Tech entrepreneur Ray Nolan didn't hold back on Wednesday at the Investec conference in the Convention Centre Dublin, which was packed with about 500 senior business figures. RTÉ's Miriam O'Callaghan was MC and interviewed Nolan, who was a panellist.

Luckily the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore had left the stage when Nolan fired some broadsides at politicians for not understanding technology trends. He forgave them, he said, because "they're just teachers". He should get detention for that quip. He lamented some of technology's downsides: "Technology was beautiful when it started, then it became a pig. Email was supposed to be more efficient, but it added two hours to everybody's work day." Amen to that.

He softened up later on. Business is "personal – it's creative, like art" he said. Nolan, who sold Web Reservations International for $340 million in 2009, was then asked by O'Callaghan if he likes hard work.

Gazing back at her, he replied: “It’s not work, it’s love.” Far out.