Highland Radio Business Matters

On this week’s Business Matters, Chris Ashmore talks to Inishowen entrepreneur and farmer Neil Crossan whose ‘Living Green’ business won the overall Donegal and Best-Established Enterprise Awards at the Donegal Enterprise Awards held earlier this month. Established in 2003, Living Green is the largest producer of worms in Ireland and the UK, distributing live worms […] The post Business Matt...

On this week’s Business Matters Chris Ashmore is joined by Kilcar man, Barry Doherty, who is Chief Executive Officer of Dunkineely-based C&B Agri Enterprise Limited. The firm uses seaweed and fish extracts to manufacture a natural, sustainable product known as a bio-stimulant which can be used on crops to boost growth and quality. He describes […] The post Business Matters: Ep 173,...

On this week’s Business Matters, Chris Ashmore is joined by Johnny Patterson, who set up and runs the award winning Johnny’s Ranch Gourmet Street Kitchen providing the very Best of Local produce from Farm to Fork & Sea. Along with his sister Martina they have developed a great business that has got hugely positive feedback. […] The post Business Matters Ep 172 Johnny Patterson appe...

On this week’s Business Matters, Chris Ashmore is joined by Hugh Bonner, managing director of publishing and event management company Mara Media which is based in Annagry. Mara Media dates back to 2005 when Hugh – who has a very strong background in the fishing industry – bought the already established publication called The Skipper. […] The post Business Matters Ep 171 – H...

On this week’s Business Matters, Chris Ashmore is joined by Jacqui Fegan, the founder and proprietor of Four Paws Boarding Kennels and Dog Hotel in Kilmacrennan. Animal lover Jacqui went from working in a pharmacy to setting up her own kennels which have gone from strength to strength and with the help of husband Malachy […] The post Business Matters Ep 170 – Jacqui Fegan appeared firs...

On this week’s Business Matters, Chris Ashmore is joined by Karen Murphy of Karen Murphy Speech, Drama and Communications. Her business dates back to 2006 and since then has grown considerably. Karen runs her own school and also teaches students privately on an individual and small group basis. She also teaches adults, and communications related […] The post Business Matters Ep 169 &#8...

On this week’s Business Matters, Chris Ashmore is joined by Sarah Marie McDevitt, the managing owner of Pinehill Studios in Letterkenny, where she runs dance and fitness classes. Her business dates back to 2013 when she began her journey to bring “Fun Fitness” to Letterkenny. What was once a warehouse at the premises at the […] The post Business Matters Ep 168 – Sarah Marie McDev...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by the owner of The Station House in Letterkenny, Brian Gallagher. Brian began to explore the possibility of building a hotel on the family site along Oldtown Road in 2002. Construction began in September 2005 and the 81-bedroom hotel opened its doors on August 1st, 2006. […] The post Business Matters Ep 167 – Bria...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by the owner of Inis Communications, Trish Hegarty. Trish worked as a journalist with the Irish Times, RTÉ and BBC Radio Foyle before setting up her PR, social media, and digital content agency in 2004. Inis Communications recently launched the Inis ExPRtise PR toolkit for SMEs […] The post Business Matters Ep 166 &#8211...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by the founder of Glenard Plant in Letterkenny, James Russell, and his son, Eamon, and daughter, Denise McTeague, who took over the running of the business based at Tara Court in 2016. James set up Glenard Plant with the help and support of his wife, Anne, […] The post Business Matters Ep 165 – James Russell, Eamon...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell talks to the Chief Commercial Officer with Precision Sports Technology, Seán McVeigh, about securing an investment of $100,000 from three US-based businessmen at the Alpha Innovation event in Rathmullan last Friday. Ciaran also speaks to one of those investors, John T Fries, who was presented with the the […] The post Business Mat...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell’s guest is former managing director of Fruit of the Loom and former Chair of the International Fund For Ireland, Willie McCarter, who now works as an independent advisor. Four days after graduating from Trinity College in Economics and Political Science in 1969, he began his masters degree at […] The post Business Matters Ep...

