The Business RTÉ

Hugh McAllister Sr. started in coal, then ventured into barbering, relocating from Belfast to Dublin. His sons, Hugh and Conor, expanded the business from barber shops in Belfast and Ballyfermot to numerous franchises, known as Grafton Barbers. Hugh McAllister joins us to share the family's rich history in both barbering and business.

Jane Ohlmeyer, Prof of Modern History at TCD, uncovers the remarkable tale of Catherine Strong, an Irish woman who dominated Dublin's waste industry in the 1600s. Discovered through the Voices project, which utilizes AI to explore women's experiences in Ireland from the 1500s to 1700s, Catherine's story sheds light on overlooked historical figures.

Can state-owned lands solve the property crisis? Recent events in Dublin spotlight the housing shortage. Some argue this crisis fuels anti-immigrant sentiment. Dr. Lorcan Sirr, an expert in housing, believes Ireland has untapped solutions, especially in utilizing state-owned lands.

Siofra Mulqueen

Oliver Franklin-Wallis, journalist and author of "Wasteland," uncovers shocking statistics: 4 trillion plastic cigarette filters littered annually, 20,000 plastic bottles sold per second, and Americans producing 2 kg of waste daily. He also delves into the surprising emergence of gold mining in waste.

Food and culinary historian Regina Sexton from UCC, who has explored this topic for RTE's Brainstorm, joins us from Cork to shed light on the historical Easter tradition.