Unemployment Drops to 12 Percent. But Backlash Against Government in Local Elections Exposes Resentment

Newsflash, Eyeries, County Cork. It's official, folks. Today Ireland's Central Statistics Office announced that the unemployment rate has fallen to 12 percent. That's the best showing in years. What this means, of course, is that more than 100,000 people are at work today than had been at the bottom of the Great Recession. More jobs are driving increased consumer spending and government tax takes. More jobs are helping people - both locals and immigrants - to crawl out of their desperate financial straights and get on with living. More jobs are giving people hope.

Right? Well maybe not. Not if you take the results of this past weekend's local elections into account. Last Friday, the Irish people voted on a county by county basis to choose over 900 local representatives as well as 11 MEPs, Ireland's European Union legislators. The results were shocking, at least to the sitting government.

Candidates from parties that currently form the existing coalition government - Fine Gael and Labour - were given a roasting at the local polls. For the first time in Ireland's history, Sinn Fein - Ireland's left-leaning political party- gained almost 20 percent of the popular vote. Political Independents have also done exceedingly well.

The local elections, occurring almost mid-term in the life of the present Government, gave Irish people the opportunity to grade the Government on its performance to date. That grade? An F. For Failure.

We're Mad as Hell and We Won't Take it Anymore

Why has Ireland's current government been giving such a poor mark? This government has, after all, managed to turn the country around. The economy is also in the middle of a U-Turn that can only be welcomed by everyone - both employed and unemployed.  Ireland is officially out of bankruptcy and we've managed to get rid of the European Troika who made our lives a misery for the past six years.  And while Ireland Inc continues to increase its indebtedness, the rate of that increase is falling drastically. Soon, it is hoped, Ireland will begin the grueling task of chipping away at the Mount Everest of debt that we've incurred since 2008.

But the turn-around has come at a price. The people of Ireland have paid for it - every bloody red cent - and will continue to pay for generations to come. We pay in record tax increases that the Government has inflicted on its population. We pay for it in significant salary cuts experienced by anyone who happens to be an employee of the Government. If you're a cop, a fireman, a teacher, a civil servant, a doctor, or a nurse, you've seen your income drop by almost 20 percent one way or another.

We pay for it if we are fortunate to have a private pension fund. The government takes a slice of any cash that we've saved - both principle and interest - and will do so for years to come. We pay whenever we buy something because the standard rate of VAT (Value Added Tax) which had been 21 percent before the recession now stands at 23 percent. We pay in new property taxes and new water charges and a new Universal Social Charge which adds a couple of percentage points to the already outlandish tax on salaries.

The Irish also pay with a significant drop in social services. If you're poor, don't automatically expect to receive a medical card. Or housing. Or enough social assistance to keep you from starving. Recently, I heard of a young woman - a friend of my daughter's - a single Mum, broke, down on her luck. For a long time she suffered in silence. Then, at her wit's end and not knowing what else to do, she approached her friends for help. It turns out that this young woman was going to bed hungry every night. That shouldn't happen. Not in 21st Century Ireland.

If you're an American reading this, you might not appreciate the horror that Ireland is experiencing. But America is not a social welfare state. Ireland is, and we pay mightily for the privilege. Middle income people pay over 52% of their income in taxes. But we expect a few things in return.

Young single mothers not going to bed hungry, for example.

Yet it's happening in Ireland. Despite what we pay and will continue to pay for years and years to come.

Ireland's unemployment rate is way, way down.  A wonderful thing. But Ireland's ability to protect those least able to help themselves is being compromised. Which is why the Irish gave the sitting Government a kick in the Goolies this past election.

We're angry, dammit. And unless the existing Government sorts things out, we'll find someone else who will.

'The Donald' Invests in Ireland. Huzzah!

The Donald stepped off the plane at Shannon Airport yesterday to tell the international investment community about his latest, always triumphant, purchase: this time a world-class golf course.

