The Ireland Canada Connection

Listen in to a wide-ranging, open and honest fireside chat between ICBA Chair Dr. Deirdre Giblin and Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, Dennis King. It was recorded at a live audience event hosted by FFH Management Services in Dublin, which is part of the Fairfax group.  The conversation spans many topics including Ambassador King’s journey from provincial politics to diplomacy,  his first year in Ir...

In the final episode of our mini-series ‘Navigating the Irish Market’, Joseph Quinn and Brian Keenan of Klohn Crippen Berger (KCB) join Patrick Haughey to share their experience of setting up an office in Ireland.  KCB is a global award-winning engineering, geosciences and environmental consulting firm headquartered in Canada, and with a number of international offices around the globe, the most r...

Alison Hodgson is Partner for Transformation, HR and Change Practice at RSM Ireland . In this episode Alison talks about the employment and HR landscape in Ireland and what Canadian companies need to know about employment law, the importance of those first hires and the types of employee benefits that will make them attractive to an Irish workforce in a very competitive employment market. We also...

Kevin Elliott is EVP and Head of Global Foreign Direct Investment at Bank of Ireland. Kevin works with international companies to establish and scale their operations in Ireland.  In this episode we learn about the banking environment in Ireland, how it compares to other EU countries, some of the common pitfalls to avoid, and advice for building relationships and networks in Ireland.   For more in...

Kieran Trant is a Partner in the corporate department of Matheson -  one of Ireland’s largest law firms. Kieran works with international companies on the establishment, expansion and operation of their businesses in Ireland and we talk about what the Irish legal system is like and how, as a common law system, it shares a lot of similarities with the Canadian legal system. But we also discuss the k...

Deirdre Moran is Country Manager for Canada at IDA Ireland and Hugh McGrath is Head of Corporate Services, Ireland, at investor services group, IQ-EQ .  In conversation with host Patrick Haughey, Deirdre and Hugh talk about Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for multinational companies, the many supports that are available to companies who choose Ireland as their European base, and what you ne...

Cormac Kelleher is a Partner in the leading accounting, tax and advisory firm Forvis Mazars Ireland. In this episode Cormac talks about the tax environment in Ireland and what multinational companies need to know about the Irish tax system in order to set up correctly from the very start. We also talk about some of the aspects of tax that companies often overlook and why it is so important to addr...

Air connectivity between two areas has been proven to boost tourism and business links between them. On this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection Steve Crocker, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador,  talks about the new Westjet direct route linking Dublin, Ireland and St John’s, Newfoundland and the benefits it will bring.  In convers...

Recorded during her final weeks in the role as Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, Nancy Smyth joins host Patrick Haughey to for a wide-ranging conversation about her career in public service, why being posted to the role of Canadian Ambassador to Ireland was so significant for her and her family, the achievements of which she is most proud, and what Nancy has learned about Ireland and Irish people du...

While in Dublin to deliver the keynote address at the ICBA Business Summit 2024, Dr Ailish Campbell recorded an interview with Patrick Haughey for this special episode of The Ireland Canada Connection. They speak about Dr Campbell’s Irish heritage, how she was the first person on both sides of her family to go to university, why she was drawn to work in public service and what she loves about it,...

Originally from Dublin, Robert Kearns emigrated to Canada in 1979 and since then has become one of the most prominent and active members of the Irish-Canadian community. He has been continuously involved in Irish-Canadian business and cultural relations, a board member of several related organisations, and he is particularly well known for spearheading the creation of Ireland Park, Grasett Park an...

Laureen Regan was appointed to the position of Vice Consul in 2014 by former Ambassador, Ray Bassett. In this role she is responsible for fostering and facilitating trade and investment between Irish businesses and those in the Canadian province of Alberta. In this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection, Laureen joins host Patrick Haughey to talk about:  ·       Being born in Ireland and raised...

It was through her role as Director of Development and External Engagement at National College of Ireland that Dr Deirdre Giblin first became connected with the Ireland Canada Business Association. And just a few years later, she is Chairperson. The journey in between has been a fascinating one, and in this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection, Deirdre shares the story of her first encounter w...

