Inside Business podcast: The case for Athlone City

On the latest Inside Business podcast, the chairman of the Destination Athlone steering group, John O’Sullivan, explains why the town should be granted regional city status.

He is joined by Irish Times business journalist Mark Paul to discuss the submission made on behalf of the group to the government, as part of the Ireland 2040 spatial project.

Also in studio, economist Jim Power calls it "an absolutely magnificent plan" and says investing in Athlone would help to strike a counter balance to Dublin in terms of regional economic development.

In the second part of the show, Cliff Taylor and presenter Ciarán Hancock look at the UK's Brexit border position paper published on Wednesday and ask whether or not it is good news for Ireland.

UK unemployment at its lowest since 1975

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We are still in the dark on how the Brexit Border will work

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No summertime blues for consumers as sentiment hits a high

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Irish residential property prices rise 11.6% in year to June

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To listen to the full conversation, go to www.irishtimes.com/podcasts iTunes, Soundcloud or your preferred podcast app.