Down To Business

Bobby is joined by Stephen O’Leary of Olytico and Breda Browne of Unique Media to break down the stories making headlines at home and abroad.

Bobby Kerr is on location at Elan Rentals on Leeson Street, Dublin, to meet founder Rachel Roden and get a behind-the-scenes look at the growing world of designer dress rental.

Pizza has become a hugely popular part of Ireland’s food scene, but it’s also a very competitive business.

From traditional Neapolitan-style and New York by the slice, to wood-fired offerings and more, there are plenty of operators looking to get a slice of the market.

For this week's Industry Review, Bobby looks at the business of pizza in Ireland, how the market has changed, the challenges of running a pizza business, and what it takes to stand out from the crowd.

Joining Bobby are

Shane Windrim, co-founder & director of Bamb...

This week, Bobby Kerr is joined in the Executive Chair by serial entrepreneur (and amateur tenor) James Murphy, founder and CEO of Lifes2good, having set-up the company in 1997.

Feeling crushed by the pressure to multitask and stay “on top of everything”? Bobby is joined by Eric Partaker, co-author of 'Ultraproductive: The 90-Minute Method to Optimize Focus, Sleep, and Stress', to challenge the myth of doing it all at once and explain why “pseudo-productive busyness” leaves you exhausted but not accomplished.

It’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year season and Bobby sits down with three people who know what it takes to build and scale a business and to push through the doubt along the way.

EY finalists John Corley, Co-founder and CEO of Spanish Point Technologies;

Ian Morgan, co-founder of Xpress Health;

Plus, former finalist Hilary O'Shea Co-Founder and Chief Corporate Officer Otonomee reflects on remote-first growth, starting at the kitchen table, and why sometimes not doing it feels worse than taking the leap.

In this day and age we spend more of our lives looking at screens than ever before. 
From work and school to scrolling at night, our eyes are working harder than ever! 
This week on the industry review we are going to be looking at the optical industry, from eye tests and glasses to contact lenses and the growing focus on eye health. 

For this week's Executive Chair, Emmet is speaking the Managing Director of Landmark Technologies who has recently carried out a very interesting pivot...

This week saw the first budget in the Andy Burnham era. Chancellor John Healey delivered it on Wednesday saying it was for ‘the working people of Britain’. How successful was it and will it provide any spark to an already weak UK Economy? 

David Smith is an economic columnist for The Times and he joins Emmet to discuss. 

Forget the wars, a new walking tour coming to Dublin, and it is all about love triangles, secret babies and the time Bram Stoker stole Oscar Wilde’s girlfriend from under his nose. 

Girly Pop Tours is aimed at solo travelling women and the LGBTQ+ community, and it comes with its own photographer and a glittery Guinness at the end. 

Its founder, Chloe Schmid, tells Emmet what it's all about.

Joining Bobby Kerr to go through this week's business stories is Stephen O'Leary, Founder of Olytico, and the author Sarah Stone McDevitt.

 Caroline Webb is seen as one of the best business coaches out there, has worked for the Bank of England, and has been a Partner at McKinsey.

Her new book, Leadership Intelligence, describes itself as a ‘science based playbook for leading brilliantly’. She joins Emmet to tell him about it and how you can become an intelligent leader.

Joining Bobby Kerr ito go through this week's business stories is Ronan Reid & Joan Mulvihill, Industry Engagement Lead at the Command Gateway at TUS.

Bobby is joined by Nick Charalambus, Managing Director at Alpha Wealth, to unpack what the Revolut outage revealed about how we pay and how exposed we can be when systems go down.

Bobby is joined by leadership consultant and author Rob Cross to talk about his new book, Ask Three Questions, and the big moments in life that force us to stop drifting and take stock.

For this week's Industry Review, we're looking at the world of precious gemstones: what determines their value, the skill involved in cutting them, and what makes one stone more desirable than another. 

Joining Bobby are:

Andrew Stuart - a Gem Stone cutter & Lapidarist at Stuart Gems

Martin Commins - Director of Bespoke Diamonds

Carol Clarke - Fellow of the Institute of Registered Jewellery Valuers in London and member & GAI Graduate Gemologist

Bobby is joined in studio by Kate Doyle, founder of EcoKinly, the Irish business she launched from home in 2022 with a three-month-old baby on a mission to make reusable nappies and wipes feel simple, modern and accessible.

For this week's Executive Chair, Bobby is on location at the former Macardle brewery site in Dundalk to meet Seamus and Kay O’Hara, the couple behind one of Ireland’s pioneering independent craft breweries.

Joining Bobby to go through the main business stories from the Saturday papers is Susan HayesCulleton, host of Taking Stock here at Newstalk as well as vRobert Whelan of Rockwell Finance.

