Ireland's foremost consumer affairs journalist combines investigative rigor with practical financial guidance. As The Irish Times' Pricewatch Editor and RTÉ regular, he's redefined how citizens engage with personal economics.
"Show me the euro-and-cent impact – if your story doesn't change someone's weekly shop, it's not for me."
We trace Conor Pope's journey from his early days at the Connacht Tribune to becoming Ireland's most trusted consumer voice. His career pivot from programming to journalism in 1996 marked the beginning of a relentless focus on empowering everyday citizens through financial literacy and consumer advocacy.
"Three years alcohol-free saved our household €10,000 – but the real payoff came in clarity and energy."
This 2025 personal narrative transformed Ireland's relationship with alcohol culture. Pope combines demographic data with intimate household economics, tracking €10,000 in savings over three alcohol-free years. His methodology blends national health statistics with granular personal budgeting, creating a template for lifestyle journalism that resonates across age groups.
Pope's 2024 exposé on systemic consumer rights violations led to six Dáil debates and new protections for Irish utility customers. Through undercover investigations and data analysis of 12,000 complaint records, he revealed how major corporations systematically disadvantaged elderly and low-income consumers.
The backbone of Pope's consumer advocacy, this ongoing series combines crowdsourced data with expert analysis. Recent installments have focused on energy price arbitrage strategies and supermarket loyalty program loopholes, saving readers an average of €780 annually through actionable advice.
Pope prioritizes stories demonstrating concrete savings for Irish households. Successful pitches highlight regional price disparities or seasonal budgeting opportunities, like his 2024 analysis of coastal vs urban heating costs.
While avoiding gadget fetishism, he welcomes innovations in financial literacy apps or services reducing household expenses. His coverage of AI-powered grocery budgeting tools led to three app developments specifically for the Irish market.
Pope's alcohol-free lifestyle series exemplifies his interest in macro-trends with micro-impacts. Pitches should connect social movements to wallet impacts, such as his upcoming piece on pet insurance trends among millennials.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Personal Finance, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
