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Paul Colgan

@paulcolgan.bsky.social
857 followers 69 following 99 posts

Award Winning Journalist and Broadcaster. Irish Politics and Economics.

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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The budget drops, briefings and leaks are flowing as the big day approaches. I look ahead at the political week for The Irish Times ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
Budget 2027: Ministers lobby for passion projects
Inside Politics: Every 16-year-old in the State would be given a €100 ‘culture voucher’ under plans being considered
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
An unusual day in Bray. I had a look at the battle between the country's criminal defence solicitors and the Minister for Justice. Two Wicklow solicitors tell the court they are quiting the legal aid panel. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/co...
irishtimes.com
Criminal defence solicitors vs Jim O’Callaghan: Stakes raised during an unusual day in Bray
As two solicitors rise at the District Court to make their feelings known, on the other side of the row few practitioners are willing to speak publicly
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
'September can be a shock to the system’: Congestion in Dublin and the return of the school run. Ghost buses, commuter hell - I had a look for The Irish Times. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/transport/20...
irishtimes.com
‘September can be a shock to the system’: Congestion in Dublin and the return of the school run
‘We’re going to work – and leaving them off, hoping the bus will show up’
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Trump emerges as keen Irish nationalist during dizzying visit. A look back at an interesting weekend and the political week ahead - for The Irish Times. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
Trump emerges as keen Irish nationalist
Inside Politics: US president offers little on Iran war and blames Ukraine’s attacks on oil refineries in Russia for driving up the price of diesel
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Rural pubs are having to pull out all the stops to keep punters coming in the door. Golf simulators, passion-fruit martinis and DJ nights. I had a look for The Irish Times. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
The decline of the pub in Irish towns and the rise of the passion fruit martini
One in four Irish pubs has closed over the past two decades as drinking and consumer habits have changed
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Ireland is ageing faster than expected - with the birth rate dropping sharply and more people living longer. What are the implications for pensions, healthcare and retirement? I had a look for The Irish Times. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
No country for old people? Ireland’s declining younger population suggests it might be
Faster-than-anticipated fall in number of children under 14 raises questions about how State will pay for ageing population
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Businesses increasingly live or die depending on online reviews. But what do they do when someone is out to get them with a fake one-star rating - or even trying to extort money? I had a look for The Irish Times.⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
‘We can get rid of them for €3,000’: How small businesses are being targeted by fake reviews
For a wedding photographer, one negative review was all it took for couples to look elsewhere
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Padel courts are popping up seemingly everywhere across Ireland - as the planning permissions fly-in. Squash and tennis courts are in many firing lines. A look at the Irish past-time of the moment. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/sport/2026/0...
irishtimes.com
Ireland’s padel court building boom in full swing despite high-profile planning refusals
Demand for facilities has risen significantly since Covid pandemic, according to sport’s federation
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Monaghan based Combilift tell me its US exports are set to grow over 10% this year - as it benefits from the data centre boom. This is despite a 15% tariff. With 50 people already in North Carolina, Martin McVicar plans to grow the presence further.⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
Combilift develops US exports amid strong demand from Tesla and Google
Monaghan fork-lift manufacturer chasing in on boom in data centres and prefabricated construction
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
"It’s like Big Tobacco meets the banking inquiry". Irish and EU regulators should be watching the lawsuit against Meta in the US, say experts - as concerns grow about the impact of social media on children. I had a look for The Irish Times.⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
Ireland watches closely as 29 US states sue Meta for exploiting children
Potentially seismic lawsuit draws comparisons to 1990s pursuit of tobacco industry
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
My report on the damage caused by the wildfires in Ireland over the past fortnight.⤵️ ‘What was a beautiful habitat now is black soot’: Ireland’s wildfires devastate wildlife www.irishtimes.com/environment/...
