Latest news with #CelticTiger
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
DJ Carey's fall from icon to fraudster was laid bare in court as he answered ‘guilty' 10 times
Suddenly, from a standing start, DJ Carey jinked to his left and slipped into the empty space. But instead of facing the uprights, he was in front of a judge, about to rifle over a string of guilty pleas from inside the dock. Had it really come to this? One of the finest hurlers the game has ever produced, the former Kilkenny forward dazzled for almost two decades with his sporting brilliance. He captivated crowds with his speed, skill and unerring eye. READ MORE A multiple All-Ireland medal winner, much garlanded GAA All Star and dashing role model for youngsters, this nice, unassuming hero ended a long inter-county career secure in his legacy. A smooth pivot to the business world was the obvious progression. Naturally, he prospered in Celtic Tiger Ireland, his relationship with a millionaire businesswoman and their jet-set lifestyle chronicled in the social pages of the glossy mags and newspapers. DJ had it all. DJ was a star. It's all gone now, his life reduced to a squalid tale of deception. A hero who went from scoring goals to scoring money from kind people by pretending he needed help to pay for his cancer treatment. On Wednesday morning, the extent of DJ Carey's fall from grace was laid bare at a busy sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He was hardly noticed in this clearing house of crime and punishment as the judge briskly worked her way through the day's criminal list. Only the presence of a large number of journalists in court number seven indicated that something out of the ordinary was happening. Earlier, photographers and camera crews waited on the steps of the Criminal Courts of Justice for Carey to arrive. The 54-year-old was expected to stand trial on deception charges. But with this fraud merchant, who knows? When it came to the crunch, DJ chose not to fight the case. He was spotted walking in the vicinity of the building before proceedings began, as if looking for an entrance, talking on the phone. Finally, at the last minute, he walked quickly past the cameras and through the main doors. After briefly consulting with his legal team, he sat alone on a side-facing wooden bench next to the dock. He hadn't long to wait for his case to be called. 'Denis Carey.' People have their own worries and their own business to conduct in this place. Few paid attention to just another defendant, the bald man in the dark suit, smoothly moving over from his seat to the stand. This scheming sporting hero once staged a ludicrous photo of himself lying in bed looking pathetic, apparently at death's door But the reporters snapped to attention. The court was told a jury wasn't needed. There would be no trial. The defendant stood with his arms down and hands clasped together, like a player in a defensive wall bracing for a free kick. The court registrar read out the charges. ' Guilty,' replied Carey, quietly . And to the next one. And the next. Ten times in all. (With 10 more charges taken into account) Guilty to faking cancer and dishonestly inducing people to give him money towards his imaginary treatment. Guilty to deceiving decent individuals who wanted to help a national sporting icon through a devastating illness. One word stood out when defence counsel Colman Cody SC asked Judge Ryan to extend legal aid for his client who has 'certain mental health issues' and is under medical care. He said while the charges admitted involve fraudulent cancer claims, Carey has ongoing health issues which are 'genuine' and significant and he had heart surgery last year. It is not unusual to hear such a serious procedure described as 'significant'. But it is most uncommon to hear a heart operation classified as 'genuine'. That this even needed to be said pointed up the callousness of Carey's crimes. But then, this scheming sporting hero once staged a ludicrous photo of himself lying in bed looking pathetic, apparently at death's door, a white phone charging cable dangling like a drip from his nasal cavity and a strip of tape across his face supposedly keeping it in place. DJ Carey will be sentenced at the end of October. After his unexpectedly brief appearance, he spent a while talking to his legal team before walking briskly from the building with a posse of reporters, photographers and a documentary film crew in tow. They struggled to keep up as he marched up the incline of Infirmary Road, ignoring their shouted questions. He swiftly rounded the corner to Montpelier Hill and the pack gave up the chase. 'That's an inter-county player for you,' said an onlooker to her friend. There was a time when action pictures of DJ Carey appeared on the back pages of newspapers, for all the right reasons. Not anymore. He is front page fodder now – and for all the wrong ones.
