That Great Business Show

The Gaeltacht Advantage: Free Green Energy, Global Talent & Why the West Is WinningMany people think rural Ireland is at a disadvantage.Tomás Ó Síocháin says the opposite.On Episode 285 of That Great Business Show, we uncover the Gaeltacht Advantage — a combination of green energy surplus, digital hubs, global connectivity and a quality of life that multinational executives quietly crave.We talk about:• Why the West Coast may become an energy superpower • Free green electricity — yes, free • Digital hubs where good coffee builds global companies • AI in Irish and the race to make Gaeilge future-proof • Why data centres belong in the West • The diaspora effect: how culture closes global deals • Housing, infrastructure and the fight to keep communities aliveIf you think Dublin is the only game in town, think again.Brought to you by De Facto Shaving Oil — made in Mayo, sold worldwide. They back us. You back them. DeFactoShave.com.Subscribe. Build the tribe.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland has roughly 350,000 self-employed people — many of them solo. The problem is not talent. The problem is financial control.Sinéad Doherty, CEO & Founder of Fenero, explains the realities she sees every day supporting independent earners:“Going solo doesn’t mean going alone” — the ecosystem you must buildWhy revenue is not your incomeThe simplest habit to avoid tax shock: separate the tax moneyCashflow discipline, invoicing speed, and the small expenses people forget to claimThe networks and programmes that actually help you get tractionIf you’re self-employed, this is the episode that stops the panic and replaces it with a system.Sponsored by De Facto Shaving Oil. DeFactoShave.com.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 283 of That Great Business ShowWe normally do a 25 minute record. We thought this was sooo good that it's 47 minutes. Because who wants to spoil a great party. We didn't want to stop Mary.Mary Sadlier, CEO of Coole Swan — the Irish cream liqueur brand that decided it wasn’t enough to be “nice”. It had to be better. And not better in a marketing-deck way. Better in taste tests. Better in ingredients. Better in margins. Better in resilience.Coole Swan uses single malt Irish whiskey and Belgian white chocolate. That matters. Because when you go up against Baileys, you are not nibbling around the edges. You are walking into a category owned by a global giant.This episode is about:• What it really takes to build an Irish FMCG brand internationally• Why distribution is harder than the product• What happens when tariffs land out of nowhere• Retail shelf power — and how fast you can disappear from it• The brutal difference between cashflow and profitMary has been through the mill. Expansion. Contraction. Currency swings. US volatility. Decisions made without guarantees.Things have gone very right.Things have gone very wrong.And the gap between the two is thinner than most founders think.This is real business. Not pitch-deck business.Brought to you by our long-standing sponsor, De Facto Shaving Oil. The world’s best shaving oil. Not a beard oil. For shaving any and all of your bits. They back us, you back them. DeFactoShave.com.Our Gentleman’s (and Ladies’) Agreement is simple: we do the work, you hit subscribe. Fair exchange.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 282 — Quantum Is Coming. And Ireland Is Already In It.Everyone is shouting about AI.Very few people are paying attention to what comes next.Quantum computing is not about doing things faster.It is about doing things that were previously impossible.Finding new drugs in days, not decades.Optimising energy grids, logistics, traffic and supply chains that defeat today’s supercomputers.Re-engineering AI itself so it stops burning the planet for compute.On Episode 282 of That Great Business Show, Conall Ó Móráin sits down with Jason Lynch, CEO of Equal1 — the Irish quantum computing company that has just raised $60 million, led by Ireland’s sovereign wealth fund, to build enterprise-grade quantum computers using standard silicon chip fabs.No sci-fi. No hype.Just real hardware, real money, real timelines.We talk:• Why quantum makes AI look like the warm-up act• Why 50 qubits beats every computer on Earth combined• Why data centres won’t need to melt rivers to run quantum• Why pharma, banking, energy and defence are already preparing• Why Ireland has a once-only window to lead — and could miss itThis is a five-years-out story hiding in plain sight.Brought to you by De Facto Shaving Oil — made in Mayo, no foam, no nonsense, no landfill-bound cans.They back us. You back them. DeFactoShave.com.Our Gentleman’s (and ladies’) Agreement is simple:We do the work. You hit subscribe. Fair exchange.Listen on Acast, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.Build the Tribe.