The swings in Ireland's economic fortunes have been wilder than for most. Just look at the labels it has attracted. Ini988 it was dubbed the "poorest of the rich" by this newspaper. By the 1990s it had transformed itself into the Celtic Tiger, Europe's answer to the fast-growing economies of emerging Asia. In the 2000s it was turbo-charged by the low interest rates that came with membership of the euro (some called it a "euro-bubble" economy). But by the end of 2010 it was a ward of the IMF, as its twin housing and credit booms turned to bust. Now its speedy recovery from the crash has earned Ireland a new title: the Celtic Phoenix (see page 72).
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