irishtimes.com
‘What was a beautiful habitat now is black soot’: Ireland’s wildfires devastate wildlife
Mammals, small reptiles and amphibians losing shelter and food due to blazes in Tipperary, Wicklow and Waterford
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Irish builders are cashing in on Europe's data centre boom. And demand is growing in Ireland again. My piece for today's Irish Times⤵️ 'The boom is taking off again’: Irish builders at the heart of Europe’s data-centre growth www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
‘The boom is taking off again’: Irish builders at the heart of Europe’s data-centre growth
Concerns about grid capacity have slowed new projects in the sector but construction firms are taking their new expertise abroad
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
It's the watering can for anyone with an allotment in Ireland. I visited Bohernabreena. ⤵️ ‘It’ll take an hour to water this patch’: hosepipe ban brings heavy lift for allotment holders www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
‘It’ll take an hour to water this patch’: hosepipe ban brings heavy lift for allotment holders
The six-week hosepipe ban has been extended nationwide, forcing allotment owners to turn to the watering can
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
The life and career of a Irish fintech boss and former punk drummer. I sat down with Navro Europe's out-going CEO, Joe Redmond. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
Navro chief Joe Redmond: ‘I don’t quite fit the profile of a fintech start-up CEO at this stage in my career’
Under a licence from the Central Bank of Ireland, Navro processes foreign exchange payments across Europe
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Where does all Ireland's drinking water go in the summer and why are hosepipe bans needed? I had a look for The Irish Times.⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/environment/...
irishtimes.com
Why does Ireland need a hosepipe ban? The leaky pipes behind our water issues
Irish Water taking charge has improved the situation – but much more investment is needed
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Data centres hate the heat - and draw more power during heatwaves. So what does this mean for Ireland's straining electricity grid? And has Ireland lost its allure as a location for these behemoths? I had a look for The Irish Times.⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
Data centres in a heatwave: heaping demand on stretched electric grid during climate crisis
Soaring temperatures lead to rising use of air conditioning to keep servers cool, exacerbating the heat outside
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Intel is to pump €5 billion into Leixlip and create hundreds of new jobs there. I had a look at its remarkable turnaround story for The Irish Times last month. ⤵️
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
The Government will have to execute a delicate three-point turn when restoring the old excise rates on petrol and diesel. A look at the political landscape this Monday for The Irish Times. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
The tricky politics of unwinding petrol and diesel excise cuts
Inside Politics: Irish motorists are promised no ‘cliff edge’ as Ministers decide how to pare back fuel excise cuts
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Will the new rules on short-term lets push landlords off AirBnb and back into the rented sector? Or has Goliath bested David in the lobbying battle? I had a look for the Irish Times over the weekend.⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/hous...
irishtimes.com
Ireland’s new short-term let rules: how likely are they to work?
Observers say enforcement is required to make new rules work and more homes available to long-term renters
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Simon Harris' savings scheme has got a huge amount of media attention - but four months after it was first mentioned we still don't know what it'll look like. I ask experts why the Tánaiste keeps talking about it - and what they make of his media style.⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
Simon Harris wants a savings scheme for the middle class – but when will it happen?
Irish savers could soon plough billions into a tax-efficient, State-backed vehicle. But can the media-savvy Tánaiste deliver?
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Intel is back in vogue. I had a look at what its remarkable comeback means for Ireland Inc and for Leixlip. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
What Intel’s remarkable comeback means for Ireland Inc, and for Leixlip
Long a touchstone for US investment in Ireland, Intel appears to be recovering from recent troubles
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Will a new scrappage scheme get people out of their old bangers and into new EVs? Irish car dealers certainly think so. But will they remain a luxury of the better-off? Reporting for The Irish Times. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/motors/2026/...
irishtimes.com
Scrappage scheme got Irish drivers buying diesel 20 years ago. Can new scheme do same for EVs?
Ireland has set itself the lofty target of having 845,000 electric vehicles on the roads within four years
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Ireland has never wanted nuclear power on its shores - but some senior politicians are now asking people to re-consider it. I take a look at why it is back in the conversation for the Irish Times. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/environment/...
irishtimes.com
In a time of sky-high oil prices, should Ireland go nuclear?
