined by Stephen Faloon of Bord Gais Energy Theatre and Nadine O’Regan, Editor of the Business Post Magazine,

Firstly a headline in the Financial Times that China is back… bringing profit and perplexity for Western Business. And secondly a CIA classified document leak that claims Beijing is building cyber weapons to hijack enemy satellites We’re joined from China by Edward White, Financial Times correspondent.

Agencies warned about a faster warming world, we’re joined by a man with interests in this area. Gary McDarby is an engineer and mathematician who has travelled the world with various businesses and not for profits, including time spent on a Phd in Australia. He’s now developed a business that monitors changing climate conditions in real time.

Earlier we were chatting about surveillance technology, and now for a very different take on surveillance! I’m talking about the Surveillance of small creatures that cause havoc. It’s that time of year when the nit notes come thick and fast from schools and crèches. Siofra Mulqueen has been meeting business people that are real nit pickers.

Now it looks like music is reaching out for the stars, but in another way. This is Liam Gallagher but not Liam Gallagher as you know him. It’s an AI version of Gallagher singing songs by a band called Breezer. Pat Carty of Hot Press is in studio now.

Gardai use of facial recognition technology and worries about the social media platform Tik Tok accessing too much information. We’re joined by Iverna McGowan, secretary general of the Centre for Democracy and Technologies Europe office in Brussels and Kevin Byrne, Retired Lt Col and airport safety & security auditor.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship explodes minutes after being launched. (The South African Billionaires wealth dipped by $13 billion in 24 hours) But are billionaires what we need for space exploration? We’re joined by Sinead O’Sullivan, business economist and former aerospace engineer and human space flight designer at NASA.

My next guest is a Professor of Sociology and principal investigator at Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. His subsequent book ‘Evicted’ won a Pulitzer Prize and a Carnegie Medal, as well as a string of other awards. Matthew Desmond is here to discuss new book 'Poverty, by America'.

A Silicon Valley type parent becomes a parent and decides it's best to limit their children's access to the same technology they’ve built a career getting the rest of us to use. Liz Carolan, Executive Director of Digital Action and mother-of-one, has been reflecting on this very twenty-first century dilemma.

Finally, if you happen to work for the kind of company where free teabags are regarded as the ultimate perk, you might not have too much sympathy for the Google workers in the US who are no longer entitled to their weekly massage. But are perks becoming a thing of the past? Aifric O’Connell of 2FM is here to tell us more.

Figures released from the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation have shown that there was a dip in visitors to Ireland in the first quarter this year. But after this week's Presidential visit, will there be a Biden Boost for tourism? To discuss this, I’m joined now by Paul Kelly, CEO of Failte Ireland

“A partnership for the ages”. That’s how US President Joe Biden described his country’s relationship with Ireland. But what about the enduring relationship that exists between Presidents and Royals, and some of the businesses that hosted them during their high profile visits? Siofra Mulqueen has been meeting some of them.

Well, things in the world of human-like chatbots just got a whole lot more interesting – and competitive – with the recent launch of similar products by some of China’s biggest tech companies. I’m joined now by Elaine Burke, tech journalist and Host of the ‘For Tech Sake Podcast’ to discuss these latest developments.

Recent surveys point towards a new generation of younger workers who are far less inclined to beat a path to the pub at the end of the week than their predecessors. Psychotherapist and burnout consultant Siobhan Murray has been reflecting on the subtle shift that seems to be taking place in our attitude towards boozy lunches and teatime tipples.

The newly released film ‘Air’, tells the story of what happened when the Nike brand teamed up with a little known basketball player called Michael Jordan. To talk about the movie and the book, ‘Shoe Dog’, that its based on…and the multi million dollar trainer industry, I’m joined now by Tom Lyons, Chief Executive of The Currency

While tributes have been paid to the many politicians who were central to getting the deal over the line, we’d like to mark the role played by a businessman. Brendan Duddy was a key go between for the IRA and British Government. Joining us to discuss is Jim Fitzpatrick, Investigative Reporter with the media platform, Open Democracy.

