Down To Business

Joining Bobby this week in the executive chair is Padraic Frawley, owner of the Cornstore Restaurants in Cork & Limerick, Coqbull Restaurants in Cork City, Limerick City & Castletroy, Co. Limerick, as well as 65a Restaurant in Spitalfields, London.

Next week’s show will be coming to you from Cape Town in South Africa as part of our annual trip for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year CEO Retreat. Bobby is joined by Roger Wallace, Partner Leader for the Programme, to look ahead to what promises to be an exciting and rewarding week.

The cruise industry is estimated to be worth €70 million to the Irish economy every year as the sector continues to bounce back strongly from the challenges of the last 4 years.So, for this week’s Industry Review, Bobby got a sense of how the cruise industry has changed over the years and found out just what it has to offer holiday-makers, young and old.Joining Bobby is:Alan Lynch of Travel EscapesSuzanne Rowe, Head of Sales Ireland of MSC CruisesBrian Hynes, Head of Sales for Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

Temu is now the temple for cheap and cheerful products you probably don’t need but buy anyway, but the downsides are that European regulators claim that it uses manipulative sales techniques illegal under EU law and fails to protect European consumers. Bobby is joined by Conor Pope, Consumer Affairs Correspondent for the Irish Times to discuss.

Bobby is joined by Portia Quinn of Harley and Marley, an Irish-owner pet food company that specialises in fish-based pet nutrition.

Joining Bobby to run through the top business stories from the Saturday papers is broadcaster, Valerie Cox and Ronan Reid, Director of Cantor Fitzgerlad Services. Ltd.

Joining Bobby this week in the executive chair was Chris Mee of EHS International

The inaugural Ballymaloe Festival of Food will be running at Ballymaloe from Friday, May 17th to Sunday, May 19th this year to celebrate 60 years of Ballymaloe House.The three-day event will have cooking demos, pop-up dinners, producers’ stalls and activities celebrating the journey of good food from the soil and sea to your plate.Bobby's guest today will also be in attendance to chat to Rachel Allen about his legendary career - that is of course, Marco Pierre White….

Joining Bobby to run through the top business stories from the Saturday papers is Bob Hoffman of Vista Executive Search and Susan Hayes-Culleton of Hayes Culleton

Now, AI has been affecting how we work for some time now be it through helping to evaluate job applications, streamlining workflows or for assessing pay and performances.But in the past year, generative AI has supercharged that potential and for better or for worse, it is here to stay.But how can AI be utilised to give better feedback to our employees and give them the guidance that can be often left wanting? Denis Coleman, Founder of Work Compass joined Bobby to discuss

With several significant changes at the legendary Berkshire Hathaway we ask what the future holds for the company. To do so Bobby was joined by Stephen Cloonan, Non-Executive Chairman of Shaws Department Stores

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair today was Kenny Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer at DAA

For this week's out and about Bobby paid a visit to Ask the Midwife in Dun Laoghaire.

Now, according to the most recent figures, between 2017 and 2022 there has been an increase in market share of the 79 independent microbreweries that are currently in operation in the Republic of Ireland, with the consumption of craft beer rising from 2.9% to 3.4%. But with a hugely competitive market out there and the power of the likes of Diageo and other heavy-hitters still ever-present, how are our own craft beer companies faring in 2024? Joining Bobby to discuss was ● Quincey Fennelly, CEO & Founder of Wicklow Wolf Brewing ● Peter Maguire Sales Director with Rye River Brewing ● Shane Long, co-founder of Original 7

We’ve all heard of blind spots but a new book is introducing us to our so-called “deaf spots” as more and more people ignore the chatter on pressing issues. ‘Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World’ equips fed-up readers with the tools to tackle our own biases in an information-heavy society. Joining Bobby was author Nuala Walsh, CEO of Mind Equity and behavioural scientist.