On this week’s Business Matters, we go back to an interview in February when Ciaran O’Donnell spoke to Liam Langan from Dunfanaghy. Liam set up his quantity surveying practice with a former work colleague, Jason Tully, in 2012. Headquartered in Dublin, the company opened a second office in Letterkenny last year and currently employs 22 […] The post Business Matters Ep 161 – Liam Langan...

On this week’s Business Matters, we go back to an interview in January when Ciaran O’Donnell spoke to the co-owner of Donegal Bees in Glencolmcille, Thomas Ellis A former carpenter, Thomas set up the company in 2013, and in 2020 Áine Curran became a co-owner. Donegal Bees has the only wax-processing facility in Ireland and […] The post Business Matters Ep 160 – Thomas Ellis...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by the owner of Mallow Mia in Newtowncunningham, Linda McClean. The food scientist turned gourmet marshmallow and rocky roads maker, set up the business in 2014, and in 2020 she opted to go full-time at the venture. After graduating from Queens and completing her masters degree […] The post Business Matters Ep 159 &#8211...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell speaks to the owners of Alexander’s of Ballybofey, Joe and Tracey Alexander. The business was taken over from the McClure family by Joe’s parents in 1960 and has been trading successfully since. Joe bought over the shop and became the sole owner in 1989. And in 2019, his […] The post Business Matters Ep 158 – Joe...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by the co-owner of Citadel Gymnastics in Letterkenny and Gweedore, Fiona Murphy, and the owner of Kelly’s Centra and Kelly’s Diner in Letterkenny, Mairtín Kelly. Having graduated in mechanical engineering, Fiona Murphy decided to leave her job as a project engineer in Donegal Town and set […] The post Busines...

On this week’s Busines Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by hairdresser, Terance Boyle. A native of Kilcar, Terance left school at the age of 14 and after a number of jobs, he decided to pursue a career in the hair industry when he moved to Letterkenny, spending the next ten years with Patrick Gildea. Terance […] The post Business Matters Ep 156 – Terance Boyle appeared f...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by local estate agent, Louis Boyce. A native of Carrigart with a strong background in retail, Louis set up a property agency with Denis Faulkner in Letterkenny 20 years ago. He left the company in 2014 and spent the next three years in London. Louis went […] The post Business Matters Ep 155 – Louis Boyce & Dei...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by the founder and owner of The Miik Bar in Carrigans, Shannon Porter. Shannon’s family owns a large dairy farm that comprises 450 cows and 200 ewes on 800 acres. She graduated with an Honours Degree in Agriculture from Harper Adams University in 2021, and a […] The post Business Matters Ep 154 – Shannon Port...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by Oliver McBride, editor of The Fishing Daily and director at Salt Water Media. After working in a number of different jobs while combining his third-level studies, Oliver set up The Fishing Daily in September 2019, and in January 2020 the news platform went live In […] The post Business Matters Ep 153 – Oliver Mc...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by the owner and founder of the Sliabh Liag Campsite in Teelin, Ciarán McHugh. The seven-acre site was developed in 2021 and around 250 people stayed there over the June bank holiday weekend. Last month the Sliabh Liag Campsite won Campsite of the Year at the […] The post Business Matters Ep 152 – Ciarán McHugh &#0...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by the co-owner of the Caisleáin Óir Hotel and the co-owner of Errigal Brewing in Annagry, James McDevitt. Caisleáin Óir, which employs around 60 people, was opened in 2002, and last year, James and his sister, Anita, secured a license for their brewery.  A qualified secondary […] The post Business Matters Ep 151 –...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell talks to Shaun Doohan and his daughter, Amy, who along with Shaun’s mother, Margaret, run the well-known Shamrock Lodge in Falcarragh which won Pub of the Year at the recent Highland Radio Customer Appreciation Awards. Ciaran also speaks to Donegal County Councillor, Anthony Molloy, and Brendan Bradas O’Donnell, […] Th...

On this week’s Business Matters, Ciaran O’Donnell is joined by the CEO of Highland Radio and Letterkenny Chamber President, Fionnuala Rabbitt, who hosted the chamber president’s annual lunch in the Radisson Hotel on Friday afternoon. Ciaran also speaks to the leader of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald, who delivered the keynote address at the Letterkenny […] The post Business M...