It is reported that Trump purchased Doonbeg Golf Club, an 18-hole links including a five-star hotel, spa, and 400 acres of prime land located in County Clare, for a song and mere pocket change at €15 million. This is a fraction of its value at the top of the Celtic Tiger, but the Club suffered the usual indignities of Irish recession and had recently been put into receivership. Undoubtedly, more than a few Irish people who had bet on the Club's success when it was established in 2002 are shaking their heads at billionaire Trump's usual timing.

While your intrepid reporter was not present at Trump's triumphant announcement it can only be assumed that the coming of The Donald to Ireland signifies a turn-around in Irish economic fortunes. Or maybe not. What was notable was that the Government found the mogul's presence so critical that Minister for Finance Michael Noonan took time off to meet Trump at the airport. We're not sure who was running Ireland's economy during Noonan's absence for this state occasion but it was decidedly not Noonan.

Trump said that hundreds of jobs will be created through his Irish investment. As reported in The Irish Times, Trump states, "This is one of those that is going to be truly iconic (writer's note: Or did he mean 'ironic'?). This is going to be one that Ireland is going to be extremely proud of."

While The Donald's timely investment will undoubtedly save the jobs of the previously doomed golf club, we worry that Trump - having savored a first taste of Irish bonhomie - will want much, much more for his largess and our government will quickly cave in. Reported to be worth over US$3.5 billion, Trump could:

• Buy up approximately 1/10th of all Bank Debt
• Open a new Irish Bank
• Purchase Aer Lingus and have plenty of change to spare
• Create a new Trump Palace in Limerick which Noonan, who also represents the area in government, would undoubtedly appreciate
• Buy Irish citizenship and avail of the €40,000 tax free artists exemption when publishing his next book
• Run for Taoiseach rather than President of the United States

Whatever way Trump plays it, he's going to have Ireland eating out of his hand and the government is going to love it. Which is going to trouble many Irish people because the majority now hate our government. Always rising taxes, ever-decreasing disposable incomes, and an unemployment rate in the double-digits can do that to people. And with some exceptions, the Irish don't particularly take sides with the rich. So if (when) Trump screws up, the backlash is going to be great fun to watch.

But for the present, Trump is going to love Ireland just like the Irish government loves him. Until he offends someone, of course, like he usually does. Or until he realizes that the Irish can be a begrudging lot and that anytime soon some of the population may well start calling him "thick as a plank" and "the carpet wearing godshite" and "the freeloading fecker from hell."  Then they'll begin peaceful demonstrations on and around his new investment, perhaps blocking access for the rich and famous who will inevitably want to visit The Donald's latest investment punt.

So welcome to Ireland, Mr Trump. And a Cead Mile Failte to you. But one piece of advice: don't piss off the natives or they'll sell that pretty little rug you wear on top of your head quicker than they'd offer you a pint. And not even you, as clever as you are, could stop 'em, so quick are the Irish to get their own back.

A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland 2014 Kindle Edition Available Now

Want to learn more about living in Ireland? Are you thinking of traveling to Ireland or moving to Ireland? If so, you might consider the purchase of the 2014 Kindle ebook edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland. Now 80,000+ words long, and having sold over 10,000 copies in its various editions, it could make the perfect gift for those interested in this wonderful country. Simply click on any of the links above to purchase this new Kindle version. You can also download various free aps to read this Kindle version on any PC or Mac. 

Healing in Beara

It takes a bit of effort to get to the Beara Peninsula. Which is why not everyone who visits Ireland travels this far. Which is also why those that do either stumble across this breathtaking corner of Ireland by accident or come to this hidden gem of the world for very specific reasons. Take a look at a map and you'll see why the journey isn't exactly a simple one.

