Hardware Matters

Steve Collinge is Managing Director of Insight Retail Group Ltd, an agency which looks at trends in the hardware and home improvement sector. Steve tells us why “white van man” may become a thing of the past and we hear what’s in store for fads like panelling and decking. Derry Casey is Managing Director of South Coast Sales, a family business in Cork. Derry tells us how his father started the bus...

Paul Candon, the CEO of United Hardware and the President of HAI talks to Roisin. We hear about the thinking behind the company’s partnership with DID Electrical and the importance of the instore experience for the customer. Dosco (D. O’Sullivan & Co.) is one of the country’s leading manufacturers and distributors of sweeping brushes, paint brushes and household products. The company’s Managin...

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, tells us what the Government is doing to encourage more young people to take up trades. And Patrick Atkinson, the CEO of Chadwick’s Group talks about apprenticeships. Patrick is also a board member of Solas, the Further Education and Training Authority. Martin Markey, the CEO of the Hardware Association Ire...

Kilsaran is a leading Irish Manufacturer of concrete products. CEO Barry Rafferty tells Roisin about the company’s origins, it’s projects and his own career. Declan Flood is Chief Executive of Irish Credit Management Training. Declan stresses the importance of having a dedicated professional to chase payments and make sure the bills are paid in full and on time. Jim Copeland, the editor of the Har...

In every episode of Hardware Matters we are forced to edit interviews because of time constraints. In this bonus episode we’ll hear bits of interviews which didn’t make it into the original podcast. Included here are Denis Jastrzebski talking about how to get the best from AI and Ciaran Byrne from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland who talks about the health benefits of a good retrofit… P...

In this bonus episode of Hardware Matters the focus is on family businesses. We hear about Cork owned company Dosco, which is around since 1884 and Paraic Horkan tells us how his family business evolved. PRODUCER: Fergus Sweeney EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Paul Allen

In this summer special we take a look back at some of the highlights from the first ever series of Hardware Matters. H is for homes; A is for Amazon; R is for Retrofit… Enjoy! PRESENTER/RESEARCHER: Roisin Murphy PRODUCER: Fergus Sweeney EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Paul Allen

This is the first of our summer specials in which we take a look back over the highlights of the series so far. In this bonus podcast we’re reflecting on this year’s Hardware Conference. It’s held every 2 years and this year’s event took place in Killenard in Co Laois in April. We had a short report on the conference in episode 1, but in this longer report as well as hearing from economist Jim Pow...

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is the main driving force behind retrofit in Ireland. Roisin talks to Dr Ciaran Byrne who’s Director of National Retrofit with SEAI. Ciaran talks about the penalties Ireland may face for not reaching national targets, the difficulty in finding contractors to do the work, and some of the schemes that are available for homeowners – for instance the...

Former RTE reporter Fergal Keane has renovated an old stone farmhouse near Baltimore in West Cork. The building was vacant for two decades, the roof was falling in, the wood needed to be replaced and all the floors had to be dug out. Fergal tells Roisin about the particular issues he faced in undertaking such work and the huge sense of achievement in completing the job. Tommy Smyth is HR consultan...

Horticulturalist and gardening guru, Paraic Horkan tells us how he and his family built a thriving business that started in Castlebar and is now countrywide. First opened in the 1930s the business has now grown to include 3 garden centres and 14 pet stores. We hear how the business went against customer advice and moved from a town centre location to a larger site outside Castlebar. Paraic talks a...

Barry McCarron, the Managing Director of Kore Retrofit, tells us how to make our homes more energy efficient. Barry has five key principles when it comes to a quality retrofit. Floor, walls and roof need to be insulated to a high level. Secondly, where the floors, walls and roof join needs attention. The third principle involves windows. Air tightness is principle number four and finally he stress...

Ana Dolan and Anne Connolly are planning to set up the first Cohousing community in Ireland. It’s an idea which became popular in the 1970s in Denmark and then spread to other countries, including the USA. It involves buying into community living – where maybe you share dining facilities with neighbours, but otherwise you own your own apartment and live independently. Ana told us about her plans f...

Welcome to the Hardware Matters Podcast, brought to you by Hardware Association Ireland, the representative body for Irish hardware and DIY retailers, builders’ merchants, distributers, and manufacturers.   In today’s episode, our host Roisin Murphy explores some intriguing insights and trends in a changing marketplace. Roisin will be speaking with Martin Markey, Chief Executive of Hardware Associ...