Down To Business

If you are one of those people who feel they’ve been spending too much time on their phone, The Irish Times' Business and Technology journalist Ciara O’Brien has been using a device that might actually help. She joins Bobby to discuss.

Regular listeners will know that Down to Business has a long association with the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. This week, Bobby is joined by some of this year’s finalists and alumni to look at the topic of education and how entrepreneurs are changing the nature of learning. Joining Bobby is:Brendan Noud, co-founder and CEO of LearnUponKarl Fitzpatrick, CEO of Chevron College Louella Morton, co-founder and co-CEO of TestReach

Joining Bobby to go through the main stories from the business pages is Carolie Reidy of the HR Suite & Lorcan Allen, Director of Business Development with Keatings & Associates.

Emmet Oliver is joined by Marc Woods, author of Best Teams: Creating and Maintaining High-performing Teams.

Joining Emmet Oliver in the Executive Chair is Steve MacNicholas, CEO for Ireland at Ekco.

For this week’s Industry Review, Emmet Oliver dives into the booming world of sports travel - a business that sits right at the crossroads of adventure, competition, and tourism. Joining Emmet is:Sean Baird, Business Development Manager with Killester TravelMarty Carr, Founder & Chairman of Carr Golf TravelFrancis Roche, Managing Director of Marathon Sports Travel

What began at her kitchen table during lockdown, designed between nap times and night feeds, has grown into a thriving Irish brand now stocked in Carrolls stores across the country and sold online to over 40 countries. SnooZip is a clever, family-focused sleepwear brand whose creator, Aisling Ryan, joins Emmet Oliver in studio to discuss

Down to Business has a long association with the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, and over the next few weeks, we’ll be hosting discussions around some of the issues faced by entrepreneurs with some of this year’s finalists and alumni of the programme. Joining Emmet Oliver to look at sustainability and how to keep it a concern while also turning a profit are two of this year’s finalists:Seamus Fahy of ICS Medical DevicesDavid Corcoran of SoltecRose Hyde of Ballymaloe Food

Joining Emmet Oliver to go through the main stories from the Saturday business pages is Susan HayesCulleton, presenter of Taking Stock here at ewstalk & Ronan Reid of Cantor.

We all know AI is a challenge that most of us look at with fear and trepidation. Mike Wright, co-writer of The 14 Behaviors Driving Successful Digital Transformation in the Age of Gen AI, joins Emmet Oliver to look at some behaviors that might help us succeed.

Joining Emmet Oliver in the Executive Chair is Brendan Nourse, Managing Director of Image Supply Systems Audio Visual.

Vinyl is back, and it’s not just down to some passing trend or nostalgia. Across Ireland, record players are being dusted off, and a whole new generation is discovering the magic of the album. Emmet Oliver is joined by Chris Keena from Anthem Vinyl, Ireland’s only record pressing plant; Ray O'Brien, owner of Music Zone in Togher, Cork; and Enda Gogarty from Spindizzy Records in Dublin to talk about the vinyl revival, what’s behind it, and why it’s here to stay.

In a world full of uncertainty, we love to cling to control and systems. Dr Margaret Heffernan thinks that if we embrace uncertainty in the way artists and creatives do, we might find solid ground to walk towards the future. Dr Heffernan joins Emmet Oliver to discuss.

Irish Pop Up Collective was set up in 2019 to support small Irish brands and businesses and give them a retail platform, as they are unable to afford a bricks & mortar space. They have approximately 50 makers/brands at each event, with a minimum of €100k worth of business being done on the day. There have been seven events so far, with two more Irish Popup Collective events taking place on 7th & 14th December in The Royal Marine Hotel. Emmet Oliver is joined by Kate Fine, co-founder of the collective & Una Burke, whose leatherwork will feature in both events.

Joining Emmet Oliver to go through the main business tories from the Saturday papers is Lousia Meehan of Woodview HRM & Declan Ralph from BWG Foods.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Jim Meade, outgoing Chief Executive of Irish Rail.

Bobby is joined by Sara Daw, Group CEO of The CFO Centre and The Liberti Group, to talk about the concept of fractional leadership and why business leaders are buying into the concept.

From homegrown skincare to high-end makeup, Irish brands are making serious waves both at home and abroad.Joining Bobby to discuss the sector are three of the driving forces behind that success:Nicola Connelly from Nunaia Niamh Ryan, Co-Founder of Ella & Jo Amy Cahill, Owner of Oxmantown Skin Care

In an age of tapping, is the smell and feel of paper money dead? Joining Bobby to discuss whether cash is still king is Conor Pope, consumer affairs correspondent with the Irish Times.

What or how do you want to feel when you want to go out to eat? Two people who know a thing or two about making customers feel welcome and cared for are Robbie Bargh, founding partner of Gorgeous Group & renowned Michelin-starred Chef Ross Lewis. They join Bobby to chat about the industry.

Joining Bobby to go through the main business stores from the Saturday papers is leadership & communication expert, Gina London & Ronan Reid of Cantor

Bobby is joined by Nic Marks, author of 'Happiness is a serious business: Why happy teams are more successful and how to build them'.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Dorothy Creaven, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer of Jentic.

Ireland’s visual art scene is full of creativity, challenge, and conversation, and today Bobby hears from three people right at the heart of it.For this week’s art-focused Industry Review, Bobby is joined by: ● Jerome O’Drisceoil, founder & owner of the Green on Red Gallery ● Thais Muniz, visual artist ● Geraldine O’Neill, Artist and member of Aosdána

Last night, people nationwide from schools, communities, and companies slept outdoors to shine a light on child homelessness and, of course, to raise funds. Newstalk’s Own Josh Crosbie was at various locations throughout the night - he joins Bobby to discuss.

