Ireland's Economic Success: Reasons and Prospects

Being one of the poorest countries in Europe just 20 years ago, Ireland is now one of the richest in the world. The number of jobs doubled in under 20 years, living standards increased substantially, and an economic boom has been sustained since 1994. Author Paul Sweeney asks why did Ireland, a basket case economy and poor for so long, suddenly take off? In focusing on Ireland's economic success, he examines the lessons to be learned from this success. He is assisted by the insights of An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Peter Sutherland, as well as other leading business people, trade unionists, and perceptive observers. In this international edition, Frances Cairncross, one of the world's leading economic writers, has provided an Introduction which sets Ireland's economic achievements in their international context and answers the question, "Is the Irish experience replicable in other economies?"