Interest rates and inflation where anything up to 15% in the days Ireland had its own currency and our central bank didn't have the resources to fend of multi-billion currency speculators.  One of the main reasons for the celtic tiger was currency stability and low interest rates.

However there is a perception that formerly very cheap countries like Ireland, spain and Greece have caught up with formerly expensive countries - which I think is true - but that is due to their rapid growth - not the Euro per se - although perhaps indirectly, in that the Euro also helped the rapid growth.

What people forget is that most incomes - aside perhaps from some pensioners - have increased even more.

"It's a mystery to me - the game commences, For the usual fee - plus expenses, Confidential information - it's in my diary..."