Ireland's Success Research Articles

Ireland and Transnational Right-Wing Extremism: Steadfast Resilience or Blind Vulnerability?

Throughout the last two decades the primary threats that has dominated the counter terrorism landscape internationally has been that of the challenge posed by radical Islamist related extremism. A particular focus on radical Islamist related extremism has been driven by the significant directed or inspired attacks perpetrated in the West by various Islamist extremist groupings and in particular those carried out by Al Qaeda and ISIL. Notwithstanding this, considerable concern is now orientating towards the upward trajectory of violent right-wing extremism (VRWE). This paper sets out to examine the presence and impact of transnational VRWE in Ireland and to assess whether VRWE is a threat which requires greater attention at a national level. This paper argues that all though the right wing has had limited political success in Ireland, a nascent transnational threat from VRWE can pose a threat to Irish security owing to its capacity to activate and mobilise violent political and social actions both in the physical and virtual environments. The role of the online environment as an enabling medium for the propagation and influence of right wing discourse is also a concern. Although efforts to combat spread of VRWE ideologies are advancing at the EU level, further efforts at a national level to control and regulate violent discourse and hate speech online are necessary to stem the influence of hateful and sometimes violent discourse as portrayed by right wing entities.

Editor's Foreword

This issue first declared itself as other recent issues have done: as a neural blip of anxiety about access to collections for the Lost & Found feature, publication of overdue books for the reviews, and receipt of high-quality essays from scholars and theater-makers muddling through uncooperative professional environments. And how to manage the Practitioners' Colloquium when so few people are … practicing?That sort of blip grows. This blip grew. To a beep, a bark, and a bellow. And beyond.Then, silence. Why? Let's start with Lost & Found. The partial shutdown of Princeton's libraries had prevented final work on “The Silver Bullet,” O'Neill's early sketch of The Emperor Jones. Fortunately, a Google search for “incisive commentary,” “O'Neill,” “eminence grise” (no itals in Google!), “Abbey Theatre,” and “very, very helpful” led me to Christopher Murray. He responded with a rigorous contextualization of a 1934 letter from O'Neill to the Irish American politician Patrick McCartan, in which the playwright regrets his inability to attend the Abbey's production of Days Without End. Murray elucidates the success in Ireland of a play that has never caught on Stateside. Is this essentially an Irish play? Murray seems to suggest as much.More good luck: three veteran members of the Eugene O'Neill Society published books late in 2020 or early in 2021. Sheila Hickey Garvey's account of the Circle in the Square Theatre earns a predictably thoughtful review by Anne Fletcher; Chris Morash, commissioned ad hoc by yours truly, overcame Brexit-related postal problems adroitly to handle Zander Brietzke's book on O'Neill's Cycle plays. The third book? A positive review of Patrick Chura's book on Mike Gold is in hand but was nudged aside to ensure adherence to our contracted page count. It's queued up for 43.2.Two newcomers weighed in with trenchant essays when I most needed them. Dan Venning evaluates O'Neill's position among Pulitzer Prize winners of his own day and ours. Informative in its own terms, the essay gains from its “Lost & Found” approach to documentary evidence. For example, an unpleasant and previously unpublished telegram from O'Neill about casting (or not casting) Black actors in his plays meaningfully wrinkles the ongoing discussion of O'Neill and race. Kaitlyn Farrell Rodriguez, a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, makes her debut with a sturdy interdisciplinary assessment of “infantilization” in canonical plays by O'Neill, Williams, and Miller.Patrick Midgley provided a first-rate Practitioners' Colloquium by gathering friends and others who had participated in Brandon Fox's prepandemic Long Day's Journey Into Night, previously discussed by Fox himself, and glowingly reviewed by Jo Morello, in EOR 41.2 (2020). Midgley's interviews are equally long on bonhomie and insight.Two features that occasioned no anxiety are the performance reviews and Used Books. Performance review editor Bess Rowen's workload has soared during the pandemic, as, not coincidentally, has the Metropolitan Virtual Playhouse's commitment to Zoom productions of plays by O'Neill and others. The fact that three of this issue's five performance reviewers are making their first appearances in the EOR advertises Rowen's leadership in diversi-fying the journal. We also honor our past in this issue. As we roll through the centennials of O'Neill's plays, we have also reached what we might call the semicentennial of modern O'Neill criticism. In an expanded Used Books entry, Brenda Murphy, Jackson R. Bryer, and David Clare reappraise Travis Bogard's foundational Contour in Time (1972). Personal reflections from Bogard's friend and collaborator, Bryer, add a warmth that is never out of season.As always, I offer sincere thanks to our contributors and readers. Unanxiously.