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sales up. Bank balance looks fine. Everyone busy.So why does the business still feel… tight?On Episode 281 of That Great Business Show, Conall Ó Móráin is joined by accountant and business adviser Sharon Kearns, the woman who spots the leaks most business owners never see.This is not theory.This is what actually drains cash, time and energy from otherwise successful businesses.We talk:The “leaky bucket” problem most owners don’t want to faceProfitable businesses quietly losing money on certain products or servicesHidden time leaks, stock traps and invoicing sinsWhy “busy” does not equal profitableThe simple fixes that free up cash fastAnd the “hire in a heartbeat” answer you won’t forgetRecommended by Tom Murphy, founder of De Facto Shaving Oil — and when Tom recommends someone, you listen.Brought to you by De Facto Shaving Oil, handmade in Mayo. No foam. No nonsense. No landfill-bound cans. 👉 defactoshave.com Our Gentleman’s (and ladies’) Agreement is simple: we do the work, you hit subscribe. Fair exchange. Subscribe on Acast, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts Build the tribe. We do the work — you get the value.Irish business podcast, SME cashflow, business profits Ireland, accountant advice Ireland, scaling a business, working capital, Irish entrepreneursFind all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 280 – Why local newspapers still matter (and why we’d miss them if they were gone)Confession time:I love local newspapers.And I cannot go past the small ads without reading every last one of them.While national newspapers are having a torrid time — and some may not even survive this decade in their current form — one part of print is quietly going against the tide.The local free newspaper.On Episode 280 of That Great Business Show, Conall Ó Móráin is joined by Catherine Madden, Managing Director of the Dublin Gazette Newspaper — Dublin’s number one free weekly, reaching over 300,000 readers every week.We talk about:Why local papers are surviving while nationals struggleWhy small ads still work for real businesses - and that's important for your businessWho is actually keeping an eye on councils, planning and courtsWhy “free” doesn’t mean low qualityAnd why local journalism matters more than everIf you care about your area, your business, or who’s minding the shop locally — this one matters.🎙 Sponsored by De Facto Shaving Oil — all-natural, made in Mayo, no foam, no nonsense, and none of those pressurised cans quietly (and unneccesarily) heading for landfill.👉 Listen now. Share it with someone who still picks up the local paper.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brexit, Britain and the business opportunity Ireland shouldn’t ignoreA lot of Irish businesses quietly turned their backs on the UK after Brexit — paperwork, friction, hassle.But here’s the thing:The UK never stopped being one of Ireland’s biggest trading partners.In Episode 279 of That Great Business Show, Conall Ó Móráin talks to Billy Griffin, Vice President of BITA, about why now may be the time for Irish businesses to take a fresh look at Britain — and where the real opportunities (and blockages) lie.We cover:Why Brexit is still costing UK growth — and what that means for IrelandHow red tape, permits and skills recognition are quietly choking tradeWhy services travel better than goods post-BrexitThe surprising truth about doing business in Manchester vs LondonWhat BITA actually delivers beyond business cards and bad coffeeAs always, we bring you insight, not hype.Thanks to our sponsor De Facto Shaving Oil — all-natural, made in Mayo, sold worldwide. No foam. No nonsense. Available at defactoshave.comListen, subscribe, and share with anyone thinking about exporting — or re-exporting — to the UK.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Episode 278 of That Great Business Show, Conall Ó Móráin is joined by Aidan Donnelly, Head of Equities at Davy Private Clients, for a plain-English global market update — and a hard look at the biggest investment story of our time: artificial intelligence.Markets have rallied.Investors have relaxed.But a simple question sits underneath it all:What happens when companies start lending money to their own customers just to keep the story going?In this episode, Aidan explains:why AI is transformative — but valuations still matterhow today’s AI boom is being fundedwhy debt is quietly replacing equitywhat happens when sellers subsidise buyersand why “everyone cheering” is not an investment strategyNo jargon. No hype.Just a calm explanation of where risk may be building — and what investors should really be watching.Powered by De Facto Shaving Oil — the all-Irish, all-natural shave, made in Mayo and sold worldwide.If you found this useful, share it with one other business owner or investor.That’s how we grow our tribe.