Real Insights

18/03/2026

We love working with start-ups and entrepreneurs at the early stage of their journeys, testing their concepts and MVPs and gathering valuable feedback to guide them on next steps. We had such fun working with Elaine & Katie doing such impactful work and influencing so many at Wise Water Academy https://wisewater.ie/

Wishing them continued success.........Elaine Moynihan

03/03/2026

As you may know this is - be sure to check out this link to see events and activities near you, many are in-person but some are also online making them super accessible for all. This week in particular is such a great support for all sorts of businesses from those just getting started to those looking for support to scale and export.

https://lnkd.in/eCy3FJmR

🔦 I'm looking forward to tomorrow's event here in Cork at Radisson Blu Cork led by Marie Toft of Emotionise ai entitled 'Getting Started with AI: A Human‑Centric Roadmap for SMEs' - it's an interactive session which will aim to demystify AI and show how it can be applied in real, practical, everyday business situations, with a strong focus on keeping people at the centre of technology decisions.

🗣️ And it won't be my only event of the day, because I got so much out of hearing her speak at an EY luncheon last year for I'm heading to St. Peters on North Main Street here in Cork City to listen to Marie Gleeson, former Naval Captain and MD of NavMar Leadership, who will share her inspiring journey and insights across , and . Drawing on her unique career experience, Marie will explore themes of adaptability, decision-making under pressure, and the importance of — lessons that resonate strongly for women in business at every stage.

Be sure to check the link out, you'll be glad you did and if you are a business looking for support for your business be sure to give your Local Enterprise Offices a call - they are more than happy to guide you on the best way forward and do trojan work - wishing them all the very best with this years and continued success and of course a big shout out to the team here locally in Cork who go above and beyond for the business community here Local Enterprise Office, Cork City Local Enterprise Office South Cork

❓ Grainne Carmody Denise Kennedy Cathal Deavy CDir 👀 you tomorrow - Anybody else going to these events tomorrow? Drop me a note if you are!

27/02/2026

Always great to be part of these 'investor' panels for Enterprise Ireland's New Frontiers programme within TUS Innovates TUS Research, Development & Innovation hearing budding entrepreneurs present their proposition and map out their next steps fuelled by curiosity, resilience and ambition to get out there and get going.

Delighted with the opportunity to guide them on the market validation / foundational piece of Market Intel gathering and testing their proposition / concept before being blind sided by the often more exciting side of branding and marketing etc. 📊 🔍

Well done to Mary Casey for organising the various panels and for running order and logistics being so seamless.

🚀 Wishing you all every success & do keep in touch! ☘️

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26/01/2026

LOVE this from Rory Sutherland at last Fridays' Pendulum Summit

'Change how you see the world' & 'look at things differently' has always been our mantra at home parenting our son Harry who has Autism & he often reminds us that 'If everyone in the world thought the same or were the same, how boring the world would be!'

Here at Real Insights 📊we do the same - it's our job to help businesses, big and small to look at what they do and think about doing things differently - be that external view / impartial third party that will shake the trees, help guide them on other ways of doing things, to SEE where there are opportunities to be leveraged and help them thrive and grow.

www.real-insights.com

07/01/2026

What a great 2025 full of interesting events, opportunities & projects not to mention wonderful collaborations and client projects.

Here's to an exciting 2026 ahead for us all, embracing all the Year of the Horse has to offer from new beginnings, momentum and action, creativity and passion as well as forward movement and alignment with purpose.

If you would like to chat with us about how we can support your market intelligence gathering or research projects or if you would like us to help you understand your customers and markets more, just give us a call or email us on: [email protected]

Real Insights, always here to help and support you to harness your insights & data & grow thrive!

www.real-insights.com

19/12/2025

What a year at RI HQ - lots of great client wins and interesting projects to keep us on our toes not to mention great collaborations with strategic agencies and creatives and amazing in person networking events and masterclasses. We have LOVED it all! 💌

Thank you one and all for your continued support and business this year🤝

Looking forward to doing it all over again in 2026 🥂

In the meantime wishing you one and all a wonderful Christmas! Enjoy the well earned break and QT with family and friends.

Here's to a New Year filled with health and happiness and exciting new chapters 🌈

09/12/2025

Promises to be an engaging & thought provoking event this evening with the wonderful and ever engaging Stephen Ryan of Narration chairing proceedings & what a line up of industry experts to boot! Well done to all the Marketing Institute Ireland Cork committee for organising such a great end of year round up!

Looking forward to catching up with you all in person after being curtailed for 6 weeks post-op (no stopping me now!!!)