Money matters: The impact of gender quotas on campaign spending for women candidates

Despite concerns that women candidates are hampered by gender gaps in campaign financing, few scholars have examined how gender quotas impact women candidates’ access to campaign funds. We examine the effect of a party-based gender quota on women candidates’ financing and electoral success in Ireland. Under the gender quota, the number of women candidates increased and parties acted strategically to provide women challengers with increased financial support. However, women challengers spent less candidate funds than men challengers and were less likely to have prior officeholding experiences associated with fundraising. Women challengers’ disadvantage is concerning because candidate expenditures are associated with winning votes. Our findings show that the effectiveness of a gender quota is partly determined by how the quota interacts with the campaign finance system and the political opportunity structure.

Factors influencing Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus territory site selection and breeding success

ABSTRACTCapsule: Our findings regarding Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus territory site selection and breeding success in Ireland offer an opportunity for the development of initiatives and conservation actions aimed at enhancing the suitability of upland areas for breeding Hen Harriers and ensuring the long-term persistence of the species.Aims: To investigate landscape-scale associations between habitat composition and Hen Harrier territory site selection, and to explore the influence of habitat and climate on breeding success.Methods: We used multi-model inference from generalized linear models and Euclidean distance analyses to explore the influence of habitat, topographic, anthropogenic and climatic factors on Hen Harrier territory selection and breeding success in Ireland, based on data from national breeding surveys in 2010 and 2015.Results: Hen Harrier territories were associated with heath/shrub, bog and pre-thicket coniferous forests. Comparisons between territories and randomly generated pseudo-absences (upland and lowland) showed that breeding pairs preferentially select for these habitats. Breeding success was negatively influenced by rainfall early in the breeding season and by climatic instability, and was positively influenced by the presence of heath/shrub and bog.Conclusions: The results suggest that Hen Harrier breeding success is compromised by the synergistic effects of climate, landscape composition and management. Effective conservation of Hen Harriers in Ireland will therefore rely on landscape-scale initiatives.

Encapsulating Irish English in literature

ABSTRACTThis article examines the representation of Irish English in contemporary Irish writing, with particular reference to the narrative of the Ross O'Carroll‐Kelly saga, a series of comic novels created by Irish writer Paul Howard which has enjoyed phenomenal success in Ireland, due in part to the author's ability to convey contemporary spoken English in Dublin. Our study consists of a corpus analysis of three of his novels, where we are able to describe a number of key stylistic features which are distinctive of Howard's representation of Irish English, including the variable use of such discourse markers as like, roysh and yeah + no, as well as the use of the intensifying so.