Advocates say new, smaller reactors could deliver ‘abundant, cheap and clean power – the Holy Trinity’
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
The clean-up in Waterford will be long and pain-staking after the factory fire. I spoke to residents and businesses as they count the cost.⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
After the inferno: Counting the cost of the Tycor fire in Waterford
The Tycor Business Centre – much of which was destroyed in the blaze – is full of potentially deadly asbestos
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
I took an extensive look at Ireland's fruit and veg producers in two features for The Irish Times. Many smaller growers have fallen by the wayside as several big players have emerged from family farms. ⤵️ irishtimes.com/business/202... irishtimes.com/business/202...
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Ministers here jostle over the public finances, while Starmer faces a week of reckoning. I look at the week ahead for the Irish Times' Inside Politics digest ... www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
O’Callaghan and Chambers call for different types of change
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is exerting more and more influence
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Up Down.
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
What does the jet-fuel crunch mean for Irish holiday-makers? Some reporting for The Irish Times over the weekend.⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
‘They’ll start trimming fat routes’: How jet fuel shortages could affect Aer Lingus and Ryanair?
Consumer confidence has taken a battering since the start of the year, and when that happens, holiday bookings take a pause
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
A look at Ireland's political week ahead - after the heave that never was. My Inside Politics digest for The Irish Times. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
Martin escapes leadership heave but energy issues remain
Inside Politics: Government braces for economic fallout as energy costs rise and international negotiations falter
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Amid all the talk about excise duty - I looked at why alcohol-free beer is still so expensive given it enjoys excise-free status. As clear as the black stuff itself. For the Irish Times. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
Why is alcohol-free beer so expensive?
Walk up to a bar in Ireland and order an excise-free, non-alcoholic beer and you’ll pay close to the same as you would for the full strength equivalent
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
I had a look ahead at the political week in Ireland for The Irish Times - confidence votes, recrimination, fear and loathing etc. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
Can new €500m package end political turmoil over fuel?
Inside Politics: Government defends plans as ‘most generous in EU’ while Opposition and protesters dismiss measures as insufficient
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
How big is the Irish's government's financial war-chest, and how much leeway has it to reduce fuel costs? Answer - it's quite big. But there are also long-term problems to be addressed My piece for today's Irish Times Biz pages. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
How vulnerable is Ireland’s economy to global unrest and oil-price shocks?
Economists argue for targeted fuel supports and spending our taxation largesse on infrastructure to eliminate bottlenecks
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
With Sky now involved, hundreds of Ireland’s dodgy box users will soon receive legal letters - my piece in today's Irish Times. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
With Sky now involved, hundreds of Ireland’s dodgy box users will soon receive legal letters
Thousands of Irish homes have a modified device attached to their livingroom television
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Farm 999 debuted on BBC Daytime this week. Solid numbers straight out the gate on Monday: 23.4% share - 769,000 viewers. @stephmcgovern.bsky.social
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Today's piece for The Irish Times Biz pages.⤵️ Oil price rise to have deeper inflation impact than just increases at the pumps www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
Oil price rise to have deeper inflation impact than just increases at the pumps
Reading US intentions on Iran is proving next to impossible
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Reposted by Paul Colgan
The Irish Times @irishtimes.com · 28/03/2026
"Friday 4.30pm and somebody is trying to kick off a project": The Irish working for US firms
irishtimes.com
"Friday 4.30pm and somebody is trying to kick off a project": The Irish working for US firms
US firms employ more than 245,000 people here but working for one entails straddling time zones and negotiating different attitudes to work-life balance
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
She hates the term 'fat jabs'. I sat down with the boss of Novo Nordisk's Irish operation - as the company looks to roll out its blockbuster Wegovy pill for global consumption. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
