Social/Economic Ireland in 20 yrs? Get out the crystal ball and tell me what you see?

R

redkenner

Guest
Im interested in peoples opinion on the subject,so get out your crystal ball and tell me what you see.
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

Cliftonville 4-3 Glentoran 1-2
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

The introduction of ultra low corporation taxes to attract Chinese and Indian investment.
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

Irish Restaurants seling Chow Mein

Kow Towing lessons in primary school (never mind secondary)
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

A guerilla army being set up to stop unification of north and south Ireland, not by loyalists but by southeners sick and tired of all the northeners coming down to the republic telling everyone how expensive it is down here and how great it is back north. Three words- Connolly Station, Busarus.
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

lots of men and women working at age 90 - to supplement pension stocks which have gone AWOL and trying to pay back 100% mortgages they go in their 20's and 30's thinking it was a great idea - until the housing market crashed in 2008.

But some seriously cool cars!
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

Ireland still recovering from the "Black Debt" of 2008 to 2012,
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

Depressing country full of miserable people living out their debt-ridden lives. "If only I could re-live those Dundrum shopping centre days..."
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

a much wiser and mature nation, probably more inward looking again , the celtic renaissance will be over. I think we are at the peak of our influence now in the world. This was lead alot by ireland's disproportionate influence in america due to the influence of irish americans. Irish americans are probably less irish than they were due to their more distant links with the country and the fact that there is no longer a new wave of immigration to replenish it.
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

Oil will become increasingly more expensive, leaving a flight from the suburbs. Nobody will want to live in the cramped, energy-inefficient, poorly-insulated, car-dependent suburban apartments built in the early '00s. There will be massive dynamiting as seen with some of the tower-blocks of the '60s.

Improvements in wind and wave power could lead us to a less oil-dependent situation, but if these cannot cover the backlog then we will see nuclear stations in Ireland. (See other thread on this issue).
Many of the Eastern Europeans will have gone home after their home economies improve, but others will stay and many children in the schools will have one or both parents from another country. Bilingualism will be a lot more normal and Polish will be a popular Leaving Cert subject.

Lots of people in the late-40s/early-50s age group, plus a slight demographic bump for their teenage children. Income tax and VAT increased so that this age group can cover both pension costs plus education of these children. A surge in demand for: hair dye, HRT, Viagra. Playstation 23 also popular.

Holiday homes in Lahinch flooded due to rising sea levels, including that 300K toilet. Holiday homes in Bulgaria repossessed by the local mafia.

"Retro" fashion for "noughties" clothes and music, but only in an "ironic" way. Podge and Rodge seen as classic television.
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

Irelands influence in America is largely gone as Americans realise that its all one way traffic, we expect their tourism and investment but feel free to portray ourselves as increasingly anti American.

The loss of our "special status" will over time pull the rug out from under the "Celtic Tiger" and by time we see it it will be too late.
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

<dramatic version>
Ireland hit hard by the recession in 2008 to 2012 and many of the young, able bodied foreigners leave. However the country is small and flexible. Following a realisation that we all have to work for a living, the country starts picking up. We cleverly manage to latch on the the Asian boom of 2015 to 2020 (in much the same way that we latched on to the US boom of the last 10 years). However Britian's financial state is getting worse as their population is somewhat older and less educated than ours. They eventually get sick of subsidising Northern Ireland which now has a 50:50 population split and also a public sector counting for 50% of the economy. In 2022, just as the asian boom is coming to an end, Britian hands Northern Ireland over to the Republic. By this stage the 26 counties too has an aging population and a huge pension bill. There is short term euphoria, and some EU and UN peace money sloshing around the economy. However, (re)unification ultimatly cripples the economy, in much the same way that it crippled the German one in the 90s.
</dramatic version>

<normal version>
Ireland will be a mature aging economy, like much of continental europe. There will be higher unemployment, especially amongst the young and poorly educated. But good salaries for those in high end jobs. The social divide will be wider and many of the appartments constructed from 1996 to 2006 will be viewed in much the same way as old student flats were viewed in the 80s and early 90s - awful kips.
</normal version>

<optimistic version>
The property boom is still continueing. We're all millionaires, with investment properties let out to immigrant workers who do all the work required for the economy. We need a special sign at EU meetings as the name of the state must now be stated in all 19 official languages of Ireland/Eire/Irland/Irlanda/Irlande/Irsko/Irlandia/Ирландиа//تױئؤ..
</optimistic version>
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

- Cork winning at least another 12 All Ireland Hurling Finals by then. 6 of the players will be either of African or Chinese descent.