The Journal
12 hours ago
- The Journal
Billionaire Denis O'Brien among those DJ Carey sought to defraud with fake cancer diagnosis
BILLIONAIRE DENIS O'BRIEN is among the people ex-hurling star DJ Carey pleaded guilty to fraudulently inducing to pay him money for cancer treatment. The ten counts Carey pleaded guilty to today spanned eight years and involved 13 complainants. The trial had been expected to last three to four weeks before Carey gave his plea this morning in the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin. He'll be sentenced later this year. Today, it was put to the 54-year-old that he induced various people, on dates between 2014 and 2022, to make a monetary payment to him after fraudulently claiming to have cancer and needing finances for his treatment, with the intention of making a gain to him and causing a loss to another. In relation to Denis O'Brien, Carey was charged with inducing him to make a payment to him between January 2014 and September 2022. O'Brien, a mogul in Ireland's communications and media industries, rose to prominence during the Celtic Tiger era. O'Brien is a known sports fan and he or his companies have contributed to sports teams in Ireland and abroad throughout the years. During Carey's playing days, O'Brien's Esat Digifone was the shirt sponsor for Cork GAA. Advertisement He gave no comment today when asked to respond to Carey's guilty plea. He also did not confirm whether he gave any money to Carey for the purpose of paying for cancer treatment. Carey had claimed his condition could only be treated in the United States. Among the others Carey is charged with inducing to make payments to him are Aidan Mulligan, between June and September 2022; Christy Browne, between September and October 2022; Thomas Butler, between October 2019 and November 2022; Jeffrey Howes, between February 1 2022 and August 8 2022; Noel Tynan, between January 1 2017 and October 2022, and Edwin Carey, between December 21 2021 and November 12 2022. Carey's solicitor Edward Hughes told the court today that he has 'genuinely significant health issues' and underwent surgery for a heart condition. He also has 'certain mental health issues' and Hughes asked that a psychological report be done ahead of sentencing. Carey is regarded as one of the greatest hurlers to have played the game, winning five All-Ireland senior medals with Kilkenny, once as captain. He was named Hurler of the Year in 2000, while he won nine All-Star awards. Since retiring from play, he has managed the Kilkenny U21 hurlers and was a selector for the county senior team. He'll be sentenced on 29 October. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Adrian Weckler: 71pc of VC cash this year has gone into AI – so does Ireland Inc really intend sitting this one out?
US Big Tech are the only ones allowed create AI services – which the EU then ends up using anyway Today at 00:30 The economics of AI are like nothing the world has ever seen before. Forget tulip mania, the South Sea bubble, Icelandic banks, the Celtic Tiger – even the bubble. This supersedes them all.
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Stylish Waterfall home at Earls Well hits market for €1.2m — could set estate price record
LOCAL lore has it that a well or spring in Waterfall was a regular pitstop for some historical notable to water his horses, perhaps while conducting the business of running a vast estate. Some of the speculation centres on the Earl of Bandon, as he may have passed through Waterfall on the road home. The theory works in favour of the original Gaelic name for Waterfall, Tobar an Iarla, or Well of the Earl. While the days of earls are long gone this side of the Irish Sea, Waterfall still has an upmarket sheen. Traditionally favoured by academics and medics, it's on the right side of Cork City for accessing major hospitals and third-level education facilities. Bishopstown is reachable in minutes, yet Waterfall feels distinctly rural. Twenty-first century developments continue to cement Waterfall's aura of fashionability. 