Don O’Neill doesn’t speak in slogans. He speaks in stories — slow-burning, salt-air-soaked, stitched through with a kind of quiet resolve. Raised in the small seaside town of Ballyheigue, County Kerry, O’Neill grew up sketching gowns in secret, dreaming of runways far from the Atlantic’s reach. But even as he dressed icons like Oprah and Michelle Obama, the pulse of home never left his designs.
His journey wasn’t a straight line. It zigzagged through kitchens and catwalks, through heartbreak and hard-earned success. O’Neill trained in design in Paris while working restaurant shifts at night. He spent years as Creative Director at THEIA, only to see the brand shutter suddenly — a moment that cracked open his identity but didn’t break his belief. In this episode of Arts Matters, he speaks with Alison Cowzer. Arts Matters is sponsored by HLB Ireland.
During his 14 years as editor of the Financial Times, Lionel Barber transformed the title from a niche printed publication to a global media organisation with digital at its core. Having stepped down last year, he has now published The Powerful and the Damned, an account of his tenure in charge. In this podcast with Sam Smyth, he talks about meeting the world’s most powerful leaders, transitioning the FT to a global audience and the future of media. He also reflects on Ireland’s boom and bust, Brexit and the rise of China.
What do Harrison Ford, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lopez, Van Morrison, Michael O’Leary, Paddy McKillen, Gerry Adams and Peter Robinson all have in common? Answer: They have all been represented in libel cases by the Belfast lawyer Paul Tweed. In a podcast with Sam Smyth, Tweed talks about how he built his practice and his work defending the reputations of some the most famous and wealthy people in the world. Arguing that Irish defamation laws favour the rich, he says the system needs to be changed so that people without means defend their reputations. He also reveals how smear campaigns can often be designed to discredit a celebrity, and why he does not believe in the concept of libel tourism. Looking to the future, Tweed says the state needs to deal with the biggest threat of them all: social media giants.
The people of America have spoken. As of now, no one is quite sure just what they have said. In this podcast, economist Stephen Kinsella and investment strategist John Looby talk to Ian Kehoe about the US presidential general election and what it means for the country’s fiscal and economic strategies. They also discuss what the potential outcomes of the election mean for Ireland, specifically on FDI and Brexit negotiations.
John Feehan and Derek McGrath are two of the country’s top sporting administrators. Feehan is the former chief executive of Six Nations Rugby and the British & Irish Lions, while McGrath is the former CEO of the European Rugby Cup and the Curragh Racecourse. In recent weeks, they have launched a new business, Sport2Sport, which aims to help sports organisations, event owners and brands deal with Covid-19. In this podcast with Ian Kehoe, Feehan and McGrath speak about the impact of the crisis on the sports industry – from governing associations to media rights' holders to sponsors. They also explain the rationale for their new business and outline who their target customers are. Both men also talk about their own backgrounds in sports administration, and what it was like to run some of the world’s biggest rugby tournaments. Looking to the future, they explain how Covid-19 will change sport going forward, and why sporting bodies need to increase their interactions with fans.
Ruth Medjber has 2020 all mapped out. The award-winning music and portrait photographer was covering Glastonbury for the BBC, had an exhibition in Australia and was touring in the US. In March, however, it all fell apart. However, using some of the entrepreneurial zeal she inherited from her parents, the Dublin photographer launched an online store and a range of t-shirts. However, it was her series, Lockdown Portraits in a Window, that caught international attention and landed her a book deal with Penguin Random House. In this podcast with Alison Cowzer, Medjber talks about pivoting her business as a result of the crisis, and about the impact of Covid-19 on the creative industries. Medjber, who trades as Ruthless Imagery, also talks about touring with Hozier, the importance of developing an online following, why artists should never be too proud to take a job, and the racism and sexism she encountered in her career.
Simon Harris has one of the longest job titles in government, but he says he is essentially the Minister for Skills. Now free from daily crisis management in the Department of Health, he argues that his new role is about helping to prevent a lost generation by redefining how people view skills, training and further education. In this podcast with Stephen Kinsella, The Currency’s Chief Economics Writer and a former acting chair of the Higher Education Authority, Harris outlines his agenda for third-level and further education, addressing issues such as lifelong learning, digital literacy, gender diversity and the rigidity of the university system.
In a rare and revealing interview, the former manager of U2 Paul McGuinness reflects upon his career – from the early days of trying to secure gigs for the fledgling band right through to negotiating with Steve Jobs over a collaboration with Apple. McGuinness also talks openly about his relationship with the band members and explains the deals and commercial moves that made U2 both a musical and financial juggernaut. McGuinness talks about the people he encountered along the way, and reveals why the U2 organisation was the “Harvard or Oxford” of rock and roll. Revealing how the activities of some Russian oligarchs in the south of France inspired him to create the hit television show Riviera, he also talks about why Neil Jordan left the project. He explains why rich lists are vulgar and outlines why he still turns to Bono for financial advice.
Journalist Dion Fanning covered Irish football for much of the John Delaney era. In this podcast, he talks to Paul Rowan and Mark Tighe, the two Sunday Times journalists whose work brought an ignominious end to the Delaney era, about their new book Champagne Football. The podcast offers a deep insight into John Delaney – his rise, reign, and fall, and explains how he operated with abandon, a self-confidence underpinned by the belief he was infallible. It also explains the efforts Rowan and Tighe went to in order to expose what was going on in the FAI.
Two days after a landmark €17.75bn budget designed to protect the economy from a pandemic, The Currency’s Chief Economics writer Stephen Kinsella spoke with Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe about budgetary philosophy, the economics of deficits, and the power of the state. They also spoke about how the strategic objective of Budget 2019 compares to Budget 2021, about his plans for Budget 2022, his letter to his successor, about the choice not to go for a big billion-euro policy shift on green policies and what he’s learned over the last few years.
Danny McCoy is the chief executive of Ibec. In this podcast, he talks about the impact of Brexit and Covid-19 on Irish business and the future outlook of the Irish economy.
