The Smart Economy may be the holy grail of economic recovery but many people appear to be going back to basics to make a crust. Bootcamp gyms are one way of making a few bob and according to The Sunday Times derelict buildings replete with punch bags, skipping ropes and bar-bells are replacing chintzy gyms with state-of-the-art treadmills.
And just when you thought that having more time on your hands would at least do your handicap the world of good, along comes a survey saying up to 50 more golf courses in Ireland are likely to close over the next three to five years.
The OECD Committee on Fiscal Affairs invites public comments on draft changes to the Commentary on Article 17 of the OECD Model Tax Convention, which deals with cross-border income derived from the activities of entertainers and sportsmen.
Drinks giant Diageo has been forced to cut the wholesale price of Guinness to the company operating the bars at the new Aviva Stadium in Dublin after being threatened with a cheaper UK alternative, according to the Sunday Business Post.
Why would tens of thousands of Manchester United fans forsake their beloved red and white for green and gold? Simple: this is the biggest business protest in European soccer at the moment.
The United fans are donning the original colours of the club in support of a consortium of rich investors in their bid to oust the incumbent Glazer family, whom they blame for the precarious nature of the club’s finances. The Red Knights consortium is preparing a £1.25 billion takeover but the Glazers say the club – which they bought for £830m in 2005 – is not for sale.
The Sunday Times’s business focus assesses the potential significance for the world of soccer in general if the bid succeeds.
All bets may not be off but with only a couple of weeks left before punters join the annual exodus to Cheltenham, one of the world’s biggest bookies is lamenting the death of the Celtic Tiger.
Victor Chandler has told the Irish Independent that his turnover is down nearly 50% from the highs of 2007 even if the number of bets is up.
“There’s just no money in Ireland. It’s destroyed. The number of bets is better but the business is smashed. We’ve got no big players. Everyone seems to have been damaged.”