Review Symposium of Best of Times? The Social Impact of the Celtic Tiger

Abstract

Socio-economic change in Ireland has long been tracked by research at the Economic and Social Research Institute, and from time to time, has been punctuated by volumes from the ESRI that seek to review the evidence on the character of that transformation. Best of Times? provides an assessment of the social impact of the Celtic Tiger years, drawing on the research of ESRI authors along with a number of colleagues from other institutions. Such a significant review of the recent changes in Irish economy and society seemed to the editors to merit extended discussion here in The Economic and Social Review. Reviewers were chosen to provide a mix of disciplinary backgrounds, of Irish and international institutional affiliations, and of broad perspectives on the social transformations and consequences of the Celtic Tiger boom. Best of Times? has been re-published in recent months as Fahey, T., H. Russell and C. T. Whelan (eds.), 2008. Quality of Life in Ireland: Social Impact of Economic Boom, Springer.