Coming from Dublin? Then it's a five hour journey by car: three hours on the new M8 Motorway to Cork City, then take the N22 to the N71 turn-off, travel overland to Kilkeal; then down to the picturesque village of Glengarriff where Maureen O'Hara lived until recently (her departure is a story in itself and filled with local intrigue and gossip), then along the coast road into the interior of Beara to Castletownbere and finally to Eyeries Village (a lovely spot that I now call home). Traveling from Limerick and Shannon Airport isn't quite as bad but it's still a bit of a stretch for most people. As I've written elsewhere: unlike the Dingle Peninsula, the Ring of Kerry, or other spots, Beara Peninsula isn't exactly on the tourist trail.

Why, then, do people come? Let me answer it this way: a few years ago, when I moved here, an Irish fellow banged on the front door. He had cycled from Cork City down to Eyeries and was desperate to find a place to pitch his tent. In that we didn't have such facilities in the village at the time, he asked me if I'd mind if he camped in my back garden. I had no problem with the idea and let him at it. Long and short of it is I now allow anybody who comes along with the appropriate gear to camp in the back yard. I've had folks from all over the world visit me: couples from Oakland California, a family of four from the Isle of Man, oldsters and youngsters from England, Scotland, Wales, France, Germany, Holland, and all places in between, and even a group of Scouts from Switzerland. It was hard work for them to get from where they had come from to the isolated microcosm called Eyeries, but come they did.

Most come here to walk or bike along the scenic coastline. Some come to find ancestors. A few are interested in local history and archaeology. But others come for something else. They come to Beara because of the energy of healing to be found here.

Finding a Space for Healing
I'm not getting any younger and I've finally learned that human beings are a fragile lot. Into every life a little rain will fall - sometimes in torrents. We can be challenged by many complaints, sometimes of our own making and sometimes not. We suffer: from physical and emotional illness; from life's hardships including the death of loved ones, divorce  and disaster. No matter how old we are, or how apparently strong and resilient, we can become scared silly by things that go bump in the night. And sometimes, we cannot cope. But if we're lucky, if the stars are aligned just right and if that Big Fella is looking in the right direction and notices our plight, we might be sent to Beara to find our way and gain a little sanity. At least that's what has happened to a number of people that I've met, me included.

How, you might ask, does the Beara Peninsula heal? I would argue in many ways, and with many often unapparent tools. It works like this: healing, I think, comes in part from a sense of inner-peace - a sense of calm that allows us crazy humans to take stock, find a bit of safety, and get on with the healing process. The Beara offers that in spades. For instance: a few years ago I met a woman from the States who had gone through a disastrous, rancorous divorce. She was in absolute bits: her sense of self-worth was zero, just like her bank account. Her self-belief and self-respect had been stripped from her. The word 'hope' had been driven from her vocabulary and disaster defined her sense of tomorrow. For two weeks she stopped in Beara and did nothing else but to give herself permission to rest and emotionally heal. She took long walks along the coast in wind, rain, and sun. She borrowed a fishing rod and fished for mackerel and pollack off the nearby rocks - something she had never done before. She swam in the cold waters of Coulagh Bay and had a couple of pints with the locals. And she went home knowing that she could cope with what would come.

Or take the couple from England. They had been through it all: a parent had died; they had been hit by the recession and had lost their home. One of them had contracted a chronic illness. In short, life looked dismal indeed. While visiting, they heard of a woman named Mary Maddison, a wonderful human being who has many gifts. While here, they visited Mary a few times. I know that Mary read their stones (which is not as weird as it may sound), allowed them to talk of their grief, sorrow, and worry, and gave them a healing session. Frankly, I'm a bit uncertain about the credibility of such healers. Many - not including Mary I hasten to add - are rip-off artists. They leverage people's frantic hopes with a snake charmer's promise and large fees to match. But Mary, who believes that her gifts were freely given and should be passed on just as freely, charges not one red cent. I'm not certain if the couple's wishes came true, but I do know that when they left Beara they left much happier and more content than when they first came.

