19 Comments

• LaoiseRyan | Jan 01, 2012, 08:18 AM EST

  CountyKilburn- we have enough foreigners here without bringing over millions of Americans too.

• cuddlybuddly | Dec 31, 2011, 05:09 AM EST

  a privileged elite, a crony class has grown up and that has stunted Irish growth in a permanent fashion...so good I had to repeat it...ask yourselves are you one of the cronies?

• CountyKilburn | Dec 29, 2011, 07:33 PM EST

  Why not just extend Irish citizenship to Irish-Americans? They can bring their skills into the Republic, while the young generation of Irish are sending their remittances back from Britain. Problem solved!!

• LimavadyExile | Dec 29, 2011, 09:33 AM EST

  I am from the North, which I left over 30 years ago because of the no-hope future against the backdrop of the Troubles. I have met dozens of Irishmen here in Brazil, many of them recent arrivals fleeing the tragic situation back home. This article touches on a painful subject very close to anyone who is a member of the diaspora. When times were good, no one really cared about politics or the politicians. Everyone was getting on with having a good time and living it up on cheap credit and the illusion that it would last forever. Even when the first signs began to appear, no one took any notice and government failed to heed the economic yellow lights. As for the over-extended, poorly managed banks that brought the country to its knees, questions will be asked in years to come as to why the economic authorities were so lax in terms of supervising the banking system. Government and big business hand-in-hand? Ireland is paying the price, and Irishmen at home and those forced to emigrate will continue to pay the price for many years to come. That

• dibble2008 | Dec 29, 2011, 09:14 AM EST

  Ireland is being destroyed by greed and corrupt politicians end of story. You can analyse it until the cows come home thats the bottom line. The existing government promised to reverse the disastrous cuts of the last government and what did they do. They got into power and now the continue everything the Irish people voted them in to change. They call this 9and its a mantra at this stage) The Programme for Government. Hypocrites and backstabbers. Roll on 5 more years of Tyranny and then you will see the people ditch this government. The problem is that. What is left. The biggest parties have now been tried and proven to be worse them Fianna Fail who ruined the country so it looks like Sinn Fein will be the only choice and a few straggling independants. Well gerry Adams? You have my vote because I am sick to death of being walked on and abused but corrupt politicians.

• LilPaddy | Dec 28, 2011, 09:37 PM EST

  Boy! I've just read the comments BELOW, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT THE COMMENTERS ON THIS SITE HAVE GIVEN ME HOPE THAT THERE IS ENOUGH BRAINS AMONG US IRISH TO SAVE OUR IRELAND.... AND FOR THAT, I THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU..... Lil Paddy...........

• cillowen | Dec 28, 2011, 06:32 PM EST

  The Saxon-Anglo based Ireland, support, of its people - a people whose interest has always been geared in doing missionary work and now they have created a blowin problem with such caring. It's rapidly sending them under, as like that of the Tuatha deDanaan (phonetic).

• GeorgeDillon | Dec 28, 2011, 03:25 PM EST

  jacers: "I was spinning your frequently stated point that Ireland is becoming far less homogenious." No, I never said that either. Ireland is becoming far less IRISH. It will cease to be a recognizably Irish country within my lifetime. I think Irish Americans are extraordinarily blind to this fact, many of them preferring to deal in blarney and bluster such as what's the best Bed & Breakfast in Killeshandra etc. The only Irish homeland that has ever existed, or will ever exist, will be no more. I think that's sad, indeed a heavy blow against the diversity of the world, just as I would think it sad and profoundly troubling if the Chamorros of Guam or the Polynesians of Tahiti or the Ladino Jews of Turkey were to vanish from history. I apologize if my earlier reply to you was discourteous. On this site I have to deal in kind with a number of quite rude interlocutors. You are not one of them.

• joycean | Dec 28, 2011, 02:56 PM EST

  George, I realize I was spinning your frequently stated point that Ireland is becoming far less homogenious. Sorry if you feel I have misused your thoughts. I probably should not have run the two ideas into one sentence. As for cronyism, the Irish brought it to this country, establishing Tamminy Hall and Boston and Chicago political machines, much to the horror of the Yankees who were here. Yeah, it exists in this country. Today it is much harder to get a decent job if you don't know someone. Now they call it "networking." I've noticed that nowadays college students are urged to "network," as if bothering the alumni is the best advice the faculty can give.

• AMWilson | Dec 28, 2011, 02:50 PM EST

  ... and, conversely, another corrupt political machine that caters to the ANTI-immigrant vote.

• AMWilson | Dec 28, 2011, 02:47 PM EST

  Oh my: ever hear of Tammany Hall? Wherever there is massive immigration, there will be a corrupt political machine that organizes and caters to the immigrant vote.

