h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Kathleen,

That's a terrific entry, and it sums up the Irish economic boom period so well. I was a kid during the 80's, when there was a strong belief that the only way to get out of our economic difficulties was to declare the whole country bankrupt. 50,000 people were leaving Ireland for the US and Britain every year. We had 20% inflation and 20% unemployment. It was ghastly.

And then it all changed. Ireland started becoming a very attractive business proposition for US multinational companies, many of whom started moving in during the 1990s. Ireland's baby boom happened 20 years after most of the developed world because we didn't have a 1950's boom like most other post-war economies. A lot of money was spent in giving kids a good education. Information Technology was all coming together. The government had the most attractive tax package in Europe for businesses. The Catholic Church, at last, was beginning to lose its power of total mind-control. In the early 1990's the country hit the sweet spot.

I can relate so much to your experience. We have a 24 hour Tesco's close by where signs are now up in Polish asking people to use their Club Card. Eastern European people are everywhere - a silent, hardworking cohort of well educated young people doing all the jobs Irish people won't do. College car-parks full with new cars bought by the kids parents. One mobile phone per head of population (is that some sort of record?). Motorways, dual-carriage ways, new urban railways. Property prices through the roof. Twenty years ago this stuff would have been unthinkable. It's also getting much more secular. The Church's decline continues unabated as more and more is learned about the abuse cover-ups of the past.

There are still a lot of problems though. Drugs are a huge problem, and increasingly widely available. And there are also many unemployment black-spots in the cities, seemingly untouched by the boom period. Violent crime (lately involving hand-guns) is on the increase, and there appears to be a lot more problems with exceedingly large levels of alcohol consumption, not that this was never far from us.

I always find it interesting to see how others see us so I am delighted to have read this article.

Best regards,

Woodpigeon

God Bless our low low Corporate tax.

We would still be screwed without it.

Thank you! Just found your reply to my posting on H2G2 about Ireland today. My Irish Husband Tony and I would like to know where you're from. Originally. And now.

Ain't it the truth.

I live in near Cork city, but I am originally from Kilkenny. I've lived in Dublin and Belfast for a few years so I have some understanding of what goes on in other parts of the island.

And tomorrow I'm off to San Jose... Small world eh?

So how was San Jose? Just getting caught up on the conversations about my H2G2 postings, Explaining the British Isles to Americans. I thought I had signed up to get notices every time someone like you posts or replies, but it ain't happenin.
My husband was in Dublin for a few days last month because his brother died, and will be back for the memorial service (once the ashes arrive from Florida--there's a blog.)
And then we're off on Semester at Sea again, this time to Asia! I'll be posting a weekly blog to keep everyone up to date.
Let us know how you're doing.

Hi Karen,

Yes, my visit to San Jose was short and sweet - just 2 days (with another 2 days of travelling there and back again). I barely needed to acclimatise at all. I had my PC receiving "Morning Ireland" podcasts when I woke up each day, so it was like being home from home really. I'm heading out to Chicago tomorrow for a week - our head offices - that's usually the place I go to when I am travelling to the US.

I'm sorry to hear about your husband's brother. It's not an easy thing at any time.

H2G2 doesn't have any email notifications as far as I am aware, so that's why you can't find out if anyone has posted. The H2G2 engine was around a long time before blogs, and since the BBC took over innovation has been fairly limited. Most of the time we just subscribe to other people's journals or join their friends lists, but you have to go onto H2G2 to find out what is going on.

Where are you off to in Asia? Will it be mainly work or mainly leisure? Let me know what your blog address is. It sounds fascinating.

Just found your posting about my Explaining Living in the British Isles to Americans from back in April. I guess I really should check this site more often. It looks as though we had an interesting conversation going.
In the meantime, the Irish husband and I have been to Asia and back. All the blogs are at www.lulu.com/gypsyteacher and I'm editing some of them to appear at Explaining Asia to Americans.
Would love to hear from you again and know how you are doing.