New figures released this week revealed that corporate insolvencies soared by 70% year on year in the first three months of the year. To discuss all of this, I’m joined now by Bill Holohan, a legal expert in insolvency law …and author of “Buying and Selling Insolvent Companies”

For the weekend that's in it! The value of chocolate sales in Ireland last year was estimated to be worth just over €395m. And according to Bord Bia, approximately 40% of chocolate sales are at Easter. Siofra Mulqueen went out to visit some of Ireland’s boutique chocolate factories.

Now we’re joined by a woman who has built a career and business in the beauty industry over the last thirty years. Eavanna Breen, Founder and Clinical Director of Akina Beauty and Laser Clinic, newly renamed this week the Eavanna Breen Skin and Laser Clinic.

More and more people are deciding to convert commercial buildings such as shops, pubs and even banks into homes. Ellen Leonard has been finding out more

"Succession", the hit show has hit its final series, with huge audiences of 2.3 million. But is Succession’s ending also the ending to a remarkable era of Hollywood: the phenomenon known as “peak TV”. Some believe so. We’re joined by Media columnist for The Irish Times Laura Slattery.

First this morning let’s go Stateside. Donald Trump’s defence lawyer says the former president will not be put in handcuffs. He’s due to surrender to prosecutors on Tuesday in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. Protests were expected in New York last night, Terry Sheridan, News director of WSHU public radio in New York joins us now.

Now we’re joined by a man who himself is very familiar with building walls of a different kind. Hugh Wallace is an award winning architect and founding partner of Douglas Wallace Consultants. His career journey has seen him set up a practice that employed 160 people, it imploded in the crash, but he’s back up and running.

Bullying, sexual assaults and mobbing, these are just some of the incidents outlined in an independent review of the Irish defence forces. We’re joined by Patricia Scanlon, Founder and Executive Chair of Soapbox Labs, and Ian Robertson Professor of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin and author of How Confidence Works.

Happy April Fools Day! You’ve probably been thinking up some pranks to pull or maybe you’ve already been pranked. Luckily many of you will not be in office today to have the letters on your keyboard rearranged...comedy Writer Aidan Fitzmaurice is in favour of craic in the workplace, unless it’s the manufactured fun type craic.

Silicon Valley Bank built its business around tech, a sector which has also been in the news a lot lately because of lay-offs in some of its biggest companies, So what does this mean for people working in the sector? I’m joined now by Rena Maycock, CEO and founder of Cilter Child Protection Software, and columnist with The Currency

You might have heard recently that plans are afoot to reboot the BBC hit comedy Fawlty Towers. In light of the prospect of the return of Torquay’s most famous fictional hotel, Siofra Mulqueen has been asking some people in the industry about occasions when they found themselves channelling their inner Basil Fawlty.

It was another turbulent week in the banking sector. Following the collapse eight days ago of America's 16th-largest lender, Silicon Valley Bank. To discuss all of this, I’m joined now in studio by the former Governor of the Central Bank Patrick Honohan.

My next guest runs one of Ireland’s best-known and most high-end restaurants. From his first premises off Baggot Street in Dublin where he set up shop in 1981, he was awarded a Michelin star in 1988, followed by a second star fifteen years later which made him the first Irish restaurateur ever to win two Michelin stars.

The art of diplomacy isn’t confined to world leaders. We all know people who instinctively seem to know the right thing to say and when to say it. Former Ambassador to the UK and EU, Bobby McDonagh, and Consultant psychologist, Louize Carroll, have joined me in studio.

Martin Nolan is the co owner of Julien’s Auctions, an auction house to the stars, with sales in excess of 40 million last year. Martin found his way into the industry after years working with Teagasc, banking and as a doorman.

In a world where we’re trying to be inclusive for all, you'd think half of the population would be catered for in every possible way. But it seems even in the world of design, the standard human body is a man Irish architect Roisin Murphy thinks this needs to change, she says it’s time for a world that’s designed for women as well as men.

The collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank has been deemed the biggest banking failure since the global financial crisis. Business and Technology journalist with the Irish Times Ciara O’Brien joins us on the line to discuss the implications to Irish companies.

Now, back to the unfolding story of the second biggest bank collapse in US History, Silicon Valley Bank has been shut down by US banking regulators. To fill us in on reaction in the US, we’re joined by News director of WSHU public radio in New York Terry Sheridan…

Almost 90% of women say they’re feeling more burnt out since the pandemic, and almost 50% of women say they’re considering leaving the workplace or at least reducing hours. We’re joined by the person behind the research Dr Michelle Cullen Managing Director and Head of Inclusion and Diversity at Accenture in Ireland.

Well you never know what you’re dealing with in the world of showbiz. This weekend, as we said, is all about the Irish film scene but what about those working behind the scenes keeping the tape rolling. Siofra Mulqueen has been speaking with people with unexpected jobs in the movie business.

Having first come to attention as one of the stars of the Armagh football team who won the All Ireland in 2002, when he retired as an inter-county player, Enda McNulty since gone on to work with teams across an array of sports and businesses. His new book “Commit 2 lead...unlock your true leadership potential” was launched this week.

You might be wondering what do Boris Johnson, Ann Doyle and Michael O’Muiriheartaigh have in common? The answer is fantastic speaking voices. So how much of an advantage is it to have a good speaking voice? I’m joined by Actor Barry McGovern and former RTE news reader turned communications and public speaking adviser, Clodagh Walsh.

With award season in full swing and the Irish film industry to the fore in the nominations, we’ve seen lots of coverage in recent weeks of the red carpet glamour. It’s not just the movie makers who have skin in the game. Siofra Mulqueen has been chatting to some Irish designers who know the value of having their work show-cased by the stars.

Born and bred in Derry, my first guest has had a broad and chequered career that started at the age of 14 when he got his first job delivering papers for the Belfast Telegraph. Within a few months he’d recruited 6 of his peers to work under him. Now CEO of Manufacturing Northern Ireland, Stephen Kelly joins us in studio.

A meeting of Central Bank governors and ECB board members was held in Finland this week to, reportedly, discuss how the introduction of a digital euro currency can be sold to a sceptical public. To discuss this and issues related to the new legislation, I’m joined by Liz Carolan, Executive Director of the campaigning body, Digital Action.

There was a lot of speculation in recent days about the package of new measures which are expected to be announced early next week… against a backdrop of easing inflation levels recorded for the month of January. We’re joined by economist John Fitzgerald to discuss what these new measures are likely to look like

As the first anniversary of the war approaches, the EU has announced that it plans to ban exports of critical industrial goods worth €11 billion, to target Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps for aiding Russia. To discuss this further, Economist at BlueBay Asset Management, focusing on Russia and Ukraine, Timothy Ash joins me on the line now

Lilt hit the headlines this week when it was announced that its name is being changed as it becomes amalgamated into the Fanta family. To look back at some of them and to talk about whether it’s worth all the bother, we’re joined by Peter Robbins, Assistant Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at DCU’s Business School.

I’m joined in studio now by a mother and daughter who have both blazed their own trails, albeit in very different ways. Rosita Sweetman was one of the founders of the Irish Women's Liberation Movement in the 1970’s. On returning to Ireland and becoming a mother, she decided to home-school her son Luke and her daughter, Chupi.

If you’re one of those people who has worshipped at the altar of Marie Kondo, you might be feeling a little deserted after the Queen of Clean announced recently that since having children, even she has come to the conclusion that maybe there’s more to life. Siofra Mulqueen rolled up her sleeves and put on her Marigolds to bring us this report.

Well it seems that a lot of people are looking for romance, maybe not in person, but on the page at least. Since the pandemic there’s been a bit of a boom in the sale of romance novels, in the US sales of print copies have surged by over 50%. Our own true romantic Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out more.

This week platforms like TikTok and Twitter were under fire for their handling of disinformation. The companies had to present progress reports as part of the European Union (EU) new code of practice. Jenny Darmody, Editor of Silicon Republic, joins us now.

