Most people experience sport not in a stadium, but on the sidelines of a local club. From fundraising committees to coaching under-10s, volunteers are the engine of Irish sport. But as Emma Richmond, managing partner of Whitney Moore, explains in this episode of Sports Matters, that passion comes with real responsibility.
Richmond outlines the unseen legal landscape of community sport: safeguarding obligations, data protection rules, trusteeship headaches, and the challenges of running staff with volunteer committees. She also discusses how mergers — like the planned integration of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association — will test constitutions and ownership structures across the country.
From finance committees to safeguarding officers, her message is clear: Understanding the legal framework isn’t optional. It’s what keeps clubs safe, solvent, and sustainable.
How low can Irish football go? Is there a rock bottom? Will Clarke is the FAI’s League of Ireland Academy Development Manager. He knows what is needed to fix Irish football but how as a sport as massively popular as football in this country failed to make a case to government. Ahead of the Budget, Clarke explains to Dion Fanning what Irish football needs.
How will AI transform the medical profession and will patients benefit? Charlotte Blease talks to Dion Fanning about her new book where she argues that patients will benefit from the revolution.
Joseph Birchall has led many lives. He talks to Dion Fanning about his time at a kibbutz, his experience in Israel before October 7 and the chance he had in Hollywood.
In Pure Gold, Eamon Carr details the extraordinary encounters and the background stories that led to his weekly interviews in the Evening Herald. As a co-founder of the seminal Irish band Horslips, Carr has terms of reference not available to all. He tells Dion Fanning about the secret to making it as an interviewer.
Historian Cormac Moore’s new book looks at the failure of the Boundary Commission one hundred years on. He talks to Dion Fanning about the mistakes made by the Treaty negotiators, their failure to understand unionism and the errors of Eoin MacNeill.
Booker Prize-winning author Paul Lynch joins Alison Cowzer to reflect on the intense demands and deeper meaning of a writer’s life.
After 18 months promoting his acclaimed novel Prophet Song, Lynch still has plenty to say — about the discipline of writing, the risks of pursuing it as a vocation, and why, for him, there was never really a choice. “The thing about true vocation is you don’t have a choice,” he says. “To do anything else is to risk a loss of core identity.”
In a wide-ranging conversation, Lynch discusses the role of the artist, the importance of state support for writers, and why Prophet Song — a novel often described as dystopian — is in fact a mirror to the modern world. Arts Matters is supported by HLB Ireland.
Ever wondered what it really takes to get a major production like Game of Thrones or Star Wars onto Irish soil? In this episode of Arts Matters, John Gleeson, one of Ireland’s most sought-after advisors in film and television finance, talks to Alison Cowzer.
A partner at boutique accountancy firm Saffrey, Gleeson has worked on some of the biggest screen projects filmed in Ireland. He shares insights into how the sector has matured into a billion-euro contributor to the national economy—and what’s needed to take it to the next level.
While tax incentives like Section 481 have been key, Gleeson argues that Ireland’s creative talent and reputation for quality are just as important. But there’s a catch: without serious investment in infrastructure—especially sound stages—the country risks falling behind. Art Marters is sponsored by HLB Ireland.
In this episode of Arts Matter, Alison Cowzer sits down with Mark O’Brien, executive director of the Abbey Theatre, and Lynne Parker, artistic director of Rough Magic, to explore the true value of theatre in Ireland — beyond the stage.
They reflect on the golden era of independent theatre in Dublin, the struggles of a generation priced out of creativity, and the need to reframe arts funding as strategic investment, not subsidy. They also examine how corporate support could revolutionise the sector, and why the arts must be recognised as one of Ireland’s greatest economic and cultural assets. Arts Matters is sponsored by HLB Ireland.
Ed Guiney, co-founder and CEO of Element Pictures, has spent his career blending creative instinct with strategic acumen to shape one of Europe’s most influential film and television production companies. From early days making student shorts at Trinity College Dublin to producing globally acclaimed works like Room, The Favourite, and Normal People, Guiney’s journey is rooted in a deep love of storytelling and a clear understanding of how to bring it to market.
In this episode of Arts Matters, Guiney tells Alison Cowzer that he sees intellectual property ownership as the cornerstone of a sustainable industry and is a strong advocate for supporting emerging writers through initiatives like the Story House festival. While others speculate on the impact of AI, Guiney remains confident in the irreplaceable value of human creativity.
Regnum Defende is the motto of MI5, but defending the realm seemed to matter more than the defending its subjects. Chris Moore has spent a lifetime pursuing the Kincora story and he talks to Dion Fanning about the obstacles that were placed in his way and those who bravely told him their stories of abuse.
