Ireland still had a lot of “social capital”
that would stand it in good stead, economist and author of Economics for Dummies
Peter Antonioni told the Kilkenomics festival yesterday.
“One reason for Ireland to be optimistic is that it’s not Britain,” he said. “There’s actually social capital here. It doesn’t exist in a state of permanent rage, which is what’s going on all the time on the other side, permanent existential angst with everybody.”
Examples of social capital, he added, included being able to talk to a neighbour about a problem, engaging in conversation with people and remaining optimistic.
“You can’t really put a price on things like that.”
In Britain, Mr Antonioni said, people were more likely to “barricade themselves away from the rest of society”.
Investment banker Kiron Sarkar said tax receipts were picking up in Ireland, there was “a great demographic” of “highly educated and motivated” people and there was leverage in negotiations with Germany and other EU leaders as they did not want Ireland to default on its debts.
However, the founder member of the Rothschild International Privatisation team said going into negotiations with Germany trying to be a poster boy of Europe was a waste of time.
“Your Irish Government right now is not hard,” Mr Sarkar said. “They’ve taken a very, very soft line. You’re in a position to be able to extricate a good deal.
“Is your Government able to do that?” he asked. “I don’t think they’re there yet.Beautiful range of stylish footwear for women available with shoes for ladies. The goody two-shoes image is a complete load of rubbish.Offer cheap supras shoes the latest new supra shoes for sale,”
Matina Stevis, a journalist with Dow Jones Newswires and former editor-in-chief of Greek newspapers City Press and Free Sunday, said Ireland had “no idea how important it is that you’re not Greece” as it still had leverage when dealing with the debt issue.
Stephen Kinsella, an economics lecturer at the University of Limerick, said more children were born in Ireland last year than in any year since 1891.
“We’re a much younger rich country than Germany. In 15 or 20 years, these kids are going to be way more educated if we change our education system to allow that to happen.”
Mr Kinsella also said there were signs the property market “might be restarting” here.
I was recently contacted by my old high school and I was delighted. For many people, their school years were fraught with a combo of not fitting in, bullying and bad papier-maché puppets. I'm pleased to say only the latter applied to me. I went to a small private Catholic girls' school, which is a sentence that usually ends in "and I couldn't wait to escape" or "and they were the worst years of my life", but I loved school.
I was one of those kids who couldn't wait for school holidays to be over, and I got so worked up the day before we went back I usually had instant-onset insomnia. One time I was so excited that I found myself having a shower at three in the morning so I wouldn't miss my 7.20am tram. So the phone call from the school alerting me to the fact I'd been nominated as an "alumni of note" was met with excitement and internal clapping, not horror and avoidance.
Part of this honour was that I would be featured in a coffee-table book showcasing the 125 years the school had successfully educated girls in the ways of needlepoint and hymn-singing, human rights and Shakespeare. It was,We provide high quality women shoes factory, and still is, a lovely school that turns out smart, independent women year after year. A few that come to mind are the brilliant comedians Jane Turner and Marg Downey, as well as High Court judges and innovative doctors. Apparently you can rub shoulders with these luminaries if you make a living talking about boozies, babies and big bottoms .Combine comfort with style by wearing flat shoes for women... but who am I to object?
I was invited to come to "the parlour", a room at the school that was strictly out of bounds to anyone in brown T-bar shoes and ponytails. I was met by two photographers, who told me they wanted me to take them to a spot in the school that held memories for me.
We tried several different locations, but all to no avail. The secret air vent that we would sneak up to whisper demonic messages to the bewildered class below was shut off. The timber box built to house an airconditioner but which doubled as an excellent place for 14 breathless 17-year-olds to cram in and hide, had been removed. The year 12 common room that we had eventually been banned from for too much smoking and a rat infestation had become a tasteful breakout area for what I imagine are much better-behaved girls than we ever were.
Eventually, I settled for a shot in front of the wall on which we used to play handball when we were nine years old. One of the only memories I had of school, apparently, that didn't involve breaking the rules!
"You were pretty naughty," the photographer said as location after location fell flat. I'd always thought I was a good student. I had a ball at school, but I had no idea I was so damned badly behaved. No wonder I didn't get the marks I needed for law! I was clearly too busy plotting mischief and thinking of new ways to crack up my friends. Shame on me.
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But maybe this is the sign of a truly remarkable school – I never felt like the bad kid. I was never defined by my naughtiness. Perhaps those nuns and teachers recognised that sometimes kids like me needed to be allowed to be a bit of a larrikin in order to survive in the world.