With Valentine's day approaching we’re all inundated with pictures of red hearts, rom coms, restaurants and hotels offering up loved up packages. What becomes of the broken hearted as Jimmy Ruffin once sang? Our next guest has just the ticket. Alice Haddon, psychologist and co founder of the Heartbreak Hotel in the Peak District of England.

Our first guest this morning has a story of near death experiences, barge living, thatching, trad music, and tours in Ibiza. Meath man, Donagh Quigley is the founder of the Handmade Soap Company.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were in a bit of a heap this week when their grumpy exchange at the Grammys was caught on camera. Affleck looked less than enthusiastic about being there. Pat Carty from Hot Press and Sarah Geraghty from The Communications Clinic join us in studio now.

The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s video explaining economics with stacked coffee cups and some propaganda masked as an explainer thrown into the flat white mix! It was dubbed Mr Bean-esque economics. A man not known for Mr Bean-esque economics joins us now - Pete Lunn founder and head of the ESRI’s Behavioural research Unit.

My next guest started out working on construction sites with his Irish born father before going on to do a PhD in Cambridge. Early on in his career he travelled extensively when he was working for a London based construction company that sourced many of their materials from the developing world. Terry Downes joins me now.

To the breaking news this morning that the regional airline Flybe has ceased trading - all flights have been cancelled. It comes after Flybe returned to the skies in April following with an earlier collapse. We're joined in studio by Eoghan Corry, editor of Air and Travel Magazine.

Sticking with the sea, there have been many great moments inspired by wind and waves. Ellen Leonard has been looking at some small businesses that have taken their steer from the sea.

Staying with a nautical theme, there were quite a bit of discussion this week about the fate of the Noamh Eanna - a much loved ship, well a previously much loved ship, that’s now languishing in Dublin Dock. It was a ship that transported customers and cattle between the various Aran Islands and Galway City. Maura Derrrane remembers.

We’ve heard of calls for various artefacts from the parthethon marbles to be returned to their country of origin. It was Ireland’s turn this week with a call for the Mount Keefe chalice and other Irish artefacts to be returned here. We’re joined by an expert in this area of repatriation - Art Crime Professor Erin Thompson

The Governor of the Central Bank, Gabriel Makhlouf, nailed his colours to the mast this week when he called for the advertising of all cryptocurrency products aimed at young people to be banned. I’m joined now in studio by financial advisor Paul Merriman.

The climate crisis was one of the big topics at the World Economic Forum meeting in Switzerland. Also this week PWC published a report suggesting ways that Ireland can become a global leader in climate technology. We’re joined by one of the authors of that report, David McGee of PwC Ireland.

There was quite a bit of coverage of Argos' decision to shut up shop this week with the loss of 580 jobs. It’s a tough blow for the workers and the retail sector. There were memories shared too of only moments that Argos could inspire. To look at some of those, we’re joined by Retail Consultant Eddie Shanahan and Emma Power of 2FM

First to the job cuts announcement at Google’s parent company Alphabet. The behemoth of all tech companies has decided to axe 12,000 jobs worldwide. Google employs 4,000 directly in Ireland, 7,000 when contractors are included. So how will it play out here? We’re joined by tech journalist Elaine Burke

To the story of a geeky kid whose family gave him the deeds to a chunk of the family farm to underwrite his first business loan. Martin McKay runs TextHelp, an assistive educational technology company, with revenues of over €30 million in 2021 and 350 employees internationally in the UK, the US, Scandinavia and Belfast city.

Imagine unwittingly outing yourself as a wagon. That would hurt. But actor and writer Tara Flynn says it’s not always the words that matter, it’s the way that you say them.

Over hundreds of years humans have been learning from animals how to adapt to various environments. Animals have inspired so many inventions, from submarines inspired by whales, to cats eyes inspired by well cats. But can biomimicry help us create a more sustainable world? Siofra Mulqueen has this report.