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Episode 277 of That Great Business Show, Conall Ó Móráin speaks with James Flynn, co-founder and CEO of  Coso.ai the Irish startup automating one of the biggest headaches in small business: social media.Most SMEs know they should post.Most don’t have time.Most can’t justify agency fees.Coso.ai solves that problem by automatically writing, scheduling and publishing social media content — without needing a full-time marketer or a €2,000-a-month retainer.In this episode, James explains:why 90 percent of SMEs don’t have a social media managerhow Coso.ai actually works in practicewhy AI failed before ChatGPT — and why it works nowhow Coso.ai is raising €5 million to scale internationallywhy AI isn’t replacing marketers, but rescuing business ownersThis is AI doing something useful — reducing cost, saving time, and fixing a real business problem.Powered by De Facto Shaving Oil — the all-Irish, all-natural shave, made in Mayo and sold worldwide.If you enjoy this episode, share it with one other business owner.That’s how we grow our tribe.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Episode 276 of That Great Business Show, Conall Ó Móráin sits down with Scott Baigent (Kiwi) and Cameron "Cam" Wallace (Aussie), founders of Eight Degrees Brewing in Mitchelstown, Cork.Their story is business at its rawest.They arrived in Ireland for love.They stayed for negative equity.They helped kick-start the Irish craft beer movement.They created 88 unique beers, won global awards, sold the business to Irish Distillers… and then, when most people would have gone to the beach, they bought the brewery back again.On this episode, they talk honestly about:how hard early-stage business really isbeing pushed off supermarket shelvesfinancing massive infrastructure with no outside investorsshipping a brewery from Mauritius to Mitchelstownselling out, buying back, and starting againand why reinvention is not optional in tough marketsThis is a masterclass in graft, resilience, and staying in the game when the odds are stacked.Powered by De Facto Shaving Oil – the all-Irish, all-natural shave, made in Mayo and sold worldwide.Listen now.And if you like it, share it with one other business owner – that’s how we grow the tribe.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think you can’t take on a €73 billion global industry from a kitchen table in West Cork? Think again.On Episode 275 of That Great Business Show, Conall Ó Móráin meets Fiona Parfrey, co-founder of Riley — the Irish B Corp that’s ripping the plastic out of period care and building a business that’s already in 35 countries and 350 corporate bathrooms.From a glass-of-wine idea to €1.5 million in funding, Fiona explains how smart branding, ruthless focus and a taboo-busting mission are turning Riley into one of Ireland’s fastest-scaling exports.Fiona would love to 'hire in a heartbeat' Dr Hazel Wallace.Brought to you by De Facto Shaving Oil – the all-Irish, all-natural way to stay nick-free. Try it at defactoshave.com.Listen now on Acast, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.#IrishStartups #BCorp #FemaleFounders #Sustainability #Riley #ThatGreatBusinessShowFind all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roger Courtney of Sunstone Technologies spent four years rebuilding how Ireland’s economy is mapped. His BAM (Bespoke Addressable Market) system shows companies who their real customers are — and the 60 percent they’ve been missing.Hosted by Conall Ó Móráin on That Great Business Show — powered by De Facto Shaving Oil.#Ireland business, #SME growth, #data accuracy, #Sunstone Technologies, Roger Courtney, That Great Business Show, #Irish #economy, #B2B sales AI, Conall O Morain, #podcast IrelandFind all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hidden Cost of College Dropouts — and the Irish Nurse Who’s Fixing It*Episode 273 | That Great Business Show | Hosted by Conall Ó Móráin | Sponsored by De Facto Shaving OilEvery year, 60–65 thousand Irish students sit the Leaving Cert — but 1 in 8 never make it past first year in college. That’s 5 thousand young people – at a cost of a very conservative €45 million in lost fees and accommodation every year.Former nurse and educator Joan Broderick saw this firsthand and founded Pathways.ie, a social enterprise helping parents and students bridge the gap between school and real college life.She joins Conall Ó Móráin to talk about:• Ireland’s hidden dropout crisis and the €100 million blind spot and why it's really bad news for businesses• Why parents, not points, hold the key to student success• How Springboard and UCD Innovation Academy inspired her to