Onwards to a great event and end of year for us all

The Marketing Institute Cork

16/10/2025

Such positivity in the room yesterday for an Economic Outlook for 2026 dovetailed with the launch of the newly refurbished Great Island Ballroom at Radisson Blu Little Island Cork hosted by Roisín Flynn, Director of Sales and Mark S. newly appointed MD

🗣️ Expert panel moderated by the super talented Jonathan Healy (who managed his 4 o'clock Newstalk show straight after with keynote by Conall Mac Coille Chief Economist Bank of Ireland followed by fascinating panel discussion with the wonderful and always insightful Maxine Hyde Ballymaloe Foods Ballymaloe Foods as well as Cathal McSweeney of Cork Chamber of Commerce & GE HealthCare & Laya Healthcare

🔦 The glass was seen as not only half full of 3/4s full with lots of growth predicted for the Cork region despite on-going geopolitical and tariff turbulence.

Onwards to a great end to 2025 & continued success to us all in 2026 & beyond! 🚀

🤝 Was a great opportunity to catch up with other business owners & collaborators not to mention clients of Real Insights 📊 including Johanna Murphy Leigh Gillen Sarah Connolly Michelle Johnson ASA Brands - A Sustainable Answer in Gifting Jackie Quinn ★Naoimh Frawley★ Niamh Murphy Clair Phillips ReganWall Business Law Firm

02/10/2025

Great to see such a high level of confidence and ambition among Irish exporters and businesses at Enterprise Ireland's International Markets Week this week:

🌍 97% plan to expand into new international markets within the next 12 months

📈 66% expect export sales to increase in 2025

🚀 93% anticipate further growth in 2026

Irish businesses are also investing in competitiveness and innovation:

👍 98% are taking steps to improve overall competitiveness

🤖 87% are integrating or planning to integrate AI into their operations

🌍 Two-thirds believe AI and digitalisation will be critical to winning future international business

These figures certainly reflect the resilience and adaptability of Irish SMEs in the face of global challenges, including global uncertainty (regulation, tariffs), cost of doing business, and staffing and retention difficulties.

Peter Burke TD put it well when he said:

🗣️ 'It is encouraging to see that in response to geopolitical volatility, many Irish companies have accelerated their digital strategies and are expanding into new markets. These changes will enhance the productivity and competitiveness of Irish SMEs.'

Remember there are some great supports available to you as a business looking at scaling and understanding opportunities in other markets - let us help you navigate and support you with that like we have so many EI funded clients and business over the years. More info on the grants available here:

💡 https://lnkd.in/en9tFnpr

01/10/2025

We at Real Insights 📊like so many other businesses have been learning as much as we can about AI over the last number of months & having been on many courses, listened to loads of podcasts & attended many webinars we see AI as something that most definitely enhance & bring efficiencies to what we do but it certainly won't touch the HUMAN interaction that so many of our clients and businesses in general are looking for - not merely the reportage of data or reasoning on same but rather looking at the 'so what' does all this mean for us now, what are the watch-outs, where are the real opportunities and what should we be worried about or conscious of given your expert knowledge, REAL WORLD experience and commercial insights that you have gained over 30 years in the game, not afraid to challenge but rather looking at next steps in a pragmatic way through a commercial lens and no-nonsense approach to really drive growth and take advantage of opportunities within the marketplace.

We often forget that having the scars, war wounds and grey hairs to show does set you apart something that's echoed in this piece from Tracey O'Neill - AI can't to the 'helicopter view' just yet albeit give it time I would imagine....

I found these stats in particular eye-watering & stopped me in my tracks:

🫨 The average CEO has an IQ of 120 while ChatGPT is currently at 140 in 2025 up from 65 in 2022!!

⁉️ What are your thoughts on this?

For the moment we @ Real Insights will continue to be Human led while AI powered 🚀

In my opinion, the gap between those who are the AI pioneers, the experimenters and the ostriches is growing. But who is right and who is wrong? Who is waiting to see what happens in case their competitors make a misstep, but at the same time risk missing the boat and disappearing? AI isn't just dis...

19/09/2025

As we all know global trade dynamics are shifting rapidly.

There's so much uncertainty in the market and so much volatility that many businesses are paralysed / stuck or simply unsure what to do or where to look to next for growth. Recent US tariffs, and the potential for escalation including taxes on services, could present significant challenges for Irish exporters that sell to the United States.

Thankfully there is support and funding on hand to help you explore new opportunities for your business including these specific grants from Enterprise Ireland to help you engage the services of research and market intel agencies like ours to look at where to go from here and where else there could be opportunities and growth for your business so do check them out and give us a call or drop us a DM if you'd like to discuss how we can help you secure funding and support moving forward.

Both of the grants listed here help you to scope new markets opportunity including looking at the following amongst other things:

💡 Establishing and assessing Market Size / potential
💡 Researching market potential to assess barriers to entry.
💡 Reviewing market regulations/legislation/customs requirements.
💡 Comparative pricing research, and business model review
💡 Reviewing competitor landscape
💡 Reviewing supplier landscape
💡 Undertaking primary research such as interviews/meetings with relevant companies.
💡 Competitor product/service
💡 Exploring and analysing route to market
💡 Reviewing go to market strategy

Market Research Grant:
https://lnkd.in/eVtRiKcj

New Market Validation Grant:
https://lnkd.in/eY97EFUE

Info on all supports available from Enterprise Ireland:

https://lnkd.in/en9tFnpr