On Business Matters this week Chris Ashmore speaks with finance expert Dan Malone about how savers should shop around to get better interest rates, and finds out more about the recently launched savings comparison website, honest.ie

Ireland is a nation of savers, but many people are getting paltry interest rates on their deposits.

Dan explains how you can set up put your money into accounts all over Europe, very simply, and how they have the same guarantees as Irish banks for depositors while also offering – in many cases – considerably higher interest rates.

Also, in this edition, Chris speaks to Highland Radio CEO Sean Quinn about the hugely successful Highland Radio Hospitality Awards.

They also look forward to the radio station’s input and plans for live updates from the Donegal Diaspora Initiative in Philadelphia from March 20th – 22nd. The three day event is about turning connection into action, bringing together Donegal people at home and around the world through sport, culture, music, and business.

This week’s full Business Matters programme can he heard here:

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In Business Matters this week Chris Ashmore finds out about an event being held as part of Enterprise Week that ties in with International Women’s Day, and he also finds out about the next New Frontiers programme at ATU Letterkenny, which is geared towards people with innovative business ideas that have the potential to scale up and provide employment.

First up, Chris has been speaking with Sally Murphy, President of the Donegal Women in Business Network, to find out more anout about the “Built on Belief, Women Building Businesses in Donegal” event which is taking place on Friday, March 5th in An Grianan Hotel in Burt from 10 am to 1 pm.

Then, Chris hears from Geraldine Beirne, the New Frontiers programme manager at ATU Letterkenny, She’s been outlining the different phases in the programme, and who it is aimed at. Applications are open for the next phase and already there has been considerable interest.

You can listen to the full programme here:

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On Business Matters this week Chris Ashmore has been finding all about how a Donegal oyster producer who is using AI to monitor oyster health with support from Enterprise Ireland, ATU Donegal and Board Iascaigh Mhara.

Lee Hunter, a marine biologist and owner of Oisirí Oileán Cróine Teoranta in Dungloe Bay, has created the system, known as The Oyster Pitch, which analyses the sound oysters make when they are handled to distinguish live shellfish from dead stock with a high degree of accuracy.

His innovation has considerable potential in the shellfish sector.

Also in the programme, Chris has been hearing about Enterprise Week which runs from Monday, March 3rd to Friday, March 7th, and once again there is a packed programme full of events. He has been speaking with Brenda Hegarty, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office, Donegal, Cllr. Paul Canning, Cathaoirleach of Donegal Co. Council, and John McLaughlin, Chief Executive of Donegal Co. Council.

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On Business Matters this week Chris Ashmore looks at a Donegal company that looks set to play a major role in helping to solve underground issues that ultimately can affect millions of people.

Underneath our cities, towns and villages and reaching into rural areas too there is an enormous network of pipes, of water mains, of sewers, of drains.

And so when there is a problem, be it leaks, blockages of structural collapses, locating the exact spot is vital, but can be time consuming, costly, and difficult and there can be health and safety issues too. There can also be a lack of knowledge when it comes to the accurate mapping of what lies beneath the ground – some sewerage systems go back to Roman times.

But huge strides have now been made by an Inishowen based company called Subterranean Software that specialises in software for drones operating in underground and constrained environments.

And recently it has named as a winner at this year’s Stelios Foundation North-South Business Cooperation Awards along with their partner, Good Friday Robotics.

Founded by Anthony Hutton and Aidan Gallagher and based at the ii (Inishowen Innovation) centre in Buncrana, Subterranean develops highly advanced and autonomous software systems that enable drones to navigate environments where GPS is absent, radio links are degraded and visibility is minimal.

You can listen to the full programme here:

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In this week’s programme Chris Ashmore finds out more about Emerald Education which is based in Bundoran.

A mum of three daughters, Elaine Lingard wanted them to get the best from her. She left the school system having been a teacher and started tutoring, giving her also a better work-life balance and more time with my family.

Back in 2016 she founded Emerald Education, initially tutoring children in person and soon adding  the option of online learning.

Indeed, she began tutoring Maths and English, working  with children all over the world ranging from Portugal to the USA,, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates to name but a few.

Now she offers Maths & English tuition for students aged from 5-18. She also has exam revision classes that have helped students gain confidence and improve their grades. 

She prides herself with her unique tailor-made approach to ensures students get the extra support in exactly the right places to help them succeed.  

