Articles on Ireland's Progress

If you are interested in an historic perspective on Ireland's progress then pick up the latest issue of History Ireland magazine (May/June) or check it out online. I have written 'A People's Progress - How Independent Ireland Delivered on the Promise of Her People's Well-Being'. As the article opens:

"A century ago, with the country on the brink of a bitter civil war, the prospects for the Irish Free State (which officially came into being in December 1922) did not seem particularly bright. And any objective evaluation is compelled to conclude that the first fifty years of independence failed to produce a notable improvement in the lives of Irish citizens."

However, I then detail the exceptional improvements that the country experienced across so many aspects of life in the subsequent decades and conclude:

"The facts are undeniable. We have progressed a long way in the past fifty years, and we have come much further than most. In doing so, we have not merely achieved full independence from the UK, our quality of life now exceeds that of Britain in areas as diverse as education, income, equality, and health and lifespan."

Independent Ireland delivered on her promise to her people - eventually. Pick a copy up in your local shop or become a subscriber and read the piece here.

If you are living in North America, see if you can locate a copy of the May/June Ireland of the Welcomes magazine. The title was launched by the Irish tourist board back in 1952 to promote the country internationally. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to write an article for the 70th anniversary issue outlining how the country has changed for the better since it was first published.

In fact, the article title 'Changed Utterly' was the working title of my book before it became In Fact: An Optimist's Guide to Ireland at 100. I am also lucky enough to own a copy of every single issue of the magazine ever published.