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It was the “ringtones and logos” business he established in the wake of Ebeon’s demise that alerted Crowley to the pay-per-play content game. “The mobile stuff was doing okay but it wasn’t really a strategic success.” Cue a meeting with Leisure Link, one of the UK’s biggest providers of coin-operated pub gambling machines. “It was a sleepy industry and we came up with a vision to disrupt it,” said Crowley.

This involved sexing up old-fashioned one-armed bandits to include high-resolution gaming such as virtual roulette. The next stroke was to create a virtual horseracing product which is now a staple in most bookie shops. “John McCririck, the racing pundit, said he’d eat his hat if virtual racing took off. The sector now generates more than £1 billion (€1.44 billion).”

The sceptics have put Crowley’s financial success down to luck and he, for the most part, is happy to go along with that theory. In fact, the only time that Crowley’s hilarity level dives during the entire interview is when — out of nowhere — he mutters: “Inspired proves the point that we can do this business thing.”

No sooner has he made his point, however, than he reverts to anecdote. One of Inspired’s latest wheezes is to insert technology in standard vending machines that will enable people to top up their phone credit or download music.

“We showed it to a team from Coca-Cola recently,” laughed Crowley. “The main guy took one look and shouted, ‘Guys, you’ve really pimped up this Coke machine!’ It’s fair to say that he sees possibilities.”

Crowley says that there is “some talk” of an AIM listing in 2007, but the business is still gathering momentum. If he does manage to pull off a flotation watch out for an al fresco boozing session coming to a park near you.

VITAL STATISTICS

Age: 35

Family: married with two children

Hobbies: golf, tennis

Home: Glencullen

Favourite film: Long Way Round

Favourite book: Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

WORKING DAY

I LIVE close to the office (in London) so I walk to work. I tend just to be there in the office hearing confessions unless there is travel. It’s amazing that no matter which plane you’re on from London there’s Irish people doing business. We have shrunk the world. I come back home to Ireland every weekend but on week days I tend to go to the Toucan pub next to the office at about 9pm. It has the best Guinness in London, but then again that wouldn ’t be hard.