Down To Business

Down to Business was coming to you from Green Acres in Wexford this week where amongst many other great guests, Bobby had the chance to catch up with a few local business people of note - namely Vinny Doyle of 'Cry Before Dawn' and Doyle’s Motors & Samantha Kelly aka the 'Tweeting Goddess'.

Bobby was out and about at Rosslare Europort, one of the beating hearts of Irish trade and transport. There he spoke to Glenn Carr, Director of Commercial Business Units at Iarnród Éireann, Port Authority for Rosslare Europort to find out about what has been happening at the port and what the future might hold.

Kevin Dundon is instantly recognizable from the many successful cookery shows he has fronted and who has also had a 25-year love affair with Dunbrody House in Wexford. Kevin joined Bobby in Green Acres in Wexford to chat about how he is getting on.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Sean McKeown, Director of Fota Wildlife Park.

It seems that Irish Banks are all upgrading their forecasts due to rising ECB rates and in tandem with that the government sold a further 5% in AIB this week. If this keeps up there may soon be a call for the government to do away with pay caps and bonuses. To make sense of this and some other business stories from the week, Bobby is joined by Joe Brennan, Market’s Correspondent with the Irish Tim...

Many of us have to decide the path we take in our professional lives soon after we leave school. But for professional sportspeople, that fork in the road comes much later. So, to talk about the challenges of finding their way after leaving the world of professional sport, Bobby is joined by: - Mick Dowling, Former Olympic Boxer - Marcus Horan, former Ireland, and Munster Rugby player - Cliona Fole...

Continuing this week we’re profiling some of this year’s finalists in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in the run-up to the Awards night on November 30th and look at some of the issues facing entrepreneurs. This week Bobby was keen on looking at the entrepreneurial experience itself and how sometimes it can be a lonely road and certainly not for the faint-hearted. Bobby is joined by: - Carol...

Bobby was out & about at Art Source in the RDS, Ireland's premier art fair, featuring hundreds of Irish and International artists and galleries. There he spoke to organisers and artists alike to find out all about it.

Whether it's a statement piece or just something that you can wear out on a daily basis, fashion underpins so much of how we express to people who we are. It’s an industry that has exploded in recent years with more and more quality being made available to people of all walks of life and so with that in mind, Bobby wanted to find out a little bit about how the Irish fashion sector is faring. Joini...

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Séamus Clancy, CEO at Repak.

Michele Wucker is a senior advisor to Preventable Surprises, a 'think-do' tank that seeks to address systemic risks before they escalate into economic implosions. She joins Bobby to talk about her new book 'The Gray Rhino: How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore'.

Starting this week we’re going to profile some of this year’s finalists in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in the run-up to the awards night on November 30th and look at some of the issues facing entrepreneurs. This week Bobby is joined by Helen Cahill from InvoiceFair and Justin Lawless of Intact Solutions.

Ballymaloe House is known the world over for its use of the freshest ingredients and its sustainable ethos. Bobby took a trip to east Cork to find out how things have been since things reopened following a challenging few years.

Necessity can be the mother of invention when it comes to a good business idea and Mary and Sophie Leahy, a mother-daughter duo, have one such story. Mary suffers from arthritis but still loves a glass of wine so using traditional corkscrews became a big problem. Sophie tried to find her an easy-to-use alternative and was shocked to find nothing on the market, so decided to create something to fil...

The language of finance has often been seen as a barrier, causing many to feel too intimidated to even begin to try and understand it. So how can we demystify the aspects of finance that we have never been able to grasp? Luckily Si Hussain, co-author of ‘The Finance Book: Understand the Numbers Even If You're Not a Finance Professional’ was on hand to chat with Bobby and clear up some of the more...

With Halloween just around the corner, we thought it would be the perfect time to get the thoughts of those in the business of all things ghosts, goblins, witches, and even pumpkins. Joining Bobby to discuss the business of Halloween is: Ronan O'Brien of The Costume Shop.ie. Caroline Whelan, Creator of Galway Patch. Karl O’Connor, Owner and Creative Director of The Nightmare Realm.

Earlier this week, the ECB announced a 0.75% increase in interest rate, the third increase this year. But will this move actually help tackle inflation and what does it mean for you and your wallet? Cliff Taylor from the Irish Times joins Bobby to discuss.

We know that the hospitality sector faced huge challenges during the pandemic and now that normality has largely returned to the sector, they now face the ever-present spectre of rising inflation. But what does this mean for menu prices and hotel room rates? Bobby is joined now by Gerardo Lario Rizo, Head of Hospitality Sector with Bank of Ireland to discuss.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Paddy Campbell of Bewleys Oriental Cafes & Campbell Catering.

Joining Emmet Oliver in the Executive Chair is Aidan & Hilary O’Shea of Otonomee.

When Carmel McConnell started delivering bags of food to a small number of schools in Great Britain, little could she have anticipated just how much her life was about to change. Carmel is the founder and ex-CEO of Magic Breakfast, and the author of the book: "Change Activist: Make Big Things Happen Fast”. She joins Emmet Oliver to discuss.

Musical trends come and go, record formats change, and once-hot bands are soon to be forgotten. But for many music fans, one thing remains the same - they choose record stores as a reliable source of new music releases. With the recent revival of vinyl we ask if the mood-music is changing in the record store business. Joining Emmet Oliver for this week's installment of Industry Review is: - Mauric...

The World Federation of Advertising connects the world's biggest brand owners in more than 60 markets, bringing together tens of thousands of brands at local level. Together, they create a global network that offers a unique source of leadership, expertise, and inspiration. Every year there is a dedicated conference for all of the National Association Councils (NAC’s) around the world and this yea...

Liz Truss’ resignation has caused chaos across the pond with the Tories struggling to unify its members. With a general election looming, what could this mean for the UK? Emmet Oliver is joined by political scientist, Sir John Curtice to discuss.

Joining Bobby for this week edition of an Executive Chair is Teresa Arbuckle, the CEO of Beko for UK and Ireland.