Focus on Ireland JOHN WATERS


Round towers into square holes


A new era of austerity, hardship and emigration has dawned in Ireland following the collapse of the Celtic Tiger economy. Many observers have blamed incompetence and corruption in the country’s institutions, but one commentator argues that the roots go much deeper


A


country richly endowed with cul- tural gifts and natural resources, Ireland’s land is among the most fertile in Europe, its climate emi-


nently suited to agriculture, its landscapes renowned for their variety and beauty. As an island, its seas offer access to virtually unlim- ited fisheries and, possibly, mineral resources. Its population is that of a small town in


RENEWAL FOR MINISTRY AT


DALGAN PARK


IMU Institute, Dalgan Park, Navan, Ireland PROGRAMME 2011 - 2012


The Renewal for Ministry Programmes at Dalgan Park offer the opportunity for personal growth and renewal in a welcoming and supportive environment to those who are engaged in Christian ministry. They also provide space for those who are in transition in ministry to pause and refl ect on the call of the next stage of life. Together these programmes provide a substantial sabbatical renewal opportunity, offering: • Holistic renewal in a multicultural community of women and men; • The opportunity to develop a more contemplative approach to life; • Individual accompaniment on the journey of self-renewal; • Up-dating in Scripture and Theology; • Space for rest and relaxation in a lovely parkland setting; • An emphasis on environmental concern and care for the earth; • Opportunities to visit ancient sites such as Newgrange, Glendalough, Clonmacnoise, Aran Islands, etc;


Autumn Term The Faith and Mission Renewal Programme (19 September - 16 December 2011)


This is a twelve-week residential renewal programme. Its principal aim is to provide an opportunity for personal/spiritual renewal. It has been found to be very helpful both for those who are looking for sabbatical renewal and for those returning from or preparing for, mission overseas or at home.


Winter/Spring Term The Growth for Ministry Renewal Programme (16 January - 8 April 2012)


This is a further residential renewal programme, similar in aim and methodology to the Faith and Mission Programme.


For further information, contact us at: IMU Institute, Dalgan Park Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland Phone (046) 9021525 Ext. 332 Fax: (046) 9073726 Email: imuinst@eircom.net Web: www.imudalganpark.com


14 | THE TABLET | 12 March 2011


England or America and should be capable of sustaining itself without difficulty. But periods of what appeared like nascent prosperity in the Celtic Tiger era have been misleading. The underlying truth is that Ireland has never sustained itself by its own resources, indeed has never respected its own resources, but has given them away for next to nothing. Irish fisheries are mainly exploited


by Spanish fishermen. Irish agriculture com- prises mainly beef and dairy farming, by far the least efficient use of land. None of the land is cultivated. The Irish tourism industry is in the doldrums because of high costs and because we cannot decide which version of ourselves – traditionalist kitsch or cutting- edge modernity – to promote. The two brief periods of resurgence of the


Irish economy in the 1970s and 1990s were based mainly on borrowing and invited dependency. Since the 1960s, the driving eco- nomic model has back-boilered the development of indigenous resources in favour of doing deals with the outside world. Thus, Ireland’s 12.5 per cent corporation tax – the lowest in the world. Really, there have long been two Irish economies: the indigenous economy – under- performing, often barely functioning – and the highly efficient, hugely successful trans - national industrial sector, producing computer components and pharmaceuticals, which, with a thriving international financial sector, have created a sense of Ireland as a modern economy. This cuckoo-in-the-nest economy continues to break records, in spite of Ireland’s now catastrophic economic situation. In what are conventionally understood as “religious” terms, Ireland’s recent backstory goes something like this: beset by an inadequate sense of God, camouflaged by an ostentatious piety, we had long wondered whether materialism might be the safest form of salvation; then, finally getting to give it a try, we discovered what everyone assumed we had known all along – that money doesn’t buy happiness. We are now learning the hard way that it takes a hell of a lot of borrowings to fill the God-shaped hole. Ireland’s tradition of spirituality has been much exaggerated. “Faith” in Irish culture means, really, blind adherence to imposed prescriptions. There is little sense in contem- porary Irish culture of a connection between


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