In the 1970s, AIB staffer Brian McCarthy was transferred to a branch in Kilorglin, Co Kerry. While there, he spotted a gap in the market to provide retail foreign exchange services, something that at the time was only done by banks. McCarthy noticed that American tourists would land in Kerry on a Saturday and be unable to change cash until Monday, with bank cards yet to make their way into widespread adoption. As a result, McCarthy set out to win what was Ireland’s first retail foreign-exchange licence and with it, the Foreign Exchange Company of Ireland was born. Since then,…

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