A recent study found that one in four Irish adults say that they have difficulty using basic maths in everyday life. I’m joined now by Professor Brien Nolan from the School of Mathematical Sciences at DCU and Karl Deeter, financial analyst and CEO of financialapplications.com in studio now to discuss.

A survey by the European Central Bank this week found that Irish people expressed the third highest preference for using cash in the eurozone. As we appear to be shuttling towards an increasingly cashless society, Siofra Mulqueen has been chatting to some people with fond memories of the halcyon days of cash in hand.

2022 is generally regarded as having been a challenging year for business. Soaring interest rates curtailed investment across the board, particularly in technology, which is one of the sectors that Enterprise Ireland has always tended to be most active in. CEO of Enterprise Ireland, Leo Clancy is with us in studio.

My next guest became something of an online sensation at the height of the pandemic when he started posting videos of himself playing his cello outside his cottage in rural Mayo. On foot of the exposure he gained from those videos, he was asked to play at an event, albeit online, attended by Joe Biden. Patrick Dexter joins me now in studio.

In light of what can only be described as a fairly spectacular pivot on behalf of the former Sex Pistols frontman this week, our thoughts turned to some high profile pivots in the world of business. I’m joined in studio by Aifric O’Connell who has been looking at some companies who changed direction and thrived in the process.

Adam Moynihan of the website, Vintage GAA, and sports writer with the Irish edition of the Sunday Times and Michael Foley were on to talk to us about the popularity of vintage sports jersey and the companies who fork out millions to have their logos appear on them.

James Leonard and Timmy Long joined us in studio this morning to discuss their podcast, The 2 Norries. They grew up in the northside of Cork City, an environment where drug dealing and criminality were difficult to avoid. In June 2020, they decided to set up a podcast focusing on issues around addiction, crime and recovery.

This morning we are joined by Rory Hearne, Lecturer in Social Policy in Maynooth and author, Tony Foley, Lecturer in Economics in DCU to discuss the exchequer returns revealing the capital underspend at the Department of Housing and the budget surplus.

It's a week into 2023 and our reporter Siofra Mulqueen has been investigating if people have stuck to their New Years Resolutions. Siofra has been exploring the phenomenon of packaged positivity and taking advice on how to nurture self-belief

The wonderful first class children from St Louis Infant School choir in Rathmines in Dublin .

Do you every remember that special Christmas gift that you received as a child? Businessman Sean O’Sullivan pens a note of childhood memories in the 60s and his obsession with robots.

Our show this morning is an ode to winter, the light and dark, storms and shadows, sleet snow and the promise of Spring. Next, designer Helen James brings us a snapshot of a Christmas memory.

We’re continuing on our light and shade odyssey, we’re right beside the Guinness brewery here in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties. We’re visiting the studio of photographer Barry McCall, to hear about his career involving celebrities and capturing colour.

None of us will forget the 7th of October this year when a great tragedy visited the picturesque village of Creeslough in Co. Donegal. Ten people were killed in the blast at the Applegreen Service Station.The Triconaill Tribune has an office we popped in this week to meet editor John McAteer.

Anthony Bergin is 92 years of age and is mind is still consumed with lightbulb moments. He invents products to help elderly people with everyday struggles. Siofra Mulqueen has speaking to the older inventors and creators that continue to innovate and inspire.

We’ll start in the Phoenix park in Dublin with the family that’s been lighting the gas lamps there for generations, over 130 years to be exact. We caught up with Jimmy and 91 year old Frank Flanagan, on a recent icy morning.

From control freakery in the office to keeping celebrations under control. Roy Keane was in água quente in Brazil for criticising their players for celebrating too much when they scored a goal. But should we always be mindful of our opponents or competitors when you celebrate a win, comedian Eleanor Tiernan has been giving it some thought.

With many worrying about supplies from China, we’re joined by someone with a different take on supply chains. John McGuinness is all about sustainability, getting and making what we need closer to home. He runs a horticulture business called Mulch that’s based in Dublin. He joins us in studio now.

