Top Stories

From zero to €5m in five months: How Dell is helping TensorX build for billions

Mark Hopkins of Dell Technologies Ireland and Tim Grant of TensorX discuss the partnership helping the Irish AI company scale its sovereign AI platform as businesses move from AI pilots to production.

Dublin group on track for 1,000 childcare places eyes private-equity investment

A significant Dublin-based childcare group is in talks with private equity to fund its expansion. The upcoming deal is hot on the heels of London firm Fremman’s acquisition of Tigers Childcare.

Hard landing – Part 1: The quarter-century standoff at Shannon Airport

As a new wave of activists target US military assets at the Midwest airport, The Currency looks back at 25 years of protest, successive governments’ relationship with the US, and the debate over Ireland’s role in the transatlantic alliance.

Cocaine smugglers blow past Europe’s law enforcement with speedboats and tech

Fleets outrun Spanish authorities to deliver tons of drugs that are unmatched in quantity and quality, write Sune Engel Rasmussen and Antonio Pampliega, The Wall Street Journal.

“A miracle a third season will be made”: Inside the remarkable return of Kin

RTÉ’s hit crime drama faced an existential crisis for three years. Its renewal for a third season is an incredible achievement by those who refused to let it die, particularly when cast against the bizarre challenges that threatened its survival.

Maternity in figures: How much private care costs – and why some mothers decide to pay

Choosing a private consultant costs thousands of euro per pregnancy, with only a fraction covered by insurance.

How Harley-Davidson, an American icon, became a tariff punching bag

U.S. motorcycle maker’s politically sensitive profile keeps it on tariff payback list, writes John Keilman, The Wall Street Journal.

Investment firm Broadlake’s new foundation is teaming up with FoodCloud

Broadlake has invested in everything from healthcare to soap companies, but it now wants to help social enterprises grow. The investment firm plans to commit €1m a year to Irish charities, alongside providing 2,000 hours of its expertise and services.

Top Voices

Safeguards, beef, and smoke and mirrors: The Mercosur debate is back

The European Commission recently suspended Brazilian beef imports into the bloc, reigniting a fierce debate over the EU-Mercosur trade deal and how its safeguards are working.

Ronan Lyons: Crisis over, mission accomplished, and everything in between

I genuinely hope that we get to mark the end of the housing crisis within the next couple of years. But we will be living with an unhealthy housing system for some time to come – and the political system needs to remember that and not get distracted. 

Tara Shine: What do hotter European summers mean for the Irish hospitality industry?

If I was the owner of a hotel in Donegal, I would market the destination for its cool weather and green landscapes, while also leaning heavily on the efforts to be sustainable and reduce emissions.

Europe can regulate mad and bad AI. Now we must build the ability to make it safe

The Government will host the International AI Summit in October. We should seize this opportunity to create a practical and safer vision for AI that serves the people of Europe, our businesses, and public institutions.

Can Metrolink change the State’s spending culture?

Jack Chambers is getting bored of just spending money and more excited at increasing the return he can get from it. Beyond the €17bn metro test, transferring early capital successes into current expenditure will be the bigger challenge.

The game-time conundrum: How to fix Irish rugby’s production problem

Leinster are still sore about losing Joey Carbery to Munster eight years ago, but behind that individual story is a wider and ongoing issue about talent circulation – and the lack of it.

A pillar on shaky foundations: Ireland’s ratification of CETA is back on the agenda

Could Canada become the EU’s first “associate member”? Maybe. But first, EU officials are talking about how to “persuade” the likes of Ireland to ratify the EU-Canada trade deal, Jonathan Keane reports from Strasbourg.

Why Ireland is attracting private equity in a more cautious market

With deal activity across Europe slowing, investors are looking harder at the quality of earnings, growth prospects, and value creation. Ireland possesses many of the characteristics they seek.