AI is increasingly being used by businesses to improve efficiency, reduce costs and develop new services but how much of a difference is it making in practice?

For this week’s Industry Review, Bobby looks at how Irish businesses are implementing AI, from speeding up veterinary diagnostics to tackling cyber threats and transforming how companies operate.

Charles Cosgrave - Co-owner of Village Vets

Kevin O'Loughlin - CEO of Nostra

Enda Grimes - MD & Founder of Strata

Mark Kelly - Founder of AI Ireland / Author of 'AI Unleashed'

Chris Kane has previously spoken to Down to Business about the changing nature of offices following the paradigm shift of Covid. He’s the author of ‘Where’s My Office’ and writing recently he has turned his attention to something called the “adaptive office” and how we might all be working without desks. He joins Bobby to discuss.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is CEO of the Bellew Group, Ollie Bellew.

Olympic gold medal-winning archer Carlos Holgado and leadership expert Michael Watkins joins Bobby to discuss their new book ‘her's Edge: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Practice for Business Leaders’ which features Olympic archery as its central theme.

For those of us young enough the phrase ‘Citroën 2CV’ may well evoke memories of our first, cheap car. While the original 2CV stopped production in 1990, Citroën had some exciting news for attendees at the Paris Motor show earlier this month. Emmett Ryan from the Irish Times joins Bobby to chat about the return of the iconic Citroën 2CV as a simple electric car.

Following the latest budget announcements, Bobby is joined by economist Colm McCarthy and Paraic Burke, Head of Tax at PwC Ireland to analyse the winners, losers and long-term implications of Budget 2027.

Our Budget coverage is thanks to PwC.

Today is World Homelessness Day, and this morning thousands of people around the country woke up having spent the night sleeping out as part of Focus Ireland’s Shine a Light event.

Newstalk reporter Bairbre Holmes visited the event at Dublin's Iveagh Gardens, and joined Bobby to discuss.

Joining Bobby to go through the main business stories from the Saturday papers is Valerie Cox, Journalist and Author, and Ciaran Hancock, Business Editor of the Irish Times.

Bobby was Out and About on Clare Street this week and he stopped in Howbert & Mays, where he chatted to co-owner, Tig Mays.

Fruit and vegetables are a staple of the weekly shop but behind what we see on the shelves, there are some big challenges facing the people who grow, import, and sell our fresh produce.

From changing shopping habits and rising costs to the impact of the weather, and the pressure on Irish growers, it’s a difficult time for the sector.

So, for this week's Industry Review , Bobby is joined by three people working in Ireland’s fruit and veg supply chain:

Darragh Murray, Managing Director of BOMFRUiT

Kenneth Keavey, CEO of G...

Joining Bobby for this week's Executive Chair is Eoin Flanagan, Owner and Director of Siam Thai Restaurants & Candlelight Bar

To draw a close to a wonderful show in Dingle, Bobby was joined by musicians Eilis Kennedy and Gerry O'Breine.

For this week's industry review, Bobby spoke to several people involved in the festivities of the weekend.

Bobby was joined by,

Mark Murphy , Owner of The Little Cheese Shop    

Fergal Carroll, Co-Founder of Fierce Mild Non-Alcoholic Beer   

Grainne Kavanagh, Owner of The Coach House in Dingle 

Joining Bobby in the executive chair this week is Bill Sheppard and Aileen Crean O’Brien the people behind the Tom Crean Brewery.  

Kerry TD and Kerry Native Michael Healy Rae joined Bobby in the Dingle Skellig Hotel to discuss his love for Dingle and some recent updates in his career.

Joining Bobby to go through the main business stories from the Saturday papers is Francis Fitzgibbon, Owner and CEO of Storystock Media. 

Bobby was out and about in Dingle this week and stopped into a Kerry institution, Murphy’s ice cream.

Chef Neven Maguire joins Bobby to discuss hi new book 'One Pan Wins' and his ever growing food empire.

Image: Business Post

This year marks the 19th year of the Blas Na hEireann Irish Food Awards.    

The Blas awards are the biggest blind tasting of produce in the country. There is bronze, silver or gold awards in over 170 food and drink categories. 

Bobby was joined by Fallon Moore, Co-Founder of Blas Na hEireann and Erica Drum, TV Chef and Judge at the awards.  

From sourcing unique pieces and restoration work to adapting to changing consumer tastes, antiques are a business built on expertise, craftsmanship and history.   

For this week’s industry review, Bobby takes a closer look at the antiquing industry in Ireland.  

Joining Bobby was, 

Eoin Ryan, Owner, Straffan Antiques, Kildare  

Garrett Weldon, Weldon's Jewellers  

George William, Antiques Restoration Specialist and Historian 

Joining Bobby in the executive chair this week is Rosie Connolly Quinn of Irish Womenswear Label 4th Arq.