Joining Bobby to run through the main business stories from the Saturday papers is Linda Daly, Business reporter with the Sunday Times & Doug Keatinge of Avolon.

If you are looking to buy gold, you may be in for a shock as the price of gold levelled off at $4,000 per ounce this week, marking a 53% gain in 2025. Joining Bobby to discuss what is behind this shift adn whether there may be wider implications for the economy is economist, Paul Sommerville.

The words "hero" and "legend" are often thrown about like confetti, but when it comes to Philip King, those two words fit like a glove. As a member of Scullion, he added another level of soul to folk music; as a TV producer, he showed us how far the reach of Irish music really was, and as the co-creator of Other Voices, he literally brought the music back home to Dingle. Philip joins Bobby in Dick Mac's as part of Blás na hÉireann 2025 to chat about all things music and more.

Broadcasting out of Dick Mac's in Dingle for Blás na hÉireann 2025, Bobby is joined in the Executive Chair by TV Chef & owner of MacNean House & Restaurant, Neven Maguire.

Having become one of the world’s leading stunt coordinators, whose work is seen from James Bond to Gladiator, Mike O’Shea joins Bobby to chat about how he got into this line of work, what's involved in working on major Hollywood blockbusters, and more.

Broadcasting out of Dick Mac's in Dingle for Blás na hÉireann 2025, Bobby is joined by three local food champions whose businesses have become part of Dingle’s identity.Joining Bobby is: ● Mark Murphy of The Little Cheese Shop ● Justin Burgess from Bean in Dingle ● Sean Murphy from Murphy’s Ice Cream

Joining Bobby to talk about the abundant talent and top-quality ingredients available to us here in Ireland is Paula McIntyre, Chef and Food Writer, and Chair of the Irish Food Writers Guild.

Bobby and the Down to Business team were broadcasting out of Dick Macks in Dingle for the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards and the Dingle Food Festival. Bobby is joined by Artie Clifford, Chairperson at Blas na hEireann; John Doyle from Asset Finance at BOI, who has been involved in the awards for many years, as well as Keith Loftus, Founder of All About Kombucha.

This week, Bobby and the Down to Business team were broadcasting out of Dick Macks in Dingle for the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards. Joining Bobby to look at the front pages and the business stories of today’s papers are Francis Fitzgibbon of Story Stock Media & Majella O’Sullivan, journalist at Kerry’s Eye.

We know the government is planning a package of €9.4 billion for Budget 2026 – including €7.9 billion in additional public spending and €1.5 billion in the tax package, but is that a good idea? In the past few weeks, both IFAC - which advises the Government on fiscal matters - and the ESRI have advised the Government of the dangers of overheating the economy at a time of economic uncertainty. Joining Bobby to run through it all is economist, Dan O'Brien.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Stephen Dowling, President International at Fanatics.

Paul McGee's international bestselling personal development heavyweight S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move On)has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world fulfil their potential. Paul has just come out with a new edition of the book to mark 20 years of S.U.M.O - he joins Bobby to discuss,

Three tour guides who spend their days turning our history, myths, and the odd pub story into adventures for us Irish people and international tourists alike join Bobby for this week’s Industry Review.Tommy Graham, Editor of History Ireland Magazine & Historical Walking Tours of DublinTrudy Carmody, Private Tour Guide and GenealogistColette Farrelly, National Tour Guide & Director of ATGI

'Roll It All Butter Pastry' is a family-run business specialising in ready-to-use pastry that has been going for more than 12 years. Joining Bobby to chat about the business is its owner, Mairead Finnegan.

Joining Bobby to go through the main business stories from the Saturday papers is Joan Mulvihill, Digitization Expert, and Ciaran Hancock, Business Editor of the Irish Times.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Conor Sheridan, founder & CEO of Nory.

Bobby was out & about at the 2025 National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, County Offaly, to get a sense of the state of the farming sector in Ireland and what the future holds.

Irish taste buds have come a long way over the years - from Peking Duck to Tonkatsu Ramen, and Nepali Momo Dumplings to Kimchi Fried Rice.But what’s it really like running a business in Asian food today? Joining Bobby are three people who know it best:Eva Pau, Commercial Director of the Asia MarketLina Gautam of Monty's of KathmanduKevin Hui, Managing Director of China Sichuan

In the week where Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's announced his departure from the company after almost 50 years following an increasingly acrimonious dispute with Unilever, Enda Kelly, Managing Director & Head of Strategy at Folk VML, joins Bobby to discuss if customers actually care about a company’s stance or if it's all about price.

Joining Bobby to go through the business pages from the Saturday papers is Robert Whelan, Managing Director of Rockwell Financial & broadcaster and businesswoman, Norah Casey.

Bobby is joined by Isobel Rimmer, founder and Director of Masterclass and author of 'Present with Presence: Everything you need to plan, prepare, and deliver with impact in any situation'

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Rory O'Connor, Founder & CEO of Scurri.

Following a hugely enjoyable broadcast from Monart Destination Spa in Wexford, with thanks to Eirgrid, Bobby ended the show with a chat and a song with Gavin Glass.

Every year, in the last two weeks of October, Wexford becomes the centre of the musical world as the Wexford Festival Opera takes centre stage in the city. Loughlin Deegan, Wexford Festival Opera's Interim Director, joins Bobby to discuss.

Bobby is joined by Diarmaid Gillespie, Director of System Operations at EirGrid, to talk about the future of Ireland's energy infrastructure.