And finally, some good news.

The man who coined that cursed phrase "Celtic Tiger" says the worst might be over for Ireland.

Economist Kevin Gardiner (yes, it was he) told The Guardian that the Irish economy will "bump along the bottom" in 2010 and will see positive growth by the end of the year.

Well, in all fairness, anything would seem positive after the devastating economic crash which has put thousands out of work and thousands more on planes out of Ireland in a throw-back to the bad old days.

However, it remains to be seen what will justify "positive" growth given that Ireland is still tethered to the ticking time bomb of negative equity.

What is going to happen when people do the math and figure out they can rent for half what they're paying in their mortgage.

They call in jingle mail here where people just send the keys back to the bank.

What will they call it in Ireland? And can the worst really be over?