Ding-dong, it’s Ireland Day

Business & Finance publisher Ian Hyland got luckier with his timing this year for the London version of Ireland Day, when a well-known Irish person rings the stock exchange bell amid much merriment and backslapping.

The event, now a hardy annual, is organised by Hyland's Ireland Inc outfit at both the London and New York exchanges. Unfortunately, last year's inaugural London ding-dong coincided with the funeral of Margaret Thatcher, which soaked up all the media's attention.

Happily, no politicians died this week. So Ireland Day proceeded yesterday under the full glare of the media love-in for all things Irish in Britain, following President Michael D Higgins’s recent city break.

Martin Naughton, president of Glen Dimplex, did the honours. He was joined onstage by a group including Hyland; Paul Connolly, a Credit Suisse financier and key ally of Denis O'Brien; Greencore chief executive Patrick Coveney (who possibly supplied the sandwiches); Irish woman Rosaleen Blair, chief executive of London-based recruitment firm Alexander Mann Solutions; and Julie Sinnamon, chief executive of Enterprise Ireland.

The bell-ringing was followed by a business conference and think-in, which was addressed by Smurfit Kappa chief executive Gary McGann. Other speakers included Danny McCoy of Ibec, who spoke of how the confederation's role was about more than just keeping wages down, Kevin McGillicuddy of Brehon Capital Partners, and Eam- onn Sinnott, head of Intel in Ireland.

Hyland told me afterwards that his vision for Ireland Inc, which is owned by his F5 Event Organisation company, was to fashion it into a global, Irish version of the American Jewish Committee.

“We want to promote Irish business interests everywhere. The private sector needs to be in control of its own destiny. This is a chance to build something,” he said.

Ireland Inc is commissioning a report called Ireland 2020 Vision , which Hyland described as "a business plan for Ireland". Sounds intriguing.

Ireland Day is also set to branch out to Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi.

Back in business . . .