How Ireland Went From Europe’s Poorest Nation to Richest

In 1973, Ireland was the poorest country in Western Europe. Today, on paper, it's one of the three richest countries on Earth. Here's how it happened: the three decisions that did it, the crash that nearly undid it, and the 26% "growth" year that made Ireland's own statisticians invent a new way to measure the economy. 0:00 Intro 0:57 A country that emptied 2:23 Opening the doors 3:49 The poorest of the rich 5:30 The Celtic Tiger 6:44 The crash 7:46 Leprechaun economics 9:24 So is Ireland rich? Sources: Maddison Project Database 2020; IMF World Economic Outlook; CSO Ireland (national accounts, census, migration); Eurostat; Revenue Commissioners; full list below.