KALO, created by Kate O’Neill and Michael O’Malley, is an innovative accessories brand which produces luxury handbags and hairbands made using apple “leather”. Their venture saw them being announced as the winner of Brown Thomas Arnotts Pitch ’23 initiative, which is designed to support small Irish businesses. Bobby was joined by Kate and Michael this morning

Joining Bobby to run through the top business stories from the Saturday papers is Caroline Bocoquel of Bord Iascha Mara and Stephen O’Leary, founder of Olytico

As a nation, we love to complain about the weather but for the farming industry, this year’s disastrous weather has brought it to the brink. To understand the gravity of the situation, Bobby is joined by Eoin Lowry, Head of Agri at Bank of Ireland & Bobby Miller, a tillage farmer and head of the Irish Grain Growers Group.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is David Nolan and Kevin Glynn, founders of Butternut Box.

This year’s finalists in the EY Entrepreneur have just been announced and it’s a bumper group. As we do every year on the show, we’ll be following the finalists on their journey which next month will see Bobby and the team bring you the show from Cape Town in South Africa. To discuss, Bobby is joined by Roger Wallace, EY Ireland Head of Assurance and EY Entrepreneur of the Year Partner Sponsor, and also by two of this year’s finalists who are Orlaith Ryan from Shorla Oncology and David Maguire, CEO of the BNRG Group.

The 'Moving to Portugal Show' took place this month which provided free access to a range of experts on the tax, investment, legal, financial, and practical aspects of moving from Ireland to Portugal. Bobby was on hand to find out all about it and what Portugal has to offer.

We’re a nation famed for our theatre scene with an abundance of world-renowned authors, playwrights, and actors to call our own.But it’s a competitive space out there and with rising costs and entertainment increasingly available at our fingertips, how are our theatres faring in 2024?Joining Bobby to discuss is:Donal Shiels, Artistic Director and CEO of The Civic TheatreStephen Faloon, General Manager of the Bord Gáis Energy TheatreLouise Donlon, Director at Lime Tree Theatre and Belltable

Joining Bobby to run through the top business stories from the Saturday papers is Caroline Reidy of the HR Suite and Jon Ihle, Deputy Business Editor with the Sunday Times Ireland.

To play Bobby out with some music following a brilliant visit to Ballinasloe as part of the 'Open for Business Roadshow' is local man and old friend of the show, Ultan Conlon.

Bobby is joined by Pádraic Ó’Máille, Ireland's number one speaker and mentor to talk about the discipline of success, and more.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Pat McDonagh, founder of Supermac's.

Broadcasting from Ballinasloe for the 'Open for Business Roadshow', Bobby chats to some local businesses in the town to get a sense of how they are faring.Bobby is joined bySeamus Duffy, Chairman of Ballinasloe Area Community Development Arlene Naughton of Athlone HampersJoe Ward of Joe Ward's Menswear Tyrone Stockil, Manager of Wag and Tails PetShop Tommie Costello of Cuckoo Hill Boot Camp  Padraig Fahy, Beechlawn Organic Farm  Therese O'Mahony of Coral Leisure Raj Lyons of Affinity EV

Bobby and the team are broadcasting out of Ballinasloe in the Shearwater Hotel & Spa as part of the 'Open for Business Roadshow'. Bobby and the health check team give Ballinasloe the once over to see what works and what could be improved with Retail Consultant, Eddie Shanahan & Planning Expert, Conor Skehan.

Bobby is joined by Dave O’Connell, Group Editor of the Connacht Tribune & Joan Mulvihill, Digitisation Lead at Siemens to look at the business stories making the morning papers.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Peter Jelkeby, Country CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer with IKEA Ireland and UK.

Tim Grover, CEO of Attack Athletics has had the unique privilege of calling the likes of sporting superstars such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as his former clients. He is a towering authority on the science of physical & mental strength - he joins Bobby to discuss.

