RTÉ - The Business

News broke overnight that Iran launched scores of missiles on Israel in response to Israel's series of well orchestrated coordinated attacks on Iran on Thursday night. Dr. Brendan Flynn, Head of Discipline Political Science at the School of Political Science and Sociology, University of Galway joins us on the programme to discuss.

A County Wicklow woman is preparing for a massive 3,500-nautical-mile solo transatlantic race, while also running her business, Ripple Racing. Pamela Lee joins us on the programme.

How do people working in tense, detail oriented, stressful jobs cope under pressure? Siofra Mulqueen finds out.

Will the unrest in the Middle East further force European Countries to increase their military capabilities? Dr. Patrick Bury, Senior Associate Professor in Security in the Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies at the University of Bath joins us to discuss.

Sometimes you might feel the need to tune out of all the world events. A spot of daydreaming could be just what you need. It may seem quaint to get lost in thought, but it can have surprisingly positive benefits. Aidan Fitzmaurice gets lost in a daydream.

Marion McKeown joins the programme to discuss the fallout between the World's Richest Man and the World's Most Powerful Man.

Is Donald Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a “disgusting abomination,” and a “debt slavery bill?” David McWilliams, author of “Money: a story of Humanity,” which was named the FTs Economics book of the year, joins the programme to discuss.

Ronan McCabe left the world of accounting to join Zig and Zig for twenty years. He has since moved into the world of more well behaved cartoon characters as CEO of Animation Ireland.

Who owns the data from our brains? Ruth Freeman of Research Ireland joins to discuss how new technology could impact our neurorights.

Is it difficult to create a whole new character on page or on the screen? What goes into creating goodies and baddies. Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out.

Since losing his friend and business partner, Eddie Jordan, Keith O'Loughlin has written a book called FTB, Lessons from Eddie Jordan, Inspiration From a Life Lived at Full Throttle.

Is being bold a good thing for business or in the workplace? Clinical psychologist, neuroscientist and professor of Psychology at Trinity, Ian Robertson is finding out.

Pulitzer prize winning science journalist Deborah Blum, who is also the Director of the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT in Boston, says that American food standards have already been impacted by the new Trump administration.

Billy Alexander has always loved ferns but it took him 30 years to give up the day job and make a business out of his hobby. He's just back from the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show where he won gold again and he's at Bloom in the Phoenix Park this weekend where we caught up with him.

What will the proposed 50% tariff on all EU goods coming into the US mean for Irish businesses? PJ Rigney, founder of The Shed Distillery in Drumshambo and producer of Drumshambo Gunpowder Gin joins the programme to discuss.

Along with the proposed 50% tariff on EU goods, President Donald Trump has also threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all Apple phones not manufactured in the US. Patrick McGee, author of Apple in China, believes it will be difficult for Apple to leave China, where the company has a long history of manufacturing iPhones.

Lafcadio Hearn is a name not widely known to many of us, but for Keith Guinan, tour guide at Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens in Tramore, the name is synonymous with bringing Japanese culture to Ireland.

This father/daughter duo's family business has been burying the dead in Galway City for almost 200 years.

Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out what inspires people to dedicate hours to crafting intricate miniature models, one tiny detail at a time.

President Donald Trump's tariffs are all part of a plan to bring more trade back to the United States but Ben Chu, author of Exile Economics, is not convinced the plan will work. He joins the programme to talk about the global shift towards self sufficiency and away from international economic cooperation.

Darina Connolly is a Cork woman who began her career as an intern at MTV. She has since worked with Apple, TikTok and Sony. She is now general manager of music label Rhino UK.

TikTok and social media have become a massive part of the music industry as a way for artists to get their name out there. Siofra Mulqueen has been looking at TikTok's influence on music and the other means that artists are using to win new fans.

During a jaw dropping trip to the middle east, Donald Trump dined out at McDonalds and enjoyed lavish displays of wealth from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Ian Robertson joins the programme to discuss how flattery can get you everywhere.

Aria Ungerer's French born father Tomi Ungerer was a famous illustrator whose childhood in the shadow of the Nazis informed his work. As a child, her family moved to Mizen Head in West Cork where she began to follow in her father's footsteps.

Theologian Gina Menzies gives her thoughts on what we can learn about leadership after the election of Pope Leo XIV.

The US and UK announced a historic trade deal, hailing their “special relationship” as a key factor in agreeing terms. Economist David McWilliams joins the programme to discuss just how good of a deal it is.

Bill Gates announced recently that he would be winding down his Gates Foundation. Liz Carolan of The Briefing joins the programme to discuss what this might mean.

It's beginning to feel like summer here…hopefully. Siofra Mulqueen hit the road to find out about the sounds of the summer that some business owners can't wait to experience.

The first 100 days of President Donald Trump's second term in the White House have been anything but dull. Michael Wolff, author of “All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America,” joins us on the programme to discuss Donald Trump's second term.

Actors like Paul Mescal, Nicola Coughlan, Brendan Gleeson and more have been making the leap from the screen to the stage. Film critic Cara O'Doherty joins us to find out what's behind this trend.

Our reporter Siofra Mulqueen has been churning up stories of fairy folk and bad actors for this May Day.

What started out as a small paper mill in Rathmines has grown into a multi-billion dollar multinational company. Last year Smurfit Kappa merged with US company WestRock, making it the largest packaging company in the world. CEO of Smurfit WestRock joins us on the programme.

Parmy Olsen, author of “Supremacy - AI, ChatGPT and the race that will change the world,” joins us to discuss how tariffs might affect the AI race, and two of the central figures in the AI world, Demis Hassabis and Sam Altman.

Is it a bad thing when a company finds itself shifting from a values-driven entity to a capitalist behemoth, or does the ability to be ‘nimble' when it comes to change make for a good entrepreneur? Creator of thebriefing.ie, Liz Carolan has been mulling it over.

Dane Galligan of RTE's "Davy's Toughest Challenge" television series, where he helped coach young people to go above and beyond, credits the outdoors with saving his life. Dane spent years in the hospitality trade before struggles with his mental health started to take a toll.

Professional caddy, Colin Byrne, who has worked with some of the biggest names in golf, such as Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, joins us to discuss what role a caddy plays in the success of their golfer.

After increasing profits at its Irish base to almost $430 million this year, 2FM's Aifric O'Connell joins us to discuss LinkedIn, a site that most people either loathe or love.

Are the big US tech companies based in Ireland about to get caught in the crossfire as the EU begins tariff negotiations with the US? Former head of the IDA and Grant Thornton's current Head of Industry, Martin Shanahan, joins to discuss how difficult it might become to pull in foreign direct investment from other places.

Before running a multi-million euro global skincare brand, Noella Gabriel had run a health food shop and trained as a classical singer in Cork, but it all started with a chance phone call while she was working in Harvey Nichols in her late twenties.

The “MAGA makeover,” has taken hold in some quarters of the United States. For men like Elon Musk it means shrunken suits - a dark gothic version of MAGA. For women, it's a whole other ball game. Comedian Anne Gildea definitely won't be trying it out any time soon.

Robin Harding, Asia Editor of the Financial Times joins the program to discuss how the ongoing trade war is playing out in China.

What happens when striving for perfection becomes an unhealthy pursuit? Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out.