“One reason for Ireland to be optimistic is that it’s not Britain,” he said. “There’s actually social capital here. It doesn’t exist in a state of permanent rage, which is what’s going on all the time on the other side, permanent existential angst with everybody.”
Examples of social capital, he added, included being able to talk to a neighbour about a problem, engaging in conversation with people and remaining optimistic.
“You can’t really put a price on things like that.”
In Britain, Mr Antonioni said, people were more likely to “barricade themselves away from the rest of society”.
Investment banker Kiron Sarkar said tax receipts were picking up in Ireland, there was “a great demographic” of “highly educated and motivated” people and there was leverage in negotiations with Germany and other EU leaders as they did not want Ireland to default on its debts.
However, the founder member of the Rothschild International Privatisation team said going into negotiations with Germany trying to be a poster boy of Europe was a waste of time.
“Your Irish Government right now is not hard,” Mr Sarkar said. “They’ve taken a very, very soft line. You’re in a position to be able to extricate a good deal.
“Is your Government able to do that?” he asked. “I don’t think they’re there yet.Beautiful range of stylish footwear for women available with shoes for ladies. The goody two-shoes image is a complete load of rubbish.Offer cheap supras shoes the latest new supra shoes for sale,”
Matina Stevis, a journalist with Dow Jones Newswires and former editor-in-chief of Greek newspapers City Press and Free Sunday, said Ireland had “no idea how important it is that you’re not Greece” as it still had leverage when dealing with the debt issue.
Stephen Kinsella, an economics lecturer at the University of Limerick, said more children were born in Ireland last year than in any year since 1891.
“We’re a much younger rich country than Germany. In 15 or 20 years, these kids are going to be way more educated if we change our education system to allow that to happen.”
Mr Kinsella also said there were signs the property market “might be restarting” here.
I was recently contacted by my old high school and I was delighted. For many people, their school years were fraught with a combo of not fitting in, bullying and bad papier-maché puppets. I'm pleased to say only the latter applied to me. I went to a small private Catholic girls' school, which is a sentence that usually ends in "and I couldn't wait to escape" or "and they were the worst years of my life", but I loved school.
I was one of those kids who couldn't wait for school holidays to be over, and I got so worked up the day before we went back I usually had instant-onset insomnia. One time I was so excited that I found myself having a shower at three in the morning so I wouldn't miss my 7.20am tram. So the phone call from the school alerting me to the fact I'd been nominated as an "alumni of note" was met with excitement and internal clapping, not horror and avoidance.
Part of this honour was that I would be featured in a coffee-table book showcasing the 125 years the school had successfully educated girls in the ways of needlepoint and hymn-singing, human rights and Shakespeare. It was,We provide high quality women shoes factory, and still is, a lovely school that turns out smart, independent women year after year. A few that come to mind are the brilliant comedians Jane Turner and Marg Downey, as well as High Court judges and innovative doctors. Apparently you can rub shoulders with these luminaries if you make a living talking about boozies, babies and big bottoms .Combine comfort with style by wearing flat shoes for women... but who am I to object?
I was invited to come to "the parlour", a room at the school that was strictly out of bounds to anyone in brown T-bar shoes and ponytails. I was met by two photographers, who told me they wanted me to take them to a spot in the school that held memories for me.
We tried several different locations, but all to no avail. The secret air vent that we would sneak up to whisper demonic messages to the bewildered class below was shut off. The timber box built to house an airconditioner but which doubled as an excellent place for 14 breathless 17-year-olds to cram in and hide, had been removed. The year 12 common room that we had eventually been banned from for too much smoking and a rat infestation had become a tasteful breakout area for what I imagine are much better-behaved girls than we ever were.
Eventually, I settled for a shot in front of the wall on which we used to play handball when we were nine years old. One of the only memories I had of school, apparently, that didn't involve breaking the rules!
"You were pretty naughty," the photographer said as location after location fell flat. I'd always thought I was a good student. I had a ball at school, but I had no idea I was so damned badly behaved. No wonder I didn't get the marks I needed for law! I was clearly too busy plotting mischief and thinking of new ways to crack up my friends. Shame on me.
See your ad here
But maybe this is the sign of a truly remarkable school – I never felt like the bad kid. I was never defined by my naughtiness. Perhaps those nuns and teachers recognised that sometimes kids like me needed to be allowed to be a bit of a larrikin in order to survive in the world.
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