From Christmas trees to maybe an easier way to make money - Christmas tunes. I think we all dream of writing a Christmas classic and retiring on the royalties. But which Christmas songs are the real money spinners and is it time to bury a few of them deep beneath the earth? Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out.

Now let’s go back to this very weekend in 1920 when Eamon De Valera left America after 18 months of raising money for the New Irish Free State. Patrick O’Sullivan Greene has been looking at this extensively in his new book ‘Revolution at the Waldorf: America and the Irish War of Independence’. Patrick joins me from Kerry.

Beijing is running out of medical supplies, according to healthcare workers, as they try to combat a rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak. Some are worried that the true infection rate figures are being masked by authorities. We’re joined on the line from Seoul by the Financial Times’ China Correspondent, Edward White.

Well we’ve just been hearing about the management style of Eamonn DeValera. But, if he was around today, I wonder would he be categorised as a helicopter boss? This style of micro-management is becoming a big factor in the world of remote working. Louise Campbell, Managing Director of Robert Walters’ Recruitment joins us now to discuss.

There was news of a fall in Eurozone inflation rates for the first time in 17 months on Wednesday. While that might sound optimistic, the high cost of living suggests that consumers aren’t likely to feel the positive effects of those trends in the immediate future. I’m joined by economist Austin Hughes to discuss these latest trends.

My next guest set up her business in the teeth of a recession in the early 1980’s and has managed to thrive from her outlet in Dublin’s Westbury Mall through another recession, the financial crash and more recently, covid. Susan Moylett, owner of Susan Hunter Lingerie joins us in studio to talk about her life and business endeavours.

Accelerated by the pandemic, the increased demand for online shopping has also increased the number of home deliveries. I’m now joined by Siobhan O’Connell of Business Plus magazine and by John Tuohy, former owner of Parcel Motel, whose new venture, Oohpod, aims to capture a portion of the parcel locker end of the market.

There was a time when extravagant cakes were the preserve of brides and grooms but in recent years the growing appetite for statement cakes has opened up a whole new market. Armed with her rolling pin and piping bag, Siofra Mulqueen has been chatting to some of the people who make very fancy cakes for a living

The tech world has created a new breed of gurus. Wellness, self-improvement and career enhancement are just some of the areas these online leaders are tapping into. Author, journalist and host of the upcoming BBC Radio 4 podcast ‘The New Gurus’, Helen Lewis, joins us now to talk about this phenomenon.

From the age of seven, Eamon McCay of Frylite Solutions knew he wanted to be a businessman. Hailing from Sion Mills in Co. Tyrone, his company now has a 60 million euro turnover and employs almost 300 people. Founder and Managing Director of Frylite Solutions Eamon McCay joins us now.

You couldn’t have missed the Black Friday sales yesterday, with mountains of ads and offers. But will we be spending as much in the run up to this Christmas and what happens when others are being cautious about their spending? Deirdre Robertson, Research Officer in the Behavioural Unit at the ESRI has this on the psychology of spending.

Lockdowns have been imposed across China in the wake of rising Covid 19 infections. With businesses basically bolted shut once again, how does this fare for the darkening outlook of the world’s second largest economy? China Correspondent from the Irish Times Denis Staunton in Beijing joins us now.

There was some good news this week with the publication of a new report from the Balance for Better Business Review Group. Women now make up about 36 percent of executives at board level. But is it good news or just mediocre? Professor Christine Cross, Dean of The Business School at Edinburgh Napier University joins us to discuss.

Now let’s go to Ukraine where there are rolling blackouts across the country. The EU has recently pledged to help restore power and heating and Nato has offered more assistance too. Freelance journalist Norma Costello joins us from Kyiv.

Now what about monopoly that’s been inspired by a bit of this for Christmas? Metallica song With Black Friday purchases underway, have you bought anything that’s been a bit of a shock? TV and radio producer Eoin Sweeney has been looking into the world of the oddest things you can buy!

Finally to something completely different, as the nights come in early and the frost starts to arrive, many are still out in the elements braving the cold as they run their businesses. Ellen Leonard has been catching up with entrepreneurs who prefer the biting wind and cold water to water cooler moments.