Or take Charlie and his wife Joanne. They are from the Boston area and having heard about Beara had always wanted to visit. Joanne, a visual artist and poet, had first come on her own for a stint at Anam Cara, the local writer's retreat center. She then convinced Charlie to come along and they began to rent a local house for two, three, and four months at a stint. I met them when I first moved down here and had the pleasure of spending Thanksgiving with them. They fell in love with the area and came back frequently. And Charlie decided to die here. It was unexpected, of course. They had come over with the intention of staying a few months. Charlie was working on a book; Joanne was painting. Scheduled to return to Boston he began to feel unwell. The flight was canceled and the local doctor called. Charlie, then in his early eighties, passed away with Joanne and close friends that he had made during his visits here at his side. As Joanne says, Charlie chose to die in Beara because he felt so peaceful that it was easier for him to let go.

Dying isn't healing, of course. But Charlie found a depth of tranquility in Beara that Joanne believes he could find no where else. And that peace allowed him to slip from his mortal coil without pain or suffering. When I pass the house I always say hello to Charlie, firmly believing that he looks down on me as I trudge up the main road to the pub.

Healing in Beara offers people other tools that may be more appropriate to their needs or beliefs. I've seen visitors talk to the local Catholic Priest in hushed confidence, or attending Mass for the first time, finding a faith here that helps them to walk forward through the difficulties of life. I've seen others visit the Buddhist Retreat (Dzoghzen Beara) to find peace and compassion in meditation. Still others, mostly women, locate renewed strength and peace of mind by visiting the Hag of Beara, a weirdly-shaped rock that looks down on the Bay not far from Eyeries. It is said that the rock is the frozen persona of St Brigid, or more likely, the Celtic Goddess also called Brigid who is the embodiment of the feminine, and a source of strength and renewal.

Whatever people find or use, I watch them walk out of my sight renewed and refreshed. There is, it seems, a magic to be found in Beara. At night, when I'm on my own and standing on the deck that overlooks the Bay, I can sometimes feel it too. It is in the gentleness of the salt-smelling breeze that tickles my scalp, or in the call of the seagulls coming home from a day's fishing. It is in the voice of the tides that sweep over the rocks nearby and in the fingers of the sun's rays as they sink salmon colored over the Western horizon. The magic of healing is in the sing-song of the West Cork accents that greet me as a friend and neighbor, and in the scallops that have been given to me as a gift by a local trawler captain who I now call 'friend' and which I eat for dinner.

As a friend of mine said, a woman from America who stayed here for weeks and who struggled with cancer, and who came here to find peace and acceptance: "I can't touch it or explain it. But there's a healing to be found here in Beara that goes beyond reason."

I'll finish on that.

A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland 2014 Kindle Edition Available Now

Want to learn more about living in Ireland? Are you thinking of traveling to Ireland or moving to Ireland? If so, you might consider the purchase of the 2014 Kindle ebook edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland. Now 80,000+ words long, and having sold over 10,000 copies in its various editions, it could make the perfect gift for those interested in this wonderful country. Simply click on any of the links above to purchase this new Kindle version. You can also download various free aps to read this Kindle version on any PC or Mac. 

Six Sectors Fuel Irish Employment Growth

Still more good news on the employment front. According to the OECD (The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Ireland has the highest jobs growth rate in the European Union. Economists continue to forecast that Ireland will see over 60,000 jobs created over the next 12 months.

Six key industrial sectors seem to be fueling this dynamic growth. These include:

• IT Services / Computer Software / Hardware - hardware and software engineers, pre- and post-sales engineers and consultants, and marketers. 
• Accounting and Auditing
• Innovation and Intellectual Property Professionals
• Green Sector Employment - including renewable energy and environmental efficient technologies which will demand engineers, sales, and marketing types
• Business Services - a catch all that includes computer and information services, financial services, insurance services, and related business expertise to support a growing economy
• Medical / Health - including healthcare professionals and pharmaceuticals-related skill sets

The continuing strength of the euro v dollar would logically seem to hamper exports. However, this does not seem to be holding true in that exports from Ireland to all destinations is steadily increasing. Exports are a significant leading indicator regarding the overall recovery of Ireland from recession. As long as exports continue to rise, the Irish economy will also continue to gain traction.

