Curriculum Ireland's Economy
Ireland's Economy
From famine to one of the world's richest countries: an overview, the Great Famine, protectionism and stagnation, the Celtic Tiger, the 12.5 percent corporate tax, "leprechaun economics", the 2008 banking crash, the Apple tax case, the housing crisis, free secondary schooling and Ireland's windfall funds.
- Ireland at a Glance An overview of Ireland's economy - small, open and home to many multinational headquarters - and why its GDP figures can be misleading. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Great Famine How potato blight in 1845-52 caused about a million deaths and mass emigration from Ireland, and how policy failures made the famine worse. 📄 Read-aloud
- Protectionism and Stagnation How independent Ireland's protectionist policies from the 1930s led to stagnation and emigration, and how the 1958 Whitaker report shifted it to openness. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Celtic Tiger How Ireland grew rapidly from the mid-1990s to 2007 through foreign investment, EU funds, education and social partnership, earning the name "Celtic Tiger". 📄 Read-aloud
- The 12.5 Percent Corporate Tax How Ireland's low corporate tax rate attracted multinationals, how structures like the "Double Irish" cut global taxes, and how the 15 percent global minimum tax changed things. 📄 Read-aloud
- Leprechaun Economics How Ireland's GDP jumped 26 percent in 2015 because multinationals moved intellectual property onto its books, why Paul Krugman mocked it, and how Ireland created a better measure. 📄 Read-aloud
- Ireland's Economy: Checkpoint 1 Quick checkpoint - five questions on Ireland's economy, the famine, protectionism, the Celtic Tiger and corporate tax. 5 questions
- The 2008 Banking Crash and Bailout How Ireland's property bubble burst in 2008, why the government guaranteed all bank liabilities, and how the 2010 EU-IMF bailout and austerity followed. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Apple Tax Case How the EU ruled in 2016 that Ireland gave Apple illegal tax benefits, why Ireland fought the ruling, and how the EU's top court ordered 13 billion euros paid in 2024. 📄 Read-aloud
- Ireland's Housing Crisis Why Ireland faces severe housing shortages and high rents despite strong public finances, and the supply constraints behind them. 📄 Read-aloud
- Free Secondary Schooling and Skills How Ireland's 1967 introduction of free secondary education raised skills that later attracted multinationals, and the role of universities and English. 📄 Read-aloud
- Windfall Taxes and Ireland's Future Fund How Ireland is saving surging corporate tax receipts in new sovereign funds for ageing and infrastructure, and why reliance on a few companies is risky. 📄 Read-aloud
- Lessons from Ireland What Ireland teaches about openness, education, tax competition, banking risk and measurement, and a recap of the module. 📄 Read-aloud