Top Stories

The Irish construction group, the “hot list”, and the 11,000 files at the heart of a court battle

An Irish-owned construction company in the UK took two former employees to court for copying more than 11,000 files, including valuable trade secrets, and setting up a rival firm.

The world’s drinks order is in. Distillers were expecting more

Alcohol companies are swamped with aged spirits including cognac, bourbon and Scotch whisky, writes Carol Ryan, The Wall Street Journal.

Dolly Parton: A life defying expectations

Multiplatinum recording artist and Hollywood actress was also a philanthropist and the head of her own entertainment empire, writes Alan Light, The Wall Street Journal.

“What do you do when it stops?”: The League of Ireland’s career problem

Tony McDonnell spent 15 years playing for UCD while building a career in financial services. Now a senior HSBC executive, he believes footballers need more help preparing for the day their playing careers end.

A billionaire CEO, a Hamptons town and the endless fight over a seafood shack

Apollo Chief Marc Rowan’s seaside joint in Montauk draws celebrities and influencers. The neighbors say it shouldn’t be there at all, writes Erin Mulvaney, The Wall Street Journal.

Timber was gold in the South—until a market collapse crushed the forest economy

Pulpwood helped launch the region’s industrial era. Mill closures have axed demand, marking the biggest threat since the fall of King Cotton, writes Ryan Dezember, The Wall Street Journal.

More profits, more assets, more staff: McCafferty’s rapid Irish expansion continues

The country’s fastest-growing pub group, led by Donegal rallying royalty, operates nine businesses across the country with more on the way. Newly filed accounts show the Boyle family’s aggressive expansion is not slowing down.

The cancelled QVC order behind a decade-long Gaffney family court battle

What began with a failed QVC order and a $372,000 family loan has turned into 10 years of litigation, at least 24 substantive orders and a succession of appeals and applications. Now the Court of Appeal is considering whether enough is enough.

Top Voices

Stockholm meets London: Ireland’s investment account could have the best of both worlds – if the final figures are right

The Department of Finance appears to have been influenced by both Sweden's ISK and the UK’s ISA in developing Ireland's new tax-incentivised accounts. But all of the critical information required to determine their worthiness remains under wraps – for now.

How Irish farming transformed the Saudi desert into a dairy empire

It is 50 years since Masstock starting building a vast dairy operation in Saudi Arabia. Co-founder Alastair McGuckian, who celebrated his 90th birthday this week, reflects on a lifetime bringing Irish farming expertise to the world.

Stewardship or subsidies? Why the State should means-test corporate green grants

The State is using public money to de-risk major climate and energy projects of big business. But is it subsidising those with the capital to act alone at the expense of homeowners and SMEs navigating the green transition?

John Looby: Ignore the noise – there is little new in finance

New technology, new personalities and new financial instruments can create the illusion of change. But beneath the surface, finance remains driven by the same old forces — and the same old mistakes.

Stuart Fitzgerald: Lessons from Brexit Britain show in economic data from both sides of the Irish Sea

Ireland may not have any intergalactic space warriors, but it still has growth.

Watchdog barks, Government spends, multinationals pay – for now

Spending €1bn a year on petrol and diesel subsidies is a lot, but this is just one of several billion-euro levers the Government has access to in the lead up to the budget – unless Ireland finally loses its immunity from successive international crises.

Ronan Lyons: Ireland’s rental crisis is no longer a Dublin problem

The capital has seen the slowest rental inflation in Ireland over recent years. That should be good news. Instead, it shows how badly the rental crisis has spread beyond Dublin.

Mike Ashley’s Irish playbook: Rewinding the week that was 

Six years ago, Ashley’s Irish operation was losing €19.4m. Its latest accounts show €229m in revenue and a €48m pre-tax profit. The journey tells the story of Ashley’s Irish playbook.