Skills Shortages - An Opportunity
Irish employers are already talking about a skills shortage and the inability to find suitably qualified personnel to fill key positions. The skills shortage would seem to be particularly acute in the IT sector where thousands of vacant jobs remain unfilled. High demand for IT personnel, but an inadequate supply, should see salary increases in this area. Shortages will also be met with a demand for 'foreign'-based personnel - meaning that for those of you who desire to immigrate to Ireland and who are also IT qualified, gaining a work permit should present few problems.

More information will follow as I continue to gain insight into the current rebound of Ireland's economy.

A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland 2014 Kindle Edition Available Now

Want to learn more about living in Ireland? Are you thinking of traveling to Ireland or moving to Ireland? If so, you might consider the purchase of the 2014 Kindle ebook edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland. Now 80,000+ words long, and having sold over 10,000 copies in its various editions, it could make the perfect gift for those interested in this wonderful country. Simply click on any of the links above to purchase this new Kindle version. You can also download various free aps to read this Kindle version on any PC or Mac. 

Pat Caridad nee Richards - a Heck of a Woman

For just a moment I'd like to take time to pay a little homage. Yesterday my Aunt  Pat - Patricia Caridad nee Richards - passed away. She was 82. She grew up and lived most of her life in New Jersey. A few years ago, tired of those lousy northeastern winters, she moved to Florida with her husband Lou.

Life is a candle and shorter than we all think. We light it at birth and it burns brightly for years. And usually, we never anticipate that the flame will go out. But it does for all of us. Pat, I think, had a good life. She came from a strong mix of Welsh and Acadian stock some of which originated in France and carved out living spaces in the wilds of Prince Edward Island in northeast Canada, the same blood that swims in my veins. Her smile, her laugh, her love of life are facets of her character that I will always remember and cherish.

When I heard she had passed, for some reason I Googled her. Yet I couldn't find a single entry. The Internet, and those billions of servers that store vast quantities of data has, I think, a couple of useful qualities. One of them is to help keep the memories of those we love alive.

So to you, Pat Caridad nee Richards, I wish you God's speed on a new journey. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, I hope that you find joy and peace and good living. And to your children - my cousins - Kathy and Jim, and to your brother Bill and sister Bobby - my father and Aunt - know that Pat's loving memory will always spark a smile within me.

Vade cum Deo
Your nephew, Tom

Dalai Lama Awakens Ireland in Spiritual Documentary

Near the westerly most tip of Beara Peninsula in County Cork, perhaps twenty minutes from where I live, a stunning snow white structure thrusts out over the wild Atlantic. The structure, Dzogchen Beara, is a Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Center. People from all over the world travel here for many reasons: to heal, perhaps. To study Buddhism. To meditate. Or simply for rest and renewal. You don't have to be a practicing Buddhist to attend for in keeping with the tenants of tolerance and compassion that is at its heart, the Retreat Center welcomes everyone. And occasionally they welcome people to watch a film.

Two days ago I was welcomed, along with perhaps fifty others, to watch a screening of Dalai Lama Awakening.  This two-hour director's cut documentary follows a group of Western deep thinkers as they participate in a Synthesis conference held in India. The mission of the conference is to collaborate and brainstorm in hopes of solving the world's problems. And because they have convinced the Dalai Lama himself to provide a bit of insight and direction, they are also convinced that the end result will be successful and perhaps mind-blowing. Needless to say, it doesn't exactly turn out that way.

