Top Stories

The welfare state is crushing Britain

The soaring number of people on disability and sickness benefits is blowing up the country’s welfare bill and imperiling its long-term financial stability, write Max Colchester and David Luhnow, The Wall Street Journal.

Looking for your next luxury Mediterranean escape? Head to Turkey

On Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, Bodrum has evolved from a bland resort town into a polished escape, with buzzy hotels and restaurants alongside ancient ruins, delicious food and hidden coves, writes Hannah Seligson, The Wall Street Journal.

“It’s like the end of The Wizard of Oz, where we realise democracy isn’t these Athenian institutions”

Mark Little believed in the power of technology to change. He talks about what changed, Murdoch and Musk, and where hope might lie.

She’s the internet’s most polarizing fashion influencer—and she knows it

Danielle Bernstein makes millions a year by posting photos of herself on social media. Her success has invited scrutiny, writes Chavie Lieber, The Wall Street Journal.

Public pay, wealth taxes, and health spending: Ged Nash’s case for “honest budgeting”

Labour’s finance spokesperson says Budget 2027's income-tax breaks and welfare boosts are too little, too late for those hit by inflation – but he acknowledges “some good ideas” to support Irish start-ups and scale-ups.

McKillen Jr concedes €2m debt that brought him to the brink

The former Press Up boss has yielded to a debt he spent months contesting in court. However, by launching personal insolvency proceedings last month, he won't have to pay the debt yet.

A soccer cheating scandal has ballooned into a geopolitical problem for Britain

As Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City braces for punishment, ties with the U.K. government have turned into a headache for Burnham, write Max Colchester, Joshua Robinson, and Eliot Brown, The Wall Street Journal.

Simon Harris: “Government is always about balance and choices” 

The finance minister accepts Ireland’s reliance on corporation tax is a serious concern. But in a post-budget interview with The Currency, he argues running surpluses, investing in infrastructure and building sovereign funds amount to forms of saving.

Top Voices

O’Mahony, O’Shea and Munster’s road back: Rewinding the week that was

A new CEO will begin work at Munster Rugby later this month – and Avan Lee has a big challenge on his hands. Talented young players like Charlie O'Shea will help, but they'll need to be part of an organisation better equipped to recover lost ground.

The red flags at Thomond Park that the new CEO must remove

Munster still has the name, the ground and the history. What it needs now is a functioning pathway, fuller stands and a willingness to confront what has gone wrong.

Peter O’Mahony: The unbelievable stress of getting both barrels from Joe Schmidt

In an extract from his new autobiography, Peter O’Mahony reflects on the "brainwashing" Ireland players experienced under their relentless head coach – and why those training sessions that annihilated some players made Ireland the force they became.

Budget 2027: Moving incrementally from wealth taxation to wealth accumulation

At a briefing with LHK Group, The Currency brought together economists, investors and financial advisers to examine Budget 2027 and the challenge of turning Ireland’s extraordinary wealth into a more sustainable future.

Dan O’Brien: To some, a budget surplus is like being in Alice in Wonderland

With imminent elections primed to transform the European political landscape and an Irish economy humming along nicely, hitting the fiscal accelerator was unnecessary. But with debt levels low, Ireland is in a strong position to handle any bond market woes.

John Looby: There really is nothing new in finance

The financing of AI infrastructure may be dressed up as a new asset class for a new industrial revolution. But the basic financial trick – turning future income into something investors can buy – is as old as finance itself.

Budget 2027: The tax-incentivised investment accounts had to be compelling – and they are

A tax-free threshold of €50,000 and an annual contribution limit of €12,000 will make Ireland’s new tax-incentivised accounts intriguing to many. Can they succeed in pushing savers towards investing?

Ian Kehoe on Budget 2027: A package for middle Ireland, paid for by the multinationals

Will middle-income earners feel better off from the tax package – and will Jack Chambers manage to prevent spending overruns? Those are the two big questions hanging over Budget 2027.