Magnified with Matt Cooper

Shane Kenny is a well-known Irish journalist and broadcaster, primarily associated with RTÉ Radio 1. Kenny is notable for launching and being the first editor of RTÉ's flagship radio news program, Morning Ireland. He also served as a news anchor for News at One and This Week, and was RTÉ's US correspondent for ABC network.In addition to his journalism career, Kenny served as the press secretary for the Irish government from 1994 to 1997. .His latest book is titled "Under the Rainbow: Inside John Bruton's Coalition Government" and in this episode he discusses how the book provides an insider account of the Fine Gael, Labour, and Democratic Left coalition government led by John Bruton from late 1994 to June 1997. The book covers significant events such as the Northern Ireland peace process, the Veronica Guerin murder, the 'payments to politicians' tribunal, and the divorce referendum.Shane also opens up about his personal health struggles, particularly with chronic pain and the side effects of benzodiazepinesThis series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Eoghan Murphy, the former Fine Gael Housing Minister, has recently published a memoir titled "Running From Office: Confessions of Ambition and Failure in Politics". The book, provides an unflinching insight into his time in office, detailing the personal and political challenges he faced.Murphy's memoir is described as brutally honest and sometimes harrowing, yet surprisingly funny, offering a deeply personal view of the life of a modern politician12. It covers his tenure as Ireland's Minister for Housing, a role marked by significant criticism and controversyIn this week's episode Eoghan joins Matt to discuss the book, his turbulent time in politics and the impact it's had on his life since. This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Gavin Friday's latest album, "Ecce Homo," has just been realesed. This album marks his first solo release in 13 years and features a mix of thundering electronics and exquisite acoustics. Produced by Dave Ball of Soft Cell and Michael Heffernan, the album explores themes of loss, nostalgia, unity, and defiance.In this week's episode of Magnified, Matt invited Gavin on to discuss the inspiration for the album, the bullying in and outside the classroom that shaped him, the life changing experience of seeing Bowie at the peak of his Ziggy Stardust powers as a teen and the formation of The Virgin Prunes. Bono gets a look in too of course. This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Series 5 of Magnified with Matt Cooper is back and for the first episode Matt is joined by two of the greatest hurlers to ever do it, Joe Canning and Richie Hogan both of whom have two excellent autobiographies out at the moment.In a chat fittingly recorded in front of a live audience in Croke Park, the two greats discuss their remarkable careers, just some of their many historic moments and who THEY think rank amongst the best hurlers of all time.This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Welcome to AI - Magnified with Matt Cooper , a Magnified Plus series that looks to examine the present possibilities and future impact of AI here in Ireland.For the fifth and special bonus episode of this AI Magnified series, we're going live from A.I.B on Molesworth St to hear from an expert panel and their perspectives on leveraging AI to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and enhance decision making within SMEs.On the panel:Stuart Fitzgerald is Chief Executive of Fitzgerald Power, which is a firm focused on accountancy services with a commitment to empowering businesses with deeper financial insights, helping them make strategic informed decisions. And as an established leader, he can provide insights into how AI is impacting traditional industries, such as accounting and finance, and share practical steps for other businesses to begin integrating AI.Tariq Zaki is CTO of Shopbox AI, which is an AI driven e commerce solution focused on customer experience and personalization. He has a deep understanding of the retail sector and he's going to offer us insights into how AI is revolutionizing retail. Customer engagement and sales processes. Jane Tolan is head of AI at AIB, responsible for designing and implementation of an AI strategy within a major financial institution. She's going to bring us her perspective on how AI can support transformation in large scale regulated industries. Igor Kochajkiewicz is the head of product design at Nori, and he designed a hospitality OS that helps its users make better business decisions every day. He was previously lead product designer at Glowfox, a B2B SaaS serving the fitness industry worldwide, and head of design at Kuhaba, an award winning digital agency in Dublin and Berlin.And finally, Michael Corcoran is co founder of Frankly, a social media agency. He has extensive experience in digital and social media, places like Paddy Power and Reiner, and he's going to share his insights on how AI is transforming customer interactions and marketing.This series is proudly sponsored by Fitzgerald Power. More than just accountants, Fitzgerald Power is a trusted partner for its clients. The firm is committed to empowering businesses with deeper financial insights, helping them make strategic, informed decisions