As well as online courses, in-person tuition and tutoring online she also does dyslexia and dyscalculia screening tests and also various camps – and – as we shall hear – she is also the author of a number of very interesting education related books.  

This part of the interview is particularly worth listening to, especially if you are a parent. Her first book was called Master Your Times Tables in a Month which is full of clever little tricks that she uses to make learning easier. She’s had sales of this book to all over the world.

Chris paid a visit to Elaine in her Emerald Education premises in Bundoran to find out more, and you can listen to the full interview here:

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On Business Matters this week Chris Ashmore looks at a great Donegal success story.

He’s been speaking with two brothers who started out selling bobble hats to local sports teams, and who are now presiding over an expanding and thriving business that is now employing more than 30 people in Ballybofey and which is also manufacturing as well as importing.

O’Reilly’s is run by brothers Martin and Steven O’Reilly and supply sportswear, leisurewear, workwear and corporate clothing to clubs, businesses and organisations throughout Ireland, the UK and America. 

Martin, a noted Gaelic footballer,  trained as a primary school teacher in Colaiste Mhuire in Marino, Dublin and also completed  a Masters in Education and Leadership in Queens  University, Belfast.

Steven, a multiple national boxing champion, was an  undergraduate of Letterkenny IT as it was known then and the University of Limerick, before he became a PE teacher.

Their passion for sport accompanied by the dream of running their own business led to the birth of O’Reilly Sports, from the humble beginnings of those bobble hats on a cold day.

At the end of last year they opened their new premises in what many years ago was the old Herdmans linen factory, and so a textile manufacturing tradition is getting a new lease of life once again.

More than €2million has been invested in the wonderfully modern, impressive renovated and rebuilt structure at the Northern Point Business Centre in Sessiaghoneill just outside Ballybofey. Their website is: https://oreillysofficial.com/

It also houses a striking new shop, with an extensive range of their sportswear and leisurewear products.

Chris paid a visit to their new premises to find out all about the business, and you can listen to the full interview here:

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On Business Matters this week, Chris Ashmore speaks with coaching psychologist and well-being specialist Anna Marie Brosi.

She will be speaking at a Business Leadership Breakfast being hosted by Letterkenny Chamber in the Century Complex in the town on Friday, January 30th, where the theme will be Strategies to Thrive.

Chris has been finding out about her career path, how she deals with clients – ranging from the self employed to big business – and how she can help in areas ranging from burnout prevention to managing stress.

You can listen to the full programme here:

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On Business Matters this week, I’ll be finding out about how people living in Ireland can avail of a UK pension – even if they only worked for a year in the North or in Britain – and also hearing about the supports and grants available through the Local Enterprise Office.

Many people in Donegal may be unaware that not only are they eligible for a UK pension, but they could actually pay in additional contributions which will then be topped up by the British taxpayer who will be adding to their pension pot when they retire.

John Ring of Xtrapension joined me for an update, and it is certainly a topic that will be of interest to a considerable number of people in the north-west, and indeed people who may have worked in the UK but who subsequently emigrated.

In the second half of the programme, Brenda Hegarty, Head of Enterprise, gives  an outline of some of the wide range or supports – including mentoring and grants – as well as courses that are available through Local Enterprise Office, Donegal.

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On Business Matters this week Chris’s Ashmore’s guest is Dr. Siobhan Murray, the founder of Blue Poppy Dentistry and Orthodontics.

A native of Omagh and a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, she opened her first practice in Donegal Town in 2010. Then in 2019  a second practice was opened on the Pearse Road in Letterkenny.

The company has grown over the years expanding the range of treatments and using the very latest technology.

And shortly they will open a third premises, this one being in the Letterkenny Shopping Centre, where there will be considerable passing footfall and people will be able to see just what they offer.

In this interview, Dr. Siobhan talks about a range of matters, including the ever-evolving advances in technology and the positive impact that this has had on the sector, her great team, fashion trends, and the risks associated with going for dental related treatment abroad.

You can listen to the full episode here:

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In this week’s Business Matters, Chris Ashmore traces the story of McGinley Coaches, founded by John McGinley more than 50 years ago.

In December, James McGinley was named as the 2025 Business Person of the Year Award at the Donegal Dublin Business Network Gala Night.

The current CEO and son of John McGinley, he has overseen both growth and diversity in recent years as the West Donegal company continues to go from strength to strength.

So it is timely to hear about the company – including its venture into the cruise tourism sector – in this interview that was first broadcast last April.

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