- Roy Keane as ROI manager will have taken us to the world cup semi finals once, to the European championships twice (we made the finals but lost to Germany again!). He continues to be hailed a national hero for reviving the nation from the dark Staunton era.

- The obesity problem really comes to the fore & FF are blamed by the SF/Green Party government for not effectively promoting healthy lifestyles in 2000-2010

- The Luas extends out to portlaois (commutor town)

- Nobody can spell anymore

- No cure yet found for arthritis of the thumbs (from that ancient technology called texting or something - imaging that people having to type messages with their thumbs! - idiots)

- Rolling Stones head up at Slane again
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

Most of Cork under seawater , the Real Capital is now Clonmel
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

<normal version>
Ireland will be a mature aging economy, like much of continental europe. There will be higher unemployment, especially amongst the young and poorly educated. But good salaries for those in high end jobs. The social divide will be wider and many of the appartments constructed from 1996 to 2006 will be viewed in much the same way as old student flats were viewed in the 80s and early 90s - awful kips.
</normal version>

What basis do you have for assuming that there will be good salaries for high end jobs. Many commentators are predicting that due to the internet revolution which is only now starting to be felt those in high end jobs now are going to start really feeling the competition from globalisation. So the pool of people working in protected areas will have shrunk, well that is unless protectionism rears its head again. But even protectionism cannot prevent this economic tide.
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

Much of newly built docklands are under water, high ground is at a permium but is covered by windmills. Sales of boats soar as a means of commuting. The military dictatorship under El Preidento Gerry Adams turns the Curragh into a vast holding complex for "re-education" of counter revolutionaries. Michael Mc Dowell holds a startegic defensive position controlling traffic on the river Shannon. New Garda uniform consists of Celtic jersies and hurleys.
14 Big Brother contestants die of starvation because viewing figures dropped so much that everyone forget they were still in the house. Glenda Gilson captains the Irish team to 5 nations victory, proving the old saying that hell hath no fury.
The port Tunnel is officially the most expensive sewerage system ever constructed.
The remaining pubs in the country are given a cultural preservation order.
Gardai report an upsurge in arrests for tobacco use since tobacco was reclassified a class b drug in 2018.
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?


In the IT world, we've already found out that there are certain high tech jobs which can't be easily out-sourced, even though the technology often already exists to outsource the job. Human nature is a very powerful factor to consider. If I'm an Irish business that needs IT services which are going to cost me a few hundred thousand euro, I will not perform the whole transaction on-line without talking to, or meeting face-to-face, a single himan being. A very simplistic example I know, but if I'm spending huge money on a service, I want the assurances that my supplier is genuine. That usually comes with local contact and local support.

That's also why we have salesmen. High tech, high end, expensive products rarely sell themselves. Human interaction will always be required in many fields and local human interaction will remain important. The high paying jobs will involve technical skills and knowledge of the local market. I know it's a pretty crap explanation. I'd need to research and write a whole essay to really justify it, but it's a gut feeling I have based on my own work, and periods looking for work, over the past few years in Ireland and abroad.
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?

Less congestion on the roads, public transport will boom and 4x4s will only be seen on 'I Love the 00s' TV shows. Peak oil will have achieved what our government never had the backbone to do!
 
Re: Social/Economic Ireland in 20 years?


But you assume that the human interaction will only be needed in the west. Whats to stop high end products from being produced in the east along with all the associated human interaction with no interaction needed in the west. I dont believe that salaries and living standards in the east can ever equal todays in the west due to the huge supply of labour both low end and high end. Today there is still alot of activity carried out in the areas you have pointed out due to the fact that technology is still very much in the hands of western companies. However if an asian microsoft or pfiser comes into being which is only a matter of time, then there will be huge pressure on wages and jobs in the west. This is because the technology will no longer be in the control of western companies.
 
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