The luck of the Irish is a common refrain, but how lucky really are we? Not so much says our writer Paul Kavanagh.

Here’s his opinion. What do you think?

1. Ireland has among the highest rate of depression in Europe according to the experts

2. Ireland has more wet weather than almost any other country in the world

3. The Irish Famine when one million died and one million fled

4. Jedward --and they just got their own TV show

5. Northern Irish troubles killed over 3,000 people

6. Daniel O’Donnell’s music

7. Worst political leadership in the world over the past ten years

8 “If we didn’t have bad luck we’d have no luck" - Brendan Behan

9. "If we kept ducks they’d drown” - various Irish writers

10. "If you had the luck of the Irish / You'd be sorry and wish you were dead / You should have the luck of the Irish / And you'd wish you was English instead!" - John Lennon