# Top 50 Irish Entrepreneurs



## Irldigi (17 Dec 2004)

Hi All,

Looking for opinions here, in no particular order. Who would you consider worthy of a place in the Top 50 Irish Entrpreneurs (must be living !!)

Cheers,

Darren


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## ISBN (17 Dec 2004)

Harry Crosbie would have to feature fairly high on the list


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## sunnyday (17 Dec 2004)

Sean Quinn would certainly get my vote, along with the likes of Denis O'Brien and Michael O'Leary.


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## ClubMan (17 Dec 2004)

Yeah - _Mick O'Leary_ and _Willie Walsh_. Just to annoy _Tharg[gy?]_.


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## Irldigi (17 Dec 2004)

I'm thinking...

along with whatever is posted so far...

Sir Tony O reilly
Dermot Desmond
Tony Ryan
JP McManus
John Magnier
Martin Naughten
Edward Haughey (Norbrook)

Any more..need to get 50 !!

Cheers


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## ClubMan (17 Dec 2004)

*Any more..need to get 50 !!*

Why? Are you a Sunday newspaper business journalist with writer's block or something?


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## Irldigi (17 Dec 2004)

No such luck....

Just a little friendly challenge between my wife and I !!!
 She says we don't have 50 Top entrepreneurs in Ireland and I ahve said of course we do.... then she asked me to name them.... so I said I will to-night !!!!


Thanks for all the help..


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## Kiddo (17 Dec 2004)

Michael Smurfit
Bill Cullen
Paul McGuinness
Niall Mellon
John Rohan  & Richie Barrett- Treasury Holdings


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## ajapale (17 Dec 2004)

I nominate:
*Aer Arran Express managing director, Padraig O’Ceidigh*
ajapale 

and find the e&y winners over the last few years here:
[broken link removed]


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## ClubMan (17 Dec 2004)

Don't forget that there are quite a few _Irish_ entrepreneurs doing well for themselves abroad too. I'm sure that one or more of the _Sunday_ newspapers have compiled such a list at some point in the past which might save you and everybody else the trouble of compiling a new one.


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## Kiddo (17 Dec 2004)

Chris Horn- Iona technologies
Martin Naughton- Glen Dimplex
Moya Doherty- Riverdance
Ossie Kilkenny


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## Irldigi (18 Dec 2004)

Thats still under 30.....

Any more...


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## ClubMan (18 Dec 2004)

All a bit silly this but...

Bob Geldof
Gillian Bowler
Pino Harris
Raomal Perera (_Sri Lankan_ but long settled in _Ireland_)
Mick Wallace
Liam Carroll (_Zoe Developers_)
Bill McCabe (_CBT/Smartforce_ et. al. now a _VC_)
Brian Long (_Parthus_)


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## jem (18 Dec 2004)

Albert Reynolds(pet food/dance halls etc)
L Walsh(great bands (lol))
?O callaghan (Cork builders)
The fella that ownes abrakabra cant think of his name.
moran red cow inn etc
Pat McDonagh supermacs
John O' sullivan aircoach


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## Kiddo (18 Dec 2004)

Larry
Bono
Edge 
Adam
Oliver Barry
Derek Quinlan


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## ClubMan (18 Dec 2004)

* Larry
Bono
Edge
Adam*

Don't forget the fifth _U2'er_ - _Paul McGuinness_. As far as I know they split everything five ways.


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## Kiddo (18 Dec 2004)

*Don't forget the fifth U2'er - Paul McGuinness. As far as I know they split everything five ways.* 

Clubman
Already had him in an earlier post 


Heres a few more for ya

Peter Barry
Fergal Quinn
Eddie Jordan
Larry Goodman
Barney Eastwood
Ben Dunne
Noel Duggan - Mill street

not sure if you'll get these past the missus but
Paul Costello
John Rocha
Louise Kennedy
Paul Treacy - the hat guy


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## Natchessmen (18 Dec 2004)

Ray & Anne-Marie Umney founders of O'brien's Irish sandwich Bar


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## ninsaga (18 Dec 2004)

..the bloke who started Ballygowan


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## Ocras (20 Dec 2004)

My preferred definition of entrepeneur would be one who takes risks (inovative or not) in the interest of gaining profit.

