Denis O'Brien lashes Ireland's reliance on FDI over homegrown firms
• O'Brien's proposal for how Irish firms can be supported to not sell out
• His views on Big Tech's energy drain as metric which shows overreliance on FDI
• What he told the US ambassador about Donald Trump, and the businessman's views on Ireland and Nato membership

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Dunnes Stores shoppers set for frenzy over new ‘stylish' co-ord that makes perfect airport look – & it's just €35 total
DUNNES Stores shoppers are set for a frenzy over a new co-ord - and it makes the perfect airport look. The retailer has been keeping shoppers happy with a range of must-have 4 The Short Sleeve Button Detail Jersey Co-Ord Top is just €15 Credit: DUNNES STORES 4 The Straight Leg Jersey Co-Ord Trousers cost just €20 Credit: DUNNES STORES 4 The navy option has sold out online Credit: DUNNES STORES And now, Dunnes Stores has added another The retailer is selling the two piece for €35 in total and it fits any occasion. The Short Sleeve Button Detail Jersey Co-Ord Top is just €15. READ MORE IN DUNNES STORES But unfortunately for fashion fans, the navy shade is sold out online - though may be available in your local Shoppers can get the top in sizes XS to XXL - and all options are still in stock online. The short-sleeved red jumper has ribbed detailing, and features three gold buttons on the left shoulder for a chic addition. In the official item description on the Most read in The Irish Sun "In a textured finish, wear with denim or the matching trousers (sold separately) for a coordinated look." It's perfect to wear to a variety of events, either with the matching trousers or paired with something else. I tried 'cute' summer dress that's 'so flattering' cries Dunnes Stores fan - and it comes in two colours The Straight Leg Jersey Co-Ord Trousers cost just €20. These pants also come in two shades, red and navy, though again the navy is completely sold out online. Shoppers can pick them up in sizes XS to XXL - and all sizes are still in stock online. The wide-leg trousers feature the same ribbed detailing as the top, and come with an elasticated waistband. In the official item description on the Dunnes Stores website, "Pair them with the matching top (sold separately) for a relaxed, coordinated look." Shoppers could wear the co-ord together for an easy go-to option. Or mix and match the pieces depending on the event. Both the top and trousers are available online and in stores now, but they are set to fly off the shelves. 4 The co-ord is €35 in total Credit: Garrett White THE HISTORY OF DUNNES STORES DUNNES Stores opened its first store on Patrick Street in Cork in 1944 - and it was an instant hit. Shoppers from all over the city rushed to the store to snap up quality clothing at pre-war prices in Ireland's first 'shopping frenzy'. During the excitement, a window was forced in and the police had to be called to help control the crowds hoping to bag founder Ben Dunne's 'Better Value' bargains. Dunnes later opened more stores in the 1950s and began to sell groceries in 1960 - starting with apples and oranges. The retailer said: "Fruit was expensive at the time and Ben Dunne yet again offered Better Value than anyone else in town. "Over time, our food selection has grown and that spirit of good value has remained strong. "Now we offer a wide range of carefully-sourced foods from both local Irish suppliers and overseas." The retailer's first Dublin store opened its doors in 1957 on Henry Street and a super store on South Great Georges Street was unveiled in 1960. They added: "In 1971, our first Northern Irish store opened, and many others soon followed. "Expansion continued in the 1980s in Spain, and later into Scotland and England." Dunnes now has 142 stores and employs 15,000 people.

The 42
4 hours ago
- The 42
Next year's Women's Irish Open to take place at The K Club
THE 2026 WOMEN'S Irish Open will be played at The K Club, the Ladies European Tour (LET) has confirmed. The championship will take place in Co. Kildare from 27-30 August on the club's Palmer South Course, which has previously hosted three European Opens. Advertisement The Women's Irish Open, which will again have KPMG as its title sponsor, has been moved back to August to offer players 'a prime opportunity to compete in front of passionate Irish crowds in the build-up to the Solheim Cup', the LET said. 'Tournament organisers are confident that this new venue will attract even bigger names and further elevate the fan experience.' Early-bird tickets for the 2026 KPMG Women's Irish Open will go on sale in due course, with U16s once again able to attend for free. MJ Fetherston, director of The K Club said: 'This is a tournament we want to support and elevate. There is so much brilliant talent in women's golf. We have been supporting Leona Maguire for the past few years and this is a terrific development on that. 'The Palmer South course has been given a lot of love and energy over the past few years. We are excited to bring tournament golf back to this challenging course. 'Our family and the whole team at the resort want to make this the best Women's Irish Open yet.'


Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on handling Donald Trump: a lesson on how to respond
For Donald Trump, the truth, more often than not, is beside the point. So powerful is the US president, and so accustomed are his interlocutors to his casual relationship with facts, that he is rarely challenge as he makes his long and rambling public pronouncements. So it was refreshing to see Jerome Powell, the chair of the US central bank, the Federal Reserve Board, shake his head and publicly correct the record in real time as he stood alongside the president at an event on Thursday. The backdrop was a lengthy campaign by Trump to force the Fed to lower interest rates and his outspoken attempts to try to get Powell to quit. As part of this campaign, the administration has weaponised a renovation programme at the Fed, which it claims is running way over budget. Standing beside Powell in his hard hat, Trump theatrically produced a piece of paper which he said showed that the $2.7 billion bill was now set to be $3.1 billion. Powell calmly studied the note and pointed out that this included the cost of another building that was already completed. 'It's a building that's being built, ' Trump responded. 'No, it was built five years ago,' said Powell. The exchange underlined how seldom Trump's 'facts' are challenged in public by those around him. Everyone wants to humour the unpredictable president. The irony is complete when he publishes posts on his 'Truth Social' channel, a name which carries echoes of the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's 1984. READ MORE World leaders face the same dilemma as Powell did when they stand beside Trump. Most choose to grin and bear it. This is what the EU appears to have done in trade talks with the US, as they face Trump's chaotic mixture of fact and fiction. As the talks come to another crunch – and with the need for support on the Ukraine war in the background – the EU may concede Trump's call for 15 per cent tariffs. When you lead the world's biggest economic and military power, sometimes you get to choose your own facts. A quiet-spoken bureaucrat just gave the world a lesson in how best to respond.