• FastEddy | Dec 28, 2011, 02:22 PM EST

  Well, you could always cut taxes so that the Celtic Tiger would rise again. Is that too deep for you? What part about fat, stupid government killing private sector job creation don't you get?

• GeorgeDillon | Dec 28, 2011, 02:18 PM EST

  joycean: I am of course correct, but you are not. The spin you put on my analysis in no way represents my ideas and is complete nonsense. I have never said that people will not be able to rely on cronyism in the Nova Irlandsakaya that will be born in the next decade or so. What you say is utter garbage. The US is an immigrant society--are you seriously telling us that there's no cronyism here? Come down to my part of Dixie and I'll put you straight. In Ireland, all indications are that Polish cronies will look out for each other, Romanians will help Romanians, Africans Good Old Boys will make sure to give first preference to Africans etc. etc. in that Ireland that is now being born. The only cronyism the Irish will be capable of is to give each other tips as to where to emigrate to.

• joycean | Dec 28, 2011, 01:50 PM EST

  Well if George Dillon is correct, Ireland is being transformed from an insular homogenious society to an immigrant society where people will not be able to rely on cronyism. Could be a good thing.

• eiriamach | Dec 28, 2011, 01:03 PM EST

  "[T]he church has also effectively collapsed as well, leaving Ireland with no moral leadership at a time it desperately needs it." Where does this craziness come from? People getting their morality from religion? Today, we're more likely to choose a religion on the basis of its not violating our moral values. The millions who have left Catholic churches during the child abuse debacle are evidence that morality goes deeper than religious doctrine, much deeper. Its context is social. As JFK recognized in 1960, we hold in our "mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and to abolish all forms of human life." In this age the power to create an ethical society that nurtures fellow feeling and mutual responsibility is a political/ social power, not one that any religious institution can ever again hope to wield. In a democracy, because we know that human rights are God-given, beyond any particular religion, we set up constitutional systems that safeguard the morality and developing ethos of the people by protecting freedom of conscience. Moral progress is more likely to emerge from movements like Occupy Wall St or Occupy Dame St-- from people on the ground who identify problems like poverty and organized greed-- than it is from any self- appointed "moral leader." Ireland's morality is in no danger of collapsing with the Church. Right now it needs freedom from clerical "leadership" and institutionalized "authority." Re-forming a moral consensus is a natural, healthy democratic exercise: just let it happen.

• sedwinmars | Dec 28, 2011, 11:03 AM EST

  Wow, America a meritocracy? Now's here's someone who clearly has an idealized view of this country (USA). We are in every way mentioned (and more), as bad as Ireland. It was the same corrupt bankers that brought our country to our knees as Irelands. It was the same inept cronyism that has prevented us from correcting any of those causes from being addressed. If you think that we have less politicians or corporate leaders who are not connected via family or powerful friends you are sorely wrong. The only reason there is less emigration from this country is that a huge percentage of our population have never even left their own state. Leaving their country would be unfathomable not to mention completely unaffordable. It's not like Europeans, who are used to traveling to other countries and where many countries have similar costs of living. Further, while information in Ireland is open and honest (I'm referring to the media of which Ireland has one of the best), America's media is horrendous. Fully 80%-95% of our mainstream media is partial to complete right wing propaganda which keeps anywhere from 35% to 75% of our population ignorant of what our leaders, both political and business, are really doing. Let me assure you, I know of at least a dozen people who would emigrate to Ireland in a heartbeat if only they could.

• Murph46 | Dec 28, 2011, 11:01 AM EST

  We have plenty of moral leadership in the US! Barack is our moral leader (Muslim reading required) We are SOOOOOO happy here!

• Curitiba | Dec 28, 2011, 10:43 AM EST

  The Celtic Tiger only existed because of the enormous amount of money emigrants sent back to Ireland, mainly from working in the UK, followed by the bonanza of free money from the EU. Emigrants returned with sackloads of cash, bought houses, started businesses, paid loads of tax. But like all pyramid schemes, it was reliant on more and more emigrants going to England and sending back more money. Lately, however, England found other, cheaper sources of labour, cutting off that income stream for Ireland. The Irish economy could not be sustained simply on selling overpriced houses to each other and simply collapsed. It wouldn't be so bad if it could go back to its 20th century role of supplying labour to the UK, and to a much smaller extent, North America and Australasia. But, as we all know, Irish labour is now much too expensive for these countries, who have cheaper alternatives. Ireland is now facing a crisis of mammoth proportions, threatening its existence as a viable country. Perhaps it can do what countries like Kenya and Madagascar do and rent out the countryside to China and South Korea to grow crops on. (I'm serious, what other alternative is there, I'd love to know?)

• butlerreport | Dec 28, 2011, 10:39 AM EST

  Duh.