Abstract
Ireland is the miracle economy of the 1990s. In 15 years, it transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in Europe into one of the richest. Ireland’s record compares favorably not just with other, much touted examples of economic success in the last few years, like the Netherlands and the US, but also with Asian “tigers,” even before the latter’s economic setbacks of the late 1990s. Understanding the sources of Ireland’s economic success is therefore relevant for a much wider audience than just the people of the Emerald Isle.