The strength and potential of the Ireland Canada relationship was highlighted in very clear terms in a specially commissioned independent economic report, compiled by economist Jim Power for the ICBA.  It details the 'enormous' growth opportunities between Ireland and Canada, given the right conditions. These conditions are outlined in the report and form a central part of the ICBA'...

Born and raised in Canada, Chris Collenette moved to Ireland almost twenty years ago and has recently officially become an Irish citizen. Chris spent four years as Chairperson of the Ireland Canada Business Association and in this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection he talks about his time in the role, fostering the Ireland Canada relationship and helping to grow the organisation’s membership...

In 1980 Terry Fox embarked on a remarkable journey. With one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he set out to run east-to-west across Canada to raise money and awareness for cancer research. It was called ‘The Marathon of Hope’. Terry did not get to complete his journey, but his efforts resulted in a worldwide legacy, inspiring annual Terry Fox Runs around the globe, and raising hundreds of...

Natalie Marchut, Manager of Development and Strategy with the Downtown Strategy Team at the City of Calgary, explains how the city has been incentivising developers to convert vacant offices into much-needed homes. With many countries experiencing a severe shortage of residential property, this innovative initiative is being hailed as a potential solution, and many other governments and city counc...

Dr Karen Weekes is an endurance adventurer, sports psychologist and Irish Sportswoman of the Year 2022. In conversation with Cabrina Conaty, Karen talks about some of her greatest adventures including her 4,000 mile cycle from Vancouver to Halifax and a 3,000 mile row from the Canaries to Barbados solo and unsupported, earning her the title of the first Irish female to row any ocean solo. They als...

A  fascinating conversation with Canada’s Minister of Labour,  Seamus O’Regan. Topics include: ·      His Irish heritage and time studying in University College Dublin learning about Ireland’s Celtic Tiger  ·      How much he enjoyed his years as a national breakfast tv show presenter, despite not being a morning person!  ·      The housing crisis in Canada and Ireland and his faith in our ability...

“ To this day, I will go somewhere and I will meet somebody with Irish Heritage and they’ll have tears in their eyes about how important this is to them ” The month of March is now officially 'Irish Heritage Month' across Canada, and its all thanks to James Maloney, a Canadian MP with Irish roots, who wanted to find a way to formerly recognise the contribution that the Irish community ha...

Henk Potts is Director of Investment Strategy at Barclays Private Bank. In this episode of the Ireland Canada Connection Henk gives his outlook for the global economy, he talks specifically about how Canada and Ireland are performing and what opportunities and challenges are coming down the tracks, and we discuss falling inflation, a looming European recession, and the opportunities for investors...

At the ICBA Maple Leaf Dinner 2022, Leo Varadkar (now Taoiseach) delivered a keynote speech that addressed the power of the relationship between Ireland and Canada and the continuing  support that it will be given by Ireland's political leadership. Click play to listen to the full speech. "So, colleagues, just really wanted to conclude tonight by once again saluting what is the strength...

The aviation industry is going through a period of significant innovation right now, in particular around its efforts to become more environmentally sustainable and lessen its impact on the planet.  In this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection, Blaithin O’Donnell, Sales Manager for Air Canada in Ireland, outlines some of the fascinating things that the company is doing to become more environme...

Strategic communications are central to what successful companies do day to day. Whether it's communicating with clients and customers, the media and on social media, or internally with staff, it pays to have a clear and effective strategy.  In this episode of The Ireland Canada Connection, Lorna Jennings, Managing Director of Hanover Communications Dublin, talks about how to build such a str...

Sachin Aggarwal is CEO of Think Research – a Canadian technology company that is helping to shape the future of healthcare through digital.  Sachin paints a fascinating picture of how healthcare will be delivered in the future as a result of digital tools that can help reduce the work load and the mental load of health practitioners, allowing them to concentrate on the patient. He also talks about...