2009 : Ireland's Annus Horribilis ???

Het-Field

Well, I dont think it can be doubted that this year can be doubted as deserving the title !

-The Nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank
-Unemployment for almost 500,000 people
-The National Assest Management Agency (which placed a 54 Billion + Debt on the shoulders of the Irish Tax Payers)
-The exacerbation of the debt to 26 Billion Euros
-Three false budgets, before the fourth one took a skewed view of cuts, while protecting certain vested interests (allowing the State Pension to rise on account of the fall in the standard of living)
-The absence of Brian Cowen, and his failure to make a "state of the nation" address, save for those behind FF pulpits, and to IBEC.
-The Floods which destroyed the lives of so many.
-The Ryan Report
-The Murphy Report
-The Catholic Churchs Response to both reports
-The Government's failure to adequatly deal with the jobs crisis
-The appointment of a FF Hack to the commissioners position, when other suitable candidates were available.
-The OECD and IMF reports which highlighted the overheated nature of the economy, which can be attributable to BIFFO and Bertie's "gombeenomics".
-The exposure of the Social Partnership method as a complete shambles, which is unworkable unless the country is aflush with money
-The behaviour of the trade union movement, particularly SIPTU, IMPACT, and UNITE.
-The continued collapse of the Irish National Association Football League.
-The Hand of Henry, and all that flows from it !

If iv missed any, please feel free to add.

Colonel Sanders

Het-Field wrote: »

-The exposure of the Social Partnership method as a complete shambles, which is unworkable unless the country is aflush with money

it never "works"

Just postpones the problem for another few years

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

hallelujajordan

Its not all bad . .

- 1st Grand slam in 61 years !
- 1st Heineken cup for Leinster !

TheCandystripes

You mentioned the gaa(when you said INFL i thought you meant loi then realised not), so i'll say the LOI's continued collapse, or well not collapse but getting worse and worse. Although having said that save for a glimmer of light in the middle of the decade off the field the league has been in a terrible condition. on the field it has been good though with some class players playing here,

nesf

Sure, it isn't the Famine. It could be worse!

andrew

Relative to previous years, it's not really that bad. That's not to say it wasn't a bad year, but a little perspective is always useful.

Daithinski

Het-Field wrote: »

If iv missed any, please feel free to add.

I think possibly the worst thing to come out of 2009 is the disillusionment of the general public and a general lack of hope for next year.

There is little to comfort the 300k recently unemployed.

The government sought to comfort the banks shareholders and the developers with NAMA.

They part funded this by taking from every other sector of society. Pensioners, unemployed, private sector, public sector, healthcare etc.

The Irish political system was exposed for what it is. An expensive useless joke.

This was a good thing but the the downside is the realisation is out there that nothing will change.

The Irish people have been content to sit back and stick their head into the sand instead of driving FF/GP out of government.

We seem to be a fearful bunch, we were scared into voting against FF in the last general election when they told us that the opposition hadn't the experience to run the country. We backed down on the 2nd Lisbon treaty when the government again used scare tactics. And now it seems we are afraid to get FF/GP out.

To be honest I've had it with Ireland and I'm looking forward to emigrating in a couple of years. I'm not hanging around for the country to recover (eventually I hope) and then for all the usual boyos (and their heirs) to feck it all up again in 20-30 years.

ei.sdraob

FF are a Horribilis Annus

irish_bob

hallelujajordan wrote: »

Its not all bad . .

- 1st Grand slam in 61 years !
- 1st Heineken cup for Leinster !

that hardly makes up for one night in paris and thiery the thief :mad:

monosharp

irish_bob wrote: »

that hardly makes up for one night in paris and thiery the thief :mad:

It does if you don't consider soccer important.

efb

I would point the finger at 2008.

The economy went into freefall then
The Ryan Report was a good thing in 2009, it exposed people covered up in previous years.
After much bad budgets Lenihen grasped the nettle and delivered two harsh but fair budgets to turn the country round
Lisbon passing which I believe to be in Irelands best interests.

All in all 2009>2008