Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Republic of Ireland has existed since 1922, but its inhabitants proudly claim their na-
tion to be the only modern independent state to sprout from purely Celtic roots (sprinkled
with a few Vikings and shipwrecked Spanish Armada sailors for good measure). The Ro-
mansneverbotheredtocomeoverandorganizethewildIrish.Throughthepersuasiveand
culturally enlightened approach of early missionaries such as St. Patrick, Ireland may also
be the only country to have initially converted to Christianity without much bloodshed.
The religious carnage came later, with the Reformation. Irish culture absorbed the influ-
ences of Viking raiders and Norman soldiers of fortune, eventually enduring the 750-year
shadow of English domination.
Just a few decades ago, Ireland was an isolated agricultural economic backwater that
hadlargely missed outonthe Industrial Revolution. Things began toturnaroundwhenIre-
land joined the European Community (precursor to the EU) in 1973. The Irish government
instituted farsighted tax laws, including a corporate tax rate of only 12.5 percent (com-
pared to 35 percent in the US) to entice foreign corporations to set up shop here. It proved
sosuccessful inattracting USbusiness that America has nowinvested more inIreland than
in Brazil, India, Russia, and China combined.
Today, the Republic attracts expatriates returning to Ireland and new foreign invest-
ment. As the only officially English-speaking country to have adopted the euro currency,
Ireland makes an efficient base from which to access the European marketplace. More
than 35 percent of the Irish population is under 25 years old, leading many high-tech and