Los Angeles-based, Ohio-born director Khashyar Darvich traveled by boat and bus from Scotland to Beara to attend the screening as part of a nine city Ireland-wide tour. Welcoming the Beara audience, he explained: "It took me fifteen years to realize this cinematic dream. And of all the places I've screened this film (and the film has been screened globally) Dzogchen Beara is the most stunning." He could have been stretching the truth but I doubt it. The Retreat Center is located in one of the most beautiful regions of Ireland: its vistas fantastical, its mission as divine as the views from its meditation rooms. Where else could be spiritually more appropriate to screen a spiritual film about spiritual journeys than Dzogchen Beara?

Because at the core of this documentary, Darvich is telling the tale of a spiritual journey. In it we come to know perhaps ten people. Most are Americans. Most are experts within their fields. And most have no idea what they are doing. We meet astronomers and engineers, biologists, writers and spiritualists. Men and women of high intellect and awesome vanity. We watch as they come together to fuse their brain power and solve the world's problems. Working with an American facilitator and the organizer of the conference, they go on the attack with a Ten Point plan that would be more comfortable in the hallowed business halls of GE than in the frantic streets of India. But hey, what the heck. That's what Western thinkers do, after all. And of course, they don't stand a chance. They end up arguing like old women. They worry about how much (or little) time they might enjoy in face-to-face meetings with the Dalai Lama.  They promise to listen to each other, then spend most of the time talking and little time considering. In short, it's rather like watching a train wreck in progress.

Darvich is aware of this bent toward self-destruction, and tracks the participants as they roar toward possible meltdown. He showcases this conflict with a series of inter-cuts that are visually compelling, inspiring and thought-provoking. We see these experts talking about global problem solving. Yet just yards from where they sit, Darvich allows us to visit local people and we see their fight for clean water and survival and wonder why the experts don't just dig a well?

The experts tell us about practicing compassion but with words not actions. And Darvich contrasts that with an interview with the Dalai Lama and his simple advice that people can find happiness by giving of themselves. We wonder why the experts don't get up, walk a few hundred yards, and buy some clothes for the naked kids running through waste ground?

We meet an American woman, another expert, as she decides to promote Tibetan independence by banishing her Chinese K-Mart bought shoes to the hinterlands, yet at the final hour is unable to part with them. Darvich contrasts her indecision with the words of the Dalai Lama who suggests that any form of action against the Chinese on behalf of Tibet, including simple acts of boycott, would not be compassionate, could result in more harm than good, and should be carefully considered.

And we wonder why the experts don't learn from the great Master and like the Dalai Lama laugh a little more and argue a little less. We wonder why these serious deep thinkers can't distill their often terse, overly intellectual, and always self-indulgent language down to the flowing simplicity of the Teacher who is so willing to teach. But will they listen? Probably not because they're too busy listening to themselves intellectualizing about intellectualizing.

Prior to the start of the film, Darvich warned us that we could well find ourselves reflected in a mirror and haunted by the experts' inexpert thoughts, emotions, and defects of character. He also told us that we would find ourselves thinking back on this story for some time to come. For me, both predictions came true.

I found myself identifying more with the Buddhist Monks, wishing that I was a practitioner of the same sort of silence and simplicity. I found myself embarrassed by the Americans and Westerners, and the egos that they tossed into battle like intellectually directionless missiles. I found hope in the uplifting, practical and no-nonsense words of the Dalai Lama. I felt scorn at the flowery prose used by the Westerners and their overuse  of "compassion" and "meditation" as they attempted to explain the inexplicable. Many sounded like Los Angeles poseurs, so stilted and stereotypical was their flower-power language.