start again• The business of social purpose — and why doing good can still pay the billsProudly sponsored by De Facto Shaving Oil — made in Ireland, sold worldwide.Pathways.ie | Irish Education | Student Dropout | College Retention | UCD Innovation Academy | Social Entrepreneurs Ireland | Leaving Cert | Irish SMEs | Irish Women in Business | Education Startups Ireland | That Great Business Show | Conall Ó Móráin | De Facto Shaving Oil | Irish Podcast | Business Podcast IrelandFind all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Drones, Delivery and the Sky-High Business of Logistics”Etienne Louvet, Founder & CEO of IONA DronesWe’re taking Irish innovation sky-high. In this week’s That Great Business Show, Conall Ó Móráin grills – politely – French founder Etienne Louvet of IONA Drones, the Galway-based start-up building autonomous aircraft to deliver parcels, medicine, even blood supplies.Forget food-drop gimmicks – these drones will fly 200 km with 20 kg payloads and could make the Irish logistics industry airborne again.Is Ireland about to lead the EU in drone logistics? Can startups like IONA compete with Amazon Prime Air and Google Wing? How will the HSE, An Post and Irish Aviation Authority plug into this new economy?🎧 Listen to find out how Galway might become Europe’s Drone Capital. Brought to you by De Facto Shaving Oil – made in Mayo, sold worldwide. Ireland Business Podcast, Irish Startups, Galway Innovation, Drone Technology Ireland, Logistics Startups, E-commerce Ireland, Irish Entrepreneurs, HSE Innovation, Sustainability Tech, Aviation StartupsFind all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 271 — “You've got to squeeze the boll*x out of it"The hilarious story how a Dubliner became a US Bar King: The Wild, True Story of Shane Carty and the Trinity Bar, Connecticut”What does it really take to succeed in the cut-throat US hospitality business?Forget the glossy Instagram stories and the “living the dream” nonsense — this is the true, outrageous, impossible-to-make-up journey of Dublin man Shane Carty, now co-founder of one of New Haven’s most successful Irish bars: The Trinity Bar & Restaurant.Fires. Covid shutdowns. Insurance battles. 70-hour weeks. Local politics. Massive US taxes.And somehow… a thriving business, a packed bar, a community of veterans, and a Guinness volume that is...impressive!On this VERY different episode Shane reveals:– How a Morrison Visa changed everything– Why his first days as a US bar owner involved a bomb-site renovation and a 400-person event with no warning– The real cost of doing business in America (spoiler: EVERYTHING is taxed)– How feeding US veterans built a following no marketing budget could buy– Why Yale students, Liverpool fans, and random Irish blow-ins all treat the bar like home– Covid horror stories you will not hear anywhere else– What it actually takes to run a bar in the US: graft, grit, Guinness, and gallons of coffee– The secret to creating a true Irish bar atmosphere — and why most Irish bars don’t do it– Why he still loves America… and will never move home– And why his daughter’s US college fees may kill him before the hospitality industry doesThis is not a standard business episode.It’s a raw, hilarious, unvarnished masterclass in survival, luck, stamina — and pure Irish stubbornness.That Great Business Show — Episode 271. You’ve never heard a story like this.Powered by De Facto Shaving Oil — ditch the foam, switch to De Facto.Irish business abroad, US hospitality, Trinity Bar New Haven, Morrison Visa story, Irish entrepreneurs America, running a bar in the US, veterans support, Yale New Haven, Covid hospitality survival, Irish pubs USA.New Haven CT, Connecticut, Yale University, Dublin Ireland,Dublin Ireland, Manhattan, Boston, Hamden CT.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 270 That Great Business ShowUCD Smurfit Business School, 'Podcast of the Year'.When couriers crumble and tolls soar, two very different innovators are keeping Ireland moving.John Tuohy, the man behind Parcel Motel and now OOHpod, tells host Conall Ó Móráin how a national locker network could rescue Irish e-commerce after Fastway’s meltdown.And Phil Barnes of Geotab reveals the data driving the trucks — 5 million vehicles, 100 billion data points a day, and the truth about Ireland’s €25 k toll shock.Business, logistics, and hard numbers — all in one fast-moving episode.Brought to you thanks to De Facto Shaving Oil, the world's finest shaving oil.