Kieran McCorry, National Technology Officer for Microsoft Ireland, discusses Microsoft's substantial investments in AI and the importance of data governance. He emphasizes the transformative potential of platforms like Copilot across Microsoft apps. Feargal O'Rourke, former PwC managing partner and IDA chairperson, highlights Ireland’s opportunities in attracting AI investment and urges urgency in executing strategic plans. Both guests ponder the balance between AI automation and job creation, while underscoring the critical role of education and infrastructure for Ireland's AI future.

Welcome to AI - Magnified with Matt Cooper, a Magnified Plus series that looks to examine the present possibilities and future impact of AI here in Ireland. From business, education, the legal system and health, AI is set to revolutionise so many aspects of our lives and in the series Matt will be speaking to some of the leading experts to get their unique insight and analysis.This week's guests are: Elaine Coughlan, Elaine is a co-Founder and General Partner of Atlantic Bridge Capital a Global Growth Equity Technology Fund with over $450 million of assets under management, and over $300m of co-investment from Limited Partners. Elaine has over 20 year’s operational experience as CFO/COO in scaling technology companies with extensive operational and M&A experience.Sean Mitchell is the Chairman and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Ubotica Technologies. He has over 25 years of experience in senior executive management, marketing, and technical roles, particularly in designing imaging, graphics, and DSP processors, as well as AI and computer vision technologiesPatrick McNally is the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Equal1, a company focused on democratizing quantum computing. Equal1 is known for its innovative approach to quantum computing, particularly through their UnityQ chip, which integrates quantum and classical computing components on a single silicon chip. This technology aims to make quantum computing more accessible and scalable, leveraging existing semiconductor technology to achieve significant advancements.Here they discuss how ireland can compete in the AI market, what areas need the most strategic investment and the role can Quantum Computing can play. This series is proudly sponsored by Fitzgerald Power. More than just accountants, Fitzgerald Power is a trusted partner for its clients. The firm is committed to empowering businesses with deeper financial insights, helping them make strategic, informed decisions

In this discussion, Bronagh Riordan, a data and analytics leader and chair of CeADAR, and Lawrence Vesey, a consulting partner at Sia Partners, explore the transformative power of AI in business. They debate whether AI will replace human roles or simply enhance them, emphasizing the importance of human oversight. The guests highlight concerns about data bias, the implications of the EU AI Act, and the need for robust governance. They also provide practical advice for businesses looking to embark on an AI journey, advocating for small initial projects and staff upskilling.

Patricia Scanlon, Ireland's AI Ambassador and founder of Soapbox Labs, teams up with John Clancy, founder of Galvia, to explore the evolving role of AI. They dive into the distinction between narrow and general AI, and how it influences our daily services like Netflix and Spotify. Discussion turns to generative AI, addressing concerns about data accuracy and bias. They also highlight the innovative use of AI in education with tools like the student assistant Cara, and the regulatory landscape’s impact on startups. A fascinating look at AI’s future in Ireland!

Daniel McConnell is one of Ireland's most respected and forward thinking journalists. Prior to being appointed editor of the Business Post, he was political editor of the Irish Examiner since 2015, and is the recipient of Newsbrands Ireland national journalist of the year and political journalist of the year.He previously worked as group political correspondent and chief reporter at Independent News and Media, now Mediahuis Ireland, between 2006 and 2015, as well as at the Irish Times and the Sunday Times.His 2016 book Hell At the Gates, published by Mercier Press, covered the downfall of the Brian Cowen government and was a national best seller.In this week's episode Matt joines his boss to discuss the state of play of journalism in ireland, the role of RTE and how newspapers can futureproof themselves in an ever changing market. We also hear how he could have been the next Thom Yorke. Enjoy!