Explore every episode of the podcast AI - Magnified with Matt Cooper

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!

In an investigation conducted by RTÉ, in association with the Irish Mail on Sunday, reporter Anne Sheridan examines the Catholic Church’s handling of allegations against the former Bishop of Galway, Eamonn Casey, who died in 2017. Bishop Casey’s Buried Secrets  includes an interview with one of Bishop Casey’s accusers, his niece, Patricia Donovan. Speaking for the first time on camera, she claims that he first raped her at the age of five and that the sexual abuse continued for years.

In this week's episode of Magnified, Anne Sheridan joins Matt to discuss these shocking revelations, how they were covered up and enabled and above all the courage of the victims in coming forward.

 Conall Laverty is the founder and CEO of Wia, a startup that provides the backend for developers and companies to build Internet of Things (IoT) devices and among his many incredible achievements Conall was recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Europe in the technology category. In this week's episode of Magnified Conall tells Matt of getting started in the tech world at the age of 8, bootlegging sim cards and how he turned his mind to making ventilators more accessible during covid. 

Peter Murtagh is an award-winning Irish-born journalist and author. He spent almost 40 years working in newspapers, including The Irish Times, the Sunday Tribune, the Sunday Times, The Guardian and is the co-author of The Boss, the ground-breaking book on Charles Haughey.

In addition to his journalistic career, Peter Murtagh has embarked on travel adventures. After retiring in 2019, he decided to explore the world on his trusty motorbike and in this week's episode Peter shares his incredible experiences and stories along the way.

John Gibbons is an Irish environmental campaigner and the founder of the climatechange.ie website. He also co-founded the healthcare publishing and communications specialists MedMedia Group and is known to many radio listeners for his 150 appearances on Last Word On The Environment. John joins Matt on this week's episode to discuss his own farming background, how is dedicated advocacy for climate issues developed as well as the impact his difficult relationship with his father has shaped him.

Ciaran Mulligan, managing director CMUL Investments, and founder and former managing director of Blue Insurance is one of Ireland's most innovative and respected entrepreneurs with a life story to match. From his earliest beginnings in the legendary Lillie's Bordello to the sale of the hugely successful insurance business to blogging his extensive travels as ‘The Fabulous Traveller’, it's fair to say Ciaran has taken life head-on. In this week's Magnified he discusses his evolution as a businessman and speaks with incredible courage to Matt about his tragic experience with surrogacy.

In this edition Matt is joined by IBEC Chief Executive Officer Danny McCoy. Now in the role since 2009, he talks about his background as an economist, growing up in Tuam in the seventies and why our critical infrastructure needs to be looked at differently.

In a slightly different edition of Magnified, Matt is joined by The Irish Times Ireland and Britain Editor Mark Hennessy to discuss the 'Common Ground' project currently being undertaken by the newspaper.

In this edition Matt is joined by hospitality entrepreneur Jay Bourke about his plans for Quinns in Drumcondra, his career in the industry and his experience in dealing with insolvency.

In this edition Matt is joined by the founder of new social media consultancy - Frankly, Michael Corcoran. Having most recently made his name as head of social at Ryanair and prior to that Betfair, he discusses the future for brands and social media and his own path in the industry, while navigating around the challenge of dyslexia.

Feargal O'Rourke is the recently appointed Chair of the IDA, having retired as Managing Partner of PWC in Ireland. He is considered to be the architect of many of the corporate tax policies which have seen the country's corporate tax take increase in recent years. In this edition he discusses his career, his family history in politics, and his ambitions for the IDA.

In this edition Matt is joined by one of the most influential Women in World Sport. Lisa Fallon has been a footballer, an analyst, coach, manager and now sits on the FIFA Technical Group and has built a reputation as one of the foremost minds in the game.

Kenny Jacobs is a hugely successful businessman with a rich and varied career that has brought him from stacking shelves in Dunnes as a teen to heading up the DAA. He graduated from University College Cork in 1997 with a degree in commerce. Having worked with Tesco both here and in England, Jacobs was announced as the CEO of the DAA (Dublin Airport Authority) in November 2022 and began his role in January 2023. Prior to this, he served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Ryanair. His extensive experience includes marketing, commercial, and operational roles in large consumer-serving businesses.

Kenny joins Matt to discuss his incredible career, working with Michael O'Leary, why he works airport security security at and his future plans for Dublin and Cork airports.

Matt is joined for this edition by Aimee Connolly, who at 23 founded the Sculpted by Aimee beauty brand and has built it up into a thriving business since. Having moved into the UK, she now has her sights set on America.

In this edition Matt speaks with former Rugby International and Coach Bernard Jackman about his post rugby career, his business studies and his new role as High Performance Director of Horse Sport Ireland and ambitions for Olympic Gold.

In this edition Matt is joined by Cathal Friel an innovative entrepreneur now operating in the healthcare sector. With a background in finance, he has successfully led numerous companies through strategic growth and development. He had an unlikely start, leaving school after his Inter cert, initially to run the family business. He talks candidly about his past, why IPO's are so important and his thoughts on the future of housing.

In this edition Matt is joined by Ireland's AI Ambassador, Patricia Scanlon. Patricia is a technologist and businesswoman who built up her company Soapbox Labs to become a world leader in speech based artificial intelligence which helps children learn to read. Here she speaks about the potential for AI, the need for regulation and where Ireland sits in its development.

In this edition Matt is Joined by Jacqueline O'Donovan, who at just 19 became Managing Director of O'Donovan Waste Disposal and built the business up from revenues of £175,000 to £20 million last year. Still the company CEO, she last year sold the business to a major Nordic buyer, Sortera. She talks about the challenges of her business career, her home from home in West Cork and mentoring other women in business.

Vicki O'Toole found herself taking over Ireland's oldest packaging company in the most difficult circumstances. Under her leadership it thrived and ultimately she sold the business. In this edition of Magnified she talks about how she started in the business, juggled it with family life and how she dealt with the tragic loss of her husband.

Avril Copeland is a remarkable individual who has led an adventurous and multifaceted life.

Hailing from Dublin, Ireland (her father is none other than legendary tailor Louis Copeland), Avril played international hockey for Ireland and worked in the country music business in Nashville and developed a passion for adventure racing, where she raced seriously for five years.

With a background in physiotherapy Avril is the CEO and co-founder of Innerstrength Health, an eHealth company. The company develops digital tools that facilitate collaboration between health professionals and patients for preventing and treating chronic conditions.

In this wide-ranging conversation with Matt you get to hear about all the dimensions of her incredible professional and sporting life as well as her journey with IVF and dealing with her sons profound deafness diagnosis. Enjoy!

Currently proving herself to be one of the best pundits in the game at Euro 24, in this edition Matt revisits a conversation he had with one of the most influential Women in World Sport. Lisa Fallon has been a footballer, an analyst, coach, manager and now sits on the FIFA Technical Group and has built a reputation as one of the foremost minds in the game.

Conor Niland, a former Irish professional tennis player, has written a captivating book titled "The Racket: On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99%." In this memoir, Niland shares his experiences as part of the 99% of players who travel the globe, hoping to climb the rankings and qualify for Grand Slam tournaments. The book provides insights into the social dynamics on tour, the economics of the game, and the challenges faced by touring pros whose earnings barely cover their expenses1 2. It's a unique look inside the fascinating hidden world of professional tennis and in this week's episode he joins Matt to discuss his fascinating book and career.