Sticking with Tech but a more glamorous take. Earlier this week Jeff Bezos honored Dolly Parton with his "Courage and Civility" award in recognition of her philanthropic efforts over the years, $100 million to spend on charities of her choosing. But what does Dolly do with her Dosh? Writer Anna Carey has this ode to Dolly.

A Sligo man who is a leading player in the construction industry in the UK, in scaffolding in particular. Bernard Dwyer is the founder of PHD Access, a company with a turnover of over 60 million pounds. Dwyer has been involved in building infrastructure all over the world including Big Ben, The Atlantis in the Bahamas and Wembley Stadium.

Twitter is with us again this weekend in even more dire circumstances. Warning of bankruptcy, mass resignations, and swingeing job cuts. We’re joined by Director of Digital Action Liz Carolan and Assistant Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at DCU’s Business School Peter Robbins.

More than 10 million Ukrainians are without electricity after a barrage of Russian air attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure. Weather conditions have started to creep in, leading to many worrying about heating supplies during the winter months. But how are businesses coping? Freelance journalist Norma Costello joins us to discuss.

Old Irish shopfronts have a very distinctive place in the hearts of many. It seems among a younger generation, there’s a real effort to save as many of them as possible. Siofra Mulqueen has been gathering some memories of shop fronts. Joined by Jessica Traynor, Eddie Shanahan, Revert Design and Our Type.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has admonished the tech firms here for their treatment of staff. So what’s happening inside tech, is the outlook for the industry as bleak as we might think? We’re joined by two people with an insider view - Founder of Soapbox Labs Patricia Scanlon and Founder and CEO of Dogpatch Labs Patrick Walsh

The European Commission has forecast that the EU will tip into recession this winter. We’re joined by Central Bank Deputy Governor Sharon Donnery to discuss.

As we’ve all been keeping an eye on the tech titans - particularly one billionaire’s Twitter takeover. We wondered if our fascination with the rich dates further back than we might think? Dr. Nikki Carter who has a PHD in British aristocracy in the Department of history at Trinity College Dublin is with us in studio.

Our first guest is a legend in design, he has not only designed carpets, but also cities and even countries too. Bruce Mau featured on the cover of Time Magazine. He was asked to redesign Mecca and Guatamala and brands such as Coca Cola, MTV and Disney. His life story is the subject of the documentary Mau : Design the time of your life.

The mass layoffs in Twitter are making a lot of headlines this morning. The company seems to be in chaos. Some of the fired employees are already in the process of suing Twitter for failing to notify them of the layoffs. We’re joined by Editor of Silicon Republic Elaine Burke and Executive Director of Digital Action Liz Carolan.

Instead of spotting snakes in the house of commons Tory MP Matt Hancock will be spotting snakes in the jungle in I’m a Celebrity, Get me out of Here. Writer and Comedian Colm O’Regan is a man of a similar age, he’s the author of Climate Worrier - A Hypocrite’s Guide to Saving the Planet.

Whatever about makeup for women, men too have started spending more and more on cosmetics and grooming. The industry is booming and is expected to be worth over eighty billion euro globally by 2024. Siofra Mulqueen reports with James Kavanagh, Ruth Griffin and Fat Tony's barber.

The Oldest bike shop in Dublin is about to close down. You’ll probably know Delaney’s Bike Shop beside the canal on the corner heading into Harold’s Cross. It’s in a red building that has quite a history. The shop was set up by Paul and Brian Delaney’s great grandfather. We caught up with the owners Paul and Brian yesterday.

A man who has grown a small stall that operated at the likes of the ploughing championship to a company that’s operating all over the world, all in just 10 years. Brendan McDowell of BPerfect cosmetics joins us to talk about his life's success so far.

“The bird is freed” according to new Twitter owner Elon Musk, after he completed his $44 billion acquisition this week. So, is this the worst deal in a long time and what does the Tesla CEO have in mind for the social media platform? We’re joined by Elaine Burke, Editor of Silicon Republic to discuss.