Which of those or maybe is it a mixture of all are currently causing the greatest difficulty for your members? What are you hearing?

I mean, generally, the cost of doing business has been crippling in recent times.

So it's across the board.

But on a positive note, you know, sometimes we forget that what's good for the worker is also good for businesses in certain instances.

So, you know, a reduction in childcare, a positive change on the tax rate, that's going to put money in people's pockets.

So that would be very good for business and certainly for the smaller businesses that depend on, you know, local spending power.

I would say in terms of bigger picture, I mean, we're looking at, you know, looking to try and give a push to acceleration of the delivery of infrastructure.

And something we hear from people, Margaret, particularly anytime we talk about Ennis and we talk about part of its attractiveness being the number of indigenous businesses, how important is it to see government supports in the budget for indigenous Irish businesses to grow rather than primarily focusing on attracting multinational investment?

It's very welcome news, Dara, because I'm sure it'll be a driver of footfall.

And, you know, when you see the large pennies in other towns and cities, I mean, it's a great offering as well.

And I think that, you know, it's not something that the independent shops need to be afraid of, because I think if anything, it will actually draw people into the town and hopefully everybody will benefit from that.

So that certainly will be the hope.

And I think the prediction really from the Chamber in terms of how that would pan out, if I had one concern, it's that I hope that they find a tenant for the current pennies in the Tesco shopping centre, because right now that's quite a significant footfall driver for that particular development in town as well.

So, you know, the hope is that they'll find something that is attractive to go into that spot.

So that indicates to us that it will be open somewhere in the region of 2028 to 2029, which means that, look, you only really do have the best part of two years to get a new operator in a shopping centre.

That's correct.

Did you ever take music lessons? Did you play a musical instrument?

Did you ever have to do that in one of your films? No.

No, I had a dancing talent because my mother was a dancer.

And I learned many different dances from the time I was two years old.

My mother had me in the little ballet.

Of course she did.

But I did not.

Did you ever take music lessons? Did you play a musical

Did you ever take music lessons? Did you play a musical instrument?

Did you ever have to do that in one of your films? No, I had a dancing talent because my mother was a dancer and I learned many different dances.

From the time I was two years old, my mother had me in the little ballet.

Of course she did.

But I did not, I was not able to sing.

I did not have a talent for singing and I did not have a talent for definitely not playing the piano.

And I was When I was doing Three Wise Fools with Lionel Barrymore, they had a piano on the set, and I loved to sit down and pretend I could play during the break.

Margaret, how old were you when you won your Academy Award? And what film was it for? That

So it seems from your perspective anyway, it's more of a success story for businesses being willing to adapt rather than a lack of people coming in and supporting in-person shopping.

I think realistically, it's a bit of both.

But what I'm saying is that it is more nuanced than you might think.

It's not that everybody is shopping elsewhere.

You know, a lot of people, there might be, they might have a favorite boutique or favorite jewelry shop.

And there is likely to go online and buy something from them online if they can't make it into town as they are to come into town this Saturday and buy in a more traditional way.

I think, you know, it's part of a bigger issue that the whole high street, as they call it, has changed so much.

And if just finally, if you are one of those businesses who are, if you're, I suppose, in that respect, playing catch up, what sort of supports are there if you are looking to get set up online?

Are you worried at all about this perception that Ennis is unsafe or is becoming unsafe? Or do you think that's unfounded? Unfounded.

So two things.

I too am an Ennis native.

I live in the town and I work in the town and I walk to work every single day.

I walk home from work every single day.

And usually in the evening time when I go for a walk, I cut through the town at some point.

So I would think that I have my finger on the pulse on what's happening in Ennis.

What do you think of this whole issue? Kevin, just let Margaret in now.

I've just got a bad case of the jitters, I guess.

Don't be sad, Barbara.

You'll hear from Joe soon.

Honest you will.

Honest.

[applause]

Could you help me tell him too, Mike?

Just say thank you.

the glasses together.

I'd like to tell you that the cost of doing business is such in this country at the moment, it isn't Prosecco they'll be reaching for, Alan.

Baby sham.

Yeah, maybe the baby sham, you know, because I think that's the one thing about businesses in Ireland at the moment, the regulation that they have to abide by, you know, the cost of labour in this country, the benefits that you have to give your staff, which are all things that are right and proper.

But, you know, compare that to how we might perceive labour, people working in the labour market in China might be treated, for example.

I think you're talking about worlds apart.

So, you know, we have noticed, I'm not trying to be like a, you know, to kind of dampen, you know, young people's enthusiasm for shopping online and sheen a team or whatever they're doing.

All-consuming.

Here she is a few days later.

I've just completed day five of the challenge, and I know you were looking for a sort of mid, mid-week, um, update.

This is a little bit beyond the mid-week, but [laughs] here we go.

I am absolutely excited with what this is revealing to me.

It's daily practice of a question that pops up writing for six minutes and developing my piece, which was really quite a short essay piece.

But, uh, here I am today and I am excited by how it's kind of blooming beyond what I'd originally expected it to be or what I'd originally landed, so to speak.

I thought I had more or less finished except to, you know, edit and polish it a bit, but there is more coming and, uh, that's only good.

Let's hear from Margaret at the end of her week.