‘I’m amazed with what I’ve seen so far in Ireland’: An interview with Novo Nordisk’s Irish boss
For Novo Nordisk Irish country head Dilek Dogan Gurluk, the battle against diabetes is personal
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
I checked back in on how Irish America is faring with Trump 2.0 - for The Irish Times. It seems there is some buyer's remorse.⤵️ Irish-American relations at their most strained since foundation of State www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
Irish-American relations at their most strained since foundation of State
Many Irish Americans backed Trump in 2024, but his more extreme policies have seen relations become strained
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Reposted by Paul Colgan
Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Hauliers are the canaries in the inflation coal-mine. I looked at how conflict in the Gulf has driven up diesel. ⤵️ The Middle East war and Irish hauliers: It’s costing €1,000 extra a day www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
The Middle East war and Irish hauliers: It’s costing €1,000 extra a day
Companies carrying Irish freight to international markets are increasing their surcharges to compensate for higher fuel costs, with no end in sight to Middle East turmoil
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Hauliers are the canaries in the inflation coal-mine. I looked at how conflict in the Gulf has driven up diesel. ⤵️ The Middle East war and Irish hauliers: It’s costing €1,000 extra a day www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
The Middle East war and Irish hauliers: It’s costing €1,000 extra a day
Companies carrying Irish freight to international markets are increasing their surcharges to compensate for higher fuel costs, with no end in sight to Middle East turmoil
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Ireland's on-going security debate will be fuelled by Trump and Israel's assault on Iran - along with oil and gas prices. Inside Politics digest looking at the week ahead.⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
Iran conflict tests Ireland’s global role
Inside Politics: The tumult in the Middle East will again drive discussion about the ‘triple lock’ and moving closer to Nato
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Episode 14 of Farm 999 airs tonight on BBC NI. Some advice on how to avoid getting the tractor stolen. ⤵️
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Narrow Water Bridge is coming soon - I've been talking to those on both sides of Carlingford Lough about the potential it has to change business, travel and tourism. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
Carlingford Lough’s Narrow Water Bridge to usher in new era on both sides of the Border
Linking Warrenpoint in south Down to Omeath in north Louth, bridge is expected to have transformative effect
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Most read on Irish Times digital today - I look at the Deposit Return Scheme two years in. The trouble with the Deposit Return Scheme: ‘They’re sitting on a pile of unclaimed deposits’ www.irishtimes.com/life-style/2...
irishtimes.com
The trouble with the Deposit Return Scheme: ‘They’re sitting on a pile of unclaimed deposits’
As Irish households get used to retaining empty receptacles, smaller producers raise concerns about the workload
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Analysis of the huge slump in the share price of Irish clinical trials company Icon. I talk to the man who made a 20% return this week on buying the dip.⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
Icon faces big test after share price tumble
Dublin-based clinical trials firm’s shares have plunged in the past week
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Episode 13 of Farm 999 on BBC NI tonight. ⤵️
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Who has been buying gold and why? Reported analysis for The Irish Times. ⤵️ www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
What is happening with gold prices and will it last?
The yellow metal is trading near record high, yet it is far from clear the gains are sustainable
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Today's Inside Politics digest for The Irish Times - looking at the week ahead. Starmer staggers, the EU frets and Trump scares the Dems. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
Irish adviser’s resignation may not be enough to save Keir Starmer
Democrats in US are getting worked up about what Donald Trump might do in advance of November’s midterm elections
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Episode 11 of Farm 999 on BBC NI at 730. Up in Down with Mourne Mountain Rescue.
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Paul Colgan @paulcolgan.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
A chat in the upstairs snug of Dublin's Palace Bar - about taking on 'Big Stout' and preserving Ireland's pub culture. ⤵️ Willie Aherne: ‘We wanted to be masters of our own destiny’. www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
irishtimes.com
Willie Aherne on setting up a brewery to rival Guinness and Heineken: ‘We wanted to be masters of our own destiny’
The Palace Bar owner and fellow publicans established Changing Times as an alternative to ‘Big Stout’
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