SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2025The real story behind Dunnes Stores, the most quintessentially Irish shop of all, and the family drama behind itThis is the story of the extraordinary family behind one of Ireland's most famous businesses, Dunnes Stores, over three generations and covering nearly 80 years of retailing but going back as far as the 19th century.With drama worthy of the popular TV drama Succession, a re...

The story of the elite who led Ireland from bust to boom ... and back to bust againHaving money and not having it; making it and losing it; using it and misusing it; giving it and taking it ... this is the story of Ireland during the boom, described in jaw-dropping detail in Who Really Runs Ireland?Leading journalist Matt Cooper identifies the most influential people in Ireland during the Celtic Tiger era, describes how they interacted with each ot...

Through centuries of oppression, we were tenants in our own land. Today, despite our independence and new-found affluence, we are in the midst of a crisis. The question of who owns Ireland is once again taking on a sense of urgency. Is the land of Ireland still for the people of Ireland? In a deep and far-reaching investigation, journalist, broadcaster and No. 1 bestselling author Matt Cooper examines the power wielded by those who control the land where we live, work and play. Who are the...

Financial Times Business Book of the MonthSeptember 2017. Ryanair cancels over 700,000 bookings and its powerful PR juggernaut comes shuddering to a halt. For once, the airline's aggressive and flamboyant CEO, Michael O'Leary, is contrite and apologetic.A month later Ryanair announces increased passenger traffic for October, year-on-year growth and increased profits. Its share price soars. For the moment, it appears, a fundamental shake-up of Europe's bigge...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2025The real story behind Dunnes Stores, the most quintessentially Irish shop of all, and the family drama behind itThis is the story of the extraordinary family behind one of Ireland's most famous businesses, Dunnes Stores, over three generations and covering nearly 80 years of retailing but going back as far as the 19th century.With drama worthy of the popular TV drama Succession, a re...

The principal bus operator on the Isle of Wight is Southern Vectis, the name a nod to the Romans who once inhabited the island. In more recent times, from the reign of Queen Victoria, the popularity of the island increased – as has the provision for transport. Dr Beeching’s axe saw the once extensive rail network on the island reduced to just 9 miles of mainline track after 1966. This remains the same today with Island Line serving eight stations between Ryde Pier and Shanklin. This presen...

The definitive account of the tumultuous events that led to Ireland going broke in 2010From the night the Irish government guaranteed the debts of Irish banks in September 2008 Ireland was on a one-way road to ruin.In How Ireland Really Went Bust Matt Cooper, journalist, broadcaster and No 1 bestselling author of Who Really Runs Ireland?, describes the events that climaxed with the arrival of the heavy hitters from the IMF and the ECB in G...

Following the deregulation of the bus industry in 1986, the transport scene in Northampton didn’t alter as drastically as in some other UK towns and cities. There was, however, a series of gradual changes as the ‘green’ buses of Northamptonshire gradually disappeared.With the cavernous Greyfriars bus station featuring throughout, this collection of previously unpublished photographs explores this interesting period between deregulation and the modern bus scene.

During the 1990s and 2000s the bus and coach scene across the Midlands evolved at a much greater rate than that of the preceding decades. From 1986 the subsidiaries of the National Bus Company were privatised along with several municipally owned companies across the region, the largest of which was the bus operations of West Midlands PTE. Independent companies came to try their hand by setting up new routes or networks and were joined by some established coach operators wishing to exploit ...

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Michael O'Leary by Matt Cooper, read by Stephen Hogan.September 2017. Ryanair cancels over 700,000 bookings and its powerful PR juggernaut comes shuddering to a halt. For once, the airline's aggressive and flamboyant CEO, Michael O'Leary, is contrite and apologetic.A month later Ryanair announces increased passenger traffic for October, year-on-year growth and increased profits. Its share price soars. For t...

The transport scene in Northampton was dominated for many decades by Corporation-owned Northampton Transport. In August 1993 privatisation took place and the largely standardised fleet of red and cream buses began to change. By the end of the 1990s, the merging of GRT and Badgerline Groups had created Firstbus. The main focus of this book is the last twenty years of Firstbus, looking at their expansion, consolidation and contraction, with Northampton Depot eventually closed in September 20...

Heralded as one of the best examples in the bus and coach industry of deregulation working in almost textbook fashion, Oxford has enjoyed an excellent and dynamic transport system. This historic city, famed for its university colleges and ‘dreaming spires’, had City of Oxford Motor Services (COMS) as its established bus operator. Under National Bus Company ownership the operations of South Midland were added and the name was changed to Oxford South Midland. Separated prior to privatisation...