Sport for Business

Let us know what’s on your mind The Olympics might only arrive every four years, but the pressure never really goes away, and neither does the planning. From the Sport Ireland Campus, we sit down with Peter Sherrard, CEO of the Olympic Federation of Ireland, to talk about what leadership looks like when your job is part high-performance sport, part commercial engine, and part crisis management whe...

Let us know what’s on your mind Leinster’s return to the RDS campus and the redeveloped Laya Arena is the centrepiece of this week's Sport for Business podcast. We are chatting with Matthew Dowling, Chief Commercial officer for Leinster and over half an hour we get into the details that decide whether a stadium move is remembered fondly or forever. Think capacity planning, yield management, s...

Let us know what’s on your mind A CEO who competes at world-level kickboxing and leads one of Ireland’s most important disability organisations brings a rare mix of grit and empathy to the table. We meet Ann Marie O’Grady, CEO of the Irish Wheelchair Association, to unpack what curiosity looks like as a leadership habit, how culture scales across a national team, and why sport is often the fastest...

Let us know what’s on your mind A CEO who has worked across football, tennis, cricket, and now hockey sees Irish sport differently, and you can hear it in every answer. We’re joined by Richard Fahey, CEO of Hockey Ireland, to talk about how careers are built in sports administration, what actually drives participation growth, and why the unglamorous work of facilities, governance, and funding is w...

Let us know what’s on your mind We wake up to the sting of Ireland’s World Cup qualification exit and try to name what penalties do to a team, a campaign, and a nation watching. We linger on the RTE sign-off, Dermot Kennedy’s “The Refuge”, and the stubborn reason we still come back.  • the cruelty of penalties as a shortcut to judgement  • staying with the broadcast to the final wrap-up  • why “Th...

Let us know what’s on your mind What happens when speed meets purpose and a whole community leans in? We sit down with Paralympic medalist and European champion Orla Comerford during Women in Sport Week to explore how top performance, smart risk, and real visibility can change the future of para athletics in Ireland and beyond. Orla opens up about arriving at 28 not as an athlete fading out, but a...

Let us know what’s on your mind A missed World Cup can break a career or build a new one. Erin King chose the second path. We sit down with Ireland’s captain to unpack the shock of injury, the slow work of rehab, and the mindset shift that turned heartbreak into hunger ahead of a landmark Six Nations. From that first uneasy scan to the first whistle back, Erin shows how perspective reshapes perfor...

Let us know what’s on your mind The energy around women’s sport in Ireland is real—and it’s at a tipping point. We sit down with Nora Stapleton and Bethany Carson to unpack what’s working, where momentum is fragile, and how the “same energy” theme can turn a good week into lasting change. From balanced boards to booming social leagues, the story isn’t just growth—it’s about building cultures where...

Let us know what’s on your mind Change feels different when you can see the road ahead. We take you inside the GAA, LGFA, and Camogie integration push with Mary McAleese’s framing of unity as both heritage and strategy, and we map the concrete steps that move this from concept to calendar: a clear mandate from 2022, provincial roadshows for real feedback, and defined milestones through 2027 when t...

Let us know what’s on your mind When Texas Christian University runs out at the Aviva Stadium on August 29th for the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic, it will mark more than just Week Zero of a new season. For Athletic Director Mike Buddie, it will be a statement about identity, ambition and education — on and off the field. Buddie was in Dublin yesterday tidying up some of the elements th...

Let us know what’s on your mind A football match is never just a football match when public conscience is on the line. We take you inside Ireland’s dilemma over playing Israel in the UEFA Nations League, where the black-and-white clarity of statutes collides with the colour and heat of the streets. As we read through our editorial, we map the contours of a tough choice: honour competition rules, p...

Let us know what’s on your mind A rare thing in a capital city: a marquee sporting venue that grows with the community rather than giving way to it. We sit down at Leopardstown Racecourse with Paul Dermody, CEO of Horse Racing Ireland’s racecourses division, to unpack how Dublin’s only racecourse secured its future while unlocking land for 850–1,000 social and affordable homes. The story begins wi...

Let us know what’s on your mind Lidl extended its LGFA partnership to 2030 this week, representing a total commitment of € 22.5 m to the sport over that period. We spoke to Lild Head of Corporate Affairs Eimear O'Sullivan about what this means and why it works so well for the brand, and then we have a few clips from Katie Taylor's conversation to an enthralled audience of players, kids a...