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 269 of That Great Business Show🎧 “From Graveyards to Getaways – How Click & Go Built Ireland’s Smartest Holiday Business”If you’ve ever booked a holiday online, cursed the “hidden fees”, or wondered who still uses a travel agent… this episode will make you think again.Guest Paul Hackett, is the straight-talking CEO of Click & Go Holidays — the Irish travel company that’s taken on the global giants and won. He’s built a business that survived recessions, Brexit, and a pandemic, and is now setting sail (literally) into Europe with booming cruise and city-break markets.In true That Great Business Show style, we cover it all — the highs, the near-crashes, the clever pivots, and even the day Paul’s other half sold four cruise cabins… in a graveyard.Expect:🧳 Smart travel hacks for your next holiday.🛳 Why Irish people are missing out on the biggest travel trend in the world — cruises.🌍 How Click & Go is quietly expanding across Europe (and why Central Europe is the next big thing).📈 What the Irish travel industry gets right — and what still drives Paul up the wall.And yes — there’s the usual dash of mischief and Mayo magic from our sponsor, De Facto Shaving Oil — made in Mayo, sold worldwide. Smoother, smarter, no matter what (or where) you shave.So tune in for the business, stay for the craic, and maybe pick up a travel tip or two before your next break.🎥 Watch us in glorious Technicolor on YouTube🎧 Or listen wherever you get your podcasts — Spotify, Apple, AcastThat Great Business Show — where business is fun.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Memory of David Horgan — Energy, Insight and IntegrityThis is a special re-release of That Great Business Show, Episode 79 (March 2022), in tribute to the late David Horgan, Chairman of Petrel Resources — a man of rare clarity, courage and intellect.Recorded in the early days of the war in Ukraine, this conversation captures David at his most incisive: explaining Europe’s dependency on Russian energy, Ireland’s stalled exploration policy, and the hard economics that shape geopolitics. Some facts have since moved on. David’s insight has not.He warned of blackouts and energy shocks. He spoke about Ireland’s potential — and frustration — with a mix of authority and candour few could match.The final minutes of this interview reveal the man behind the analysis: principled, humorous, and forever hopeful about young Irish talent. His last line, about hiring “a youngster with fire in their belly,” says everything about how he saw life and leadership.🎧 Listen back and remember a thoughtful Irish business voice, a generous contributor, and a true gentleman.Originally recorded: March 2022David Horgan, Petrel Resources, Irish energy policy, oil and gas Ireland, LNG Ireland, Conall Ó Móráin, That Great Business Show, UCD Smurfit Business School Podcast of the Year, Irish business leaders, tribute episode, energy security, Russia Ukraine war, Ireland geopolitics, De Facto Shaving Oil.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Goodbye barcodes. Hello QR codes.”Once upon a time, the packaging just sat there. Now it talks back.On Episode 268 of That Great Business Show — officially UCD Smurfit Business School Podcast of the Year — I meet: • Donald Douglas of Scanfinity / Return2Sender, turning butter wrappers and Guinness cans into interactive billboards, • Graham Byrne & David Crimmins of Global Health Capital, the fintech that pays doctors before the paperwork clears.Donald’s wow line still rings:“The barcode is dead.”Turns out your fridge door may soon be your media plan.Brought to you by the world’s smoothest sponsor, De Facto Shaving Oil — made in Mayo, sold to the world. If you like podcasts that shave away the fluff, please REPOST on LinkedIn — that’s the real algorithmic love.#IrishBusiness #MarketingInnovation #Fintech #Packaging #DigitalTransformation #PodcastOfTheYear #DeFactoShavingOil #ThatGreatBusinessShow #UCDSmurfitFind all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Falling Oil Prices, Rising Power Bills — and the AI Boom You Didn’t See ComingOil prices are heading down. Electricity prices are heading up.Wait… what?In this episode of That Great Business Show with Conall O Móráin, Phil Byrne, Chief Investment Officer at Cantor Fitzgerald Asset Management, explains why — even if gas prices fall to zero — our power bills will still rise. From grid build-out costs to data-centre demand, Phil unpacks the new economics of energy and what it means for businesses, households, and investors.Then, Carmyn Del Rosso joins Conall to talk about her AI-powered career app, Beyond Borders, and why Irish professionals need to get better at selling themselves — especially when the competition is global.Hosted by Conall O’Morain, That Great Business Show — officially Ireland’s Business Podcast of the Year (UCD Smurfit Business School).Sponsored by De Facto Shaving Oil — made in Mayo, sold worldwide.Smooth faces. Smoother podcasts.🎥 Also watch in full colour on YouTube.Find all episodes at www.ThatGreatBusinessShow.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.