In this episode, Michael marks seven years of The Irish FIRE Podcast with a personal update on how his own FIRE journey has progressed and evolved. He shares the latest developments in his property investing strategy, including the purchase of another buy-to-let property in Limerick, the use of refinancing and equity release, and how he thinks about leverage, risk and long-term financial independence.

Michael also reflects on what it actually feels like to reach financial independence. Rather than a clean break from work, he talks about the slower transition towards more freedom, seasonal work, taking more time off, and the challenge of deciding what “retirement” really means when you still enjoy the work you do. He also shares an update on the podcast itself, including reaching 400,000 lifetime downloads and welcoming Moneycube as a new podcast sponsor.

Finally, Michael explores one of the biggest lessons of the past year: time freedom only matters if you protect it. After taking on a major hockey coaching commitment, he reflects on the impact it had on family life, the importance of learning to say no, and why FIRE is ultimately about creating more space for the things that matter most - family, freedom, calmness and time.

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This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

This episode has also been sponsored by Moneycube.  Moneycube is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

In this episode of The Irish FIRE Podcast, Michael speaks with Alan and Katie Donegan, who reached financial independence and retired in 2019. Since then, they have built a life around freedom, travel, creativity and purpose, living as digital nomads while continuing to teach others about money, business and lifestyle design.

Michael talks to Alan and Katie about their own journey to financial independence, how they approached saving, investing and building a life that was not dependent on traditional employment. They also discuss what life has looked like after reaching FI, including the realities of early retirement, travelling full-time, and finding meaningful projects after stepping away from conventional work.

This episode is a great listen for anyone interested in financial independence, lifestyle design, digital nomadism, or simply hearing from people who have actually reached FI and are living life on their own terms.

Show Notes:

Alan’s previous interview from 2020:

Rebel Finance School:

Rebel Business School:

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This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

In this episode, Michael sits down with Paul Overy from Ask About Wealth - a highly experienced financial planner with decades in the industry and a growing following across social media and YouTube.

In this episode, Michael talks with Robert Whelan, from Rockwell Financial.  Originally from Carlow and now living in Dublin, Robert shares his family background, from working with his Dad as a milkman, to working in hospitality, to eventually launching his own business in 2009 as a financial advisor.

Robert answers some tough questions around how those pursuing financial independence can work with a financial advisor to make the journey easier.

He also shares his wisdom around starting his own business and discusses typical advice he would give for those in the “boring middle”.

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This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

In this episode, Michael shares the full story of his journey to financial independence - from moving to Ireland from New Zealand in 2011, to building a life with more freedom, less money stress, and far more intention around how he lives. What started as a normal middle-class life of earning and spending gradually changed after meeting a friend living a very different kind of life - one built around time freedom rather than consumerism. That experience opened his eyes to the FIRE movement and set him on a very different path over the next 8 years.

Michael talks about the mistakes he made early on, from poor pension decisions to chasing high returns through unregulated investments that ultimately cost him time, money, and peace of mind. Looking back, one of the biggest lessons was that investing does not need to be exciting to work. The more he chased shortcuts, the more complicated things became. Real progress came when he focused on the basics: tracking spending, saving consistently, automating where possible, thinking long term, and keeping investing simple.

He also reflects on what life looks like today, how money stress affected relationships in the early years, and how even reaching the first stages of financial independence can transform your life long before retirement. This conversation covers the hard lessons, the funny stories, the mindset shifts, and the practical habits that shaped his journey. If you’re new to The Irish FIRE Podcast, this is the perfect place to start.

Show Notes:

Money Bootcamp with Justin:

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This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

In this episode, Michael shares why he refuses to get dragged into bidding wars and how that approach has shaped his property investing journey from accidental landlord in 2020 to closing on property number seven.

What started with refinancing a three-bed semi-D instead of selling it became the beginning of a much bigger strategy: buying carefully, focusing on yield, staying unemotional, and walking away when the numbers stop making sense.

Michael breaks down why the Irish property buying process is stacked against buyers, why he now makes one strong offer only, and why “coming second” can often be the smartest move in the market.

He also explains the key metric he uses to assess every deal - rental yield - and why purchase price alone tells you very little about whether a property is actually good value.

Along the way, he shares:

why ex-rentals often no longer work for investors

how RPZ rules distort buying decisions

why owner-occupied properties can now make more sense for landlords

how rising rents and rising prices in Limerick have broadly kept yields steady

the frustration of painfully slow finance approvals

why leverage and refinancing are central to his current strategy

what recent rental law changes mean for larger landlords

and why respecting a deal once you go sale agreed really matters

This is a property episode about discipline, patience, and resisting the pressure to “win” at all costs.

Show Notes:

Get notified when The Irish Property Podcast launches - https://www.propertypodcast.ie

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This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

It had been eight years since Michael was last in New Zealand - the country where he grew up before moving to Ireland in 2011. When he left, New Zealand felt significantly more expensive than Ireland. So when he returned for a three-week family trip, he decided to do what any personal finance nerd would do… he kept a money diary.

This episode breaks down his experiences with spending in New Zealand and whether his long-held assumptions about the cost of living in both countries still hold true.

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This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

In this episode, Michael walks through the thinking and habits behind his family’s journey from having nothing saved in 2017 to building a €800,000 investment portfolio in eight years.

This episode is based on his recent article for The Irish Independent and expands on the real mechanics behind wealth-building: saving first, avoiding lifestyle creep, investing consistently, and letting time do the heavy lifting.

If you've ever felt that FIRE sounds unrealistic, extreme, or only achievable for high earners - this episode is for you.

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What if FIRE wasn’t about retiring early... but about living a better life?

In this personal end-of-year episode, Michael reflects on what Financial Independence has actually delivered in 2025 and it's not what he originally expected. Rather than quitting work completely, FIRE has unlocked something far more powerful: choice, abundance, and the ability to say yes.

This episode explores how FIRE quietly transforms everyday life - from paying the bill without stress, to redefining work, supporting family, buying coastal property, and embracing opportunity without fear.

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Brian and Izabela have been active members of the Limerick FI Meet-Up Group since 2019. Recently married, they’re a fantastic example of a couple pursuing FIRE together. In this episode, Michael visits them in their home in Limerick to talk about their FIRE journey, how they work as a team on the path to financial independence, the low-stress lifestyle they’ve intentionally built, their passive, low-cost home design, and how they managed to save thousands of euro on their wedding.