I’m finding it hard to relate to the economic trials back home in Ireland. I know they’re happening and I since I’m looking in from the outside at the moment, there’s a disconnection of relating to the Irish plight.
For myself, I knew the state of the country was in an exceptionally percarious position when a French student said, ‘I hear Ireland isn’t doing so well this week.’ (Well, *that’s* an understatement.) The perception of Ireland from the outside seems to be that the country is a ticking time bomb getting ready to take everyone in Europe down with them.
When Cowen and Lenihan annouced the intervention of the IMF and the European Union, the Maltese newspapers weren’t far behind in questioning Ireland’s ability to handle the capital injection. The real fear is other European countries may be forced to drain the fairly scant treasury that’ll be left after Ireland and Greece.
I’d love to be back home, tucked in bed and glued to an episode of Vinnie Brown, gnashing up the politics of the day. As an alternative, I rely on Twitter heavily and of course Suzy’s blog to see how the boys back home are putting the fat into the fire.