The Business

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Siofra Mulqueen

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.

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.

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.