Economic Activities In The Republic Of Ireland

This book traces the evolution of the Irish economy since independence looking at how the state sought to shape, regulate and deregulate economic activity to deal with the challenges posed by the wider international environment.

This book examines Irish economic development in the twentieth century compared with other European countries. It traces the growth of the Republic's economy from its separation from Britain in the early 1920s through to the present. It assesses the factors which encouraged and inhibited economic development, and concludes with an appraisal of the country's present state and future prospects.

First published in 1999, this timely study emerged at a critical juncture for the EU and Ireland, and aimed to review the past development and future prospects of the Northern Ireland economy in the light of the European Union and its possible expansion. Esmond Birnie and David M.W.N. Hitchens examine the economic circumstances in the wake of Northern Ireland’s longstanding position as a region which lags behind UK performance in the EU. Here, they update the data and discussion contained in an earlier study by the authors, Closing the Productivity Gap (1990), through discussions including engines of growth, the process of convergence and the current and likely development of Northern Ireland-Republic of Ireland economic links. This book will be of use to both academics, undergraduates, A-level students and the general reader.

This book provides a detailed, student-friendly overview of Ireland in the twenty first century and the remarkable economic and social transformations that have occurred since the late 1980s. The "Celtic Tiger" phenomenon has made Ireland the focus of much attention in recent years. Other countries have openly declared that they want to follow the Irish economic and social model. Yet there is no book that gives a comprehensive, spatially-informed analysis of the Irish experience.This book fills that gap. Divided into four parts -- planning and development, the economy, the political landscape, and population and social issues -- the chapters provide an explanation of a particular aspect of Ireland and Irish life accompanied by illustrative material. In particular, the authors reveal how the transformations that have occurred are uneven and unequal in their effects across the country and highlight the challenges now facing Irish society and policy-makers.Written by experts in the field, it is a key text for those wishing to understand the contemporary Irish economic and social landscape.