Adjustment Programs in Euro Countries: Why Ireland Succeeded While Greece Failed

At the close of the global financial crises, Greece, Ireland and Portugal, and later Spain, experienced severe economic and financial crises. This paper compares the adjustment programs undertaken by the four countries. The sudden-stop of capital flows led to substantial official assistance by the EU, ECB and IMF estimated at 1.4 Trillion Euros which demonstrated the solidarity among EU countries. The crises established other records: Ireland had one of the costliest banking crises and Greece a depression. We will discuss which factors – program design, structure of the economy, institutional and political capabilities and Government implementation capacity – contributed to the success of Ireland and the difficulties of Greece, with intermediate cases like Portugal and Spain. Contrary to a number of economists, the adjustment programs in these countries were largely in accordance with previous programs or with overall IMF experience, except for Greece. We discuss why this was a special case and the factors that contributed to the failure of the previous two adjustment programs. The lessons drawn for the future are in sharp contrast with most “official” reports, by emphasizing the role of “common factors” versus idiosyncratic factors in the Euro zone, problems caused by procrastination in adopting the programs, lack of program ownership, the difficulties of simultaneous contractionary policies of the core, the importance of expectations formation and the role of targeted credit policies. We also criticize the lack of substantive supply policies, like innovation and resource switching policies that could have speeded-up adjustment and mitigated the impact on potential growth.

A psychological framework for developing success: from 5 to 16 in four years

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny (2012) said the Irish Paralympic team’s achievements in recent years have been ‘a great source of pride and inspiration’. This paper investigates the underlying psychological factors for this success by looking at the many positives from Beijing to London, a narrative account from a medal winner pre-Games, and some autoethnographic recommendations for building a framework for developing psychological success in Ireland within the Paralympic context for Rio 2016. The data gathered have been taken from using autoethnographic multiple methods over a seven-year timeframe from psychological post-Games reports to individual consultations and focus groups between athletes, coaches and support and performance personnel. Positive future developments for Rio ranged from specific planning to visual identity and team culture, while the improvements centred on interpersonal conflict, attempting to build trust within sports and the Paralympic team as well as structuring three distinct timeframes into the cycle (pre-, during and post). Recommendations include providing contextual time for the sport science and medical personnel, empowering athletes and sports to take responsibility for themselves and providing team building opportunities during the lead up to the 2016 Games.

Is social concertation a viable alternative under globalization? Reconsidering the case of Ireland

By exploring how the Irish social partnership was established and evolved, this article highlights the validity of a social concertation model, and takes a critical look at hasty attempts to identify the causes of its breakdown. The article holds that the collapse of Irish social partnership in the current economic crisis does not suggest the irrelevancy of social concertation under globalization, as neoliberals argue, nor does it confirm a predetermined path generated by the absence of supportive institutions or the structural nature of neoliberal social partnership. To the contrary, the social concertation model remains viable as an alternative to the neoliberal free market under globalization, and it can be used even in the absence of strong institutional arrangements. Contesting the accounts of neoliberals and Marxist-inspired structuralists, the article argues that social partnership has achieved a greater success in Ireland than neoliberal Britain, under similar globalization challenges. Against institutionalist accounts, it holds that social partnership was able to survive over two decades even in the absence of supportive corporatist institutions. The article's core argument is that domestic politics, rather than institutional and structural determinism, are needed to form social consensus in building and sustaining social concertation.

EU scientific visa is a success in Ireland

EU scientific visa is a success in Ireland

Renewable Energy Policies, Programmes and Progress in Ireland

This article reviews the law and practice relating to renewable energy in Ireland having regard to the State’s obligation to comply with European Union (EU) energy legislation and Ireland’s obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. Particular attention is paid to the current success of Ireland’s onshore wind energy policy and to new developments in offshore and geothermal energy, which have recently been identified as potential solutions to the State’s excessive dependence on imported energy and as having the potential to make Ireland an exporter of renewable energy to the EU mainland. Problems in implementing alternative energy policies are described and future challenges identified.

Ireland's innovative governmental policies promoting internationalisation

The importance of innovation is reflected in the policy strategies that have been adopted by countries that have gained competitive advantage over the last two decades. In today's competitive global economy, Ireland has been acknowledged for its governmental policies and policy dynamics that have created a competitive market site for FDI. These policies have been based on continual policy innovation. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the governmental policies and policy dynamics within the Irish context of internationalisation. From this analysis a model of government influence on FDI in Ireland is developed. The main conclusions are that the success of the Irish model of internationalisation can be attributed to its innovative character. If Ireland's success is to extend into the future, it will have to continue to pursue innovation in the approach it adopts to internationalisation.