Let us know what’s on your mind Pride isn’t a tagline, it’s a lived routine: doors unlocked before dawn, cold gyms warming up with hard work, and coaches giving kids a shot at something bigger. We sat down in the National Stadium with Boxing Ireland CEO Gary Stewart and Branding Sport’s Paddy Murphy to share how a 115-year-old identity evolved into a clear, modern banner that speaks to clubs, pare...

Let us know what’s on your mind A local club’s call to pull county teams from Allianz-backed competitions kept the embers glowing on a hard question we can’t dodge: how do we weigh moral conviction against the real costs of running community sport?  We put the Allianz–GAA sponsorship under a bright light, examining the Ethics Committee’s decision to continue, the activism demanding a break, and th...

Let us know what’s on your mind Ireland’s brightest footballers are weighing county glory against professional certainty, and the numbers tell a powerful story. We dig into why AFL and AFLW clubs are no longer dabbling with Irish recruits but building pipelines, and how that shift is reshaping careers for women and men. With Mark O’Connor allowed to delay preseason for a club final, we explore the...

Let us know what’s on your mind Leadership isn’t built on a straight line, yet two of the biggest clubs in world football keep pretending it is. We dive into why Manchester United’s decision to move on from Rúben Amorim and Celtic’s thirty-three-day tenure for Wilfrid Nancy signal a deeper problem with how elite sport treats patience, culture, and accountability. Drawing on the lived reality insid...

Let us know what’s on your mind A creative heavyweight returns to Paddy Power as we examine how a provocative brand voice can evolve under tighter rules and higher expectations. We reflect on past culture-led stunts, agency lessons, and the path to responsible, high-impact sponsorships in 2026. • Paul Mallon’s return and why it matters • Signature campaigns that built brand distinctiveness • From...

Let us know what’s on your mind We share the energy from the Sport for Business Women in Sport conference and turn the mic to two athletes who show why listening changes outcomes.  Linda talks rugby, nursing, and a Master's that opens new doors; Laura charts a late start in racing and a clear route to Le Mans with honest talk on funding and grit. • Athlete voice as the driver of real change •...

Let us know what’s on your mind We go inside Hockey Ireland’s ten-week sprint to transform the Sport Ireland Campus into a Pro League venue with world-class broadcast, a sold-out crowd, and a free fan village that widens the sport’s reach.  Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer Nick McElwee brings us inside the decision-making process that will deliver World Class Hockey in Dublin this week. • Wi...

Let us know what’s on your mind A single statistic reframes the future of Gaelic games: a quarter of Ireland’s youngest children live near just 50 clubs. We dig into the GAA’s National Demographic Report and explore how rapid urban growth and rural decline are reshaping teams, facilities, coaching, and community life. The patterns are stark, the implications immediate, and the choices ahead will d...

Let us know what’s on your mind Some stories only land when the mic is live and the notes are gone. We sat down for a raw, unscripted session at the Active Disability Ireland Annual Conference to hear what sport really means when life bends, breaks, and rebuilds. Rob opens with honesty about living with MS, then we pass the floor to two remarkable guests whose journeys reframe resilience and inclu...

Let us know what’s on your mind Kellie Harrington returned to a sold-out Round Room and showed timing, movement, and control in a one-sided exhibition that points to a patient climb back to competition.  We also preview the Active Disability Ireland National Conference, focusing on inclusion through policy, coaching, facilities, and lived experience. • Harrington’s composed return and what it sign...

Let us know what’s on your mind We explore how the Teneo Accelerate programme helps young female athletes build brand, social, commercial, and media skills, pairing practical training with year-round support. Ellen shares growth from an Irish pilot to a European footprint, plus candid lessons on online safety and contract literacy. • Why the programme exists and who it serves • Cohort growth from...

Let us know what’s on your mind Kevin Doyle joins us to talk about the buzz after Budapest and the graft that keeps a community club alive. We dig into girls’ football growth, the cost of renting pitches, and how a guaranteed-prize lotto can fund a permanent home. • The celebration that lifted Irish football spirits • Stepping from parent coach to club leader • The weekly grind of facilities and s...