Top Stories

The best stadiums in sports are at the Tour de France—and completely free

As the race heads to the Alpe d’Huez for two stages, before a final-day fight on the streets of Montmartre, hundreds of thousands of fans are flocking to the most celebrated roads in cycling, writes Joshua Robinson, The Wall Street Journal.

What the voice did next: John S Doyle on Bono, In Dublin and planting a forest in Sligo

John S Doyle’s voice is instantly recognisable as the presenter of ‘It Says In the Papers’ on Morning Ireland. Doyle has written a book, part memoir, part nature log, of a transformation of soggy land in Sligo into a wood and a home.

Ireland’s season is over – time to call in the auditors

Glass half full or half empty? Wrong question. The glass is fine. It's the quality of the wine we should be worried about.

Irish Continental Group MBO offer puts €1.2bn price tag on Irish Ferries owner

Eamonn Rothwell, the chief executive of ICG since 1992, is leading the MBO bid. The offer will be funded by €798 million of senior debt and the sale of management's shares.

On the hook: Relm potentially exposed to millions in unrecoverable litigation costs

Relm claimed US legal proceedings were being used as a lawfare tactic by Goldstein Property after the lender appointed receivers to 47 commercial properties in Ireland owned by the fund.

Stripe in talks to buy buzzy AI-model marketplace OpenRouter

The startup based in New York was most recently valued at $1.3 billion, but could fetch around $10 billion in a sale, write Berber Jin, Lauren Thomas, and Kate Clark, The Wall Street Journal.

Inside China’s all-out push to catch up with American AI chips

Xi confidant leads fevered effort for domestic alternatives to win AI race; Chinese AI companies warned that anyone who resisted using local chips was a traitor, write Josh Chin and Raffaele Huang, The Wall Street Journal.

Bill behind the grill: The PR spend of bodies under Oireachtas scrutiny

Data released to The Currency shows inconsistency across the public sector as to the type and cost of PR training ahead of Oireachtas committees appearances, with spending ranging from €110 to €54,000.

Top Voices

Budget 2027 and the best-laid plans: Rewinding the week that was

The Summer Economic Statement used to ringfence tax-and-spend plans for the next year. It now shows how fast they become out of date.

Paul Flynn: Why Kerry should win – and how Mayo still can

As I walked out of Croke Park after the hurling final, I wondered if football's showpiece would follow the same script: one outstanding team proving simply too good. I still think it will.

Inflation’s hidden story: What costs more, what costs less, and why

Rents and household energy have raced ahead of incomes, while electronics, clothing and groceries have become more affordable. The contrasting trends reveal much about how the Irish economy really works.

Byron Fry: Why global capital still chooses Ireland

If you ask post‑Brexit London or New York executives why they treat Dublin as a serious European hub, very few start with tax anymore. Ireland's FDI pitch now reaches far beyond that.

Colm McCarthy: MetroLink deserves scrutiny, not blind faith

Public infrastructure should be judged by rigorous, independent appraisal rather than political momentum. MetroLink, the most expensive capital project ever proposed by the State, should be no exception.

It will take Burnham more than soundbites to bridge England’s north-south divide

Susan O’Keeffe lived and worked in Manchester for 17 years. Andy Burnham’s promise of a “No10 North” won’t fix the distrust she has witnessed between the region and the capital.

The Government changed its argument on Vat. Now it must prove it works

Fifteen years ago, the lower Vat rate for the hospitality sector was supposed to make meals cheaper and create jobs. Today, it is presented as a lifeline for businesses. That shift matters.

A lifeline few businesses are grabbing: Rewinding the week that was

Restructuring experts say Scarp offers distressed SMEs an affordable route back to viability. The data suggests it works – but with only a handful of companies using it each year, questions remain over whether the process is fit for purpose.