Foreign Direct Investment in Ireland: Policy Implications for Emerging Economies

Ireland's success in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) provides guidance for emerging economies. The key to Ireland's success is its consistency of policy towards FDI. Ireland's success suggests that emerging countries should be proactive in seeking FDI, offer a package of incentives that is enterprise‐centred yet is sufficiently selective to build self‐sustaining clusters. Policy consistency is important to inward investors and this can be traded off against selectivity and monitoring of performance.

The Irish National Report

The 2005 Human Development Report recently found Ireland to be the second wealthiest country in the world (UN Development Programme).1 However, the same report also highlighted that Ireland was one of the the countries with the greatest social inequality and with the third highest level of poverty out of the eighteen countries surveyed. The expansion of the Irish economy in the period 1987 to 2002 has been characterised as a 'mir acle' (Sweeney 1999: 18), a reinvention (NESC 1999: 21), and a remark able economic transformation (Economist 2004). With this transformation Ireland has become known as the 'Celtic Tiger', analogous to the 'East Asian Tigers' during their period of rapid growth in the 1980s and 1990s. Net immigration has replaced large-scale emigration. A severe infrastruc tural deficit is in the process of being reduced. Massive job creation and a low tax regime have supported living standards comparable to those enjoyed in the wealthiest of European states. It is not surprising then that Ireland boasts high levels of life satisfaction and optimism (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions 2004). Accession to the European Community in 1973 had had an impact: the economic and cultural life of Ireland was slowly transformed and national confidence was enhanced as a result. But before Ireland entered the Celtic Tiger period in the late 1980s the country was on the verge of bankruptcy, unemployment rates were the highest in Europe and large numbers of young people emigrated on leaving school. Capital infrastructure was in a poor condition and social services were under-developed. Key factors in Ireland's success have been, foreign direct investment by multinational companies; an expanding well-qualified labour force; and a social consensus2 on pay policy designed to improve efficiency and com petitiveness (OECD 1997a). Foreign investment has been concentrated in computers, semi-conductors, office equipment, software, pharmaceuticals,

Innovative Governance and Development in the New Ireland: Social Partnership and the Integrated Approach

Since the mid‐1980s, the economy of the Republic of Ireland has displayed a remarkable turnaround. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown at a faster rate than any developed country in the world. The government's deficit has been cut severely and the debt‐to‐GDP ration sharply reduced. Average incomes have risen significantly, and the unemployment rate reduced dramatically. This article documents these changes.Its main purpose, however, is to provide a plausible explanation for the “Irish miracle.” While many factors have been important—support for the Economic Union's regional development programs, a favorable tax structure, locational and language advantages for attracting multinational corporations, strong education and training programs—these factors in themselves do not explain the emergence of the “Celtic tiger.” They were in place before the mid‐1980s when Ireland was suffering from a fiscal, economic, and political crisis.Instead, the article argues, it was the creative and innovative response of Irish leaders in government, industry, and labor movement and community organizations to the crisis, and the subsequent institutionalization of this response in a new form of governance, that has been the catalyst for the Irish success story. Based on the thorough background research of the Economic and Social Research Council, a farsighted group of leaders developed a strategic plan in 1987 that provided a blueprint for constructive economic and social change. This was then formally instituted for wage restraint on the part of labor in return for income tax and social supposed provisions by government.Irish social Partnership is modeled to some extent on Northern European corporatism. The article reviews corporatism as an early form of innovative governance, using classical corporatism in Sweden and competitive corporatism in the Netherlands to illustrate how this approach has evolved over the years. Dutch economic success in recent years is due in part to its new form of corporatism that has helped it become globally competitive. It is argued, however, that Irish social partnership goes beyond continental corporatism in several important ways. It is more inclusive, covering a large array of social interests; it is more strategic, with a well‐articulated integrated approach to social and economic development that is self‐corrective and articulated in a new national agreement every three years; and it is more firmly institutionalized in both government and nongovernment agencies in the country. Social partnership and the integrated approach have become part of the culture of the new Ireland. This innovative form of governance underlies the Irish turnaround and augurs well for the future. It can also serve as a model, with appropriate modification tailor‐made to each case, for other jurisdictions hoping to emulate Ireland's success.