With this in mind, I think the most deserving persons should be the ones who risked the most personally. 

There are names on the above lists who carried very little personal risk in relation to their ventures. Many of them used investors or company profits to fund their ventures, or gained from the unforseen jumps in property prices.

At the risk of being accused of "sitting on the fence", I would like to propose the "Daft Brothers" Eamon and Brian Fallon. They supported a business with little or no advertising revenue to build up it's popularity, prior to seeking payment from advertisers.


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## ajapale (20 Dec 2004)

I nominate Eddie O'Connor of Airtricity.


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## sadmak (11 Jan 2005)

The no 1 has got to be the Guy who set up the West Link Toll (Something Roche I think) - He's laughing all the way to the bank. 

It appears that the "highly favourable" contact that he signed was negotiated with George Redmond on behalf ot Dublin City Council and Padraig Flynn on behalf of the government.

We could probably add George & Padraig to the list as well!


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## Irish Guru (22 Oct 2008)

You have just had me thinking. Others that may qualify would be Declan Ganley, The Libertas Guy. What about Eddie Jordan, Denis Desmond, Moya Doherty, Anne Heraty, Louis Copeland, Niall Quinn now of Sunderland,  Dr James Sheehan (Blackrock Clinic and other private hospitals), JP McManus, Denis Brosnan, Pearce Flannery, Michael O Flynn, Sam McCauley, Nigel Hughes,  Feargal Quinn, Brody Sweeney, Terry Sweeney, Barry Warde, Barry O Callaghan, Liam griffin, Paraig O Ceidigh, Michael O Leary, Jin Aiken, John reynolds,Mick Wallace, Jenny Timony, and from the left field what about Tommy Tiernan and Pat Short as entertianment entrepreneurs. When you think about it there are a fair few movers and shakers around.


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## ontour (22 Oct 2008)

> You have just had me thinking.


 
I have heard of pregnant pauses but three years and nine months since the last post thinking is some session. That or you have just found the time to catch up on the AAM back catalogue.

I think it is important to differentiate between good managers and entrepreneurs. Good managers can start and grow very successful businesses and should be commended and respected for this. Entrepreneurs break the mould in their industry and assume significant levels of personal risk.


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## Irish Guru (23 Oct 2008)

Hi,

I never looked at the date. Yes that may be a record delay for a reply. I am a relative newcomer to this site so that is the reason for the delay. I work in the area of entrepreneurship and its promotion, (yes as a public servant) 

I think your definition of entrepreneur is a little too tight which is also the problem with a number of state agencies (In my opinion). I think all entrepreneurs take significant personal risk, you do not need to break the mould to put your financial future on the line. After all they could stay in a position such as mine, safe, well paid pensionable etc. I for example have no wish to leave this environment and would not even contemplate taking the entrepreneurs road.

Also for what it is worth I think being a risk taker does not an entrepreneur make. I think that is really just a thrill seeker. I think the defining characteristic of an entrepreneur is certrainly the taking of risk but more importantly the management of that risk. For this reason I do not differentiate as easily between a good manager that has set up his/her own business and someone that has broken new ground so to speak. After all only one person invented the wheel but many people have used it as the central product in their business.

Thats my view for what it is worth.

out of curiosity how would you rate my list of successful entrepreneurs? I think we could easily come up with another 25 if required. One thing I do note is the gender imbalance. It would appear that entrepreneurship still seems to be domonated by men. Although this is changing I would like to see thae balance more evenly shifted as ladies often have a different perspective on things and will see certain opportunities that a man may miss. This should be promoted generally and is now a state priority. That is the central focus of my work right now.

Regards

Irish Guru


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