Top Stories

The AI build-out is becoming the biggest economic bet in U.S. history

Data-center spending is greater than that for the canals, railroads and grid combined—creating jobs and wealth but also boosting inflation, write Konrad Putzier and Justin Lahart, The Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal.
24th Sep, 2026 - 4 min read

From zero to €5m in five months: How Dell is helping TensorX build for billions

Mark Hopkins of Dell Technologies Ireland and Tim Grant of TensorX discuss the partnership helping the Irish AI company scale its sovereign AI platform as businesses move from AI pilots to production.

Ian Kehoe
24th Sep, 2026 - 8 min read

Dublin group on track for 1,000 childcare places eyes private-equity investment

A significant Dublin-based childcare group is in talks with private equity to fund its expansion. The upcoming deal is hot on the heels of London firm Fremman’s acquisition of Tigers Childcare.
T. Lyons and T. Hubert
24th Sep, 2026 - 3 min read

Hard landing – Part 1: The quarter-century standoff at Shannon Airport

As a new wave of activists target US military assets at the Midwest airport, The Currency looks back at 25 years of protest, successive governments’ relationship with the US, and the debate over Ireland’s role in the transatlantic alliance.
Niall Sargent
24th Sep, 2026 - 19 min read

Cocaine smugglers blow past Europe’s law enforcement with speedboats and tech

Fleets outrun Spanish authorities to deliver tons of drugs that are unmatched in quantity and quality, write Sune Engel Rasmussen and Antonio Pampliega, The Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal.
23rd Sep, 2026 - 7 min read

“A miracle a third season will be made”: Inside the remarkable return of Kin

RTÉ’s hit crime drama faced an existential crisis for three years. Its renewal for a third season is an incredible achievement by those who refused to let it die, particularly when cast against the bizarre challenges that threatened its survival.
Michael Cogley
23rd Sep, 2026 - 12 min read

Maternity in figures: How much private care costs – and why some mothers decide to pay

Choosing a private consultant costs thousands of euro per pregnancy, with only a fraction covered by insurance.

Olivia Napier
23rd Sep, 2026 - 5 min read

How Harley-Davidson, an American icon, became a tariff punching bag

U.S. motorcycle maker’s politically sensitive profile keeps it on tariff payback list, writes John Keilman, The Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal.
22nd Sep, 2026 - 3 min read

“On the bank guarantee… He was protecting the people who used their money, who had overdrafts, who had mortgages, who had savings in the banks.”

Dion Fanning
19th Sep, 2026

Brian Cowen was considered one of Irish politics’s brightest lights. He was elected as a TD when he was 24, but by the age of 51, he had retired from office. Gary Murphy’s new biography looks at Cowen in the round. He talks to Dion Fanning about how Cowen feels about his time in office and the calamities that befell him and the country.

Top Voices

More than a game: Has the FAI and Government failed the test on Israel?

From the Government's bold move in 1999 to halt a Euro qualifier against Yugoslavia to today’s position to go ahead and play Israel, has Ireland traded moral leadership for a fixture behind closed doors?
Niall Sargent
25th Sep, 2026 - 8 min read

Conor Brady: Garda whistleblowing allegations must be examined further

The latest allegations on RTÉ mark continued tension between An Garda Síochána’s imperatives of transparency and national security. Independent offices on protected disclosures and on security already exist to take them up.
Conor Brady
24th Sep, 2026 - 7 min read

Safeguards, beef, and smoke and mirrors: The Mercosur debate is back

The European Commission recently suspended Brazilian beef imports into the bloc, reigniting a fierce debate over the EU-Mercosur trade deal and how its safeguards are working.
Jonathan Keane
23rd Sep, 2026 - 3 min read

Ronan Lyons: Crisis over, mission accomplished, and everything in between

I genuinely hope that we get to mark the end of the housing crisis within the next couple of years. But we will be living with an unhealthy housing system for some time to come – and the political system needs to remember that and not get distracted. 
Ronan Lyons
22nd Sep, 2026 - 6 min read

Tara Shine: What do hotter European summers mean for the Irish hospitality industry?

If I was the owner of a hotel in Donegal, I would market the destination for its cool weather and green landscapes, while also leaning heavily on the efforts to be sustainable and reduce emissions.

Tara Shine
21st Sep, 2026 - 6 min read

Europe can regulate mad and bad AI. Now we must build the ability to make it safe

The Government will host the International AI Summit in October. We should seize this opportunity to create a practical and safer vision for AI that serves the people of Europe, our businesses, and public institutions.
Sean Blanchfield
21st Sep, 2026 - 5 min read

Can Metrolink change the State’s spending culture?

Jack Chambers is getting bored of just spending money and more excited at increasing the return he can get from it. Beyond the €17bn metro test, transferring early capital successes into current expenditure will be the bigger challenge.
Thomas Hubert
20th Sep, 2026 - 6 min read

The game-time conundrum: How to fix Irish rugby’s production problem

Leinster are still sore about losing Joey Carbery to Munster eight years ago, but behind that individual story is a wider and ongoing issue about talent circulation – and the lack of it.

Brett Igoe
19th Sep, 2026 - 6 min read

© 2026 Currency Media Limited

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