Press Release                                                                                                 9th April 2008

THAT’LL NEVER WORK…HERE’S HOW IT DID

 

Norah Casey had no plans to own or run magazines when she was younger. Now, she is Chief Executive (owner proprietor) of Ireland’s largest magazine company which prints over four million magazines every year.

 

Casey’s is one of twelve stories of innovation, risk-taking, heartbreak and ultimate success featured in a new publication, That’ll Never Work…by KPMG’s Michael Gaffney and Colin O’Brien.

 

According to Michael Gaffney, KPMG, That’ll Never Work… captures some great stories that would otherwise go untold: “Irish entrepreneurs have played a pivotal role in the development of Ireland into an economic powerhouse over the last few decades.  This book recounts the unique accounts of a collection of these exceptional individuals, and highlights the challenges they overcame to achieve their success.”

 

The very personal accounts featured in the book provide an insight into the world of entrepreneurship – what worked, what didn’t and how twelve entrepreneurs eventually found their success.

 

Michael Gaffney says that entrepreneurs share a number of similar attributes:

 

“Through our experience in KPMG we have found that whilst entrepreneurs come from widely varying backgrounds, they all share some common attributes. These include an instinct for a market opportunity, an eye for innovation, tremendous persistence, singular self belief and a fantastic ability to bounce back in the face of adversity.”

 

Co-author Colin O’Brien, KPMG, explained the reasons for compiling the book: “Everyday in KPMG, we come across fascinating people who have started a business from scratch, taken over a small enterprise and built it to a formidable scale, or re-invigorated a family business. Hopefully this book will give aspiring entrepreneurs encouragement, not just from the success stories but by hearing about challenges surmounted, mistakes survived and lessons learned.”

 

The entrepreneurs featured in the book include Pat Walsh, Walsh Mushrooms, Sean Gallagher, Smarthomes, Pádraig O’Ceidigh, Aer Arann, Kevin Coleman, Green Cone, John Concannon, JFC Manufacturing Co. Ltd, Vincent Carton, Manor Farm, Ivan Yates, Celtic Bookmakers, James and Chloe O Connor, Stronghold, Richard Barrett, Treasury Holdings and Brian Ranalow, H&K. The book is currently on sale at €14.99.

 

 

For further information, please contact:

Suzanne Corr, KPMG – 087 0504125

Eimear Hurley, Carr Communications – 087 6418491

Sean Dolphin, Carr Communications – 087 2490930