Category Archives: News

Published on Sunday May 4th, 2008. By John Reynolds FORMER First Active boss John Smyth is seeking to sell a stake in €750m Ukrainian bank Ukrgasbank. After a bitter boardroom struggle saw Smyth being ousted from First Active when its shares plummeted in 1999, he walked away with a payoff … Continue reading →

Published on 13 April, 2008. By John Reynolds BILLIONAIRE currency speculator George Soros – the man who broke the Bank of England – has warned Ireland not to pull out of the euro. “I doubt that Ireland would benefit from withdrawing from the euro. It wouldn’t allow you to escape … Continue reading →

Published on Sunday March 30 2008 By John Reynolds and Nick Webb WEALTHY Irish horse racing tycoon John Magnier’s Coolmore Stud could be worth up to €4bn, based on new valuations, following a major takeover of a rival stud operation last week.   The privately owned horse breeding stables — the … Continue reading →

Published on December 9, 2007. By John Reynolds Despite claims that we saw a Green Budget last week, environmental taxes are reaping the Government more than 13 times the sum it hands back in green grants for homes and tax breaks for businesses. According to Government figures, Finance Minister Brian … Continue reading →

Published on 04 November, 2007.  THE nation’s renowned generosity reached its peak earlier this week after the Dublin Marathon and RTE’s Telethon. But one Irish former tycoon — who grew up a stone’s throw from the broadcaster’s Donnybrook headquarters — is helping people in Ethiopia through a more business-oriented approach … Continue reading →

Published on 28 October, 2007 . IN A move to become Ireland’s first carbon neutral insurance company, Hibernian Group has just bought 30,000 carbon credits from Dublin-based environmentally friendly concrete firm, Ecocem. As the latest UN environmental report paints the starkest picture yet of the planet’s failing health, the insurer … Continue reading →

Published on 16 September, 2007. By John Reynolds A 100-year-old Irish construction firm has made the shortlist to build Britain’s first carbon neutral housing scheme next year. MJ Gleeson, which was founded in 1903 by Galway bricklayer Michael Joseph Gleeson, has outlined plans for a pioneering £35m (€53m) green homes … Continue reading →

Published on 2 September, 2007. By John Reynolds  Although tourist numbers have increased this year, the famous Quiet Man Cottage in Cong, Co. Mayo, where John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara starred in the 1953 film, is in danger of closing. Traditionally a popular attraction for many of the 1 million … Continue reading →

Published on 26 August, 2007. By John Reynolds  Ireland will secure its place at the top of Europe’s personal debt league next year on the 51st anniversary of the founding of the European Union. Using the Central Bank’s latest figures, it is estimated that the value of our personal debt will … Continue reading →

Published on Sunday 19 August, 2007. By John Reynolds BILLIONAIRE Dr Martin Naughton, founder of Glen Dimplex has emerged as a backer of global wind energy giant, Airtricity. Speaking to the Sunday Independent recently, the owner of the €2bn Dundalk-based heater manufacturer revealed he had a stake in the €1.25bn … Continue reading →