Michael Smurfit on his yacht, the Lady Ann Magee, which is named after his mother. He even made a run at trying to buy The Irish Times in the 1960s. Michael Smurfit has won the Distinguished Leadership award as part of the eighth Irish Times Business Awards. Will the Smurfit name always be over the door and will the New York-listed company always be headquartered in Ireland? The changes he has witnessed in Ireland over the decades“The Ireland I grew up in was totally different to the Ireland of today.

Source: The Irish Times February 20, 2026 09:38 UTC