11 Earls Well In the early noughties, Fleming Construction launched Heatherfield, a scheme of large, detached homes on the city side of Waterfall village, where dozens queued to view the showhouse in Celtic Tiger times. Reports were that some of the Heatherfield units sold for €1m a pop. They've never quite returned to those glory days, says the price register, albeit No 35 made €820,000 two years ago, and No 38, currently on the market with Frank V Murphy, is rumoured to be sale agreed at €1.15m. 38 Heatherfield is rumoured to be sale agreed in excess of €1m Heatherfield was a talking point in Waterfall until Fleming Construction unveiled plans for an even more ambitious scheme of 42 homes right next door to it, to be built on 30 acres bought from local publicans, the O'Shea family. That estate was Earls Well and it would be built to standards few estates could match. The first five homes lived up to the billing: Detached, O'Mahony Pike designed five-beds, the biggest was just shy of 4,000 sq ft. Unfortunately for the builder, the timing was disastrous and nothing sold as the downturn took hold. Flemings went into liquidation in 2010, one of the first major construction casualties of the collapse, with debts of a staggering €1bn. NAMA entered the frame during the post-crash mop-up and Townmore Construction took on the build work in late 2016. Another dozen homes were delivered — including No 11, featured here — before receivers for the Fleming group sold off the remaining land with full planning permission for 28 homes, which O'Callaghan Properties bought and finished out. The entire estate is now finally completed, fully landscaped, and all homes occupied. no 11 Earls Well To date, resales have been few and far between. Number 11's arrival to market should, therefore, excite interest among homeowners looking for a quality family trade-up within shouting distance of the city's western suburbs. Bought by the current owners in 2018, you could scarcely tell it's been lived in, so good is its condition. Although smaller than the original five in the scheme, it's still a very generous 237 sq m, and layout and light levels make it feel even bigger. Generous hallway at No 11 No 11, towards the back of the development — which is arranged in cul-de-sac clusters, around greens — was sold with a builder's finish for €603,300 in 2018. Its owners hired an interior designer to get it right inside. Warm, amtico, herringbone-style flooring runs throughout the ground floor, where heating is underfloor; bespoke wall panelling is a prominent feature; impressive 'media walls' in the family room and in the kitchen/dining/living room are the product of skilled joinery. Family room with built in media wall As the owner knows a thing or two about kitchens, the one at No 11 looks pretty good. Hand-painted, in-frame, with a large island, quartz worktop, and Belfast sink with insinkerator (garbage disposal), it also comes with a wine fridge and AGA electric range cooker. Bigger household appliances are in the adjoining utility. The island can sit three comfortably, and there's room for a few more at the dining table in the centre of the open-plan area, where a picture window overlooks the farmer's field next door. 'You get cows peeping in from time to time; it's great to have that when you are so close to the city, too,' the owner says. The open-plan area also accommodates an attractive lounge space, where glazing covers the entire back wall, overlooking the terrifically generous rear garden. A sliding door leads outside. The house is designed to capitalise on its rear aspect. It faces south west and big windows dominate its rear walls. Wraparound glazing is a feature of both the main, open-plan area and also the family room, where the second of three sets of sliding door leads to the large, sandstone patio. Family room The third sliding door is in the study, which has bespoke wall panelling, plantation shutters, and specially-built joinery for storing files and watching television. Generous bedrooms are a theme on the Ducon concrete, slabbed first floor; the main has both a walk-in closet and a quality en suite. All have plantation shutters and there's a second en suite. A floored attic runs the length of the house and there's also a garage for storage. Study The family aspect to No 11 continues outdoors where the rear is laid to lawn — plenty space for swings/slides/trampoline — while the front drive 'can accommodate 10-15 cars', says the owner. Plenty space for outdoor toys Because the houses at Earls Well are all on large sites — No 11 is on 0.4a — there's no sense of being overlooked. Mature hedging and electronic gates reinforce that sense of privacy, not to mention security for the children. The current owners are relocating for family reasons and Norma Healy, of Sherry FitzGerald, is handling the sale. She says 2,550 sq ft No 11 is 'the quintessential, modern family home', ready to go, with a best-in-class, A-3 energy rating. 'What's more, it's just minutes from Bishopstown and Ballinora national school is just half a mile down the road,' the agent says. Her price for this spacious, stylish home is €1.2m. If it makes the money, it will set a record for the estate. Two larger Earls Well units have already breached €1m, but both were bigger. However, neither was fully finished. VERDICT: The complete package for a family trading up who want to be a stone's throw from Bishopstown.