This is a film about the journey of a group disabled by the very intellectual bigotry that they use to define themselves, and the realization that their efforts are useless without one simple and profound focus. To quote the Dalai Lama, "The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred." By the end of the film, our group of experts is confounded by how little they have achieved because of the confrontational anger that impeded their journeys. We feel sorry for them. We feel sorrier for those who have learned nothing. But we find joy for some because a few have seen the light. These experts, their egos punctured, have realized that engaging in intellectual combat by using ego as a weapon has little place in practical global problem solving. They are humbled by the experience and what little they have accomplished. And the audience is left hoping that at least some of these idiots, no matter how smart, might actually move on to achieve a thing or two.

One final note: the film is narrated by Mr. Indiana Jones himself, Harrison Ford. Darvich states that Ford talked his talk for not a single red cent, in support of the Dalai Lama. Hats off to Harrison for contributing to this worthwhile venture.

Darvich has put together a compelling, slow-burning documentary that only hits you on the way home. At two hours, this director's cut may have been a bit long, and even 15 minutes of editing would lend better focus to the story he is telling. But it made me think and continues to do so as I consider the joyful laughter of the Dalai Lama. And I contemplate his simple message that the human condition boils down to a journey for happiness. And I think:

It's a journey that I want to explore.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. Recommended Viewing
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/DalaiLamaAwakening

A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland 2014 Kindle Edition Available Now

Want to learn more about living in Ireland? Are you thinking of traveling to Ireland or moving to Ireland? If so, you might consider the purchase of the 2014 Kindle ebook edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland. Now 80,000+ words long, and having sold over 10,000 copies in its various editions, it could make the perfect gift for those interested in this wonderful country. Simply click on any of the links above to purchase this new Kindle version. You can also download various free aps to read this Kindle version on any PC or Mac. 

90,000 New Jobs Coming to Ireland by End-2015

Ireland's economy continues to rebound with most economic forecasters giving a positive spin to figures. For those of you thinking of a leap of faith into Ireland and a search for that elusive job, and as reported earlier, right now just might be the time.

Ibec, a representative body for Irish businesses, revised upward their economic forecasts for 2014 and 2015 citing impressive employment growth and a dramatic rise in consumer spending (for the full article reported in the Irish Times go to http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/irish-economy-on-way-back-says-ibec-economist-1.1752320.

GDP, a measure of economic activity including exports, is expected to grow by 2.9 percent in 2014 with further growth of 2.3 percent anticipated for 2015. This appears to be driven by positive consumer sentiment (the highest its been since 2007) which should see increased domestic spending.

Ibec anticipates that due to a number of factors, 90,000 jobs will be created in Ireland through 2015. That's a heck of a turn-around when considering  that Ireland's unemployment rate, and huge job losses, was spiraling out of control until quite recently.

As an open economy, Ireland's growth depends heavily on the economic health of its many export partners including Britain and the United States. However, the global economy (including the EU) continues to rebound which should help to fuel Ireland's economic turn-around.

The country still faces risks, of course. Euro exchange rates (compared to Sterling and Dollars) continues to strengthen making euro-currency goods and services more expensive. This could dampen Irish exports, which helped to drag the economy into contraction in late 2013. Increased direct and indirect taxes recently introduced by the Irish government (including property taxes, the Universal Social Charge, and the soon to be introduced water rates) will also continue to have a somewhat negative impact on Irish consumer spending by reducing disposable income further.

All in all, however, the outlook for Ireland's economy remains positive. Our economy appears to be rising Phoenix-like from the ashes of recession. And while over 11 percent of Ireland's workforce remains unemployed, and though we continue to wear hair shirts that causes us to consider every penny we spend, Ireland is at last seeing the bright light of hope at the end of a long economic winter.

A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland 2014 Kindle Edition Available Now

Want to learn more about living in Ireland? Are you thinking of traveling to Ireland or moving to Ireland? If so, you might consider the purchase of the 2014 Kindle ebook edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland. Now 80,000+ words long, and having sold over 10,000 copies in its various editions, it could make the perfect gift for those interested in this wonderful country. Simply click on any of the links above to purchase this new Kindle version. You can also download various free aps to read this Kindle version on any PC or Mac.