After the Celtic Tiger: Challenges Ahead

Peter Clinch is Director of Graduate Studies at the Department of Environmental Studies, University College Dublin. He has Bachelor's and Masters' degrees in economics and a PhD in environmental economics. Prior to taking up his present post, he was a Research Fellow in the Department of Economics at UCD. He recently held a visiting position at the University of California, Berkeley. Peter Clinch has also worked as a consultant for the World Bank, the Overseas Development Administration, the OECD and the European Union. He has published work on most areas of environmental economics. He has a particular interest in European Union environmental policy. Frank Convery is Heritage Trust Professor of Environmental Studies at University College Dublin. He was educated at University College Dublin and the State University of New York and has degrees in forestry and resource economics. Prior to taking up his post at UCD, he was Assistant and then Associate Professor of Natural Resource Economics at Duke University, USA and Research Professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute, Ireland. Frank Convery is active on a number of EU-wide investigations and bodies, including membership of the Science Committee of the European Environment Agency. He has written extensively on resource and environmental economics issues and is at present doing research relating to the European Union Environmental Policy. Brendan Walsh has been Professor of National Economics at University College, Dublin since 1980. He graduated from UCD in 1961, obtained a doctorate in economics from Boston College in 1966 and taught at the University of Massachusetts and Tufts University before returning to Ireland to take up a post at the Economic and Social Research Institute in 1969. He has served overseas as an economic advisor with the Harvard Institute for International Development in Iran in 1975-76 and in The Gambia in 1989-91. He has also served as a consultant with the World Bank, the OECD and the Commission of the EU. He has written widely on the Irish economy in academic journals and his textbook with Anthony Leddin The Macroeconomy of Ireland is now in its fourth edition. His most recent research has examined the effects of breaking the Sterling link on the Irish pound and the impact of the euro on the Irish economy. He is a member of the Royal Irish Academy.

In the final years of the twentieth century Ireland was the economic wonder of the western world. The economy is now in transition and things have changed dramatically, especially in the light of September 11th. This book explains why Ireland has made such startling progress and identifies the policies which will help in our changing circumstances and carry us through into a bright future. It examines the Irish economic policy and its performance, the effect and challenges of globalization, environmental damage and climate change, and social issues such as housing, traffic, and immigration. From a background in economics, and with internationally recognized expertise, these three authors look at the current crisis and at the big quality of life issues which interest every human being.