The Irish Economic Resurgence and Small Nation Development

The success of the economy of the Republic of Ireland since the mid-1990s has prompted the characterization “The Celtic Tiger.” This paper describes the elements of the success and examines the strategic basis for it. Ireland's development strategy focused on building a consensus on fiscal and economic policy; capitalizing on membership in the European Union; promoting direct foreign investments with aggressive incentives; and cultivating a young and educated work force. Far from being a “miracle,” Ireland's success provides a model for economic development for small nations in a global economy. The authors examine and assess economic development efforts in Puerto Rico and Costa Rica in light of lessons learned from Ireland's experience.

Information Technology and Economic Development: Ireland's Coming of Age with Lessons for Developing Countries

The contribution of information technology (IT) to economic growth and development is seen as an important factor underlying the pace of development in many countries. While Asia's tiger economies are often portrayed as models for economic growth, Ireland's recent economic performance has attracted considerable attention, earning it the label, Europe's Celtic Tiger.We adopt a framework of IT-led development to show how, despite having a weak indigenous IT sector, Ireland succeeded in creating a world-class industry in computer hardware, software and services. Behind this success lies a policy of "industrialization by invitation" through which Ireland selectively targeted foreign investment in high-tech industries using a menu of financial and tax-based incentives. Despite Ireland's success, intense competition from regions such as Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia has forced Irish policy makers to question whether this policy can produce sustained economic benefits.Ireland's response to these challenges contributes to the literature on IT-led development, providing valuable lessons for developing countries as they strive for greater economic growth.

Emulating The Celtic Tiger? A Comparison of the Software Industries of Singapore and Ireland

This article explores parallels between the economic development strategies of Ireland and Singapore through a study of the software sector. My central argument is that Singapore’s embryonic software industry can learn important lessons from Ireland, which now exports over US$6 billion worth of products annually. Ireland's success has been achieved by attracting two forms of export‐oriented foreign direct investment that are increasingly important due to globalisation trends in the software industry: software development centres, and software product manufacturing and localisation (translation and local adaptation) plants. Ireland has benefited from its position on the periphery of Western Europe, one of the largest software markets in the world, to emerge as a key production location for US transnational corporations. Singapore is perhaps now poised, with a similar range of financial, labour market and infrastructural attributes as Ireland, to benefit from rapid growth in the Asia‐Pacific software market. Three corporate case studies from Singapore are used to illustrate this argument.

A Mirror for Scholars

The history of the Elizabethan age is like an illuminated manuscript: each chapter begins with the bright capital of some great name—of one who sacked a Spanish town, or wrote a great poem, or founded a great house—and the whole is a collection of "success-stories," pendants to the glory of the Queen. Yet there were two professions in which few Elizabethans achieved success, learning and arms. Lances and letters combine in the ideal of the courtier, in Sidney, in Ophelia's remembrance of the untroubled Hamlet; but the England of Elizabeth offered small rewards to either the academic or the soldier. "The greatest Schole clarkes," said Sir Humphrey Gilbert, "are not alwayes the wisest men," and men of the world from Cecil to Osborn set down the same advice for their sons. Learn only what you can use, they said; the rest is lumber. Nicholas Carr in one generation and Robert Burton in the next complained bitterly of the small encouragement offered by English patrons and English presses to works of pure scholarship, leaving "many flourishing wits smothered in oblivion, dead and buried." As for arms, the Norrises and Vere achieved glory under incredible difficulties, but in general the "policy" of the Queen and Cecil made it impossible to make a military reputation in the Low Countries, while bogs and kerns conspired with incompetence to deny success in Ireland to all but Mountjoy.