Your top 5 Irish events of the past decade

seclachi

So another decade has passed, and I`m sure the TV has nothing but retrospective shows on. And I`m determined to do at least one that doesnt have Jade Goody.

1. Ireland joining the Euro (changed from eu, doh !). I think when we voted this one in most people considered how useful it would be for travel (I know its all I considered). I think for most of the decade it benefited us massively, greasing the celtic tiger. Now that we have hit a recession though our inability to devalue could prove crippling. Moving to the was a choice that we will no doubt question again and again going forward, but I think the benefits will out weigh the disadvantages over the long term.

2. The lisbon and nice treaty. The EU is changing as the years go by, its gone from a simple economic union to something more. The question is, will it be able to make a tighter union with so many country's with different backgrounds, or will it simply fall apart. My feeling is that is better off as an economic union. Either way, we gave the world at large a shock when we turned down lisbon, but I think the days of small country's effecting such big decisions is at an end.

3. Immigration. Walking down the street in the 90s it would be pretty rare to see somebody not speaking english or who was not obviously irish. The change in the last decade was massive with the influx of eastern european workers as well as those from Africa and the far east. Many may choose to go home again, but many will also settle in, changing our culture slightly as it has in other country's. Its no bad thing in my books.

4. The boom. The boom changed the country radically, the major citys gained a European look with large glass fronted buildings. It also gained alot in the way of new services and infrastructure such as broadband (which was slow enough in coming, and still is in some places)

5.The recession. The recession was actually a spectre for most of the decade, they said it would hit after 9/11, then again just before the EU members joined. Maybe thats what gave us a false sense of security that allowed the property markets to go ballistic. Despite what some say, I think we will be sorting out this mess well into the next decade, and hopefully more careful thought in the future will prevent it from happening so badly again.

Spiritoftheseventies

Thought we joined the EU in 1972?

L1011

1973, but yes, it wasn't this decade!

View

seclachi wrote: »

2. The lisbon and nice treaty. The EU is changing as the years go by, its gone from a simple economic union to something more. The question is, will it be able to make a tighter union with so many country's with different backgrounds, or will it simply fall apart. My feeling is that is better off as an economic union.

The EU was never a "simple economic union". It always was, and remains, a process to an "ever closer union" - hence, the reason it changes as the years go by.

What you are saying is akin to someone joining a political party, then being surprised that it has political policies and expressing the opinion that it should just become a non-political social club.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Spiritoftheseventies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARiqSqgaWkc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiIsIE8iT28

seclachi

Lol sorry, I actually ment to say ireland joining the euro, which you can kinda infer from the first paragraph with devaluation.

I wasnt going for Irish only events, rather events that effect ireland.

BrianD3

Not an "event" as such but the big decrease in the number of deaths from circulatory disease this decade.
1999 - 13380 deaths
2006 - 9662 deaths

Also the decrease in road deaths from over 400 per year at the start of this decade to probably less than 250 this year.

oncevotedff

seclachi wrote: »

So another decade has passed, .

Not for another year it hasn't.

But since Jan 1st 2000 we have

1. In 2002 re-elected to government the most disastrous group of politicians ever seen in this country.

2. We did it again in 2007

3. Observed in wonder and amazement the Tribunals

4. Witnessed the beginning of the demise of the Catholic Church

5 Adopted the Euro

ninty9er

1. The "enveloping" of Transport 21 - i.e. the legislation cannot be reversed, nor the funding withdrawn.

2. Broadband - I know some people still don't have it, but a significant amount do, and in most places there is an alternative to 44.3333k dial-up sh1te

3. The €uro - saved our hides last September.

4. Grand Slam

5. The Recession - giving many people the wake up call they needed.

El Stuntman

1. Bertie's 'evidence' at the Mahon Tribunal

2. all of the various reports into abuse of children by the Catholic Church

3. the Moriarty Tribunal report

4. NAMA

5. The Banking Guarantee

seclachi

Thanks for the replys guys, I should have said I was looking for other peoples top 5s were, instead my foolish mistake unleashed a torrent of pedanticism

jmayo

Top 5 worst Irish events of last 10 years

1. 2002 election
Voted into power the most inept, wasteful and downright lowlife government that would sink the country and consign generations to penury.

2. HSE and Health scandals including:

• Misdiagnosis of cancer sufferers often meaning women died needlessly
• Report into how butcher that was employed in Drogheda was covered by hospital authorities for decades
• Deaths (including girl with Appendicitis Nov 99 and old man who died of internal beelding) in Cavan/Monaghan becuase of unopened hospital facilities or consultants not working.
• C. difficile and MRSA.
• Deaths and shocking levels of care of our elderly in the likes of Lees Cross due to pathetic monitoring of tax shelter private nursing homes.
• PPARS
• Family dies at hand of father in Wexford not helped by total lack of social services at weekends.

3. Abuse by state and church.
We learned that the state and church facilitated the rape of children for 60 odd years.

4. 2009 Bank guarantee leading to NAMA and uncovering of disaster that was Irish regulation

5. 2002 prior to election deal between Irish state and Catholic Church absolving church of financial obligation of compensating their victims.

Honourable mentions in this class include:
Tribunals - kept Joe Taylor in work for years doing the recreations on the TV.
2004, 2006 All Ireland finals
Irish soccer team top the worldwide soccer news for all the wrong reasons twice, 2002 and 2009.
Anything to do with government and it's ex members.

Biggest event worldwide
911.
Not Irish event but did have huge effect on Ireland's economy and indeed the economy of the world.

Top 5 Irish Best - all really sporting
1. Irish rugbny success in 6 nations and Heinken Cup
2. Padraig Harrington
3. Sea the Stars and Aidan O'Briens never ending supply of group 1 winners
4. hosting of Ryder Cup.
5. Katie Taylor and Irish boxing still only olympic hope

Outside that you had a bare minimum of good political news well apart from:
Election of George Lee and two fingers for one ff political dynasty.