The Art of Small Talk

Thursday set a record at Dublin Airport with over 63,000 departures. This summer, 10 million passengers are expected, but the 32 million annual cap on passengers concerns the Dublin Airport Authority. CEO Kenny Jacobs joins us to discuss the impact on business and tourism.

Paul Cadden, grew up in the West of Ireland and has made a name in Dublin with his Saba Thai restaurants and takeaways, plus a new sauce range at Dunnes Stores. His brother Alan works with him, while brother Mark runs a restaurant in Castlebar, continuing their family's hospitality legacy.

Russia's recent claim of discovering 510 billion barrels of oil in Antarctica, ostensibly found during a scientific mission, has raised concerns about a potential Russian oil grab in a British-owned region. Here to discuss this is Professor Klaus Dodds, an Antarctic expert and geopolitics professor at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Irish author Colm Tóibín's new book was picked for Oprah's book club. To discuss its impact and changes in publishing, we're joined by journalist Aoife Barry and author Clare McGowan, whose book "Truth, Truth, Lie" launched this week on Amazon.

Recent data shows Guinness has overtaken Carling as the UK's favourite pint, with a 24% sales increase, especially popular in London's trendy bars. Joining us to discuss this is Mark Paul, London Correspondent for the Irish Times.

Join us as we explore the remarkable journey of Mike Corcoran, an Irishman on a mission in Ukraine. Starting as an apprentice in Ireland, he moved to America, became an Olympic athlete, and built a prosthetics business with a $23-27 million turnover. Now, his business spans 13 countries. Recently, he’s been aiding Ukrainian soldiers.

A new study suggests that Irish workers may be among the least productive in Europe, challenging our national pride in productivity. Have multinationals misled us about our efficiency? We’re joined by Dr. Tom McDonnell, co-director of the Nevin Economic Research Institute, who is conducting this study with trade union SIPTU.

Our next guest, Edward Luce, Financial Times US National Editor, warns of troubling times ahead if Donald Trump wins the next US Presidential election. He believes Europe and the EU should be particularly concerned about the potential impact of another Trump presidency.

Bruce Springsteen has been touring Ireland with three-hour gigs, wowing audiences. Freelance arts journalist Pat Carty believes we all could learn valuable lessons from The Boss.

Can state-owned lands solve the property crisis? Recent events in Dublin spotlight the housing shortage. Some argue this crisis fuels anti-immigrant sentiment. Dr. Lorcan Sirr, an expert in housing, believes Ireland has untapped solutions, especially in utilizing state-owned lands.