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.
When the US and Russia finally negotiate, Ireland should play host
A keen language student back in 1990, I arrived in the village of Stari Ruza, 50 odd miles west of Moscow. Near Borodino, where Napoleon’s republican advance was halted by Russian forces, the last westerners seen in the village were Hitler’s retreating army in 1942.
The local babushkas, intrigued by the arrival of this red-haired foreigner, referred to me as Gitler. Yes, that’s me, Hitler, pronounced with the Russian inverting “g” for “h”. The grannies hadn’t seen foreigners since 1942 and apparently the last Nazis in Stari Ruza, teenagers from the Rhineland, had red hair. Who doesn’t put two and two together?
read moreAre Ireland’s relatively low Covid deaths due to emigration?
The majority of older Irish people who died of Covid-19 probably died in England. When it comes to fewer deaths from Covid-19, our reasonably good outcomes may have less to do with lockdown and more to do with the echo of emigration.
The huge proportion of older Irish people living in England is a function of the massive emigration to England in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1950s, half a million people left for England and in the 1960s another 300,000 followed them. There is scarcely a family in Ireland without an old uncle or aunt in Coventry, Manchester or London.
read moreThe David McWilliams Podcast
The aim of this weekly podcast is to make economics easy, uncomplicated and accessible. With the world at a political, technological and financial tipping point, economics has never been so important to all of us and yet, it’s made inaccessible and complicated by so many.
BROADCASTING
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