Philanthropy Ireland Podcast

Many aspiring philanthropists feel paralysed by the unknown, unsure of how to start their journey or where their contribution can make the most tangible impact. Navigating the complex landscape of charitable giving often feels daunting, leaving potential donors hesitant to step forward and engage. This episode offers a roadmap for those ready to make a difference. We explore why there is no single...

The traditional view that a business's sole moral responsibility is to its shareholders is a dated philosophy that ignores the critical interdependence of business, society, and the environment. Irish investment company Broadlake is tackling this challenge head-on with its ambitious "3x 10x" vision, aiming for three times growth and ten times positive impact. This concept proves that growth fuels...

Navigating the landscape of corporate social responsibility can be challenging for successful public companies seeking to make a lasting environmental and societal impact.  A clear rationale must make sense to shareholders, ensuring charitable giving is not merely a "tick the box" exercise. This episode delves into the strategic creation of a landmark corporate foundation in Ireland, the NTR corpo...

Rural communities across Ireland are facing a quiet crisis as young talent migrates to major cities, leaving behind a void of energy and economic stagnation. This drain of vitality threatens the very fabric of local towns, resulting in vacant shops and a loss of the communal spirit that once defined these regions. The solution lies in leveraging entrepreneurial expertise and resources to build mod...

The move from successful family business to structured family giving presents unique challenges for continuity and strategy across generations. For the Quinn family, the sale of the Superquinn supermarket group created a new imperative to formalise their deep-rooted tradition of community support into a sustainable philanthropic model. This journey required a shift from local, sporadic donations t...

Are young people in your community struggling to build resilience and find their direction after the disruption of recent years? Many secondary school students today face unprecedented challenges - from educational gaps to mental health concerns - leaving parents, educators, and community leaders searching for effective ways to support the next generation's development. Imagine a community where e...

When Ed Dunne sold Nua Healthcare after 20+ years building it into a successful social care business, he didn't just write checks to charities he got into the weeds.  The Síol Foundation (meaning "seed") provides business models teaching organizations self-sufficiency, like Sensational Kids charging half-price for therapy services instead of giving everything free, becoming sustainable from day on...

In this episode, Vincent Wall speaks with Maeve Cavanagh, CEO of the Tomar Trust, about the remarkable philanthropic journey started by her late father, Tom Cavanagh. Maeve shares how the Trust was built on a simple vision of “levelling the playing field” in education, rural communities, integration, and the arts — and why Tomar’s funding was always intended to be the “icing on the cake,” compleme...

Fresh from selling his business for €150 million, James Murphy faced a life-changing question: what do you do with wealth that feels like “too much to keep”?  In this candid conversation, James shares how he and his family turned a business exit into the Life’s Too Good Foundation, a structured approach to giving that has supported projects from consent education in Irish universities to girls’ en...

How do you go from founding one of Europe’s most disruptive airlines to transforming Ireland’s approach to giving?  In this episode, Dr. Dec Ryan—first CEO of Ryanair and founder of the One Foundation—talks candidly about what drove him to philanthropy, the lessons he learned from both failure and success, and why he believes Irish giving needs to be bolder, smarter, and less afraid to break a few...

Every successful entrepreneur and business owner reaches a crossroads where wealth becomes more than personal achievement. It becomes opportunity. The Philanthropy Ireland Podcast explores the profound question that keeps many of these awake at night: How can success create lasting change beyond my lifetime? Join us for intimate conversations with business leaders who've discovered that giving isn...