Business News Wales
24-06-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
If We Want Growth, We Must Make Wales Investable
If we want growth, we must make Wales investable. That means viewing Wales not as a region in need of support, but a country of strategic opportunity, one where public and private capital can unlock long-term, sustainable returns. This requires a new mindset across all levels of government and sectors. It also requires a skillset to overcome the capability deficit. You cannot just flick a switch and expect competency at initiatives that are new, higher risk and require business-like discipline to engage with pension funds, green finance and private infrastructure funds. We desperately need integration between UK, Welsh and local government, between business, academia and social enterprise and, crucially, between our digital and physical infrastructure systems. The future prosperity of Wales will depend on how well we join the dots and break down the silos. We need an integrationist mindset. If we are intent upon answering our most serious questions, from productivity, poverty, health, climate change, education and skill requirements, to highlight a few, we also need to involve people who think differently, not just accurately, adopting a holistic perspective through collective intelligence. The use of focus groups, a much vaunted solution to a lack of diversity, in politics, while sensible in their own terms, miss the deeper point because it is about the questions that are asked in the first place, the data that is used and the assumptions that permeate the problem areas. With complex problems, no one person will have all the relevant insights. What's needed now is leadership on both sides. Political leaders willing to open the tent, build trust and co-create the future with business leaders ready to move from critique to collaboration and embrace the positive attributes of the public sector. The fundamentals are there. We have world-class research institutions, a proud manufacturing base, and a rising innovation ecosystem. But our success is being held back by fragmentation of funding, of governance, and of ambition. We need a national approach to investment readiness, one where policy, infrastructure and financial mechanisms work in tandem to lower the barriers to attract international mobile capital. A mere shift from pointing our own lens from East to West lands us in Ireland, a country that has experienced an amazing transformation. Fiscal benefits aside, we could learn from the Celtic Tiger's enviable ability to attract and retain foreign investors. The Welsh and UK Governments have a vital enabling role to play here, not simply as regulators or grant-givers, but as strategic investors willing to de-risk transformational projects. That means moving away from a narrow focus on tax revenue towards an Entrepreneurial State model that rewards responsible, not reckless, risk-taking and value creation. Incentivising investment through targeted tax reductions, investment zones, and agile planning frameworks will send a powerful signal to global capital, financial and corporate investors. Government needs to trust and release the regions and other local institutions to develop tax incentives and fiscal levers to give bespoke benefits back to business and create a magnet for inward investment. At the same time, we must align the funding flows that already exist. Sovereign funds, infrastructure impact investors, local authority pension funds – these pools of capital can be brought together under a shared purpose to invest in the future economy of Wales. Whether it's renewable energy, smart mobility, advanced manufacturing, creative industries or health innovation, we must package these opportunities in a way that speaks the language of investors. We also need to think spatially. Our transport and digital networks are not just enablers of movement or communication, they are the arteries of economic vitality. A joined-up connectivity strategy, linking less prosperous economic zones with research assets and job creating communities, is vital if we want to create investable regions, not just isolated projects. This is not about grand gestures or top-down declarations. It's about building the architecture that allows ambition to scale locally, nationally, and internationally. That requires a coalition of actors prepared to work across boundaries, share risk and reward, and stay focused on long-term outcomes. The opportunity is clear. Business leaders across Wales, representing sectors from manufacturing, media, energy generation to the digitisation of everything and logistics, have called for a new manifestation of politics: one that listens, collaborates, and moves at the speed of change. In parallel, many within our political institutions recognise that governing in silos is no longer enough. What's missing is a mechanism to merge these ambitions in a way that is transparent, accountable, and bold. The UK Industrial Strategy has an overdue role to drive this very opportunity. This isn't about privatising policy or diminishing the role of elected representatives. It's about enhancing public decision-making with the same tools that drive great businesses: data, delivery, and discipline. From AI-powered analysis of emerging trends to cross-sector innovation through procurement, the methods that fuel private sector progress can and should inform public sector reform. Diversity is the basic ingredient of collective intelligence and has moved to the heart of artificial intelligence. For policy makers, it emerges from exceptional individual politicians with (amongst other things), backgrounds that span the demographic spectrum of the electorate they serve. Then there's investment. Wales competes globally for talent, capital, and opportunity. To win, we need an integrated strategy that leverages public infrastructure and private ambition in tandem. A shared economic vision between political leaders and a dedicated business advisory group with authority could create a powerful new offer to investors, rooted in stability, coherence, confidence and language that is trusted and understood by all stakeholders. Wales can become investable. But only if we act with purpose, speak with one voice, and design the systems that attract not just support capital, but foster innovation and talent. The stakes are high. We are seeing the end of stability, certainty and abundance with the potential end of globalisation driven by patriotism and potential war conflicts. Therefore, we must focus on the nation-state level productivity and prosperity, while the rest of the world is onshoring, developing tax incentives and imposing damaging tariffs aimed at sovereign capability. This is our competition. So too is the potential. If we are serious about building a more prosperous, dynamic, and inclusive Wales, then the next chapter of our politics must be written together with business not as a stakeholder, but as a true partner.
