RECENT ARTICLES
David writes a weekly column for The Irish Times, and he also regularly contributes to a variety of other publications including The Financial Times and Woodford Investment Management.
Without multinationals, Ireland is a bad-weather Albania
It’s easy to be a little perplexed by attitudes towards multinationals, given their transformative impact on our economy, their complete upgrading of our industrial base and the enormous capital and technological transfer their presence in Ireland has facilitated.
Economically, without multinational investment, Ireland would be Albania with brutal weather. Politically, without multinational commitment to Ireland, Ireland would likely have succumbed to the populist, nationalist, protectionist disease that is afflicting most western politics.
Ireland’s economic performance can be divided into two time zones; premultinationals and postmultinationals. In the premultinational period, from 1921 to 1991, when multinational investment was modest here, the Irish economy was the worst performer, in terms of income per head, in western Europe. Not the fifth-worst, not the third-worst; the worst. Since the multinationals began to select Ireland as a bridgehead into the EU, from the early 1990s onwards, Ireland has been the best performer economically in western Europe. Not the fifth best; the best.
read moreA Swift lesson in Irish economics
Today is Dean Jonathan Swift’s birthday. He was born on November 30th, 1667, in the parish of St Werburgh’s in Dublin. Last weekend, I was asked to speak at his cathedral, St Patrick’s, as part of the Swift Festival.
It’s not every day you share an altar with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby (or indeed, with a former president of this country, Mary McAleese). The subject was identity and, specifically, Irish and British identity after Brexit.
Given the enormous constitutional upheavals that could be triggered by Brexit, not just in Britain between England and Scotland but obviously on our island too, “conflicted identity” may become a political buzzword of the third decade of the 21st century.
read moreBROADCASTING
TEACHING
DOCUMENTARIES
PUNK ECONOMICS
FESTIVALS
As well as participating in many festivals around the world David runs two festivals in Ireland. The Dalkey Book Festival, Ireland’s fastest growing literary festival, every June www.dalkeybookfestival.org and Kilkenomics every November, which is the world’s only Economics and Comedy Festival www.kilkenomics.com.
BOOKS
ABOUT DAVID
He has devoted his entire professional life to the objective of making economics as widely available and easily understandable on as many platforms and to as many people as possible –and is having a laugh doing it.
As a result, he co-founded the world’s only economics and stand-up comedy festival Kilkenomics – described by the FT as “simply, the best economics conference in the world”. He also founded Ireland’s leading literary and ideas shindig, the Dalkey Book Festival. In the money world, David advises Neil Woodford of the Woodford Funds with £16 billion under management. The WEF at Davos debased their currency profoundly by making him a Young Global Leader a few years back!
As well as writing a weekly economics column in the Irish Times, he is active on social media and was named Ireland’s “most influential Twitter user” in 2016…

ECONOMICS Without BOUNDARIES
This course takes a completely novel approach – one you will not see anywhere else – that makes your educational experience more like watching a lively documentary than sitting in a dry classroom. We really believe that, when it comes to understanding our world through economics, what is important is rarely complicated and what’s complicated is rarely important.
SPEAKING
National Bank of Abu Dhabi
National Bank of Abu Dhabi
Invesco Perpetual
David’s presentation was perfectly pitched and brought exactly what we had hoped…delivered with wit and intelligence in an engaging and entertaining style.
Invesco Perpetual
Bank Muscat
David’s speech was fantastic and very well received by the audience. Many thanks to you and your team for assisting us in organising this wonderful conference.
Bank Muscat
W&R Barnett Ltd
W&R Barnett Ltd
DALKEY BOOK FESTIVAL
It’s that time of the year again when we are deep in the organisation phase of the Dalkey Book Festival. We have now announced the line up which we hope you agree is definitely one of our best yet! But every year is the best, we are spoiled for choice with all the amazing thinkers that come visit us.
View the programme of events and book your tickets HERE
RTE – Ray Darcy SHow
Recently I was on RTE’s Ray Darcy Show to discuss the Irish property market among other things.
Have a look here!