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The Hot Desk is WLR's weekly business programme, produced and presented by Mary O'Neill and sponsored by MK Brazil. The show features stories and developments from all industry sectors, as well as highlighting the many brilliant entrepreneurs in Waterford City and County.
161 Episodes
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Hot Desk Jan 28th, Suzanne Parker guest host was joined in studio by Dr. Laurence Fitzhenry from SETU will be coming in to talk about OcuHealth and their win at Venture Launch 2025.and cousins Colin and Conor O’Shea about their storage business Rent a Box.and also Regina Mangan from Liberty Blue will be looking forward to the Property Market in 2026.
Hot Desk Jan 21st Suzanna Parker guest hosts this weeks show and is joined in studio by Claire Mooney President of Network Ireland Waterford branch to look forward to the year ahead. Lynda Lawton from Waterford Chamber of Commerce to talk about the South East Jobs and Skills Fair being held in the Granville Hotel next month. Finally, Clair Moriarty from Anita Cambie Financial will be on to discuss current mortgage threads and whats in store for 2026.
Mary was joined in studio by Carmel Grant of Carmel Grant Designs, and Polly Doyle of Polly & Andy - they’re among the talented Waterford Designers who will represent the Déise at Showcase Ireland in the RDS.Breda Dooley at Matrix Recruitment will discuss what 2026 salaries look like in Ireland and where skills shortages are most acute.And the small firms association has launched its three year strategy document. Mary heard from David Broderick of the SFA about what it means for business owners.
Waterford-based Tom Cullen of SIMI about how the motor industry in Ireland should fare in 2026, given the significant year-on-year growth in the sale of electric vehicles in 2025. Fractional CFO Joe O'Regan will give advice to SMEs on setting budgets and other financial plans for the year ahead. And as more and more consumers move away from fast fashion,Mary chats to Tramore-based Catherine DeCourcy about her clothing company, MilyDesigns.
Dungarvan Brewing Company and Mary spoke to the owner Tom Dauber, who is visiting from the US. He and operations manager Katrina Murphy discuss the festive season, and what lies ahead for 2026. Fresh from opening a new premises in Carrick on Suir, Ronan Mulligan of Mulligan’s pharmacy joined Mary in the studio. And Mary spoke to Manager of Waterford Oysters, Clíona Mhic Giolla Chuda, about the global growth of the business, 35 years since it started.
Mary is joined in studio Karen Dollery and Louise Prendergast of Viking Hotel Waterford, which has just received a 4 star classification. She also spoke to Jimmy Burrows of the Fresh Food Courtyard, Dungarvan, about a recent win at the Butchers Guild Awards, and about trade in general at Christmas And we hear about how Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens, Tramore were the winners of the Tourism Partner of the Year Award, at the Asia Matters Business Awards. Chairperson and Founder of the Gardens Agnes Aylward will have all the details.
HotDesk Dec 3rd Mary is joined by Meg Dunphy of CIPD who will discuss flexible work and how businesses and employees feel about it, five years on from lockdown.Damien Smyth of Campion insurance in Waterford warns that cyber risk is now a defining threat to accounting firms.And new research shows jobseekers fear AI is unfairly screening out their applications - Michelle Murphy, Director of Collins McNicolas will have the details.
On this episode of The Hot Desk with thanks to MK Brazil. Dr. Don O’Neill, Head of the Department of Culinary Arts, Hospitality & Tourism at SETU. Andrew Lambe from Company Bureau. Maggie Kenny from The Grazing Table
Aoibhin Fallon stands in for Mary this week.She chatted to Fergal Kelly, solutions engineer with Compar Vision Systems and robotics, based in the Cleaboy business park in Waterford.He will talk about the company’s recent expansion and also the rising concern that robotics are taking over many of the manual jobs traditionally done by humans.Trevor Darmody (Festival Director) and Mary Merritt (Market Manager) from Winterval in studio to discuss the positive impact the popular Christmas festival is expected to have on Waterford city.Also, WLRs David Farrell and Kieran Foley speak to the winners of last weekend's Waterford Business Awards.
Mary spoke to Stuart Fitzgerald, CEO of Waterford based Fitzgerald Power, on global challenges for Irish SMEs in the export market. Colin Landers of Landers Bespoke Carpentry and Joinery in Villierstown will join Mary in studio to discuss what it means to be a finalist in the IKTG (Ireland Kitchen Trade Guide awards), which take place in Belfast in November.And Mary heard all about a new Irish Fintech company -Global Health Capital - designed exclusively formedical professionals. Co-founder Graham Byrne will join me to discuss.
The Hot Desk this week, Mary spoke to Abbeyside retailer Kelley Moroney who's been taking part in the BWG Foods NextGen Entrepreneurs Programme. She’ll give an overview of the current retail landscape in Ireland. Mary was also be joined by Waterford based Counsellor and Coach Monica Jackman - she’s running free webinars for Mental Health Month, in association with Healthy Waterford. And Ken McAndrew, of Camigo Consulting, a specialist in Mergers and Acquisitions, who will give expert advice on how to choose the right investor or buyer for your business.