According to recent figures, Ireland is among the countries with the highest internet use in the world, amounting to over six hours every day per person.If you couple that with the fact that the rate of shortsightedness is estimated to rise by 50% by 2050, our eye health has never been more important.With this in mind, Bobby wanted to speak to some people in the business of eye care to get a sense of things.Joining Bobby is:Liz Grennan, Clinical optometrist with Optilase and Member the Council of Optometry IrelandStephen Olwell, Optometrist and Director of Stephen Olwell Opticians in LongfordMike Wyley, MD of Dixon Hempenstall on Suffolk Street here in Dublin

Joining Bobby to discuss the decreasing number of EV car sales in Ireland is Philip Nolan, motoring correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail.

Are you a board member of a company and thought about how psychology impacts your decision-making? Social and organizational psychologist, Dr. Wieke Scholten, believes we don't pay enough attention to this aspect of our professional lives - she joins Bobby to discuss.

Bobby is joined by broadcaster, Norah Casey & Ciarán Hancock, Business Editor with the Irish Time to look at the business stories from the morning papers.

Sitting in the Executive Chair this week is Kim Swan, Managing Director of Aircoach.

For this week’s Industry Review, get your green thumb ready, we’re looking at garden centres in Ireland. Bobby is joined by Rachel Doyle, Founder of the Arboretum, Oliver Schurmann, Co-Owner of Mount Venus Nursery and Tig Mays, Co-Owner of Howbert & Mays.

Bobby is joined by Steve Hearsum, author of No Silver Bullet: Bursting the Bubble of the Organisational Quick Fix to discuss the difficulties you can have in business management.

With the advent of hybrid working, it’s important to look at the commercial property sector to see if it is still worth investing in. Bobby is joined by Colm Lauder, real estate capital markets advisor, Principal at Lingard Capital Advisers and columnist with the Business Post to discuss.

For this week’s Out & About, Bobby is down for the Cáis Irish Cheese Awards talking to both Siobhán Ni Ghairbith, Treasurer of Cáis and owner of St Tola Goat Cheese and judge and cheese writer Patrick McGuigan.

Bobby is joined by Louisa Meehan of Woodview HRM and Stephen O’Leary, founder of Olytico to look at the business stories that are making the morning papers.

Sitting in the Executive Chair to talk to Bobby this week is Frank Walsh, Founder of 123ink.ie and 123ink.se.

Bobby talks to Fiona Harold, life coach, business mentor and author of multiple books such as ‘Be Your Own Life Coach’ about her life and career.

For this week’s Industry Review, get your sweet tooth ready, because we’re looking at the world of chocolate around Easter. Bobby is joined by Karen and Natalie Keane, sisters and founders of Bean and Goose, Gráinne Mullins, founder of Grá Chocolates and Mary Healy, Director & Co-Owner of The Chocolate Garden.

This guest has written an article that compares running an SME in the countryside to being a contestant on Squid Game, where they struggle to survive. Are things really that dire for businesses in rural Ireland? And what can be done to help? Stuart Fitzgerald, CEO of Fitzgerald Power and Strategy Columnist for The Currency, joins Bobby.

This week, Bobby visits Naoise Barry and his company, Seaweed and Saltwater: a camper rental and camper sales business. He checks out a converted camper Tesla!

Bobby is joined by Rebecca Harrison, MD of Fishers of Newmounttownkennedy and Declan Ralph, Retail Development Director of BWG Foods to look at the business stories that are making the morning papers.

Bobby is joined by Marine Tanguy to discuss her new book ‘The Visual Detox: How to Consume Media Without Letting it Consume You’'. Together they discuss how the imagery we see every day shapes our wellbeing and how to combat information overload.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Billy Hann, CEO of Dublin Bus.

For this week’s industry review, Bobby speaks to three people in the honey business to find out what it’s like for beekeepers up and down the country.They are: Emma Finn of ‘Bees on the Roof’; Eoghan Mac Giolla Coda of ‘Lannleire Honey’; and Pat McCormack of ‘Farmhouse Bees and Trees’.