Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tries are well-established—this little country is second only to the US in the exportation
of software. The island's close business ties to its American partners mean its economy is
highly reactive to US market fluctuations. The Irish say, “When America sneezes, we get
pneumonia.”
By2003,therisingeconomic tidehadliftedIrelandtofloatbesideFinlandasoneofthe
two most expensive countries in the European Union. But by 2011 that tide had receded:
The global recession has been a cold shower on Ireland's long period of economic good
times, and the Irish economy fell further, by percentage, than any other EU country during
this period.
Irish Brogue with a Polish Accent
As you walk down the street in an Irish city these days, you might be perplexed
when you overhear an unfamiliar language being spoken by groups of enthusiastic
young adults. It's Polish, and it may soon be to Ireland what Spanish is to the US: a
good language to know if you want to communicate with a huge immigrant popula-
tion.Polishfoodsectionsarepoppingupingrocerystores.BilingualEnglish-Polish
menus have made an appearance in some restaurants. And ask that chambermaid or
waiter with the unusual accent where they're from. Chances are good that they'll
say Warsaw or Kraków.
When 10 mostly Eastern European nations joined the EU in 2004, Sweden, Bri-
tain, and Ireland immediately removed major barriers for employment of these new