Hot Desk Oct 8th, Brendan Twohig of MK Brazil will be in to talk about what Budget 2026 means for businesses.Mary will speak to David Burke and Rebecca Queally who established Dungarvan’s newest hotel, The Hatmaker.Finally, National Women’s Enterprise Day will be celebrated in Tramore on October 16th - I'll be joined in studio by Jamie Whitty of Waterford LEO to give me the details.
Hot Desk Oct 1st,Mary spoke with Liam Quinn of Waterford Area Partnership about the company’s new brand identity, which includes a name change to Buíon Phort LáirgeShe was also joined by Joe Queenan, founder of the Foxford brand, which is now housed at Mount CongreveAnd Claire Mooney of Waterford company ReduceCosts will outline changes to commercial energy bills this October That's the Hot Desk, Wednesdays after Waterford at 6.
Hot Desk Sep 24th ,Mary will be joined in studio by Professor John Notan to discuss Supplement Certified, which he co-founded - the team researches if supplements contain what it says on the label. She will speak to Brian Murphy of Deloitte. Brian is Lead Partner for Ireland's Best Managed Companies Awards Programme. he will speak about new survey findings around AI, barriers to growth and talent acquisition. And David Farrell and Kieran Foley from the WLR news team attended Dungarvan and West Waterford Chamber's End of Summer event, to hear about how the season was for business and hospitality in the town.
Hot Desk Sep 17th , South East Technological University (SETU) has announced the appointment of its very first Chief Operations Officer (COO), David Denieffe. I'll speak to David, who will outline what he hopes to bring to the role. I'll be joined in studio by Waterford based Christine Murphy of Urban Aran - she'll tell me about her involvement in Paris Fashion Week through The Council of Irish Fashion Designers.And AVEA, the Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions, has chosen Waterford for its annual conference this year, with the two day event taking place in mid October. CEO Catherine Flanagan will tell me more.
Hot Desk Sep 10th Mary was joined in studio by Sarah Hewson, owner of Birdie's Café in Fenor, where she roasts her own coffee and offers a gallery / event space for local artists, designers and creators. Sarah will discuss leaving a career in Dublin to run a business at home in Waterford, as well as giving details of upcoming events at Birdie's. Also in studio will be Edel Tobin, founder of Street Art Link, who will give details of the upcoming 'Floating Voices' panel talk for industry experts in Waterford City this coming Sunday. And Mary spoke to Ollie Murphy about the recent integration of Oliver Murphy Insurance into Campion Insurance, and why this is a positive move in terms of the company's growth in Waterford.
Hot Desk Sep 3rd Mary was joined in studio by James O'Sullivan, Head of Commercialisation at SETU, about 'Unlock Innovation,' an upcoming webinar connecting regional businesses with world-class expertise. Over 70% of Irish organisations have information exposed online according to Global cybersecurity firm Smarttech247. Mary was joined by the company's CEO Raluca Saceanu who will have advice on how businesses can protect themselves. And September 10th is the deadline for entry to this year's Waterford Business Awards. Lynda Lawton of Waterford Chamber will join me for everything you need to know.
Hot Desk Aug 27th ,Mary was joined by Gareth Evans, Head of Enterprise at Waterford LEO about the upcoming Glas awards, and about business clinics the LEO has been holding across the county. Mary also spoke to Craig Dee, MD and Founder of Momentum Events and owner of Coach House Coffee, Crough Coffee, and The Stables Café Mount Congreve. Craig will discuss how the summer has been for tourism and hospitality in Waterford and whether the trends in the county are in line with the national picture. And Nigel Hanly will be in studio to discuss his company 'Nigel's Natural,' which he started five years ago. He'll outline the inspiration behind his products as well as giving details of his new kitchenware range.
Hot Desk Aug 20th , Aoibhin Fallon here, standing in for Mary O Neil on this week's show.With the annual Harvest Festival fast approaching Aoibhin speak to organiser Mark Dunne about the positive impact that the festival has on local businesses. John Barron from Go Challenge has details of an upcoming event they are running at SETU. "Connect At Work" is a conference for people leaders, which will focus on the future of workplace health and its business impact.And we hear from two recently relaunched businesses in Waterford. Peter Ormonde has recently re-opened the popular Spinnaker Bar in Dunmore East and he looks ahead to a busy future, including this weekend's Bluegrass Festival. And Brian Dunphy has details of matchfit.ie, a sports gear provider with a difference.
Hot Desk Aug 13th, Mary spoke to Paul McCormack, CEO of Hydrogen Ireland, about how, as a country, we need to maximise the potential and interaction of multiple forms of energy in our future lives. One in three jobseekers in Ireland check the company's green credentials before applying, according to new findings from Matrix Recruitment, which has a base in Waterford. Mary heard more from the company's Recruitment Manager Rena Weld. And Maru was joined by West Waterford based Elaine Fitzgerald McBarron, co-founder and director of Verda, about her recent article outlining why mothers make exceptional startup founders.
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