Customer Reviews

The Pope's Children: The Irish Economic Triumph and the Rise of Ireland's New Elite

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David McWilliams may be an economist, but that shouldn't stop anyone from reading this rollicking good overview of modern Ireland. Using first hand observations, data, and a dry Irish wit, he shows us the Ireland that has leapt into the 21st Century as a fully formed economic powerhouse. If you've been to Ireland in the past decade or so, you will recognize the changes. If you are looking for an example of economic development, both the good and the bad, here it is. Through it all, The Pope's Children will entertain as it educates.

A very funny and entertaining writer. I went to Ireland and realized how much the book captures the soul of the current culture and mentality. This book is a must for anyone with half a brain and is interested in the Irish way of life for the new millenium. If you like thought provoking writing with entertainment and humor, read this book.

In contrast to Garvin's oeuvre, practically every single economic thesis in this book has been revealed as solid by the recent economic crash and its disproportionate effect on Ireland's sandcastle economy. That is the good news; the bad news include the frequent exaggerations (eg about sex habits and drinking), the vulgarity, and the fact that it is not really a book, but a digest of weekly opinion pieces.

I review this book at much greater length in my forthcoming "Ireland: A colony once again?".

Seán O Nualláin Ph.D. 4u Meitheamh (san tSin 35 Bealtaine) 2009

There's a vision of Ireland that acts more as a time capsule immersed in western romanticism of the land and its folklore than the reality which it now embodies. In this fantasy, we envision an Ireland of gaunt potato farmers, beer-guzzling leprechauns, Riverdance, I.R.A. explosives ripping through pedestrians, and an ultimate disdain for all things Cromwell, his horrid comb-over notwithstanding. It is here where we westerners dream of an Ireland created by a vast array of our own predispositions toward what
constitutes Irishness. The Irish, to us, are a people of simplistic identity, incapable of venturing out into the wilderness of economic prosperity or of absolving the events that haunt their bitter memories. It is here where we find them in our fanciful time capsules, right next to the ones that find Germans as forever echoing quasi-Nazi sentiment, the Australians all wearing crocodile skins, and the Caucasian residents of the American south as toothless, confederate sympathizers of the `lost cause.' It is when we finally step aside from these ancient stereotypes and look at the facts that we begin to view a reality of what is, not what we think something is. For the Ireland of today, however, the change in culture, economy, and mindset has happened so quickly that the naivety of the western view of Ireland can almost be understood, as it has been a change so exceedingly different than the Ireland of Angela`s Ashes, Patriot Games, or Far and Away that had managed to seep its way into our consciousness like rancid fruit. The root causes to this pendulum shift from the modest pauper to the assertive, if not sometimes impetuous, buyer have been many. The once-docile picture of the pious, fatigued Irish-Catholic has now been replaced by that of a roaring economic Celtic Tiger. This begs the proverbial question, just how in the world did this happen? The answer, it seems, begins with a visit by the Pope in 1979.

It is from here that McWilliams takes us on the rollercoaster ride of Irish economics which has seen a financial explosion in recent years, demonstrating to the reader with vivid humor and characterization the reasons for the economic boom. Coupled with these reasons are the socioeconomic thought process of those who have benefited the most off the boom, groups McWilliams humorously dubs Hicos and Decklanders.

The Pope's Children is a hilarious and astute look into the realm of Irish economics, giving the reader an enjoyable overview of many of the reasons that Ireland now stands near the top of Europe's economic fortunes. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more of the extensive fabrics of the late shift in "Irishness."

Ever wonder what changed Ireland from the land of druids, political and religious confrontation, and poverty to "The Celtic Tiger"?

Why were the Irish and not the Italians or French or Spaniards able to turn what seemed to be a failing economy and fractured political and cultural environment to become one of the happiest people in the world with an annual per capita growth rate of 7% for almost twenty years and become the world's most interglobal economy?

It's all in the book but what is also in the book, and what I found the most fascinating, is how this turnaround has changed the way the Irish live. It is not always a bright picture. There are many dark sides to the Irish success and the book presents these in a balanced and thought provoking way.

I finished the book wanting to know more about the keys to the Irish success and followed up with another book "Luck and the Irish" by R.F.Foster. The two books provide a well written and inciteful account of the prosperous presnt and unclear future of Ireland. An both books are full of Irish wit and charm in telling the story.

Ireland is a whole lot different than the Ireland I learned about from my parents and other Irish-born relatives. It's wealthy, busy, and very fashionable. When I was there a few weeks ago, I learned that a lot of U.S. celebrities have houses in Ireland and a lot of Americans with Irish roots are returning there. "The Pope's Children" is a brilliant and hilarious description of modern Ireland. McWilliams is a rarity -- an economist who writes with verve and style.

I enjoyed the book immensely but I disagree with the author somewhat on the reasons behind of Ireland's economic miracle. The author claims joining the EU and getting access to European credit markets was the central factor. If that was the case, then Portugal would have enjoyed the same type of boom as Ireland. I think McWilliams understates other policy initiatives -- such as low taxes -- in attracting foreign investment into Ireland. Still, I have to give the book five stars. McWilliams provides a sharp and memorable portrait of today's Ireland.