• 41 minutes 38 seconds
    Pacing the Frontier: Global Capital, Bond Markets, and the AI Pivot

    There has been a transition from a world of abundant capital to one of scarcity. With the rising interest rates across the US, UK, and France, we discuss the economic implications of Donald Trump’s "fairway diplomacy" in Ireland, the structural fragility of European bond markets, and the sudden shift in rhetoric from AI leaders calling for regulation. Is the move to "pace the frontier" is a moral awakening regarding existential risk or a strategic play for state protection in a tightening financial landscape?


    NYC Tickets: https://irishartscenter.org/event/an-evening-with-david-mcwilliams-2026

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    17 September 2026, 3:00 am
  • 37 minutes 55 seconds
    The Death of the Night-Time Economy: Why Ireland is Closing Down After Midnight
    This week, we analyse the collapse of Ireland's night-time economy, noting that 2,205 pubs, one in four nationwide, have closed since 2005. With regional closure rates hitting 37% in Limerick and 33% in Cork, the discussion highlights how high excise duties and archaic licensing laws are strangling a $4 billion industry that supports 92,000 jobs. The episode explores why a country that markets itself on fun is systematically shutting down its social infrastructure.

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    15 September 2026, 3:00 am
  • 40 minutes 40 seconds
    Fairway Diplomacy: How Golf Became Ireland's Secret Weapon Against Trump
    Donald Trump touches down in Doonbeg this weekend for the Irish Open at his own golf course, and we're asking whether Ireland should protest or play along. We unpack the extraordinary Irish-American relationship: 40 daily flights to the US, $1.3 trillion in American investment, 300,000 jobs, and a bond built more on kitchen tables than diplomacy. We're joined by Donal Casey, former CEO of Rory McIlroy Inc., to talk golf's economics, why LIV Golf failed despite Saudi billions, and how the fairway - not the barricades, might be Ireland's smartest move with America's most unpredictable president.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    10 September 2026, 3:00 am
  • 42 minutes 28 seconds
    Germany’s Seismic Shift: The Rise of the AfD
    A deep dive into the AfD’s 44% victory in Saxony-Anhalt and its implications for the European Union. We analyse the collapse of Germany’s political center, the demographic divide among young voters, and the historical tensions between East and West that are reshaping the continent’s future.

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    8 September 2026, 3:00 am
  • 37 minutes 15 seconds
    The AI Culture Wars
    We explore the new ideological divide between Silicon Valley’s techno-optimists and institutional economists like Daron Acemoglu. Will AI drive shared prosperity or concentrate wealth among a new technocratic elite? 

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    3 September 2026, 3:00 am
  • 36 minutes 56 seconds
    Ireland's Immigration Numbers Don't Add Up And Housing Is Paying the Price
    Our population's just hit 5.5 million, and 72% of that growth is migration, not births. Five years ago 57% of work permits went to doctors, nurses and scientists. Now it's just 30%. We crunch the CSO numbers and ask the question nobody wants to: how many migrants can Ireland's housing market actually take before something breaks?

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    1 September 2026, 3:00 am
  • 36 minutes 18 seconds
    Jackson Hole Reckoning: The $40 Trillion Debt Crisis and the End of Fiscal Exceptionalism
    As global central bankers convene for the Jackson Hole symposium, the interrogation of American fiscal credibility takes center stage. With US national debt surpassing $40 trillion and interest payments now exceeding the defense budget, the Treasury faces a critical standoff with the bond market. This analysis explores the limits of yield manipulation, the threat to the dollar’s role as global collateral, and the inevitable market-driven correction facing a politically paralyzed Washington.

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    27 August 2026, 3:00 am
  • 35 minutes 53 seconds
    How A Massacre Created Modern Capitalism: The Huguenot Legacy
    On the anniversary of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, we explore the extraordinary economic impact of the French Huguenots. Discover how these religious refugees pioneered the merchant class, redefined the relationship between faith and finance, and built the foundations of modern capitalism. From the streets of Paris to the boardrooms of the Bank of Ireland, this episode uncovers the hidden history of the people who transformed the global economy.

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    25 August 2026, 3:00 am
  • 35 minutes 15 seconds
    20 Years Since the Celtic Tiger: Why the Irish Banking System is Still Broken
    August 2006 marked the beginning of the end for the Celtic Tiger, but the legacy of that crash continues to stifle the Irish economy today. We explore how the refinancing game collapsed, why Irish banks have become safe deposit boxes where money goes to die, and how the Central Bank’s over-regulation is forcing the state to take over the construction industry. Discover why Ireland is fighting with one arm tied behind its back and what it will take to get credit flowing to small businesses again.

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    20 August 2026, 3:00 am
  • 44 minutes 57 seconds
    The Chief Rule Breaker: David Gardner on Beating the Market
    I first came across The Motley Fool while working in the "bulge bracket" banks of the late 90s, where the goal was often to keep the public out. Sitting down with David Gardner, the man who helped break those walls down, was a masterclass in financial sovereignty. We discuss his six-trait framework for identifying world-beaters, the psychological grit required to ignore "overvalued" labels, and why the most powerful move an investor can make is simply to keep holding.

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    18 August 2026, 3:00 am
  • 35 minutes 17 seconds
    The Caveman and That Dunsinking Feeling
    We mark Mack's 60th birthday by tackling the systemic paralysis of the Irish housing market. We examine the "CAVE" phenomenon: Citizens Against Virtually Everything, and how local objections are stalling massive developments like Dunsink. We'll walk you through why the state succeeds at attracting foreign investment but fails at building homes, and what this means for the next generation of Irish citizens.

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    13 August 2026, 3:00 am
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